DFS NASCAR: All-Star Race

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Published on May 21, 2022

All-Star Race

Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Course: Texas Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 125

Race Preview

The NASCAR Cup Series takes a break from racing for the championship this week for its annual All-Star Race weekend. The fan favorite event returns to Texas Motor Speedway for the second time in as many years after a shift from Charlotte. Twenty drivers are already locked into the main event by virtue of winning a race in 2021 or 2022, winning a prior All-Star Race or being a former series champion competing full time this season. The remaining four entrants will be determined by the All-Star Open, a 50-lap three-stage race. Each stage winner of that race will advance to the All-Star Race with the final position being decided by a fan vote. This weekend's run for the checkered flag will be the 38th running of the event, and a million-dollar payday is on the line for whoever can outlast the competition and make the turn into Victory Lane.

For this unique event, we have one lower-risk lineup option comprised solely of drivers already qualified for the main event. The traditional higher-risk lineup option is dedicated to highlighting some drivers who need to race their way into the big show through the All-Star Open.

Key Stats at Texas Motor Speedway

Number of races: 41
Winners from pole: 5
Winners from top-5 starters: 24
Winners from top-10 starters: 32
Winners from 21st or lower starters: 6
Fastest race: 160.577 mph

The 2022 All-Star Race will be the second held at Texas Motor Speedway after many years at Charlotte and a one-year stop at Bristol. The 1.5-mile Texas oval is very similar to the traditional race home at Charlotte, but Texas has its own uniqueness. While Texas is a fast, high-banked oval, its turns 1 and 2 feature shallower banking than turns 3 and 4. The track's wide turns at both ends increase the grooves available for drivers to move up and down the banking, as tires wear or as they move through traffic. Drivers are going to need that space, too. The race will feature a unique qualifying format specifically for this event where the fastest eight qualifiers will face off on track at the same time in an elimination-style bracket challenge with four-tire pit stops. The race itself will feature four stages where the stage victors will fill out the top three starting positions for the final 50-lap sprint to claim that million-dollar check.

DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)

DraftKings Tier 1 Values

Kyle Larson - $10,000
Chase Elliott - $9,700
Kyle Busch - $9,500
Denny Hamlin - $9,200

DraftKings Tier 2 Values

Martin Truex Jr. - $9,000
William Byron - $8,800
Ross Chastain - $8,600
Alex Bowman - $8,200

DraftKings Tier 3 Values

Tyler Reddick - $8,000
Ryan Blaney - $7,900
Christopher Bell - $7,500
Kevin Harvick - $7,300

DraftKings Long-Shot Values

Chase Briscoe - $7,200
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $7,100
Kurt Busch - $7,000
Brad Keselowski - $6,800

MY PICKS THIS WEEK

Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)

Kyle Larson - $10,000
Denny Hamlin - $9,200
William Byron - $8,800
Christopher Bell - $7,500
Kevin Harvick - $7,300
Kurt Busch - $7,000

The lower-risk lineup option for this week's All-Star Race is a set-it and forget-it option comprising drivers already safely in the field for the main event. Kyle Larson (DK $10,000, FD $13,500) is an obvious choice to lead any lineup this week having won two All-Star events, including last year's at this same track. Larson also won at Texas last fall on his way to the series championship. Denny Hamlin (DK $9,200, FD $10,500) won the 2015 All-Star Race. He didn't fare so well last year, finishing 21st, but he won at Texas in 2019 and finished ninth and 11th the last two regular-season races at the track. Two-time 2022 race winner William Byron (DK $8,800 FD $12,000) doesn't have an All-Star win, but he was the runner up at Texas last fall behind teammate Larson. This will be Byron's fourth All-Star appearance and his best finish in it was last year's seventh-place result. Christopher Bell (DK $7,500, FD $9,000) is also hunting his first All-Star victory. This will be his second start in the main event after finishing 11th in last year's race. Two-time All-Star victor Kevin Harvick (DK $7,300, FD $7,500) seems like a good value for this week's edition. He last picked up the big check in this race in 2018 and had three straight finishes of third or better in this unique race prior to last year's switch to Texas. He has three wins at this track, too. Last week's winner Kurt Busch (DK $7,000, FD $8,000) then makes a solid case for inclusion in this lineup. He has a Texas victory on his resume, carries the confidence from last week's win forward and is the 2010 All-Star Race winner.

Higher-Risk Values (All-Star Open Drivers)

Erik Jones - $7,700
Daniel Suarez - $7,600
Austin Dillon - $7,400
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $7,100
Chris Buescher - $6,700
Ty Dillon - $5,800

As a reminder, the higher-risk values are not a lineup suggestion, but comprise drivers who have to advance from the All-Star Open into the main show. These are the drivers fantasy players may want to leverage at a lower price in order to stack more expensive picks further up the order. Erik Jones has recently been the fastest among this set of drivers. He hasn't had great race results the last two weeks but does have four top-10s on the season and finished second in 2018's All-Star Open. With the pressure of making the playoffs lifted from his shoulders this weekend, it could be time for Daniel Suarez to shine. He has shown promise early this season, and his teammate has proven the team can win races. Suarez has two Texas top-fives and is a former winner of the All-Star Open with a best result in the All-Star Race of second. Austin Dillon is another option fantasy players should consider. He won at Texas in 2020 and has three All-Star appearances. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a possible stage winner who could advance this week. He made his last All-Star start in 2018 and finished ninth in the Open race last season. Chris Buescher is another one to keep an eye on. He has shown competitive speed this season and finished fourth and third in the last two Open events. The final consideration of note should be Ty Dillon. He has four Open race starts and has not finished lower than eighth.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. C.J. Radune plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.