The NASCAR Cup Series will stay west in the desert this week at Phoenix Raceway. The one-mile (almost) flat oval track will host the last half of the season’s first west coast swing. Will the desert heat help your drivers or cost you dearly? Read on for my best plays to get a jump start on a profitable day!
FanDuel NASCAR DFS Overview
In this NASCAR Cup Series DFS column, I will be using FanDuel prices and scoring. Their scoring includes the following:
- .1 points for leading a lap
- .1 points for completing a lap
- Add/subtract a point based on the difference in a driver’s finishing position relative to their starting position
- Points based on where the driver finishes
FanDuel NASCAR DFS | Race 5
InstaCart 500 Drivers to Consider
Kevin Harvick ($14,000)
Kevin Harvick flat out owned this track when they had the old layout with the start/finish line located on the backstretch. In the five races since the adjustment, he has not been as dominant. He came close to victory lane last spring with a second-place finish. He has not finished lower than 10th in any of the past 10 Phoenix races. Harvick is an expensive but safe NASCAR DFS play for the Instacart 500.
Aric Almirola ($8,000)
I’m calling it now: Almirola gets out of his funk this week. He has made mental errors in each of the last two races that he won’t make this week. Almirola has an average finish of 11.9 at Phoenix Raceway and he starts 32nd. The ability is there for him to get to the front and help you get NASCAR DFS points in the process. I will take Almirola this weekend.
Ryan Newman ($5,500)
Mr. Harder to Pass than a Kidney Stone is up next for me. Tracks like Phoenix play right into a guy like Ryan Newman’s favor. The slower speeds and tight corners make it harder to pass in general. When the driver you’re trying to pass under such conditions is Newman, its dang near impossible. Get him into the NASCAR DFS lineup this week.
Joey Logano ($12,000)
I feel like Logano will be your race winner this week, and yes I know I said the same thing last week. Logano will go off 9th in the Instacart 500 starting lineup. In theory, he can get up to the lead quickly and lead laps early on. Logano has two wins at Phoenix Raceway so he has the pedigree as well.
InstaCart 500 Drivers to Avoid
Kyle Busch ($11,700)
Kyle Busch statistically is one of the best at Phoenix Raceway, especially since the 2018 renovation. But going back to last year, he and the #18 team just haven’t been themselves. There has been no consistency, and I want to see some out of Busch before I put him in a NASCAR DFS lineup. I would stay away from him if I were you, but he could easily do well here.
Tyler Reddick ($7,500)
Yeah, I have been high on Reddick for three of the previous four races. Unfortunately, Phoenix Raceway just doesn’t suit his skillsets. In last spring’s race, he was running well until he wrecked. His average finish at the track is just 26. Steer clear of the #8 car in NASCAR DFS this week.
Bubba Wallace ($6,500)
I expected more out of Bubba Wallace to start the 2021 NASCAR DFS season in all honesty. I thought that 23XI Racing would be top ten contenders on a weekly basis, but we haven’t seen that yet outside of the Daytona 500. Like Kyle Busch, I need to see some consistency from Bubba and this new race team before I put him in my lineup going forward. The team should work out their growing pains sooner than later.
Chase Briscoe ($5,200)
Chase Briscoe has been disappointing in NASCAR DFS so far this season. He hasn’t had a good finish all year. Unsurprisingly, this has led to just 36 fantasy points per race through the first four starts. I think the low scoring continues for him this week and you will not want him in your lineup.
