This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 134
Race Preview
Todd Gilliland won a rainy NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Circuit of the Americas a week ago. He was the sixth different winner from nine races, and it was Ford's first victory of the season, too. This week the series returns to a familiar oval – Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Elliott won the race last season, which was the first for the teams after the pandemic halted racing. He won from the deepest starting spot in the series (26th) after leading 47 laps and holding off Kyle Busch at the finish. Series regulars Zane Smith, Brett Moffitt and Sheldon Creed finished out the top five. This week's race will be the 19th time the series has raced on Charlotte's oval. Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter are the only previous Charlotte winners entered in this weekend's race. Unlike most races this season, this week the teams will have practice and qualifying ahead of the race, but all on-track activity for the series will take place on Friday.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 18
- Winners from pole: 4
- Winners from top-5 starters: 9
- Winners from top-10 starters: 14
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 128.947 mph
Previous 10 Charlotte Winners
2020 - Chase Elliott
2019 - Kyle Busch
2018 - Johnny Sauter
2017 - Kyle Busch
2016 - Matt Crafton
2015 - Kasey Kahne
2014 - Kyle Busch
2013 - Kyle Busch
2012 - Justin Lofton
2011 - Kyle Busch
Elliott's win from the 26th starting position last season is the farthest back a Truck Series driver has started and won at Charlotte since Kyle Busch won from the 20th starting spot in 2006. In the 18 prior races, half of the winners have started in the top five. Only four drivers have started outside the top 15 and won. This is a track where speed matters. Therefore, qualifying up front is a good indicator of success Friday night. Fantasy owners should take a look at the practice speeds and qualifying order before setting their lineups, but there won't be much time between the field being set and the green flag for lineup adjustments. Chevrolet and Toyota have successfully kept Ford locked out of Victory Lane at the track. Dodge is the only other marque besides those two to have won at the track, and that win was the series debut at the speedway in 2003.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
John Hunter Nemechek - $10,900
Sheldon Creed - $10,700
Austin Hill - $10,400
Ben Rhodes - $10,100
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Matt Crafton - $9,900
Grant Enfinger - $9,700
Zane Smith - $9,500
Derek Kraus - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Ankrum - $8,800
Christian Eckes - $8,600
Johnny Sauter - $8,200
Chandler Smith - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Ty Majeski - $7,900
Timmy Hill - $7,700
Timothy Peters - $6,600
Hailie Deegan - $6,400
My Picks
John Hunter Nemechek - $10,900
Zane Smith - $9,500
Johnny Sauter - $8,200
Ty Majeski - $7,900
Timothy Peters - $6,600
Hailie Deegan - $6,400
John Hunter Nemechek has been one of the quickest drivers this season and also was atop the times in Friday's practice, which is why he is the highest-priced option this week. He finished sixth in this race last season and leads the series standings heading into this weekend. Smith is still looking for a 2021 win, but he started 30th in last year's race and finished third. He led 15 laps in that race and should be one to look out for with a top-10 practice speed. Sauter was another top-10 truck in practice and is also one of two previous Charlotte winners in this week's race. He won that race from pole and has 12 series starts at the track. He finished seventh in last year's race. Ty Majeski will be ThorSports' fifth entry this week. His only series start at the track was last year's race when he started seventh and finished eighth. Another veteran worth considering this week is Timothy Peters. He has 12 series Charlotte starts with six top-10s. This will be the first time he has raced at the track in the Trucks since 2017, but his prior four Charlotte races featured an average finish of sixth. After giving Hailie Deegan a pass last week on the road course, she is firmly back in contention for fantasy rosters at Charlotte. She has been consistent this season and currently sits 15th in points. She was 14th last week at COTA and hasn't finished outside of the top 20 since Atlanta in March.
