This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
UNOH 200
Location: Bristol, Tenn.
Course: Bristol Motor Speedway
Format: 0.5-mile dirt oval
Laps: 200
NASCAR Trucks UNOH 200 Race Preview
The playoff standings have reset after the first round of eliminations took out two of the original 10 contenders for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. Carson Hocevar was terribly close to avoiding the chop but was eliminated when John Hunter Nemechek made a last-lap pass to win a week ago at Kansas. Matt Crafton also exited the championship battle as the remaining eight drivers gear up for the round of eight. A trip to Bristol Motor Speedway kicks off the next group of elimination races, and the stakes couldn't be higher. A victory this week from one of the championship eight would put them into the championship decider at Phoenix in November. Playoff contender Chandler Smith will be hoping he can defend his win there from last season to see his way safely into the championship decider.
Key Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 24
- Winners from pole: 6
- Winners from top-5 starters: 16
- Winners from top-10 starters: 21
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 91.919 mph
Previous 10 Bristol Winners
2021 - Chandler Smith
2020 - Sam Mayer
2019 - Brett Moffitt
2018 - Johnny Sauter
2017 - Kyle Busch
2016 - Ben Kennedy
2015 - Ryan Blaney
2014 - Brad Keselowski
2013 - Kyle Busch
2012 - Timothy Peters
Bristol is NASCAR's colosseum. The short track boasts high banking and tight racing that often raises tempers. The tight confines place a premium on track position, too. It isn't often that drivers starting outside of the top 10 end up in Victory Lane. Being just over a half-mile long, the circuit forces trucks to deal with traffic throughout the race. It also means that any drivers struggling with handling issues can find themselves off the lead lap very early. Bristol demands that drivers settle into a consistent rhythm in order to maximize their machine's potential, but the constant traffic makes that a very difficult task. The many disruptions from navigating slower races can easily cause frustration. The close racing, coupled with high tension, tends to produce some exciting races. Faster trucks will typically prefer the high line through Bristol's turns, but the track does offer multiple lines as tires degrade through a fuel run. Opportunities to go off strategy will generally fall around yellow flags and restarts, with any stop under green guaranteeing that a driver will fall off of the lead lap and run the risk of getting caught there with an ill-timed caution.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Trucks Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the UNOH 200 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
John Hunter Nemechek - $12,000
Zane Smith - $11,600
Corey Heim - $11,100
Chandler Smith - $10,700
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ben Rhodes - $9,800
Carson Hocevar - $9,500
Stewart Friesen - $9,300
Christian Eckes - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Parker Kligerman - $8,700
Matt Crafton - $8,500
Derek Kraus - $8,300
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,000
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Connor Mosack - $7,800
Tanner Gray - $7,600
Hailie Deegan - $6,600
Rajah Caruth - $6,500
NASCAR DFS Picks for the UNOH 200
Chandler Smith - $10,700
Stewart Friesen - $9,300
Derek Kraus - $8,300
Matt DiBenedetto - $8,000
Tanner Gray - $7,600
Jesse Little - $6,000
Last year's winner of this race, Chandler Smith, finds himself in the playoff battle again this season. Smith enters this next round of elimination races nine points behind leader Zane Smith. Smith hasn't finished outside of the top 10 in his three series Bristol starts. Stewart Friesen enters the weekend fifth in the playoff standings. Friesen has six prior Bristol appearances, including a runner-up finish in 2018. He finished fourth in last year's race after starting fifth. The quest to be the best of the non-playoff drivers is currently being led by Derek Kraus. Kraus has a nine-point lead over Tyler Ankrum in those standings. Kraus has two prior Bristol starts with an average result of 14.0. Bristol could be a race where fantasy players want to choose Matt DiBenedetto. This will be his first race on the concrete oval in the Truck Series, but he has multiple top-10s from his Cup Series days at the track. DiBenedetto is 13th in the standings and has finished 12th or better in three of the last five races. Another driver on a good run of form is Tanner Gray. He finished 16th in the last two races and was 10th four races ago at Pocono. Gray has two prior Bristol starts. He crashed out of last year's race, but he was the third-place finisher in the 2020 edition of this race. Another driver fantasy players may want to consider this week is Jesse Little. He has four prior Bristol starts in this series with two top-20s. He qualified in the top 11 at the track three of those four times and will be looking to carry that speed through a full race distance this week.
