This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Daytona 500
Location: Daytona, Fla.
Course: Daytona International Speedway
Format: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 200
NASCAR Daytona 500 Race Preview
The official start of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season is finally here. After a few months of preparation and a few days of on-track activity, the season gets underway Sunday with the biggest race of the season, the Daytona 500. The 500-mile showcase is the first opportunity for drivers to win one of the season's biggest prizes while also putting one foot in the championship playoffs. While the race is not entirely representative of how the rest of the season will play out, an entire season could be considered a success with just this week's single victory. To do that, it will take a lot of speed, prowess, and luck. The pack-style racing that Daytona International Speedway brings is one of the most unpredictable on the calendar. Being able to move forward through the throng of traffic, while also avoiding the large crashes that can be triggered by the smallest of mistakes, will help put drivers in position to race for the win in the final miles. The last 50 laps of Sunday's 500-mile contest is where the race for the win will truly come to life.
Key Stats at Daytona International Speedway
- Number of races: 153
- Winners from pole: 26
- Winners from top-5 starters: 75
- Winners from top-10 starters: 114
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 14
- Fastest race: 183.295 mph
Previous 10 Daytona Winners
2023 fall - Chris Buescher
2023 spring - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2022 fall - Austin Dillon
2022 spring - Austin Cindric
2021 fall - Ryan Blaney
2021 spring - Michael McDowell
2020 fall - William Byron
2020 spring - Denny Hamlin
2019 fall - Justin Haley
2019 spring - Denny Hamlin
Superspeedway circuits, like Daytona's 2.5-mile tri-oval, tend to produce unpredictable races with higher than average attrition due to their large accidents. Teams will hone their cars to be fastest in traffic to be able to move toward the lead, but the bunched-up style of racing makes it difficult to make passes, let alone move into the lead. The long race distance means pit strategy will be also be key in keeping drivers in position to win, and drivers will work to save fuel early and often in order to shorten their stops on pit road. Teams will also coordinate their green-flag stops with other drafting partners in order to ensure they come up to speed as quickly as possible upon pit exit. Mistakes on pit road put all that careful coordination to waste, though. Cautions should be expected more frequently in the final miles, as well as the stage finishes, as the level of aggression increases and the opportunity to claim points or a win come into reach. This is a race where anything could happen, which gives fantasy players plenty of room to try different strategies when building their rosters, often including several long-shot choices that could pay significant dividends.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Daytona 500 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Denny Hamlin - $10,000
Ryan Blaney - $9,800
Kyle Larson - $9,500
Brad Keselowski - $9,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Chris Buescher - $8,800
William Byron - $8,700
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Christopher Bell - $8,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Tyler Reddick - $7,800
Erik Jones - $7,600
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Michael McDowell - $7,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Austin Cindric - $7,000
Josh Berry - $6,600
Corey Lajoie - $6,000
Justin Haley - $5,700
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Daytona 500
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Denny Hamlin - $10,000
Chris Buescher - $8,800
Christopher Bell - $8,300
Tyler Reddick - $7,800
Michael McDowell - $7,200
Austin Cindric - $7,000
Toyota's new body style for 2024 seemed to be a leap forward in Thursday's qualifying races. If that advantage holds true for Sunday's 500-mile race, Denny Hamlin (DK $10,000, FD $13,000) may be poised to score his fourth Daytona 500 win. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is still hunting his first series championship, but three prior Daytona 500 wins and a Toyota step forward make him a confident favorite for Sunday. While Toyota had the advantage in the draft, Ford is no less powerful having locked out the front row in single-car qualifying. Chris Buescher (DK $8,800, FD $11,500) will start Sunday's race in 19th position, but he proved his car was capable of running up front. If he can stay trouble free until the finish on Sunday, he should be plenty capable of racing for the win. Speaking of winning, Christopher Bell (DK $8,300, FD $9,500) and Tyler Reddick (DK $7,800, FD $8,800) gave Toyota a sweep of the qualifying duels. Both drivers proved stable and quick in the pack, and both made race-winning moves to capture the checkered flag. That will be required from them again if they hope to revisit Victory Lane this Sunday, but momentum is squarely behind them.
Michael McDowell (DK $7,200, FD $6,500) gave Front Row Motorsports a front-row spot for Sunday's race, which he won in 2021. That victory came as somewhat of a surprise, but he no longer considered a longshot at superspeedways. McDowell and this team have consistently improved season to season and another Daytona 500 win this week would not come as a surprise. Similarly, Austin Cindric (DK $7,000, FD $8,200) should also not be considered a surprise at this track. He won his Daytona 500 in 2022, and has been consistently fast at the track. He has two top-fives from five Daytona starts and finished second in his qualifying duel Thursday night.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Ryan Blaney - $9,800
Kyle Larson - $9,500
Bubba Wallace - $8,500
Martin Truex Jr. - $8,200
Ty Gibbs - $7,400
Josh Berry - $6,600
It seems as though Ryan Blaney (DK $9,800, FD $13,500) is always in the mix for wins at Daytona. He only has one prior points win at the track, but he frequently leads laps and often sits within a move or two from victory. Blaney was again caught out in a crash Thursday, but that was also while running at the sharp end of the field until then. Similarly, Kyle Larson (DK $9,500, FD $9,200) has often been competitive enough to win these races, but hasn't found the right final moves to get the job done. Larson has never won a points race at Daytona, but his talent and speed suggest that elusive win isn't far away.
Bubba Wallace (DK $8,500, FD $9,800), Martin Truex Jr. (DK $8,200, FD $9,000), and Ty Gibbs (DK $8,200, FD $6,800) bring the Toyota optimism to the higher-risk lineup. Wallace has multiple superspeedway victories and often finds his way to the front of the draft. He was the runner-up in two Daytona 500s and just needs that perfect final move to capture his first Daytona 500 title. Truex is a veteran who hasn't had the greatest success recently at Daytona. He used to be one of the top choices at places like Talladega, but he only has one top-10 finish at Daytona from his last six tries. Toyota's new body could play to his strengths, giving him the platform he has been lacking to return to that early-career competitiveness at this track. Last but not least of this Toyota contingent is Gibbs. The young Joe Gibbs Racing driver has won quickly in every form of motorsport he has been in on his way to the Cup Series. His rookie season in 2023 saw him nearly make the playoff field on points alone. This year, he seems likely to get that playoff spot with a victory, though. He races aggressively, but has the speed to lead if he can avoid trouble.
The final choice for this Daytona 500 lineup is rookie Josh Berry (DK $6,600, FD $6,500). Berry served as a substitute for multiple teams last season with a best finish of second while filling in for Chase Elliott. For 2024, he takes over the wheel from Kevin Harvick at a time the Stewart-Haas Racing organization could be taking a turn in a more competitive direction. The team largely underperformed in 2023, but tweaks through the winter make them hopefully of better fortune in 2024. Berry is an experienced competitor that should be expected to get up to speed quickly, especially at a venue like Daytona.
