This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Sport Clips Haircuts 200
Location: Darlington, S.C.
Course: Darlington Raceway
Format: 1.37-mile oval
Laps: 147
Race Preview
Darlington Raceway hosts the NASCAR Xfinity Series this Saturday as the regular season draws to a close with three races remaining before the championship playoffs get underway. Justin Haley secured his spot in the championship battle by scoring his first win of the season last week at Daytona in a thrilling three-wide finish. That win means all three Kaulig Racing teammates have locked themselves in the playoffs with wins. Justin Allgaier won last time out at Darlington, one of his two victories so far this season, but Daniel Hemric will be the pole sitter for Saturday's race. Haley's teammate AJ Allmendinger will be alongside Hemric on the front row with Haley sharing the second row with Allgaier. Austin Cindric, the winningest driver this season, will line up 24th after an early exit at Daytona last week.
Key Stats at Darlington Raceway
- Number of races: 62
- Winners from pole: 15
- Winners from top-5 starters: 38
- Winners from top-10 starters: 47
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 6
- Fastest race: 141.355 mph
Previous 10 Darlington Winners
2021 spring - Justin Allgaier
2020 fall - Brandon Jones
2020 spring - Chase Briscoe
2019 - Cole Custer
2018 - Brad Keselowski
2017 - Denny Hamlin
2016 - Elliott Sadler
2015 - Denny Hamlin
2014 - Chase Elliott
2013 - Kyle Busch
Darlington Raceway is a tough circuit unlike any other track on the calendar. Its rough surface can be compared to Atlanta and Homestead, but the different radius turns at each end of this circuit make it a different animal. The fastest line at Darlington tends to be right against the outside wall, which leaves little room for error. Regardless of which groove is being run, drivers will have to move up and down the track to make passes and protect position. While track position is a valuable commodity at Darlington, fresh tires will come with a bigger premium. Drivers will always want to pick up four fresh tires when heading down pit road, but late cautions can always throw a wrench into an otherwise dominant day.
DRAFTKINGS VALUE PICKS (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Austin Cindric - $11,300
Austin Dillon - $10,800
Denny Hamlin - $10,400
Tyler Reddick - $10,200
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Noah Gragson - $9,900
Justin Allgaier - $9,700
Harrison Burton - $9,400
AJ Allmendinger - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Sam Mayer - $8,800
Justin Haley - $8,400
Jeb Burton - $8,300
Michael Annett - $8,100
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Riley Herbst - $7,800
Jeremy Clements - $7,300
Alex Labbe - $6,300
Ryan Ellis - $5,800
MY PICKS THIS WEEK
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Denny Hamlin - $10,400
Justin Allgaier - $9,700
Sam Mayer - $8,800
Michael Annett - $8,100
B.J. McLeod - $6,700
Alex Labbe - $6,300
Denny Hamlin will make a rare Xfinity appearance this week to gain track time as he seeks to open his Cup championship campaign with a win. He has three Cup Series wins at the track and will start 14th Saturday. Justin Allgaier already has a Darlington win this season and he'll look for the sweep this weekend. He has an excellent track record with four top-fives and eight top-10s from 12 series starts. Sam Mayer will start 11th in his ninth series start of the year. He finished 12th last week at Daytona and grabbed his best finish of eighth on Atlanta's rough surface earlier this season. Michael Annett is still searching for a win this season. He will start 19th after a rough visit to Daytona, but could make a quick return to form this week after back-to-back top-10 finishes in the last two Darlington races. B.J. McLeod has never scored a Darlington top-10, but he does have three top-20 finishes in the last four trips there. He will start 39th this week but hasn't finished lower than 30th since Charlotte, which makes us confident he can deliver finish differential points. Alex Labbe takes the final lower-risk roster spot. He will start 22nd this week and finished 10th at this track in May.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Austin Cindric - $11,300
Noah Gragson - $9,900
Jeb Burton - $8,300
Ryan Sieg - $7,500
Colby Howard - $7,100
Ryan Ellis - $5,800
Austin Cindric will be seeking a quick rebound after crashing out at Daytona last week. He has two top-10s from five Darlington races and led 34 laps there in May. Wins have eluded Noah Gragson so far this season, but he remains a leader in the series standings and has finished seventh or better in the last four races. He hasn't finished lower than eighth in his four series starts at the track. Jeb Burton picked up his sixth top-five of the year last week at Daytona. The May race is his only prior Darlington start, but he was quick at Homestead and finished fourth on the similar rough surface. Ryan Sieg will start this week's race 12th after another top-20 last week at Daytona. Sieg has three Darlington top-10s from nine starts, and all three have come in the three most recent races there. Another option deep in the order is Colby Howard. Starting 30th should give him a chance to add finish differential points to fantasy manager totals. His best finish from three starts at this track was 19th in this race last season. Finally, Ryan Ellis finishes the selections. Like Howard, he also has three Darlington starts, but his best finish came earlier this year when he came home 16th.
