The XFINITY Series heads to the track formerly known as Phoenix Raceway this weekend for Saturday’s DC Solar 200. For the fourth week in a row, the race will be a companion event with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, so there are a couple of Cup stars in the field that we’ll need to build around.
If the races at Atlanta and Las Vegas have taught us anything, it is that utilizing punt plays is going to be part of a winning strategy. Whether it was Kevin Harvick at Atlanta or Kyle Larson at Vegas, Cup drivers are likely going to dominant when they are in the field, and you have to fork out the money to own them.
It’s almost as important to own the one or two quality XFINITY regulars who the most upside through place differential, but these drivers won’t come that cheap either. In order to stay under the cap, you need some really cheap options.
I recommend targeting the three or four drivers that look like the best bets to score the most points. From there, I’d hunt for cheap options starting deep in the field that might be able to give your around 20 fantasy points. Even with these modest point totals, you should end up posting a big score because the gap between the top scorers and everyone else is proving to be wide in these XFINITY races.
With that in mind, check out the drivers I’ll be targeting at DraftKings for Saturday’s DC Solar 200 at ISM Raceway.
Must Own Drivers
Kyle Busch ($14,300)
With the price tags Busch has been drawing, he needs to lead just about every lap to be worth paying up for. Well, he basically has been leading every lap whenever he races at ISM. In seven XFINITY starts here since 2013, Busch has six wins and a second-place finish, and he has led at least 142 laps in all seven starts. If it looks like he is going to monopolize the dominator categories yet again this weekend, you have to fit him into your lineups.
Brad Keselowski ($13,000)
He has 10 Top 5 finishes in 19 XFINITY starts at ISM, and he has finished in the Top 10 in each of his last five starts here. Keselowski has also led laps in eight of his last nine starts at the track, but he hasn’t led more than 32 in a race in that span. Kyle Busch’s numbers at ISM make him the top play heading into qualifying, but Keselowski is the No. 1 alternative to build around if Busch looks a step slow.
Value Plays
Justin Allgaier ($9,400)
He is the defending winner of this weekend’s race, and Allgaier led 85 laps on his way to the win. In four starts at ISM with JR Motorsports, he has compiled a 4.8 average finish, and he’s never finished outside the Top 10. Allgaier has been struggling a bit in qualifying this year, and if he starts outside the Top 10 again this weekend, you will want plenty of exposure.
Christopher Bell ($9,200)
Bell is an absolute star in the making. He finished third at Atlanta and second at Las Vegas, and he managed to lead a few laps in both races despite there being multiple Cup regulars in the field. Bell finished fourth in his ISM debut last fall, and I expect him back in the Top 5 this weekend.
Daniel Hemric ($8,400)
He surprised a lot of people with his performance last year, and ISM turned out to be one of Hemric’s best tracks. He finished seventh in his track debut, and he finished fifth in the fall race to secure a spot in the Championship 4. If he has a little upside through place differential after qualifying, he should be a strong mid-priced play.
Brandon Jones ($7,800)
It’s going to be tough to find affordable options with any kind of upside to fit alongside Kyle Busch and/or Brad Keselowski, but Jones is one of the few drivers priced below the $8,000 mark with legitimate Top 10 upside. He is coming off a Top 10 at Las Vegas, and he has three Top 15s in four starts at ISM. I think he has a chance for a career-best showing at the track Saturday now that he is with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Alex Labbe ($6,900)
At Atlanta and Las Vegas, Labbe posted a 17.5 average finish and gained an average of 11.0 spots per race. Those solid runs have pushed his price tag up, but he still looks like a potential steal. Labbe actually made his ISM debut in the fall of 2016, gaining 10 spots and finishing 23rd. If he starts deep in the field again Saturday, I won’t hesitate to dial him up for the third week in a row.
Sleeper Specials
Vinnie Miller ($6,000)
Value is relative when we’re talking about XFINITY Series DFS, and Miller’s horrible qualifying efforts combined with his ability to be running at the finish has produced some useful point totals. He finished 31st at Atlanta and 24th at Vegas, but he gained at least eight spots in both races. If Miller is starting at the back, use him to free up some cash.
Josh Williams ($5,600)
Punt plays are valuable in the XFINITY game because of his dominant and how expensive the top options are, and Williams has been able to exploit the place differential category this year. At Atlanta and Vegas, he posted a 22.5 average finish and an average place differential of +10.5. If he starts around the 30th spot again, I’ll use him for cap relief.
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