The NASCAR Cup Series will continue its early-season west coast swing this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Pennzoil 400 marks the third race of the still very young 2022 season. After some surprise names running towards the front last week, those playing DraftKings NASCAR DFS have good reason to take some bold risks with their picks this weekend. The 1.5-mile track will help DFS players get a great sense of which teams have the goods to compete on the intermediate tracks.
The following article breaks down various drivers to both start and avoid when building DraftKings NASCAR DFS lineups for this Sunday’s Pennzoil 400.
DraftKings NASCAR DFS Overview
In this DraftKings NASCAR DFS picks column, we will be using DraftKings prices and scoring. Their scoring includes the following:
- .25 points for leading a lap
- .45 points for the fastest laps
- Add/subtract a half point based on the difference in a driver’s finishing position relative to their starting position
- Points based on where the driver finishes
DraftKings NASCAR DFS Picks | Race 3
Pennzoil 400 Drivers to Consider
Ryan Blaney ($10,500)
While he has been strong both weeks thus far, the end of each race has not gone very well for Ryan Blaney. This week, it’s time for him to close the deal. Blaney has finished on the lead lap in every race except one in his last ten starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He has an average finish of 7.8 in those ten races. Blaney needs to prove that he can still compete for wins and this week he could very well do that. Put the No. 12 car in your DraftKings NASCAR DFS lineup.
Martin Truex Jr. ($9,500)
Why does this guy have a price tag this low? Martin Truex Jr. has two wins in the last ten races at this track and also owns the second-best average finish over that span. MTJ has posted a 6.2 average placing in the past ten races and averaged a fifth-place result in the two races here last year. For how well he has run at Las Vegas, Truex’s price tag offers a lot of value. The No. 19 needs to be in your DraftKings NASCAR DFS lineup.
Daniel Hemric ($5,800)
This pick is purely running with the momentum that the No. 16 Kaulig Racing team picked up last week. Daniel Hemric somehow managed to battle back from being several laps down to score a second consecutive top-10 finish. The defending NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion has raced at LVMS in a Cup car before. However, that came all the way back in 2019. Hemric has both a new team and car this time around. Take a chance on the No. 16 team this weekend with your NASCAR DFS picks.
Pennzoil 400 Drivers to Avoid
Chase Elliott ($11,000)
The driver with the second-highest price tag this week has never won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In his last ten starts here, Chase Elliott has only three top-5s and four top-10s. With an average finish of 18.7 in those races, it’s hard to argue that there is much of any value in rostering him at an $11,000 price tag this week. Skip over the No. 9 car in your Pennzoil 400 DraftKings NASCAR DFS lineups this week.
Kurt Busch ($8,900)
One of the hometown Las Vegas boys this week finds himself on the bad side of the NASCAR DFS list. Kurt Busch did win the fall race here back in 2020, but the move to 23XI Racing for this season has not been a smooth transition thus far. The lone victory is also an outlier for the driver as Busch has an average finish of just 19.2 in his last ten starts at LVMS. He has only finished inside the top-5 twice and has four total top-10 placings over those ten races. The No. 45 should be avoided this week.
Ross Chastain ($7,500)
The driver of the No. 1 for Trackhouse Racing has not had the strong start to the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season that some people have thought he would. Ross Chastain has averaged an abysmal 8.8 fantasy points so far this season and that includes the Bluegreen Vacations Duels. In his previous seven trips to Las Vegas, he has failed to finish on the lead lap. Chastain’s average finish across those seven starts is an ugly 26.6. The ‘Melon Man’ does not have the history or early-season form to make him worth a spot in your DraftKings NASCAR DFS lineup.
