This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Format: Oval
Length: 0.5 miles
Laps: 200
NASCAR Trucks Series Race Preview
One week after we got Kyle Larson, the eventual race winner, and Ross Chastain in the field of the Truck Series, William Byron will enter the fray in Martinsville. He immediately becomes a favorite to take the checkered flag, though that shouldn't take away from some of the impressive starts we've seen from full-time drivers in the series. Corey Heim has two wins and has finished inside the top five in three of four races this season. Meanwhile, Chandler Smith and Grant Enfinger have both finished inside the top-10 in every race.
Key Stats at Martinsville
- Number of Races: 48
- Winners from Pole: 10
- Winners from top-five starters: 30
- Winners from top-10 starters: 40
Previous 10 Martinsville Winners
Fall 2024 – Christian Eckes
Spring 2024 – Christian Eckes
2023- Corey Heim
2022- William Byron
2021- Zane Smith
2020- Grant Enfinger
2019 – Kyle Busch
2018 – Johnny Sauter
We've hit a different category of track in nearly every week to begin the NASCAR schedule, and Friday's race will be the first short track of the season. Martinsville is the shortest track on the calendar at just .526 miles and is also very flat relative to the rest of the tracks. It's also known for it's unique paper clip shape. For the second straight race weekend we'll head to a distinctive track, though it will look different than what we saw it Homestead. This is a "physical" race, with the best chance to move through the field being moving opponents out of the way. Tempers will likely flare and there should be plenty of chaos.
RotoWire NASCAR Truck Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
William Byron - $12,500
Corey Heim - $11,000
Ty Majeski - $10,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Layne Riggs - $9,500
Chandler Smith - $9,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Ankrum- $8,800
Ben Rhodes- $8,300
Stewart Friesen -$8,000
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Matt Crafton- $7,800
Tanner Gray - $7,300
Jake Garcia-$6,900
Matt Mills - $6,500
NASCAR Truck Series DFS Picks for the Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200
William Byron - $12,500
Ben Rhodes- $8,300
Stewart Friesen - $8,000
Tanner Gray - $7,300
Jake Garcia - $6,900
Matt Mills - $6,500
Last weekend, I opted for a balanced roster build rather than building through Larson and then finding several cheap options to balance his salary. We face the same choice at Martinsville. Byron has a strong track record at the track both in the Truck and Cup Series, with a pair of wins in 2022 and one more in 2024. There's a strong case to make that he is worth paying up for, particularly because there are a few drivers projected very well in Tier 4. Garcia has a pair of top-10 finishes and has been inside the top 15 in three of four races this season. Mills has finished between 13th and 16th in each of the last three races. That suggests Garcia has more upside, but both are reasonable choices and would open up enough salary to make a build through Byron work.
There are a lot of good choices in the middle tiers, regardless of whether those drivers are used as the primary part of a build (for those who don't roster Byron) or just a few final fill-in pieces. Rhodes would be a priority. In nine races at Martinsville since 2018, he has finished inside the top five on five occasions and inside the top ten on seven occasions. Friesen's success has faded over time at the track, but he is among the cheaper options with a solid track record at Martinsville and he's also started the season in particularly strong form.
Finally, it will be possible to pay for multiple Tier 1 and Tier 2 drivers for those who don't roster Byron. My favorite combination in that scenario is Corey Heim and Chandler Smith, who boast 118.9 and 105.3 driver ratings, respectively, at Martinsville across four total combined races.
NASCAR Truck Series Best Bets for the Boys and Girls Club of the Blue Ridge 200
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 11:00 AM ET Friday
Outright Winner – William Byron (+250), Layne Riggs (+330), Corey Heim (+450), Chandler Smith (+900), Ben Rhodes (+2800)
We covered the case for most of these drivers in the DFS section above, but there are still some interesting angles to cover. Byron is rightfully the favorite and has an advantage moving down two series, but there are a lot of veteran drivers who have had success at Martinsville that will share the track with him Friday night. Given his short odds, it's tough to invest too heavily.
The same can be said of Riggs, who should be in consideration for DFS builds. After a slow start to the season, he has finished fifth and second in the last two races. Price isn't ideal for him, but it feels like he's closing in on a win.
For those willing to take on some risk, Smith and Rhodes' track records both suggest their odds are too long. Smith has had a lot more success this season, which is reflected in his odds, so he'd be the preferred option, but Rhodes' odds are tantalizing for those willing to take on some risk.
