RADIO
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is back after a long Olympic break with the Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan International Speedway. It's been almost a month since the series last hit the track for the Pennzoil 250 back on July 20, a race that was won by Riley Herbst. He and his Stewart Haas Racing teammate Cole Custer took the top two spots in that race.
Coming into this race, Custer now leads Justin Allgaier by 56 points in the race for the regular season title. This is one of six remaining regular season races though, so there's still plenty of time for this race to get shaken up.
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 NASCAR Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Xfinity Series, including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 8/17/24 at 3:34 p.m. EDT.
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Xfinity DFS Preview - DraftKings
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Top Plays
John Hunter Nemechek ($10.5K) - Starts 10th
Pre-practice Xfinity sims for Michigan:
1. John Hunter Nemechek 20.6%
2. Riley Herbst 12.8% 😬
3. Justin Allgaier 11.2%
4. Cole Custer 10.5%
5. Austin Hill 8.4%Full win/T3/T5 sims plus values at @FDSportsbook ⤵️ https://t.co/K1vjchkPi8
— Jim Sannes (@JimSannes) August 16, 2024
John Hunter Nemechek's occasional forays in the Xfinity Series this season for Joe Gibbs Racing have featured some ups and downs. He's won twice in 10 starts, but he's also finished outside the top 20 in half his starts. Pretty boom-or-bust track record. JHN won here last year, leading 65 of the 125 laps in the race. That makes me lean toward this being a boom week.
Austin Hill ($10.0K) - Starts 20th
I love the place differential upside with Austin Hill here. He has a Truck Series win at Michigan plus a top five in the 2022 Xfinity race. He should easily be able to give you 10-plus place differential points. He also comes into the weekend on a run of four consecutive top 10s.
Riley Herbst ($9.8K) - Starts Second
Considering that the most recent Xfinity race was on a long, fast track and Riley Herbst pulled out the victory there, the fact that this week's race is on a long, fast track should be viewed as a plus. There's negative place differential possible, but Herbst has a top 10 in three consecutive Xfinity races at this track, including a sixth-place finish last season.
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Mid-Tier Options
Noah Gragson ($8.7K) - Starts 12th
This is essentially the same equipment as the No. 00 and No. 98 cars, so don't expect Noah Gragson to run outside the top 10 for long on Saturday. He's averaged 45.8 DraftKings points in two starts this season, starting 18th and finishing 10th at Charlotte and then starting seventh and finishing fifth at Nashville.
Chandler Smith ($9.0K) - Starts Fifth
Chandler Smith is riding a streak of three consecutive finishes outside the top 10, including two finishes of 33rd or worse in that span. It's a rough stretch, but he's still showing speed in this No. 81 car. That's also the story of his two starts at Michigan, as he qualified well, had speed, but finishing 38th in the 2020 Truck Series race and 20th in the 2023 Xfinity Series race. So why recommend him? Because he's a good driver who is likely to go a little under the radar this weekend.
Parker Kligerman ($8.0K) - Starts 22nd
Strong place differential play here. Parker Kligerman starts 22nd and should be able to move forward pretty easily, as he's posted three finishes of 12th or better in a row and has done that in nine of the past 10 races. He's also had some good runs at Michigan, finishing eighth here last year plus posting two Truck Series top 10s and one ARCA win here.
Value Options
Daniel Dye ($7.2K) - Starts 24th
Daniel Dye has been one of the biggest surprises of the year in NASCAR. Once regarded as someone who would struggle and sit in the back of the pack for his entire career, Dye has really picked up the pace in 2024. In six Xfinity Series starts for Kaulig Racing, he has a pair of top 10s, most recently a seventh in Indianapolis. He started 22nd in that one. In fact, Dye has started 20th or worse in all six of his starts this year and has achieved positive place differential in four races, neutral place differential once, and negative place differential in just one race. And in that one, he lost just one spot.
Carson Kvapil ($7.8K) - Starts Eighth
It was recently announced that Connor Zilisch would be full-time in 2024 for JR Motorsports, prompting a lot of people to wonder if the team will also find a full-time spot for Carson Kvapil. Kvapil has run six races for the team this season, posting four top 10s and averaging 50.8 DraftKings points per race. This is just the second time he's started in the top 10 so the place differential upside isn't there, but he still has a shot at a really good finish and a solid DFS day.
Brennan Poole ($6.0K) - Starts 36th
Ready to roll for 125 laps at @MISpeedway tomorrow afternoon. 👊
P25 - @AlphaBacarella
P36 - @brennanpoole
P37 - @ryanellisracing #CaboWabo250 | @abc_warehouse | @yxngxr1 | #AlphaPrimeBites pic.twitter.com/0e44O0jafB— Alpha Prime Racing (@TeamAlphaPrime) August 16, 2024
If you're looking for deep value, consider Brennan Poole's No. 44 Alpha Prime Racing machine. He had no speed on Friday, but Poole has finished 26th or better in five consecutive starts and is averaging 28.1 DraftKings points per race, which is solid when you consider he only costs $6.0K.
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