This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 134
NASCAR Trucks North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race Preview
Corey Heim grabbed his third race win of the season a week ago at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He lead the most laps (66) despite starting 12th as championship rival Christian Eckes started from pole and led the second most laps (62) on the night. The pair sit atop the championship standings with a combined five victories between them as the string of five races in as many weeks stretches into its fourth stop this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ben Rhodes won at the 1.5-mile quad-oval last season and enters this week's race mired in a four-way battle at the bottom end of the playoff positions. Just six points span the four drivers in that mix from Grant Enfinger in eighth and Matt Crafton in 11th. Only six races remain to solidly those spots and two of them will be in the rearview mirror in as many weeks. Though the playoffs seem in the distant future, the work to ensure a spot in them needs to happen now.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 21
- Winners from pole: 4
- Winners from top-5 starters: 11
- Winners from top-10 starters: 16
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 1
- Fastest race: 128.947 mph
Previous 10 Charlotte Winners
2023 - Ben Rhodes
2022 - Ross Chastain
2021 - John Hunter Nemechek
2020 - Chase Elliott
2019 - Kyle Busch
2018 - Johnny Sauter
2017 - Kyle Busch
2016 - Matt Crafton
2015 - Kasey Kahne
2014 - Kyle Busch
Charlotte is a track where power and race pace are necessities. The track's wide surface and steep banking enables passing, but those competitors that find the right setup early in the weekend have the chance to drive away from the field at the start. Those teams tend to qualify at the front, and that valuable track position is a distinct advantage in the high-speed game that is Charlotte. Teams that don't have the pace may find themselves too far behind before they get a chance to make adjustments. Chances to make changes must be taken advantage of, and any adjustments in the wrong direction will be punished more heavily at this circuit than others. While the track offers multiple grooves for drivers to use, clean air is still one of the biggest advantages given the high speeds. With Charlotte's multiple grooves, track position will mean nothing without the right handling and speed to take advantage of it. Fantasy rosters should generally look toward drivers that have practiced and qualified inside the top 15.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Trucks Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Corey Heim - $11,000
Christian Eckes - $10,800
Ty Majeski - $10,300
Nick Sanchez - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Rajah Caruth - $9,800
Taylor Gray - $9,500
Ben Rhodes - $9,400
Grant Enfinger - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Matt Crafton - $8,700
Tyler Ankrum - $8,500
Layne Riggs - $8,300
Tanner Gray - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Stewart Friesen - $7,800
Connor Mosack - $7,700
Ty Dillon - $7,200
Daniel Dye $6,500
NASCAR DFS Picks for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Nick Sanchez - $10,000
Taylor Gray - $9,500
Tyler Ankrum - $8,500
Stewart Friesen - $7,800
Connor Mosack - $7,700
Daniel Dye - $6,500
Nick Sanchez enters the Charlotte race weekend on a roll of five consecutive finishes of seventh or better. He has also started on the front row in three of the last four races, and if that trend continues, he could be in position for another top finish Friday night. He has just one prior Charlotte start in the series from last season. He started way back in 34th position but clawed his way forward to finish ninth, which shows what potential he may have this week with a better qualifying outcome. Three top-10s from the last five races also make Taylor Gray a driver worth considering this week. He finished 13th a week ago at North Wilkesboro and finished 10th at Charlotte last season. His seventh-place finish at Texas is arguably the best indicator of his potential this week at Charlotte, though. It would not be overly optimistic for fantasy players to expect another top-10 finish from him this week. Last week's eighth-place finish halted Tyler Ankrum's three-race slump. He still holds seventh in the playoff standings and finished in the top 10 in two other 1.5-mile oval races already this season. Ankrum has never finished in the top 10 at Charlotte, though. His best finish at the track was a 13th-place run in 2020. It hasn't been his best track over the years, but his current outfit should place him in a top-15 position again this week. Another Charlotte veteran to keep on the radar is Stewart Friesen. The current season hasn't gone exactly to plan but results are starting to come. Friesen is 13th in the standings and 30 points out of the playoff positions. Three of his last four races were top-15 finishes, which are much better than where he was at the start of the year. Charlotte has been a decent venue for him, too. From seven career starts, he notched four top-10s and a best finish of third.
Further down the price list, Connor Mosack stands out. Despite having just two series starts so far this season, both of those were on 1.5-mile ovals. Of the two outings, his best performance was a 19th-place run at Las Vegas. He also qualified fifth at Kansas and scored stage points in the opening segment. Mosack has a winning pedigree from the ARCA series and he'll be doing double duty in the two series at Charlotte, too. Daniel Dye has also been garnering attention. Sitting 12th in series points, his weekly price tag has often been a bargain. He finished ninth a week ago at North Wilkesboro and score three top-10s from the last four races altogether. With two of those races being the 1.5-mile ovals of Kansas and Texas, fantasy players could reasonably hope for another top-10 run this week at Charlotte.
