This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
South Point 400
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Course: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile oval
Laps: 267
Race Preview
Kyle Larson won at Bristol last week to close out the first three-race round of championship eliminations. It was his sixth victory of the year and should have him full of momentum heading into the round of eight that gets underway this week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he scored his first win of the season in March. Aric Almirola, Tyler Reddick, Kurt Busch and Michael McDowell were all eliminated from championship contention last week, and the remaining eight playoff drivers are focusing on getting out of the gate strongly this week at Las Vegas. Larson led more than 100 laps in his March victory at the track and will lead the field to green from pole position this week with Ryan Blaney alongside. Chevrolet-powered cars have won the last two Las Vegas races, and only two times in the last 10 races has someone started outside of the top 15 and won.
Key Stats at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 27
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 10
- Winners from top-10 starters: 15
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 154.849 mph
Previous 10 Las Vegas Winners
2021 spring - Kyle Larson
2020 fall - Kurt Busch
2020 spring - Joey Logano
2019 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2019 spring - Joey Logano
2018 fall - Brad Keselowski
2018 spring - Kevin Harvick
2017 - Martin Truex Jr.
2016 - Brad Keselowski
2015 - Kevin Harvick
Track position is a big factor in racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile oval has a history of enabling the fastest cars to get out front and extend their lead, often lapping much of the competition before the finish. Teams will focus on executing restarts, as those opportunities could be the best chance to gain positions. Maximizing chassis grip through the track's long corners will be the aim of setups this week, too. Teams that get the setup right at the start will have an advantage, as track position plays an even more important role later in the race. This week's race will also end under the lights, which means teams will have to work hard to stay on top of the changing track conditions. Teams that start quickly could find themselves floundering later in the race as the track cools. This track tends to produce long, green-flag runs, and teams will have to be perfect on the adjustments made on pit road to ensure they keep their cars moving forward.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,000
Kyle Busch - $10,800
Denny Hamlin - $10,500
Chase Elliott - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Joey Logano - $9,900
Martin Truex Jr. - $9,700
Kevin Harvick - $9,300
Ryan Blaney - $9,100
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
William Byron - $8,900
Brad Keselowski - $8,700
Alex Bowman - $8,300
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ross Chastain - $7,900
Tyler Reddick - $7,800
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,800
Chase Briscoe - $6,000
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Larson - $11,100
Ryan Blaney - $9,100
William Byron - $8,900
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,200
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,800
Michael McDowell - $5,900
Larson (DK $11,100, FD $14,500) will be the favorite heading into this week's race. Las Vegas was the site of his first Hendrick win and he also won last week at Bristol. Fantasy players should expect the round of eight to be a good one for the No. 5 with this week's race along with a road course visit to close out the round. Blaney (DK $9,100, FD $10,200) showed himself to be the fastest Team Penske driver again last week. He finished fourth at Bristol, lines up on the front row this week and has four prior top-fives at Las Vegas including the spring race. Navigating the knockout rounds to advance in the playoffs is becoming a trend of William Byron's (DK $8,900, FD $11,000). He escaped elimination last week at Bristol and enters this round with a fresh start. He has two prior Las Vegas top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place run in March. Matt DiBenedetto (DK $8,200, FD $8,000) continues to audition for a full-time ride in the series next year. While Talladega could be his best chance to win before the season ends, he hasn't been terrible at Las Vegas. He will start Sunday's race 14th and finished second in both races at the track last season. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK $6,800, FD $6,700) has delivered three top-20 finishes in the last five races. He finished 11th at this track in the spring and has the potential to be a top-15 finisher this week. McDowell's (DK $5,900, FD $5,000) best Las Vegas finish was 17th earlier this season. He started that race fifth, however. He'll start this week from 23rd, which may make moving forward more difficult this time, but he should still be worth a roster selection.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Chase Elliott - $10,200
Martin Truex Jr. - $9,700
Kevin Harvick - $9,300
Alex Bowman - $8,300
Erik Jones - $6,500
Chase Briscoe - $6,000
Chase Elliott (DK $10,200, FD $12,500) may not have the Las Vegas resume of some other options, but his Bristol race could be an indicator of near-term success. He was racing at the front last week before a flat tire dropped him out of contention. He hasn't finished in the top 10 at this track since 2019, but he has led at least 12 laps in each race since. He will start this week's race 11th and could be one of the hungrier drivers to get to Victory Lane. Martin Truex Jr. (DK $9,700, FD $12,000) once dominated the 1.5-mile ovals. He doesn't have the same advantage right now but remains a valid fantasy option. He has two Las Vegas wins and finished sixth in the spring race. Kevin Harvick (DK $9,300, FD $11,500) is another hungry championship contender. Last week was the closest he had been to victory all season, and it slipped away from him. The team hasn't been the fastest this year, but Harvick is making the most of the equipment he has, which means frequent top-fives. Alex Bowman (DK $8,300, FD $10,000) scored his best Las Vegas finish in this race last season. He, like teammate Byron, found a way to avoid elimination from the playoffs last week and will try to leverage that momentum to get this round off to a good start this week. Erik Jones (DK $6,500, FD $6,000) scored his fourth top-10 of the year last week at Bristol, and one of those other top-10s was at this track, too. He will start from 16th this week. Chase Briscoe (DK $6,000, FD $7,200) rounds out the higher-risk lineup. With four top-20s in the last five races, he should be another bargain for fantasy rosters starting from 19th this Sunday.
