This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Course: Texas Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile quad-oval
Laps: 147
Race Preview
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series shares the spotlight this Saturday with the Xfinity Series at Texas Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch and Sheldon Creed won at the speedway last year, and Johnny Sauter is the winningest active driver at the track in this week's race. Only Matt Crafton joins Sauter and Creed as a previous track winner, which opens the door for a first-time Texas winner this week. The prime contender may just be John Hunter Nemechek. The three-race winner will start this week's event from pole position and will have Ben Rhodes alongside on the front row. None of the drivers starting inside the top 10 have won at Texas, but three have finished as runners-up in the past.
Key Stats at Texas Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 46
- Winners from pole: 6
- Winners from top-five starters: 26
- Winners from top-10 starters: 38
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 2
- Fastest race: 158.002 mph
Previous 10 Texas Winners
2020 fall - Sheldon Creed
2020 spring - Kyle Busch
2019 fall - Greg Biffle
2019 spring - Kyle Busch
2018 fall - Justin Haley
2018 spring - Johnny Sauter
2017 fall - Johnny Sauter
2017 spring - Christopher Bell
2016 fall - Johnny Sauter
2016 spring - William Byron
Texas Motor Speedway is a familiar 1.5-mile quad-oval. Like with many 1.5-mile ovals, fantasy players should expect track position to be a major factor in the outcome. The banking at Texas is slightly shallower in turns 1 and 2, but the track offers drivers room to adjust their lines and make passes. Drivers with quick trucks that can move swiftly through traffic have the potential to dominate. Being out front in clean air has a distinct advantage, too. Teams could gamble with two-tire stops to get better track position and a chance to be within reach of the lead. Late restarts and untimely cautions could also jumble the running order as teams cycle through pit stops. Typically, the winner comes from the top starting positions. Texas has only produced eight race winners from outside of the top 10 starting positions, and Sheldon Creed took the victory from pole last fall.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Chase Elliott - $11,800
John Hunter Nemechek - $10,900
Sheldon Creed - $10,500
Ross Chastain _ $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Zane Smith - $9,800
Ben Rhodes - $9,600
Grant Enfinger - $9,400
Matt Crafton - $9,200
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Todd Gilliland - $8,800
Chandler Smith - $8,600
Josh Berry - $8,400
Johnny Sauter - $8,300
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Tyler Ankrum - $7,900
Carson Hocevar - $7,700
Derek Kraus - $7,500
Hailie Deegan - $6,400
My Picks
John Hunter Nemechek - $10,900
Zane Smith - $9,800
Johnny Sauter - $8,300
Carson Hocevar - $7,700
Ryan Truex - $6,900
Hailie Deegan - $6,400
There is arguably no hotter driver in the Trucks Series right now than Nemechek. His best finish at Texas was seventh in 2016, but he hasn't raced at the track in the Trucks since 2017. He and his team are among the best right now, however. Zane Smith will start seventh Saturday. He finished third in the fall race last season and led 26 laps in the spring event. With three top-10s in the last five races, he is in good position to add another top finish to his tally this week. It might also behoove fantasy players to have Sauter in the lineup, too. He will start 17th and have five prior wins at the track. He hasn't visited Victory Lane yet this year and is trying to shore up his spot in the playoffs. Carson Hocevar earned the third starting spot for this week's race with an impressive runner-up finish at Charlotte – a similar circuit to Texas. He is on a run of three consecutive top-10 finishes and looking to extend that streak. Ryan Truex is also another nice choice this week considering it has been a good venue for him. His five series starts at the track have produced two top-10s and a best finish of fourth. He'll start 14th this week. Rookie Hailie Deegan again claims a spot in this week's picks. She has been impressive in her debut season in the series and has been capable of delivering fantasy players top-15 finishes regardless of the track. She finished 13th in Charlotte, which ties her best finish of the year. Both of those results came on 1.5-mile ovals, too.
