RADIO
Because of rain on Saturday, we're projected to have the first ever NASCAR one-day triple header on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. A full day of racing will begin with the rescheduled Truck Series race, followed by the Xfinity Series Pocono Green 225, and then a Cup race.
And speaking of that Xfinity race, let's talk about it. 36 drivers will take the green flag, with Noah Gragson leading them off and Myatt Snider starting second. Yes, that means we're fading the 21 car for the first time all year because of the starting spot (and because I like this car more when Anthony Alfredo is piloting it.)
Here at RotoBaller, we want to help you make informed decisions about your DFS lineups, which is why I'll be breaking down the slates for the Xfinity Series. Let's look at some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the Pocono Green 225 on DraftKings. (And if any other DFS providers want to start doing Xfinity, we'll do those too!) Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Xfinity Series including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station.
Xfinity DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings
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Austin Cindric #22 ($10,200) - Starting 9th
The case for Austin Cindric is easy. He's second in the series in driver rating, first in early run speed, third in fastest laps run, and second in overall green flag speed. He's also got a little more place differential upside than other top drivers as he rolls off ninth.
Cindric has run a pair of Xfinity races here, placing in the top 10 in both. His only Truck start also saw him finish seventh. I like the combination here with Cindric: a fast car on a track where he's run well and with a driver who has consistently been up front over the past four races of this season.
Noah Gragson #9 ($9,800) - Starting 1st
The case for Gragson is a little tougher than Cindric because he's the pole sitter and thus only has downside from a place differential perspective, but it's hard to ignore the speed that this 9 car has shown all season.
Gragson leads the series regulars in green flag speed. He's second in fastest laps run and the series leader in driver rating. It's been a really, really strong start to the season for the JR Motorsports driver, and after a 2019 season where there were some questions about what he could do in this car, he's not the points leader.
You can also consider that he finished sixth here last year. And yeah, part of me wants to be risk averse and not pay up for the pole sitter due to the inherent downside of that, but I mean...Gragson has been good.
Riley Herbst #18 ($7,700) - Starting 24th
Riley Herbst just keeps drawing me back in.
I remain unsold on Herbst's potential in this 18 car, but before a crash at Talladega, he'd grabbed consecutive top 10s, and he's had an average running position of 14th or better in every race but the two superspeedway races.
With Herbst starting 24th, I think the place differential upside outweighs any downside that comes with Herbst. If he can manage at least a top 15 finish, you'll be fine with playing him.
Jeremy Clements #51 ($8,600) - Starting 21st
While Clement's last couple of races haven't ended well -- a 27th and a 24th -- he's run well this season, collecting five top 15s. He's run into mechanical trouble and accidents a few too many times, which has skewed his overall average finish down, but overall Clements is a solid driver starting below 20th who has a chance at a top 15.
And in his last three Pocono races in the Xfinity, his worst finish is 17th, with a top 20 average running position in each of those races. Clements is a solid guy to fill out a DFS lineup.
Brandon Brown #68 ($7,300) - Starting 22nd
Fun fact: If you take out two mechanical DNFs, Brandon Brown's worst finish this season is 14th.
I remain completely surprised by how well this Brandonbilt Motorsports team has run this year, and it's going to be tough for me to not suggest him for a DFS lineup in any race where he starts outside the top 20, just because he's a really good finisher who continues to produce solid results.
He also finished 13th here last year despite this team not being as strong then. His average position in that race was 15th, one of his best average running positions of 2019.
Joe Graf Jr. #08 ($5,700) - Starting 25th
Let's close things out with Joe Graf Jr.
Graf crashed out at Talladega, finishing 34th, but he put up a pair of impressive performances at Homestead, finishing 16th in the first race and then 13th in the second. He's got six top 20 finishes this year, and only twice has he finished outside the top 20 in a race that he didn't DNF.
Graf's definitely the least likely of any of these drivers to get up and run in the top 10, but at his price point, he allows you to grab both Cindric and Gragson, which is nice. And of any driver under $6,500 in DraftKings pricing, Graf has both the highest projection and the highest projected fantasy points per dollar. In fact, only two drivers in the entire field have a higher projected fantasy points per dollar total than Graf.
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