This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Fr8 208
Location: Hampton, Ga.
Course: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 135
NASCAR Trucks Fr8 208 Race Preview
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series hits the track again this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second superspeedway race of the season. Zane Smith took season-opening honors at Daytona but was edged out of consecutive wins in Las Vegas by Kyle Busch. Despite missing that win, the defending champion holds a head full of momentum. Smith finished fifth in last year's visit to Atlanta, which was the first time the series hit the new pavement of the reconfigured speedway, and his hot start to the current season leaves him atop the points with a slim margin back to Ty Majeski in second. Just four points separate Smith and the other four drivers in the top of the championship standings, which makes for a wide open field for this week's race. This week's contest will be the 22nd time the series visits Atlanta with 15 different winners having come from those prior races.
Key Stats at Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 21
- Winners from pole: 5
- Winners from top-5 starters: 11
- Winners from top-10 starters: 14
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 142.424 mph
Previous 10 Atlanta Winners
2022 - Corey Heim
2021 - Kyle Busch
2020 - Grant Enfinger
2019 - Kyle Busch
2018 - Brett Moffitt
2017 - Christopher Bell
2016 - John Hunter Nemechek
2015 - Matt Crafton
2012 - Ty Dillon
2011 - Ron Hornaday
Gone is the abrasive Atlanta surface, refinished prior to last season with a smooth and fast new asphalt, coupled with a corner reprofiling to encourage pack-style racing more reminiscent of Daytona and Talladega. Corey Heim conquered the new-look speedway in 2022 in a race that saw 18 lead changes and three drivers that led 20 laps or more. Aside from one caution period in the first stage for debris last season, all three yellow-flag incidents occurred in the final stage. That type of race sets up late restarts that ratchet up the pressure as the checkered flag approaches. The final caution in this race last year came with nearly 30 laps remaining, though. Fantasy players may not want to rely on that lack of late cautions happening again in the future, though. This week the teams will work to stay in touch with the leader and out of trouble until making their decisive moves late in the running. Evidence to support that theory comes from the fact that last year's win from Heim was born from a last-lap pass for the lead, thus practice speed may not be the best indicator of success this week. Starting position will be relatively important this week, but navigating the race distance to be within a pass or two at the finish and having the ability to make passes in traffic will be larger determinants of the outcome on Saturday.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Trucks Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Fr8 208 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Zane Smith - $11,100
John Hunter Nemechek - $10,800
Ty Majeski - $10,500
Corey Heim - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ben Rhodes - $9,800
Grant Enfinger - $9,600
Carson Hocevar - $9,400
Christian Eckes - $ 9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,800
Matt Crafton - $8,600
Tanner Gray - $8,500
Rajah Caruth - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Colby Howard - $7,800
Hailie Deegan - $7,100
Bayley Currey - $6,700
Ryan Vargas - $6,300
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Fr8 208
Carson Hocevar - $9,400
Tyler Ankrum - $9,000
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,800
Rajah Caruth - $8,100
Nick Sanchez - $7,600
Hailie Deegan - $7,100
Given Atlanta's racing being more superspeedway style now fantasy players may benefit more from a slightly riskier driver lineup, which is exactly what you see here. Carson Hocevar continues his quest for a first series victory. He enters this weekend seventh in points with one top-10 finish from the first two races and won a stage in Las Vegas. He qualified fifth in last year's Atlanta stop and grabbed stage points in the second segment before finishing 27th. Tyler Ankrum enters the Atlanta race weekend 12th in points just outside of the playoff positions. He started the season with a top-10 in Daytona and should be capable of a similar run this week. He finished 11th in this race last season, which was his best finish from three attempts at the track. Another driver to look out for on these types of circuits is Matt DiBenedetto. He was not a factor in last season's race due to early contact, but took his sole win last season in the series at Talladega. Newcomer Rajah Caruth brings potential to the roster. This will be his first taste of Atlanta in the series but he was a regular feature in the top 10 at superspeedways in his ARCA Series days. Another up and coming driver to keep an eye on is Nick Sanchez. Similarly, this will be his first series appearance at this track, but he has two front row starts in two races this year already. If he can avoid trouble and get to the finish fantasy players should expect him to be among the fastest. Lastly, Hailie Deegan with her new team in ThorSport Racing has the promise of top results in 2023. She suffered a tire issue in this race last season and has battled other issues the first two races this year. While that trend does bring risk in selecting her she remains a driver with the potential to deliver more value to dollar versus other selections in the long-shot category.
