This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Ally 400
Location: Lebanon, Tenn.
Course: Nashville Superspeedway
Format: 1.33-mile D-shaped oval
Laps: 300
NASCAR Ally 400 Race Preview
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action this week at Nashville Superspeedway, the longest concrete track on the 2022 schedule. The teams had their one and only off week last weekend after Daniel Suarez scored a breakthrough victory at Sonoma Raceway. Suarez's win was his first in the series, third of the season for Trackhouse Racing Team, and made him the 12th different winner so far this season. The victory leaves just four playoff spots open for non-winners with many heavy hitters still having not yet driven to Victory Lane yet this season. Ten regular-season races remain for those drivers to win their way into the championship battle, and as those chances count down the pressure will continue to increase. Suarez's victory bumped Kevin Harvick out of the playoff positions and leaves Aric Almirola on the bubble with a meager seven-point advantage over his teammate. However, Hendrick Motorsports and Kyle Larson will be looking to defend their Nashville victory from last season as they work to regain the competitive advantage they seem to have lost in recent weeks.
Key Stats at Nashville Superspeedway
- Number of races: 1
- Winners from pole: 0
- Winners from top-5 starters: 1
- Winners from top-10 starters: 1
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 113.792 mph
Previous Nashville Winners
2021 - Kyle Larson
Nashville's D-shaped oval proved to race similarly to many 1.5-mile ovals in the debut of the Cup Series at the venue last season. Larson dominated the race after starting fifth. He swept victories in both stages that day, but there were many drivers that secured top-10 finishes despite starting deeper in the field. Tires will be a primary focus. Many teams have struggled to not push tires too far this season and Nashville's concrete surface is likely to magnify those concerns. Four-tire stops will be the primary option when cars come to pit road, but caution periods are likely to be prevalent. Last year's race tallied 11 cautions for 60 laps. Nashville's shorter lap distance and concrete surface make going off strategy a gamble, but a high number of cautions could enable some teams to go slightly different directions in order to gain track position. Fantasy players should pay close attention to practice and qualifying pace when selecting their lineups for Sunday's race.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Ally 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $11,600
Kyle Busch - $11,000
Chase Elliott - $10,700
Ross Chastain - $10,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
William Byron - $9,900
Martin Truex Jr. - $9,700
Ryan Blaney - $9,500
Joey Logano - $9,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Reddick - $8,900
Alex Bowman - $8,700
Kevin Harvick - $8,500
Chase Briscoe - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Daniel Suarez - $7,700
Erik Jones - $7,300
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $7,100
Chris Buescher - $6,100
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Ally 400
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Busch - $11,000
Ryan Blaney - $9,500
Kevin Harvick - $8,500
Daniel Suarez - $7,700
Austin Dillon - $7,000
Chris Buescher - $6,100
Before Sonoma, Kyle Busch (DK $11,000, FD $13,500) had a great run of three top-three finishes going. He won the Xfinity Series race at Nashville last season and led 10 laps in the Cup version, too. Joe Gibbs Racing was making strides to the top of the order prior to last week's break, and that momentum may be what Busch needs to score his second 2022 victory. Ryan Blaney (DK $9,500, FD $10,000) leads the points among non-winners but is the only Team Penske driver without a win so far. He crashed out in the first stage of this race last season, but enters this week's race with finishes of sixth and fourth in the last two races. Penske cars have shown to be capable of making it to Victory Lane this season and now it is Blaney's turn to continue that trend. Another driver capable of winning nearly any week is former series champion Kevin Harvick (DK $8,500, FD $8,300). The two top-fives in the last three races he scored, coupled with a top-five at this track last season, could be a sign of his expected competitiveness Sunday. Fantasy players will be anxious to see how much of a boost Daniel Suarez (DK $7,700, FD $8,500) will get from getting his long-awaited victory. He was seventh at Nashville last season, and his win at Sonoma might just be the first of many to come from him and his team. Austin Dillon (DK $7,000, FD $6,800) had an impressive drive at Nashville last season from 28th to 12th. He has three top-15 finishes from the last four races and could provide fantasy rosters good value for the cost this week. Like Suarez, Chris Buescher (DK $6,100, FD $4,500) could bring a bushelful of momentum to the track this week after an outstanding race to second last time out at Sonoma. The RFK Racing driver has been capable of scoring top-10s this season and the added momentum from Sonoma could give him that chance again this week.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Larson - $11,600
Ross Chastain - $10,500
Chase Briscoe - $8,100
Erik Jones - $7,300
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $7,100
Harrison Burton - $5,300
Defending Nashville winner Kyle Larson (DK $11,600, FD $14,000) has just two top-10 finishes from the last six races and will be looking to regain form following the short break. He dominated at Nashville last season, but the Hendrick organization has seen their early-season advantage shrink recently. The defending series champion has just one victory so far but should be capable of adding another this week. Alternatively, Ross Chastain (DK $10,500, FD $12,500) seems to hold the most momentum. He is one of four drivers with multiple wins this season and has been quick on nearly every type of track so far. He finished second at this track last season, which means his recent momentum shows no signs of leaving any time soon. Chase Briscoe (DK $8,100, FD $8,000) said that he feels his team rediscovered their speed. He was on pole at St. Louis, finished fourth at Charlotte, and had an acceptable outing at Sonoma, too. Briscoe crashed out of this race last season but led five laps before that. Another driver on form is Erik Jones (DK $7,300, FD $6,300). He started this race in the top 10 last season and has been making up ground in the championship standings with frequent top-15 and top-10 finishes. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK $7,100, FD $7,000) has also been flexing his muscle recently. He will need a victory to be part of the championship battle but scored four top-10s in the last six races. He finished sixth in this race last season and would expect a shot at another top-10 this week, too. The riskiest option in this lineup may be Harrison Burton (DK $5,300, FD $4,000). Burton hasn't found much finishing success yet this season and has been struggling to come up to speed in his first full year in the series. His struggle has not been for a lack of a talent, and he should be able to discover the form that earned his promotion to the series. He finished 11th at Charlotte, though. That could be a signal that more consistent top-20 finishes are on the way.
