The NASCAR XFINITY Series is at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, and now that the starting lineup for the Boyd Gaming 300 is set, it’s time to set your lineups and DraftKings and start your weekend of NASCAR DFS with a nice pay day.
With the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series also in town this weekend, there are multiple Cup regulars in the XFINITY field who are pulling double duty. All of them should be able to deliver strong finishes, but they also come with hefty price tags.
I’m going to be picky about how many high-priced options I stick in my lineups. Yes, you need at least one of them to grab exposure to the dominator categories, but if you go overboard, the bottoms of your lineups are going to be useless.
Instead, I’ll probably be going with lineups with just one driver above the $10,000 mark, rounding them out with a more balanced combination of the more dependable series regulars.
Take a closer look at all of my top plays for today’s XFINITY Series race at Las Vegas, and make sure to get all of your lineups locked in at DraftKings before the start of today’s Boyd Gaming 300.
Must Own Drivers
Kyle Larson ($12,600)
Larson has been at the top of the charts most of the weekend for the XFINITY race, and after grabbing a spot on the front row, he looks primed to win the dominator categories and finish as the top scorer at DraftKings. He led 33 laps on his way to a second-place finish at Vegas last year, and Larson appears to be much, much stronger for today’s race.
Ryan Blaney ($10,100)
Vegas has been one of his best tracks across all series, and in his lone XFINITY start here, Blaney finished second. He will start eighth today, but I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t finish inside the Top 5, and dominator points are always possible. You are going to want some exposure to Blaney.
Austin Dillon ($9,400)
Although I’m not sure Dillon is going to do much in the dominator categories, I still like his chances of finishing as one of the top scorers. He starts 10th today, but in five starts at Vegas in the XFINITY Series, he has posted a 4.8 average finish and has never finished worse than seventh. A Top 5 finish and well over 40 fantasy points are a good bet for Dillon.
Christopher Bell ($8,700)
The rookie is back on the pole, and last weekend at Atlanta, he parlayed the top spot into a few dominator points and a third-place finish. With the inside track to some early laps led and a car capable of delivering a Top 5, Bell is a no-brainer addition at this price.
Value Plays
Justin Allgaier ($9,200)
Allgaier went from 17th to sixth at Atlanta, and after qualifying 12th today, a similar push to the front could be on tap. He has two Top 10s in two starts at Vegas with JR Motorsports, and he finished fourth here last year. He is a little pricey, but he’s a decent pivot to the some of the Cup regulars, and I really like him in cash games.
Tyler Reddick ($8,200)
A cut tire ruined a potential Top 5 run for Reddick at Atlanta last weekend, but based on the speed he has shown this weekend, he should be right back in the mix for a great finish today. He starts seventh, and he boasts an impressive resume at the 1.5-mile tracks at the XFINITY level, including a win at Kentucky last year. Reddick should provide 30-plus fantasy points for a midrange price.
Ryan Truex ($7,900)
I was thrilled to see Truex end up with a mid-pack starting spot. He will roll off 17th, but I expect him to end up challenging for a Top 10. He is coming off a solid run at Atlanta when he started 15th and ended up ninth. Truex said he was happy with his car in race trim, and I’ll be happy to add him to my lineup. There aren’t many appealing options below the $8,000 mark this weekend, and he might be the safest.
Brandon Jones ($7,300)
I’m not sold on Jones as a top talent, but he’s behind the wheel of a Joe Gibbs Racing car, and that alone gives him a shot at a Top 10. He also qualified 16th, so compared to the other drivers for the top teams, he actually he the place differential category working in his favor. At this price, I’m interested.
Spencer Gallagher ($6,900)
Gallagher was one of my favorite low-priced plays last weekend at Atlanta, and nothing has changed this weekend. He has shown Top 15 upside at the 1.5-mile tracks dating back to last season, and he finished 14th last weekend at Atlanta. I would have loved for him to qualify worse than 11th, but even without a favorable differential situation, Gallagher should be a cheaper source of 20-plus fantasy points.
Sleeper Special
Alex Labbe ($5,900)
He qualified a little better than I was hoping, but even without as much place differential upside as he had last weekend at Atlanta, Labbe is still tough to pass up. He starts 24th but has shown decent speed all weekend. At this price, a Top 20 finish and around 20 fantasy points are tough to pass up, especially with so the hefty price tags the Cup drivers bring to the table.
Big Name to Fade
Kyle Busch ($15,000)
I know that he’s the most dominant driver in the history of the XFINITY Series, and he has the ability to dominate any race at any track. I also know that Las Vegas hasn’t been his best track, and I don’t think he has the car to beat this weekend. His monstrous salary is tough to justify under almost any scenario, and I certainly can’t pay up for Busch when I don’t expect him to lead today’s race from start to finish.
