This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Cookout 400
Location: Martinsville, Vrignia
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Format: Oval
Length: 0.5 miles
Laps: 400
NASCAR Cup Series Cookout 400 Preview
Kyle Larson found his way to victory lane at Homestead after a key mistake by Hendrick teammate Alex Bowman, becoming the fourth different winner of the season. Though there was a drought in terms of victory for Hendrick, they now have three of their four drivers make up the top three in the standings and all four inside the top six. A lot can change in the next five months, but this season has certainly gone by the chalk to this point. Points are likely to be key to reach the playoffs as a result. Perhaps that can change, but Martinsville isn't likely to be the track for a wild-card winner.
Key Stats at Martinsville
- Number of races: 152
- Winners from pole: 21
- Winners from top-5 starters: 76
- Winners from top-10 starters: 107
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 7
Previous 10 Martinsville Winners
2024 fall – Ryan Blaney
2024 spring- William Byron
2023 fall - Ryan Blaney
2023 spring - Kyle Larson
2022 fall - Christopher Bell
2022 spring - William Byron
2021 fall - Alex Bowman
2021 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
2020 fall - Chase Elliott
2020 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
Martinsville is a tricky short track, highlighted by its unique paper clip track and minimal banking. That allows the cream to rise to the top, which is made clear by the track record of the winners in the last 10 years. One particularly notable trend in that same 10-race span is where the winners have come from. Six of the 10 have come a starting position of 10th or worse and eight of the 10 have come from outside the top five. That will be interesting to keep in mind for the both the DFS and best bet sections.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Cup Series Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Cookout 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Ryan Blaney - $11,200
Kyle Larson -$11,000
Denny Hamlin - $10,700
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chase Elliott - $9,900
Joey Logano - $9,600
Chase Briscoe – $9,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Brad Keselowski -$7,900
Ryan Preece - $7,500
Bubba Wallace - $7,200
DraftKings Tier 4 Values
Austin Dillon - $6,500
Cole Custer - $6,300
NASCAR Cup Series DFS Picks for the Cookout 400
Ryan Blaney - $11,200
Chase Elliott - $9,900
Brad Keselowski - $7,900
Ryan Preece- $7,500
Bubba Wallace- $7,200
Cole Custer - $6,300
Ryan Blaney and William Byron are the only two drivers with a pair of wins at Martinsville since 2022 and Blaney has the highest driver rating in the field. His recent run of results is poor, but that's primarily been on the basis of poor luck. Blaney is a driver to build around this weekend.
Elliott hasn't seriously threatened for a win this season and is overpriced based on his results. It's worth recalling his showing at the Clash exhibition race to at the start of the schedule, where he took home the win after leading 171 laps. Add in his track history, he's posted a driver rating of 108 and finished inside the top five twice in his last six races at Martinsville, and he's a solid second-tier driver to roster.
There are a lot of appealing mid-tier drivers to fill in the bulk of the lineup. The price point on Wallace doesn't make much sense given his recent history at Martinsville and the improvement he has shown at the track. He's finished inside the top 11 in four of his last five races.
Keselowski is in same price range but is a tougher case. He dominated at Martinsville earlier in his career, but his recent history is more checkered. He'd be a low priority, but he fits this build and there is some case for him.
Preece and Custer are the biggest wild cards of the sample roster build. Preece is coming off a good run at the intermediate tracks and also finished 11th at the Clash. He's a good value option. Custer is mostly a bet on track history. He had a lot of success in the Xfinity Series and started third and fifth on the grid in his two most recent Cup races at the circuit.
NASCAR Cup Series Best Bets for the Cookout 400
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:00 AM ET Sunday
Outright Winner – Ryan Blaney (+450), Kyle Larson (+600), Chase Elliott (+700), Chase Briscoe (+1400), Bubba Wallace (+1600)
Qualifying hasn't proven to be particularly important in finishing in the Cookout 400 in recent years, but it does at least give some idea as to which drivers have pace. Elliott will begin on the first row and could have enjoy some short track magic.
Chase Briscoe didn't come up in the DFS section, but he has shown pace both over one lap and the long run at Martinsville. Things haven't go to plan so far at Joe Gibbs racing, though he potentially gained some momentum at Homestead last weekend with a fourth-place finish.
Wallace also kept his momentum at the track by qualifying eighth. He has the longest odds among the group of favorites that we've covered, offering some great value.
