This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Alsco Uniforms 300
Location: Concord, N.C.
Course: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile oval
Laps: 200
Race Preview
Tyler Reddick scored the victory last week at Texas, which means five playoff spots are still available for full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers heading into the Alsco Uniforms 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Cup Series regular William Byron finished second, which left the Xfinity playoff picture relatively unchanged. That is good news for many contenders considering how treacherous last week's race was with 11 caution periods. Ty Gibbs still heads the winner's list with three victories, and AJ Allmendinger is leading in the points. Gibbs has the added benefit of being the defending Charlotte winner this week. This weekend's race will be the 77th time the series has raced at the track with 37 different winners. Fantasy players can expect the action to be hot this week with championship playoff spots on the line.
Key Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Number of races: 76
- Winners from pole: 12
- Winners from top-5 starters: 44
- Winners from top-10 starters: 59
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 5
- Fastest race: 155.99 mph
Previous 10 Charlotte Winners
2021 - Ty Gibbs
2020 - Kyle Busch
2019 - Tyler Reddick
2018 - Brad Keselowski
2017 fall - Alex Bowman
2017 spring - Ryan Blaney
2016 fall - Joey Logano
2016 spring - Denny Hamlin
2015 fall - Austin Dillon
2015 spring - Austin Dillon
Like Texas last week, Charlotte is a quick 1.5-mile oval where raw speed and track position are major determinants of success. Fantasy players will want to weigh starting spot heavily when making selections this week. Only five drivers have won when starting outside of the top 20, and the winner typically starts inside the top 10. Like Texas, Charlotte's wide turns offer plenty of room for drivers to try different grooves through the corners. Pit strategy can come into play throughout the race, and decisions between pitting for fresh tires or staying out to gain track position often impact the running order. Teams will be under pressure to get the setup right from the start. If they miss the mark, adjustments will have to be quick and decisive when the car comes to pit road. To make things more complicated, a car that is quick in clean air may not be as fast in traffic, and handling will change as tires wear. While starting position and practice pace will be good indications of race success, late cautions and restarts are something those at the front will be wary of.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Ty Gibbs - $11,000
Noah Gragson - $10,800
Justin Allgaier - $10,600
AJ Allmendinger - $10,400
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Trevor Bayne - $9,800
Josh Berry - $9,600
Ryan Preece - $9,300
Sam Mayer - $9,100
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Brandon Jones - $8,900
Daniel Hemric - $8,700
Riley Herbst - $8,500
Landon Cassill - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Anthony Alfredo - $7,600
Jeb Burton - $7,300
Brandon Brown - $7,000
Myatt Snider - $6,800
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Ty Gibbs - $11,000
Josh Berry - $9,600
Daniel Hemric - $8,700
Jeb Burton - $6,800
Jeremy Clements - $6,400
Ty Gibbs returns to the scene of success where he won the second race of his Xfinity career last season. He has been nothing short of a sensation since, too. With two of his three 2022 victories this year coming on 1.5-mile ovals, he should be a top option for fantasy players. Josh Berry would be another good option this week considering his seventh-place finish last week at Texas. He led 46 laps last week and should be in store for his best Charlotte finish after crashing out of last year's race. Also crashing out last year was Daniel Hemric. That crash was a big disappointment considering he led 105 laps up until that point. Aside from last year's result, he has three Charlotte top-10s including a runner-up finish in 2020. Jeb Burton grabbed yet another top-15 last week at Texas. There is a high chance he'll score another one again this week, having finished 17th or better in all five of his past Charlotte starts. The final lower-risk option goes to Jeremy Clements. He should be poised for a good outing this week after finishing 16th last week and scoring his first top-10 at Charlotte in this race last season.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
AJ Allmendinger - $10,400
Sam Mayer - $9,100
Riley Herbst - $8,500
Landon Cassill - $8,100
Ryan Sieg - $7,400
Ryan Ellis - $6,500
Points leader Allmendinger is looking for his second win of the season. He finished ninth last week, extending his streak of finishing in the top 10 in every race so far this season. Why is he in the higher-risk lineup? He has not finished in the top 10 at Charlotte's oval in his two prior starts. His form this season still makes him a great option this week. Sam Mayer has also been racing very well this season. He finished third last week and has four top-fives in the last five races in a quest for his first win of the season. This will be his first series start at Charlotte, however. Last week's eighth-place finish puts Riley Herbst on a streak of six straight top-10 heading into this week. He is also looking for his first win of the year to help his championship cause. Like Allmendinger, Herbst has two prior Charlotte starts with no top-10 finishes. Veteran Landon Cassill scored his seventh top-10 of the year last week. He has been making the most of the opportunity he has with Kaulig Racing and could be in line to better his prior Charlotte best of 13th. Ryan Sieg and Ryan Ellis finish the selections. Sieg led four laps in this race last season before crashing. He qualified 12th last week at Texas and was a victim of the carnage, while Ellis will be aiming for his fourth top-20 in the last six races.
