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
Christopher Bell joined 2024's three-race winner list with his prowess on a wet New Hampshire track. He was quickest in all conditions and walked away with the result. Following last week's race, Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott share the points lead with Joey Logano holding onto the final spot among the playoffs. Bubba Wallace slipped outside the top 16 and has a 13-point deficit to Logano and the playoff positions. Eight chances remain for drivers to win their way into the championship battle, and six spots remain open to be claimed by race winners. Next up is Nashville Superspeedway. This weekend's Ally 400 will be the fourth series race at the track, all previous of which have been won by Chevrolet-powered drivers. Hendrick will be looking to keep their grip on the top of the standings as well as at the 1.33-mile concrete oval, but they have to hold off the rest of the field along with a surging Joe Gibbs Racing and Christopher Bell.
Key Stats at Nashville Superspeedway
- Number of races: 3
- Winners from pole: 1
- Winners from top-5 starters: 3
- Winners from top-10 starters: 3
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 132.914 mph
Previous Nashville Winners
2023 - Ross Chastain
2022 - Chase Elliott
2021 - Kyle Larson
The Nashville Superspeeway is a concrete 1.3-mile tri-oval, which poses some unique challenges compared with other circuits. The concrete surface, and the resin that will be applied to help the surface take on rubber, will make tire wear and mechanical grip a primary focus. The track has proven to produce multiple grooves for drivers to run, but track position remains one of the most important factors in getting a top finish. The concrete surface and rapid tire wear will make four-tire stops will be the near universal choice when cars come to pit road and teams will have to manage those tires through a fuel run. Lower air pressures in the rear can help cars turn better, but going too low raises the risk of tire failure. Those failures and other incidents can produce unexpected cautions, which can give teams further down the order a chance to gamble for track position. Chevrolet-powered teams have won all three series races at the track with all winners starting inside the top five. However, Toyota-powered drivers won both stages in last year's race before Ross Chastain led the last 34 laps (99 in total) to take the victory.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Ally 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Denny Hamlin - $10,300
Christopher Bell - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Martin Truex Jr. - $9,800
Chase Elliott - $9,700
Ryan Blaney - $9,300
Ross Chastain - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Reddick - $8,800
Joey Logano - $8,600
Ty Gibbs - $8,400
Alex Bowman - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Bubba Wallace - $7,800
Josh Berry - $7,700
Michael McDowell - $6,900
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,300
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Ally 400
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Kyle Larson - $10,500
Ross Chastain - $9,000
Tyler Reddick - $8,800
Alex Bowman - $8,000
Chase Briscoe - $7,400
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - $6,300
Kyle Larson (DK $10,500, FD $14,000) and Ross Chastain (DK $9,000, FD $12,500) have the two best average finishes through the three Nashville races run to date. Both are previous winners of the event and the pair are the only two drivers to have finished inside the top five in all three of those races. Larson led 264 laps in his 2021 victory but hasn't led a lap at the track since, despite finishing fourth and fifth in the last two visits. Chastain won last year with 99 laps led and also spent four laps out front when Larson wasn't leading in 2021. These are likely the two best selections this weekend given their past success at this track.
In contrast, Tyler Reddick (DK $8,800, FD $10,500) has yet to score a Nashville top-10 finish. He could still be a good choice this week, though. He started last year's race on pole, led 33 laps, and won the day's first stage. Reddick was one of the fastest cars that weekend but had trouble in the second stage, relegating him to a 30th-place finish. He has some unfinished business at the track this week. Alex Bowman (DK $8,000, FD $8,000) is a similar story. While he didn't win a stage like Reddick, Bowman did lead nine laps after starting the day 15th. He is also searching for his first Nashville top-10 finish and is looking to bounce back quickly this week after a difficult day in New Hampshire. A top-15 finish should be the minimum expectation from him this week.
Despite Ford's lack of success at Nashville, Chase Briscoe (DK $7,400, FD $6,200) may be one to consider this week. His switch to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2025 was announced and that new job feeling has been giving him confidence. He Is 18th in the standings and in touch of the playoff positions with an impressive second-place finish on the wet New Hampshire track. Having his future sorted and public could be just what he needed to get back to the regular top-10 finishes he has been scoring in 2024. Speaking of regular top finishes, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK $6,300, FD $4,200) entered that conversation with another top-10 last week at New Hampshire. That is two in a row and four for the year from him. His Nashville record also boasts a sixth-place finish from 2021.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Christopher Bell - $10,000
Chase Elliott - $9,700
Ryan Blaney - $9,300
Bubba Wallace - $7,800
Todd Gilliland - $6,700
AJ Allmendinger - $6,500
As difficult as it is to win back-to-back races, Christopher Bell (DK $10,000, FD $13,000) could be poised to accomplish just that. He won a week ago at New Hampshire and has the third-best average finish (8.0) at Nashville among active drivers. He finished in the top 10 in each stage and the race last season. Most impressive about his three Nashville top-10s is the fact that he started outside of the top 20 in two of them. In Chase Elliott (DK $9,700, FD $12,000), fantasy players get a prior Nashville winner who is joint lead in the current standings. Elliott led a lap in all three of his Nashville starts, won in 2022, and came home fourth in 20243. Elliott's consistency has been paying dividends and another race win looks well within his grasp.
Ryan Blaney (DK $9,300, FD $10,000) could be the best fantasy choice among the Ford drivers. His best finish from three Nashville starts was third in 2022 and he crashed out of the other two. He was in good position to fight for another win a week ago at New Hampshire before contacts with Michael McDowell stopped his progress. His best Nashville finish was third in 2022 and his average finish is worth not paying attention to due to two other DNFs. Bubba Wallace (DK $7,800, FD $7,200) suffered his own DNF last week. It was his third of the season and leaves his outside of the playoff positions. However, at Nashville, Wallace is a proven top-15 driver. He finished 12th there in 2022 and 15th in 2023. Another top-15 finish this week, along with stage points, should be exactly what he and the team are looking to gain this weekend.
Todd Gilliland (DK $6,700, FD $5,000) has had a great few weeks. Three consecutive finishes of 12th or better have him on the cusp of breaking into the top 20 in points. His performances have certainly been attracting attention and he is continuing to climb the order. Gilliland has two Nashville starts under his belt and his best finish was 24th in 2022. Fantasy players should expect him to improve on that this week. Finally, AJ Allmendinger (DK $6,500, FD $5,500) returns to the series for the seventh time this season seeking his fourth top-10. He finished 10th in this race last season and won the Xfinity race that weekend, too.
