This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart
Location: Hampton, Ga.
Course: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 260
NASCAR Quaker State 400 Race Preview
Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts the first round of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with this week's Quaker State 400. Chase Briscoe forced his way into the 16-driver field last week at Darlington with a statement victory in the final round of the regular season, and his victory left Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher on the outside looking in at the championship quest. Atlanta's superspeedway-style racing is the first of three unique challenges that will determine which 12 championship contenders earn the right to progress. Daniel Suarez won at the track in February, which earned him a spot among the playoff contenders, and no Toyota driver has won at the track since 2013 when Kyle Busch stepped into Victory Lane. Chevrolet-powered drivers have won four of the five races since the track was reconfigured ahead of the 2022 season, too. The new style of racing at the 1.5-mile oval makes it seem more like Daytona than a traditional oval, which could mean another surprise victor may shake up the championship picture. The playoff contenders will have to play it smart with the potential to get their championship runs off to a good start in the first race of the 2024 playoffs as the attempt to avoid stumbling out of the gate.
Key Stats at Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 120
- Winners from pole: 16
- Winners from top-5 starters: 64
- Winners from top-10 starters: 92
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 9
- Fastest race: 166.633 mph
Previous 10 Atlanta Winners
2024 spring - Daniel Suarez
2023 fall - William Byron
2023 spring - Joey Logano
2022 fall - Chase Elliott
2022 spring - William Byron
2021 fall - Kurt Busch
2021 spring - Ryan Blaney
2020 - Kevin Harvick
2019 - Brad Keselowski
2018 - Kevin Harvick
Atlanta's high banks and pack-style racing present a unique challenge to get the 2024 playoffs underway. The 1.5-mile oval's shorter lap distance and narrower circuit compared with Daytona or Talladega means less margin of error for drivers and a greater potential of being caught up in someone else's mistake. Drivers will need to set their cars up to handle well in traffic and move through the tight pack, and handling through the track's high-banked turns is imperative to making those passes stick. Things happen quickly given the high speeds the track generates, and completing passes can be more challenging given the track's tight confines. Pit strategy can be the easiest way to make up ground, and that is proven by the fact that two of the last three races at the track were won by a driver starting outside of the top 10. Avoiding accidents, making no mistakes on pit road, and having a car that handles well in dirty air are key ingredients of Atlanta success. However, track position is still nice to have. Two of the last four Atlanta races were won by the pole sitter.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Quaker State 400 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Ryan Blaney - $10,500
Brad Keselowski - $10,300
Joey Logano - $10,200
Denny Hamlin - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Kyle Larson - $9,700
Chase Elliott - $9,500
William Byron - $9,200
Chris Buescher - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Kyle Busch - $8,800
Tyler Reddick - $8,500
Christopher Bell - $8,300
Martin Truex Jr. - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Bubba Wallace - $7,900
Austin Cindric - $7,400
Alex Bowman - $7,000
Todd Gilliland - $6,800
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Quaker State 400
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Ryan Blaney - $10,500
Kyle Busch - $8,800
Tyler Reddick - $8,500
Bubba Wallace - $7,900
Austin Cindric - $7,400
Todd Gilliland - $6,800
Despite having just one Atlanta victory to his credit, Ryan Blaney (DK $10,500, FD $14,000) is rightfully one of the favorites this week. The defending series champion has only finished outside of the top 10 at Atlanta once in the last five races and led laps in all of those starts. He was the runner-up finisher to Daniel Suarez earlier this season and hasn't started lower than sixth since the track was reconfigured prior to the 2022 season. Fantasy players also shouldn't snooze on Kyle Busch (DK $8,800, FD $11,000). The Richard Childress Racing driver missed the playoff cut but is driving better now than at any other point in this season so far. He was second a week ago at Darlington and, more importantly, was also second at Daytona the race before that. Busch was the third-place finisher in February's Atlanta stop when he led 28 laps, and the RCR cars are renowned for their competitiveness on superspeedways. Coupling those facts with Busch's current momentum could get him his long-awaited 2024 victory. Another driver at the top of his game is Tyler Reddick (DK $8,500, FD $10,000). Fresh off of winning the regular-season championship in a gutsy performance while sick last week, Reddick is looking to get his 2024 playoffs out of the gate confidently. His best Atlanta finish of fifth came on the current track configuration last season, but qualifying has been his biggest hurdle to overcome. His average start in the last three races here is just 15.7. If he can improve upon that this week, he should be in good position to capitalize with another top five.
Fantasy players should never overlook Bubba Wallace (DK $7,900, FD $7,500) at a superspeedway. He will feel down after missing out on the playoffs but anxious to prove he should have been one of the 16 contenders. Wallace's best Atlanta finish was his fifth-place effort in February and this is just one of a handful of races that he could win prior to the end of the season. Don't overlook Austin Cindric (DK $7,400, FD $8,000) either. Atlanta is one of his best tracks in the playoffs. He has two top-fives and no finishes worse than 12th from his last four Atlanta races. This race, and the road course coming next week, could give him the opportunities he needs to make it to the next round of elimination races. Lastly, one of the most impressive drivers at Atlanta earlier this season was Todd Gilliland (DK $6,800, FD $6,500). His finishing position in February's race doesn't reflect that he ran inside the top 10 all day and led 58 laps before being one of many cars caught in a late accident. He and the team enter the return visit this week with the confidence that they have the potential to win this race if they just execute their plan on Sunday.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Joey Logano - $10,200
Chase Elliott - $9,500
Christopher Bell - $8,300
Martin Truex Jr. - $8,100
Alex Bowman - $7,000
Austin Dillon - $6,600
Perhaps the biggest playoff question surrounding Joey Logano (DK $10,200, FD $13,500) is if he can deliver more consistency week to week in the final 10 races. His finishes have been up and down this season but rarely without speed. Atlanta should give him the opportunity to start his playoffs with a top finish, though. He was quick enough to start on the front row at the track in February but was one of several affected by crashes and finished 28th. He led 178 total laps at the track in the last three races, too. Chase Elliott (DK $9,500, FD $12,000) will also be hoping for a strong start to his playoffs. His home track could be a good omen for him, too. Elliott won from pole at Atlanta in 2022 and boasts a remarkable seven top-10s from 11 starts at the track. He started outside of the top 20 in the last two Atlanta races, though. A better qualifying effort this week might be required for him to add to his top-10 tally.
The last time a Toyota won at Atlanta was 2013, and Christopher Bell (DK $8,300, FD $9,000) is hoping to change that this week. He enters the playoffs as the second-seeded driver and with back-to-back third-place finishes in the last two races. At Atlanta, his best finish was a third-place results in the spring race last season. He crashed out of the spring race this season. The further forward Bell qualifies this this week, the more confidence fantasy players should have selecting him for Sunday's race. Martin Truex Jr. (DK $8,100, FD $7,800) is another risky Toyota choice. His early mistake last week at Darlington nearly eliminated him from the playoffs and extended his streak of underperformance. Truex hasn't been the best on superspeedway circuits recently either. However, he finished 12th at the track earlier this season and has led laps in four of his last five Atlanta tries. The playoffs are like a whole new season, and Truex should try to use that to reset to turn things around starting this week.
It wouldn't be a big surprise if either Alex Bowman (DK $7,000, FD $6,800) or Austin Dillon (DK $6,600, FD $6,200) finished toward the top of the order Sunday. Both drivers have had respectable careers at superspeedway circuits and both drive Chevrolets. Bowman starts his playoff quest on the cutline but has these next three races to climb ahead. He has three prior top-10 finishes at this track with a best result of third, but he also failed to finish in the top 20 in the last two Atlanta races. Despite a 2024 victory, Dillon is not part of the playoff field. His mission now is simply to win races or help his teammate if possible. Dillon has won multiple superspeedway races in his career but only has one top-10 finish at Atlanta. He finished 22nd there earlier this season but should be capable of a top-15 finish or better if he can avoid crashes throughout Sunday's 400 miles.
