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Denny Hamlin Could Focus on Stage Points to Clinch Round of 8 Spot
Although Denny Hamlin was pretty consistent on road courses in the Gen 6 era of NASCAR, he's been a lot sloppier in the Next Gen era, crashing out of several races after winning the pole. The Charlotte Roval was never Hamlin's best road course, as he only earned a single top-10 finish at the track, a fifth-place showing in 2021. He did run really well on that occasion, posting the second-best driver rating and average running position. However, this time he only qualified 14th in an era when it has been much more difficult to pass on road courses. Since Hamlin holds a 48-point lead, he's likely to stay out for stage points on both stages since only 13 stage points will allow him to clinch a spot in the Round of 8, which may hurt his finish. As a result, selecting him for DFS lineups is very risky, even though you don't normally get to sign him for $7,200.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference
