This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
UNHO 188
Location: Daytona, Fla.
Course: Daytona International Speedway Road Course
Format: 3.61-mile road course
Laps: 52
Race Preview
Austin Cindric earned his fourth season win last week at Road America. This week, the series tackles another road course in Daytona International Speedway. This will be the first time the series races on the circuit, but the course itself has been in use since the 1960s. The 3.56-mile configuration will combine the high banks of the Daytona oval with the tight infield turns. The new circuit will be an interesting twist to the playoff picture, as the battle for the final championship playoff spots continues to escalate. Brandon Brown is the one on the hot seat heading into this weekend's race as the final driver in the playoff positions. He holds a 53-point gap over Jeremy Clements and sits 21 points behind Riley Herbst in the 11th position. Cindric and Chase Briscoe are the two drivers to have already won on road courses this season.
Key Stats at Daytona Road Course
- Number of races: 0
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 0
- Winners from top-10 starters: 0
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: N/A
Previous 10 Road Course Winners
2020 Road America - Austin Cindric
2020 Indianapolis Road Course - Chase Briscoe
2019 Charlotte Road Course - AJ Allmendinger
2019 Road America - Christopher Bell
2019 Mid-Ohio - Austin Cindric
2019 Watkins Glen - Austin Cindric
2018 Charlotte Road Course - Chase Briscoe
2018 Road America - Justin Allgaier
2018 Mid-Ohio - Justin Allgaier
2018 Watkins Glen - Joey Logano
Daytona International Speedway's road course has been in use since the early 1960s, primarily hosting sports car races and the historic Daytona 24 Hours race. The 2020 season will be the first time the Xfinity series races on the circuit as part of its championship. The 3.56-mile configuration will test drivers under braking, strong acceleration, and transitioning from the flat infield to the high-banked turns of the oval. The layout is arguably most similar to the Charlotte road course, but Daytona doesn't feature the same elevation changes. Key overtaking points will be the entry to turn 1 off of the oval and then under heavy braking entering the chicane on the back straight. Handling, brakes and track position are expected to be large factors in Saturday's outcome.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
AJ Allmendinger - $11,400
Austin Cindric - $11,000
Justin Allgaier - $10,600
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Noah Gragson - $9,700
Chase Briscoe - $9,600
Justin Haley - $9,200
Ross Chastain - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Andy Lally - $8,800
Jeremy Clements - $8,500
Alex Labbe - $8,300
Myatt Snider - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Brandon Jones - $7,900
Preston Pardus - $7,700
Michael Annett - $7,400
Ryan Sieg - $6,400
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Austin Cindric - $11,000
Ross Chastain - $9,000
Alex Labbe - $8,300
Jade Buford - $7,500
Michael Annett - $7,400
Brandon Brown - $6,700
Austin Cindric is one of the hottest drivers in the Xfinity series right now, and he has been one of the best on road courses, too. He represents a safe play for fantasy managers this week given the many uncertainties surrounding the race. Ross Chastain has top-10 finishes in the two road course races so far this season and has a top-10 starting position for this one, too. With only two finishes outside of the top 10 this year, he has been one of the most consistent fantasy options, too. Alex Labbe scored one of his three top-10 finishes this season on the Indianapolis road course. He was competitive at Road America last week, and fantasy managers should consider him a top-15 candidate this week with the upside potential of a top-10 finish. Jade Buford only has two starts in the Xfinity series this season, but both resulted in top-20 finishes. He's a road course specialist and offers a lot of potential this week with a 32nd-place starting spot. Michael Annett presents more of a known quantity. He starts seventh and has two top-10s from the two road course stops so far this season. Finishing off the selections is Brandon Brown, who was 12th at Road America and 11th at Indianapolis. He presents a valuable top-15 option at the low end of the salary range.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
AJ Allmendinger - $11,400
Chase Briscoe - $9,600
Andy Lally - $8,800
Preston Pardus - $7,700
Ryan Sieg - $6,400
Chad Finchum - $6,000
AJ Allmendinger remains a heavy favorite for fantasy players on road courses. He has experience on this particular track and has a sports car win here, too. His starting position of 10th is much more favorable than last week's race, which should put him in a good position to challenge up front early. Chase Briscoe won earlier this season on the Indianapolis road course and has won at other road courses as well. Andy Lally, a road course specialist, started 23rd last week at Road America yet finished fifth. He will start sixth on Saturday, which puts him in contention for the race win right from the start. Preston Pardus has started two road course races in the Xfinity series this season and finished in the top 10 both times. He will start this race in 15th position and should be expected to move forward from there. Ryan Sieg had an impressive race last week to finish ninth. He's in position to make the championship playoffs and has an eighth-place start to assist this week. Finally, Chad Finchum should be capable of adding finish differential points to fantasy rosters given his 35th-place start this week. He dropped out of last week's race with transmission problems but could have more upside this week if he makes it to the finish.
