This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Xfinity 500
Location: Martinsville, Va.
Course: Martinsville Speedway
Format: 0.53-mile oval
Laps: 500
Race Preview
Martinsville Speedway and this week's Xfinity 500 will determine which two remaining playoff drivers will race Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix. Larson won his way into the finale two weeks ago at Las Vegas, while Bell seized his opportunity last week at Miami. William Byron and Ryan Blaney both enter the weekend in the championship positions, but just 10 points separate Blaney in fourth from Tyler Reddick in fifth. Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Chris Buescher all join Reddick seeking a way into the championship and will be looking to score as many points possible Sunday. Obviously, the most direct path to the championship is by winning, and fantasy players can count on the six playoff contenders not locked into the championship will be giving it their all to have a chance to race for the championship.
Key Stats at Martinsville Speedway
- Number of races: 149
- Winners from pole: 21
- Winners from top-5 starters: 76
- Winners from top-10 starters: 107
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 7
- Fastest race: 82.223 mph
Previous 10 Martinsville Winners
2023 spring - Kyle Larson
2022 fall - Christopher Bell
2022 spring - William Byron
2021 fall - Alex Bowman
2021 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
2020 fall - Chase Elliott
2020 spring - Martin Truex Jr.
2019 fall - Martin Truex Jr.
2019 spring - Brad Keselowski
2018 fall - Joey Logano
Martinsville Speedway is a historic, flat half-mile oval with tight turns and fast straights that has been part of NASCAR since 1949. Eleven different drivers have won a playoff race at Martinsville, and 58 different drivers have won through the track's 149-race history in the series. The oval's paperclip shaped configuration makes it distinct among the schedule's ovals, and the flat turns encourage the aggressive racing fans love. While it is a single-groove racetrack, the track tends to produce plenty of action. That single-groove is the inside line, and that is where drivers will be fighting to get all race long. Grip, braking, and throttle control are what drivers use to get that line, and they'll have to get the settings right earl in order to not lose ground. Track position is supreme here, and sliding out of that inside line will lose a lot of track position very quickly. Restarts and differing pit strategies can disrupt the race's early running order as teams seek any opportunity to gain that all important on-track advantage of being toward the front of the pack.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Xfinity 500 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $11,500
William Byron - $11,200
Martin Truex Jr. - $10,700
Ryan Blaney - $10,400
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Joey Logano - $9,800
Brad Keselowski - $9,500
Tyler Reddick - $9,200
Kyle Busch - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chase Elliott - $8,800
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Ty Gibbs - $8,100
Ross Chastain - $8,00
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Bubba Wallace - $7,700
Ryan Preece - $7,100
Carson Hocevar - $6,300
Michael McDowell - $6,000
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Xfinity 500
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Ryan Blaney - $10,400
Brad Keselowski - $9,500
Kevin Harvick - $8,300
Ty Gibbs - $8,100
Chase Briscoe - $7,300
Austin Dillon - $6,400
Blaney (DK $10,400, FD $12,000) has been giving it his all to be among the four final championship contenders. Finishes of sixth and second in the last two races have put him among the transfer spots, but he will be aiming to ensure it with a race win this week. Blaney has nine top-10s and seven top-fives from 15 Matinsville starts. He finished seventh there earlier this season and third in this race last season. Blaney is a lower-priced option at the sharp end of the field for Sunday's race. Similarly, Brad Keselowski (DK $9,500, FD $11,500) is not one to pass over. The veteran has been at his strongest late this season, and he is a two-time Martinsville winner. This is a race Keselowski will be expecting to be competitive at despite finishing 24th in the spring visit. He led seven laps that day, though. Another veteran looking for a win before the season ends is Kevin Harvick (DK $8,300, FD $10,000). The former champion won at this track back in 2011 and has finished in the top 10 in nearly half of his 44 starts. Harvick finished 11th last week at Miami and should be in the mix for a potential top-10 again this week.
Rookie Ty Gibbs (DK $8,100, FD $6,800) won the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville last season in controversial fashion. He has two Martinsville top-20s from his two prior starts. He finished seventh last week at Homestead, and fantasy players should expect him to be more like a top-15 option this week. Another driver with top-15 potential (or more) is Chase Briscoe (DK $7,300, FD $7,500). He was the fifth-place finisher at this track earlier this season and he led 25 laps in his ninth-place finish in this race last season. Briscoe led 134 total laps through his last two Martinsville races, and his price doesn't seem to reflect that this week. Our final lower-risk lineup selection should also be among the top-15 this week. Austin Dillon (DK $6,400, FD $5,800) finished 18th or better the last three weeks and came home 12th at Martinsville in April. This week should be a chance for him to keep those trends alive.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Denny Hamlin - $11,500
Chase Elliott - $8,800
Chris Buescher - $8,600
Bubba Wallace - $7,700
Ryan Preece - $7,100
Carson Hocevar - $6,300
Hamlin (DK $11,500, FD $14,000) is the early favorite to win Sunday's Xfinity 500. He is a five-time Martinsville victor, and narrowly missed out on the final four last season because of Ross Chastain's epic last lap. Hamlin has been steadfastly focused on the title this season and is just one step away from being able to race for it. He slipped out of the transfer spots last week, which makes this week's goal simple - win. Chase Elliott (DK $8,800, FD $11,000) is also just racing for a win. He has yet to visit Victory Lane in 2023. He finished 10th in each of his last three Martinsville starts and started from the front row two of those times. Chris Buescher (DK $8,600, FD $8,200) is arguably more in need of a win than any other driver this week. He sits eighth among the remaining playoff contenders and his only chance to keep his chance at the championship alive is to win on Sunday. It will be a tough task for him, though. Buescher has just one top-10 from 16 prior Martinsville starts, but maybe the motivation of a shot at a championship will produce something special.
Bubba Wallace (DK $7,700, FD $6,500) should make a good selection this week since he is racing his best of the season. He has three finishes of 16th or better from the last five races and scored his two Martinsville top-10s in his last two tries. That trend is shaping up to see him fight for another top-10 finish again this week. Ryan Preece (DK $7,100, FD $7,200) made himself a driver to watch at Martinsville with his spring performance. He started on pole and led 135 laps of that race before a mistake on pit road put him at the back of the field. He still finished 15th, though. Carson Hocevar (DK $6,300, FD $5,500) will be racing for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship at Phoenix, and he will prepare for his 2024 season in the Cup Series this week with another outing in the No. 42 machine. He has three top-10 finishes at the track in four Truck races and this will be his eighth Cup outing of the season.
