NASCAR is shifting from the oval to the road course this weekend in what should be some entertaining racing if it’s anything like we saw during the Busch Clash earlier this month. Reigning champion Chase Elliott is set to lead the field into turn one this Sunday and it will be a tough task to knock off the road course king from his throne. With that being said, let’s dive into this slate and discuss how we should approach this from a DraftKings and FanDuel perspective. Let’s get into some NASCAR DFS picks for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 at the Daytona Road Course.
O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 NASCAR DFS Strategy | DraftKings & FanDuel
As I mentioned, NASCAR is shifting from the oval to the road course this weekend so we will see different racing, but our lineups may look very similar to that of a superspeedway race. This, in part, is due to a lot of good drivers getting wrecked out early last week, so they will be starting deeper in the field than we’d normally see. With this being only a 70-lap race, dominator points aren’t going to be that important, and place-differential paired with finishing position upside will reign supreme in fantasy scoring this weekend.
Upper-Tier Driver Picks
AJ Allmendinger $10,200 DraftKings – $12,000 FanDuel (34th)
It might feel weird paying this much money for a non full-time Cup Series driver, but Allmendinger is a road-course specialist and is starting way too far back in the field to be ignored for DFS purposes on Sunday. The only real concern here is that the equipment isn’t going to be the best in the No. 16 car, but equipment is a little less important at road courses than it would be at an intermediate track. Also, Vegas isn’t concerned either as he still boasts the third-best odds, behind only Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr., to win this race. With less than 50 dominator points available in this race, the elite place-differential upside makes Allmendinger an elite play in all formats.
Alex Bowman $9,000 DraftKings – $9,000 FanDuel (36th)
Bowman is underpriced on both sites and is an absolute lock in cash games this weekend. He starts two spots further back than Allmendinger and has a very strong track record at Roval races in his career. His average finish of 6.5 at the Roval’s is second-best only to the road course king Chase Elliott. He’s finished inside the top-15 in all of his Roval races, which is nearly baking in a 50-point floor on DraftKings for Sunday. All the Hendrick cars are going to be in play this weekend as they tend to bring speed at these tracks. His average green flag speed rating of 7.5 was fourth-best among all drivers last year at road courses.
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Mid-Tier Driver Picks
Erik Jones $7,800 DraftKings – $8,000 FanDuel (37th)
Jones crashed and burned early on last week, but I’m going right back to the well here with him starting far back in the pack. His history at the Roval’s haven’t exactly been amazing, but overall he’s been a strong road course racer and I’m not overly concerned with the equipment downgrade for this race. Like Allmendinger, it’s more so driver talent at these track types and I’m a believer in Jones talent. The No. 43 car is certainly a major step down from the JGR No. 20, but all Jones needs to do on Sunday is compete for a top-20 for him to be a worthwhile play this weekend.
Chris Buescher $7,200 DraftKings – $6,000 FanDuel (30th)
Buescher wheeled his way to a fifth-place finish at this track last year, and while I don’t expect that to happen again, he has been one of the more consistent drivers at road courses recently. Over the past 10 races at these track types, only four drivers can say they have finished inside the top-20 each time. That list includes Denny Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Chris Buescher. Buescher isn’t a flashy play, but he doesn’t have to be for where he’s starting. If you’re looking for a safe and consistent driver to round off a more GPP leaning lineup, Buescher fits the bill to provide some balance.
Value Driver Picks
Ty Dillon $5,600 DraftKings – $2,500 FanDuel (38th)
This isn’t a fun pick, but it’s necessary to fit in these high-end studs this weekend. Dillon is now in the No. 96 car this year, which was driven by Daniel Suarez last year. If you’re familiar with my content, you know I declared that the lawnmower last year so I certainly don’t have high hopes here, but this starting spot makes him firmly in play. Suarez was able to finish 27th last year at the road course in this car, and Ty Dillon has typically been a 20th-25th place guy at road courses.
James Davison $5,200 DraftKings – $3,000 FanDuel (39th)
Again, not an exciting pick, but if we want play these guys with hefty price tags we have to be willing to dive into the price range a bit to make it work. Davison is someone who intrigues me with his starting spot on Sunday. In two Roval races last year, he started 37th and 38th and picked up finishes of 29th and 30th finishing on the lead lap each time. Not sure I’d go here in cash games, but I don’t mind it in tournaments to make things work up top.
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