NASCAR DFS revolves around drafting a lineup of NASCAR drivers for a specific race; you receive points based on those drivers' real performances. Unlike traditional fantasy sports, where you draft for an entire season, this option focuses on individual races.
As such, you’ll have to learn the different race types and build your lineup accordingly. Knowing more about these tracks can also help you create strategies to help you boost your winning opportunities. I’ll review the strategy for selecting drivers based on track conditions and how to use the performance metrics to your advantage.
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One of the prominent ways racers score points in NASCAR DFS is by finishing the race in a higher position than they started. The bigger the difference between the finishing and starting positions, the higher the points. That is because NASCAR daily fantasy sports sites award points for every positive place differential.
To clarify, the positive place differential is the number of positions a driver gains from the starting spot to the finishing spot. For example, if a driver starts 20th and finishes 10th, they have a positive place differential of +10, receiving points accordingly. Most of the time, the ones who tend to overcome a huge place differential end up being the best ones to root for.
Another way to get points in the game is when a driver leads a lap. The driver will have to start and finish the lap in the first position. This point or scoring category is typically referred to as the dominator points. Other scoring systems include the following:
| Scoring System | Description |
| Fastest lap | Here, a driver receives points for the fastest lap completed in the entire race. It is awarded only once to a driver, unlike the place differential points, which can be earned multiple times. |
| Lap completed | The driver gets points for every lap completed. That is because some races have more frequent wrecks than others. And a wrecked car is out of the race. |
NASCAR daily fantasy sports sites typically differ in the number of points they award in the scoring system. While one site will award 0.1 points for a lap led, another will award 0.25 points for the same criterion.
One of the strategies to increase your winning chances is knowing which criteria a site favors more. With that understanding, you can pick the drivers with a track record of scoring high points in that regard.
For every race, you’ll have a salary to get drivers on your lineup. Sites typically impose limits on how much of this virtual cash you can spend. And you’ll have a cap on the number of drivers you can get on your lineup.
Some sites allow up to six racers, while others only allow five racers. Like the scoring system, the number of drivers you have to play with will influence your strategy. One of the key reasons for that is that with more racers, you have slightly more flexibility in who you pick.
NASCAR presents different race types, and this influences how you approach your build-up. Here are the various types of races to note and the strategy to use for each one:
These races are also known as superspeedways. They include Daytona, the reconfigured Atlanta, and Talladega. My recommendation is to focus on scoring points via positive place differential. That is because races in this category are highly volatile. Wrecks are also common, making predictions on dominators more challenging.
Drivers who start deeper in the field have the potential to climb and get positive points. As such, when selecting drivers for your lineup in drafting races, I recommend focusing on racers with higher chances of achieving a positive place differential. You can also include drivers with a strong finishing potential, even when they start deep in the field.
For gaming sites, you’ll need to consider platforms that award more points for positive place differentials. Daily fantasy sports sites that award high points for finishing positions are also ideal when playing drafting races.
The first thing is to avoid expensive drivers starting at the pole position. For such drivers, they’ll typically lose points to negative place differentials. Instead, pick drivers with good equipment starting at the back (20th position or lower). They should also have a reputable history or track record of navigating the chaos and gaining positions throughout the race. Comebacks end up being more rewarding – but the odds are stacked against them that it may sway you from considering them to begin with.
Races in this category typically occur on tracks with 1-2-mile ovals. Examples include 1.5-mile ovals like Charlotte, Las Vegas, and Kansas. One or two drivers typically lead a large percentage of the laps. You can identify drivers with that potential from their practice speeds, qualifications, and previous performances.
Besides picking dominators, you’ll also have to consider drivers who can move up in their positions. These drivers typically bring positive place differential points.
For races in this category, I recommend balancing dominators and strong finishers. You can pick one or two high-priced dominators and two to three races with a strong record of winning place differential points. The latter can be mid-priced and should start further back in the position.
If you still have spots left, you can fill them up with drivers who offer impressive value for their salary. These won’t be high- or mid-cost drivers, but low-cost options with decent performance.
The Bristol, Martinsville, and Richmond tracks are prominent in this category. Due to their short nature, the races here include a high number of laps, more than the drafting races or the intermediate tracks.
So, the focus on races in this category is on dominators. The laps led points and fastest lap points become much more valuable than the finishing positions or place differentials. It is also typical for one driver to get up to 100 points in these scoring categories.
You’ll still have to consider drivers who can score place differential points. However, you’ll pay more attention to having reputable dominators in your lineup.
Two or three reputable dominators should be in your lineup. I recommend spending your virtual salary on those that can deliver points. Then, complement them with racers with a reputation for high short-run speeds and maintaining positions.
You can also add racers with proven performance when it comes to place differential points. Since these racers will typically be low-cost (after spending on the dominators), don’t expect them to come from behind and take leading positions.
Races or tracks in this category of NASCAR daily fantasy sports include Watkins Glen, COTA, and Sonoma. These have fewer laps. As such, dominator points have less impact compared to the short tracks.
Your focus should be on drivers with proven road course expertise. You can also go for drivers who perform well on the tracks when playing the game.

When building your lineup for NASCAR DFS, here are the performance metrics I recommend you use:
My top recommended sites for NASCAR daily fantasy sports are Underdog, Betr, ParlayPlay, OwnersBox, and Dabble. Here are more details about each one:
This platform features best ball, daily drafts, and pick’em gaming options. Even better, you can view rankings for players in different sports, not just NASCAR.
Underdog has a news section where you can get the latest reports on NASCAR and other daily fantasy sports. You can also search for news reports on specific players when constructing your lineup. Underdog gives out the best updates when it comes to racer statuses and track details.
When it comes to the pick’em games on the site, you can make pre-game and in-game picks. The site makes that even better by including a flex option that allows you to make at least three picks and win even if you miss one.
With Betr, you get pick’em options across NASCAR, MLB, NFL, golf, UFC, NHL, and many other fantasy sports. You can win up to 2,000x with 9 or 10 picks.
Betr also offers injury and pick protection, a special feature that allows you to miss two picks and still win. That is one more pick than the single pick in the Underdog flex feature. But, like the Underdog flex option, you’ll have to make at least three picks to play or increase your picks to 9 or 10 for the 2,000x cash payout.
Pre-built lineups are also available on Betr. For this option, you can simply play along with other notable figures without constructing your lineup.
This site offers the advantage of combining multiple picks to form a parlay option. The parlay feature offers significantly higher potential payouts than regular pick’em options on other platforms.
ParlayPlay features pick’em gaming options for NASCAR DFS, MLB, MLS, cricket, WNBA, and NBASL. The site also offers e-sports such as Valorant, CS:GO, League of Legends, and Dota 2.
You can track all game stats, follow the rankings on the scoreboard, and view live highlights with the huddles feature, but it gets even better. The feature features fully interactive chat rooms where you can chat with other players, create or join groups, and make live tweets.
I recommend OwnersBox for beginners, as it offers a lightning mode where you can get automatic lineups. All you have to do is spin until you get your preferred lineup.
The other gaming options (modes) are the salary caps and the player or racer picks. With salary caps, you get to construct your custom lineup and enter daily contests or tournaments on the site. This option is available for several sports, including NASCAR DFS, NBA, MLB, NFL, PGA, and NHL.
For player picks, you simply have to pick at least two players to make an entry. The results are presented in real time as well.
Dabble features pick’em contests that allow you to choose as many as 12 players or racers. Win the predictions, and you can get up to 1,000x payouts from the games.
The site is also prominent for its social features. One such option is the follow feature that allows you to follow other users. You can also view their activities.
Copy picks is another notable feature. With it, you can copy other players’ picks. Simply tap “Copy Entry” and enter your stake. There is also a chat room on the site where you can interact with other players.
The pros and cons to keep in mind are as follows:
NASCAR DFS requires a learning curve for new players. Even experienced players need to stay up-to-date on news and player reports. Underdog and ParlayPlay are my top options to keep up with the game statistics. For pick’em games, I recommend Betr, OwnersBos, and Dabble. That said, you just have to choose one of these reliable platforms that suit you, then sign up to enjoy their offerings. These sites vary in their options available, but you can be sure that each of them will offer a unique experience while helping you enjoy NASCAR DFS to the fullest.
Just remember to keep our tips and tricks in mind to come up with better selections, as well as immersing yourself in the sport. And most of all, never forget to be responsible in your DFS sessions.
You can play large-field GPPs with multiple entries or go for single-entry tournaments. Others include qualifier tournaments where the prize is a chance to qualify for a more prestigious tournament.
These are contests where you compete with another player (a single opponent). Some sites allow you to create or join H2H contests.
For this option, you have to finish in the top half of the field to win. Note that part of the entry fee will go to the house.
Playing at online sportsbooks, real money casinos, and sweepstakes sites should always be safe and enjoyable. Keep control of your activity by following responsible gambling guidelines such as:
Decide on a budget you’re comfortable with and stick to it. Once it’s gone, stop playing.
Trying to recover losses often leads to overspending.
Avoid playing under the influence, or when angry, stressed, or tired.
Take breaks and ensure gambling doesn’t cut into time with family or friends.
Learn the rules, bet types, odds, and payouts before playing to avoid mistakes.
Make use of features like budget limits and self-exclusion.
If you or someone you know is struggling to gamble responsibly, these free, confidential resources can help:
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Ryan Leaver as part of our fact-checking process.
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