This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
United Rentals 200
Location: Avondale, Ariz.
Course: Phoenix Raceway
Format: 1.0-mile oval
Laps: 200
Race Preview
Ty Gibbs got his first win of the 2022 season last week at Las Vegas. It was his fifth win in the series and his first since joining the fray full time for the 2022 season. He joins Austin Hill as the two drivers to have claimed their spots in the championship playoffs so far. AJ Allmendinger finished last week's race ninth but sits at the top of the point standings as the series heads to Phoenix Raceway. This week's race marks the final stop on the early-season West Coast adventure, but the bigger championship picture may be on people's minds. Daniel Hemric came out on top the last time the Xfinity teams visited this track, and that win came with the added bonus of the 2021 series championship. Teams will want to learn as much as they can this week to prepare themselves for what they may need in November if they return to the track among the final championship contenders. They'll have to first qualify for the playoffs, though. Winning this week would check that box.
Key Stats at Phoenix Raceway
- Number of races: 40
- Winners from pole: 10
- Winners from top-5 starters: 34
- Winners from top-10 starters: 36
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 116.317 mph
Previous 10 Phoenix Winners
2021 fall - Daniel Hemric
2021 spring - Austin Cindric
2020 fall - Austin Cindric
2020 spring - Brandon Jones
2019 fall - Justin Allgaier
2019 spring - Kyle Busch
2018 fall - Christopher Bell
2018 spring - Brad Keselowski
2017 fall - William Byron
2017 spring - Justin Allgaier
Phoenix Raceway's 1.0-mile layout is unique to the schedule. The varying turns and banking cause the track to race more like a short track, or even a road course. The track's unique turns require teams to balance their settings carefully to maximize overall lap pace. Mechanical grip will be what everyone needs, and managing tire wear along with track position will be the key to being competitive throughout the race distance. The short track puts a premium on track position, but it allows for passing at multiple spots through the lap. Pitting for four tires under caution will be the driver's preference, but two-tire and fuel-only stops later in the race could make all the difference if a late caution bunches the field together for one final restart.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Justin Allgaier - $11,500
Noah Gragson - $11,200
Ty Gibbs - $10,900
AJ Allmendinger - $10,400
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Daniel Hemric - $10,000
Trevor Bayne - $9,700
Brandon Jones - $9,500
John Hunter Nemechek - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Landon Cassill - $8,900
Sam Mayer - $8,700
Sheldon Creed - $8,400
Myatt Snider - $8,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Austin Hill - $7,800
Anthony Alfredo - $7,600
Ryan Sieg - $7,000
Kaz Grala - $6,400
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Justin Allgaier - $11,500
John Hunter Nemechek - $9,200
Myatt Snider - $8,200
Anthony Alfredo - $7,600
Jeremy Clements - $6,800
Kaz Grala - $6,400
Justin Allgaier enters this week's race as a two-time winner at Phoenix. He wasn't among the championship contenders last fall but managed to finish ninth in that race for his fourth top-10 from his last five starts at the track. Last week's Xfinity appearance from John Hunter Nemechek was a success with a confident afternoon and a 12th-place finish. Fantasy players should expect him to fight for a top-10 or more this week. Another driver capable of regular top-10 finishes is Myatt Snider. He got caught up in trouble last week at Las Vegas but will want to get a clean race in this week and score his first top-10 at the track. His previous Phoenix best is 11th last spring. Anthony Alfredo started his 2022 campaign with back-to-back top-10 finishes. He also suffered problems at Las Vegas and finished 17th. He has one Truck Series start at Phoenix with a 24th-place finish. Jeremy Clements picked up an 11th-place finish last week in an impressive race. It was his best finish of the season so far and could be indicative of his chances this week, too. Fantasy players should also consider Kaz Grala this week. He has just one Phoenix start in the series, which was a 12th-place finish in 2018.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Noah Gragson - $11,200
Landon Cassill - $8,900
Sam Mayer - $8,700
Riley Herbst - $8,000
Ryan Sieg - $7,000
Bayley Currey - $5,900
After three straight top-three finishes to start the season, Noah Gragson is beginning to feel the frustration of not visiting Victory Lane. The JR Motorsports driver remains one of the championship favorites and will no doubt get victories if he keeps racing like he has. He gets another shot this week where he was the runner up in the fall of 2020. He finished 12th at the track last fall and has three top-10s from six starts. Landon Cassill has also been making the most of his starts this season with two top-15s from the first three races. He was sixth last week and has 11 series starts at Phoenix. Sam Mayer finished 13th in the season finale last year. That is his only Xfinity start at the circuit. He was sixth two weeks ago at Fontana and led 25 laps in last week's race. Riley Herbst was the fourth-place finisher at this track last fall. He hasn't finished outside of the top 15 yet this season and will be aiming for his fifth straight Phoenix finish of 11th or better this week. Ryan Sieg exited last week's race early but was a top-20 finisher at Phoenix last fall. He has one top-10 from 17 Phoenix tries, but should be a reliable top-20 selection with the potential of a top-15 finish. Bayley Currey is another top-20 contender this week. He has two top-20s from the three races run already this season and finished seventh in this race last season. He has two top-15s at Phoenix from six series starts.
