This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
TOYOTA 200
Location: Darlington, S.C.
Course: Darlington Raceway
Format: 1.36-mile oval
Laps: 147
Race Preview
After the NASCAR Cup series restarted its season Sunday afternoon it is time for Xfinity teams and drivers to join in on the fun. The season was halted in March following Phoenix and has been out of action for roughly the equivalent of a normal winter offseason. While the drivers won't be the first to take to the track sight unseen after the Cup series raced, the challenges still remain. Team personnel are limited at the circuit and the normal preparations for both car and driver are severely limited.
Cole Custer won Xfinity's last race at Darlington in 2019, but the winner at this circuit has typically been a full-time Cup series driver. With four different winners this season it could be entirely possible that we see a fifth Tuesday. Fantasy owners looking for confident selections for this race should approach roster selection much like they did for the Cup race. Looking for experienced drivers who have good communication with their crews should have an early advantage as everyone tries to dial in the settings to produce the fastest car possible on a very limited schedule.
Key Stats at Darlington Raceway
- Number of races: 59
- Winners from pole: 15
- Winners from top-5 starters: 38
- Winners from top-10 starters: 46
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 6
- Fastest race: 141.355 mph
Previous 10 Darlington Winners
2019 - Cole Custer
2018 - Brad Keselowski
2017 - Denny Hamlin
2016 - Elliott Sadler
2015 - Denny Hamlin
2014 - Chase Elliott
2013 - Kyle Busch
2012 - Joey Logano
2011 - Kyle Busch
2010 - Denny Hamlin
With four races and four different winners so far this season it could be difficult to know who will come out on top this Tuesday. Only one full-time Xfinity driver has managed to finish in the top 10 in every race and that is Harrison Burton. Eight other drivers have three top-10s from the opening races. Chase Briscoe, Brandon Jones, and Noah Gragson have visited Victory Lane already in 2020. Cup series regular Kyle Busch will be racing Tuesday but is starting deep in the field. He struggled in Cup's return to racing, but that extra time on track means he may be less rusty and know more of what to expect when the green flag waves for this race. Still, fantasy players will face another set of unknowns for Tuesday's contest, which will require an extra level of analysis before settling on the final lineups.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Busch - $16,000
Justin Allgaier - $11,000
Chase Briscoe - $10,600
Brandon Jones - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Harrison Burton - $9,700
Ross Chastain - $9,400
Daniel Hemric - $9,100
Noah Gragson - $8,700
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Justin Haley - $8,100
Ryan Sieg - $8,000
Josh Williams - $7,800
Riley Herbst - $7,600
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Alex Labbe - $7,300
Myatt Snider - $6,900
Jesse Little - $6,400
Chad Finchum - $5,300
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Harrison Burton - $9,700
Ross Chastain - $9,400
Noah Gragson - $8,700
Justin Haley - $8,100
Josh Williams - $7,800
Vinnie Miller - $6,300
By avoiding Kyle Busch the options to choose a roster with much more depth become much more prevalent. in this format we were able to select two 2020 race winners along with a number of drivers in playoff positions in the standings. Harrison Burton, with his four top-5s this season, is an easy choice. Ross Chastain in the next position means you also get last year's Xfinity pole sitter at Darlington who led 90 laps. Noah Gragson won at Daytona and finished eighth at Darlington last season. Justin Haley hasn't won yet this season, but he is ninth in the standings with back-to-back fifth-place finishes before the season was paused. He finished 11th last year in his only series Xfinity start at this track. Josh Williams is 14th in the series standings with a top-10 and three top-20 finishes from the first four races. He finished 24th at Darlington last season and should be in store to do better than that Tuesday. Rounding out the lower risk lineup is Vinnie Miller. He has two top-15s this season and an average Darlington finish of 32.5. Miller should be capable of beating that average on Tuesday.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Busch - $16,000
Ryan Sieg - $8,000
Ray Black Jr. - $7,700
Alex Labbe - $7,300
Timmy Hill - $5,700
Chad Finchum - $5,300
Despite starting 26th on Tuesday, Kyle Busch remains the heavy favorite based on DraftKings pricing. He raced forward from the back in the Cup series Sunday, and he could do the same Tuesday evening in the Xfinity race. Choosing him requires the expectation that he moves to the front quickly, leads many laps and takes home the victory. Ryan Sieg will roll off fourth but only has a best finish of 14th from six Darlington starts in the series. He is seventh in the standings and has three top-10s, though. Similarly, Ray Black Jr. only has a best Darlington finish of 16th. He has been fighting for top-20s this season and it is realistic to think he could achieve that Tuesday. Alex Labbe will start 16th and has an average Darlington finish of 18th from his two series starts at the track. Timmy Hill found success during the quarantine in eNASCAR, which shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. His best Xfinity Darlington finish was 16th in 2012. He finished 23rd last season. Chad Finchum heads to Darlington 19th in the standings with two top-20s this season, which should give him a chance of scoring his best Darlington finish in the series.
