This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Kansas Lottery 300
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Course: Kansas Speedway
Format: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 200
NASCAR Xfinity Kansas Lottery 300 Race Preview
Noah Gragson took another 2022 victory last week at Darlington in a thrilling three-way fight to the finish. It was his fourth victory of the season. Sheldon Creed was one of the three drivers in that battle for the win, and he remains out of the playoff positions with two regular-season races remaining before the elimination rounds commence. A win last week would have launched him into the playoff standings, but he enters this weekend's race at Kansas Speedway 16 points behind the last playoff spot currently held by Ryan Sieg. Five playoff spots remain for drivers to advance into the championship battle on points alone, but the battle around that 12th playoff spot continues to heat up. This week's race will be the only stop at Kansas for the Xfinity Series this season. Ty Gibbs won at the track last season, and he sits 51 points behind AJ Allmendinger in the race for the regular-season championship. With the playoff finalists being firmed up along with the regular season championship, the next two races are set to be some of the most tense for the Xfinity competitors this season so far.
Key Stats at Kansas Speedway
- Number of races: 22
- Winners from pole: 2
- Winners from top-5 starters: 10
- Winners from top-10 starters: 17
- Winners from 21st or lower starters: 0
- Fastest race: 141.158 mph
Previous 10 Kansas Winners
2021 - Ty Gibbs
2020 fall - Chase Briscoe
2020 spring - Brandon Jones
2019 - Brandon Jones
2018 - John Hunter Nemechek
2017 - Christopher Bell
2016 - Kyle Busch
2015 - Kyle Busch
2014 - Kyle Busch
2013 - Matt Kenseth
Kansas Speedway is a track-position circuit. The circuit's 1.5-mile configuration is one of the most familiar to Xfinity teams even though this week's race is the only Kansas stop of the season. Fantasy players will want to consider this year's Las Vegas and Nashville results when choosing lineup options this week. Like those tracks, Kansas features multiple grooves for drivers to use as they try to get the most out of their equipment and move through traffic. Clean air and the ability to dictate the pace from the front is the key advantage everyone will be seeking, though. Drivers will need to manage their tires throughout a fuel run, but teams could have the chance to gamble on two-tire stops to gain track position closer to the end of stages as well as the race finish. Winners at Kansas typically come from the top-10 starting spots, which means fantasy players should consider practice and qualifying pace when setting lineups.
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DraftKings Value Picks for the Kansas Lottery 300 (Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap)
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Noah Gragson - $11,000
Justin Allgaier - $10,800
Ty Gibbs - $10,600
AJ Allmendinger - $10,300
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Ross Chastain - $9,900
Austin Hill - $9,700
Brandon Jones - $9,500
Sam Mayer - $9,300
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Sam Smith - $8,900
Sheldon Creed - $8,600
Landon Cassill - $8,400
Riley Herbst - $8,200
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Brandon Brown - $7,900
Jeb Burton - $7,000
Rajah Caruth - $6,800
Mason Massey - $5,900
NASCAR DFS Picks for Kansas Lottery 300
Lower-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
AJ Allmendinger - $10,300
Brandon Jones - $9,500
Landon Cassill - $8,400
Riley Herbst - $8,200
Jeb Burton - $7,000
J.J. Yeley - $6,400
The current points leader heads the picks for this week's Kansas Lottery 300. Allmendinger led 10 laps and finished third at Kansas last season and it is time for him to score his first oval victory of this year. He enters this weekend's race on the heels of three straight finishes of second or third. Brandon Jones is no stranger to Victory Lane at Kansas. He won twice at the track and finished 11th there last year. Landon Cassill could also make a wise selection this week as he seeks to continue improving as the playoffs approach. He has four finishes of 16th or better in the last five races and has a best Kansas finish of 18th. Another driver looking to improve his form is Riley Herbst. He is the highest-place driver in the standings yet to win this season but has to overcome last week's Darlington trouble. He has one Kansas top-10 from three series starts, and he finished 13th there in 2021. Jeb Burton is also on the hunt for some success. He has one prior Kansas start, which ended with a 13th-place finish. He has shown himself capable of scoring top-15 finishes, and this could be a track he can do that again. The last selection of the lower-risk lineup could be a decision between J.J. Yeley and Josh Williams. Yeley gets the nod this time due to his upside potential. He has been able to finish in the top 20 this season and has even claimed some top-15s and two top-10s. Williams has a sixth-place finish at Kansas, but Yeley brings more track experience with three Kansas top-10 finishes. The biggest risk this week will be his ability to get to the race finish.
Higher-Risk Lineup ($50K Salary Cap)
Ty Gibbs - $10,600
Austin Hill - $9,700
Sheldon Creed - $8,600
Brandon Brown - $7,900
Rajah Caruth - $6,800
Mason Massey - $5,900
It is hard to count out Ty Gibbs, at a track he won at last season. He has five series victories already this season and is ramping up for the playoffs. He only has one prior Kansas start, but that was the win he scored from the 10th starting position. Austin Hill also only has one prior Kansas start in this series. He raced from 29th to fifth in the 2020 race. Hill has two victories this season and made a return to the top 10 at Darlington last week after Daytona and Watkins Glen interrupted a streak of eight straight top-10s. Another driver who should feel more confident after Darlington in Creed. He was in it for the win just a week ago and will now know victories are close. This will be his first Kansas start in this series, but he does have a runner-up finish in the trucks there from 2020. Brandon Brown will be thinking a playoff berth could be within reach, too. He is 14th in the standings, but a win would see him through. Brown has five prior Kansas starts with a best finish of 11th from 2020. Rajah Caruth is slated to make his fourth Xfinity start of the year this week. The up and coming driver has had issues in all three of those tries but has been gaining experience and will be looking to make laps and finish this week. He finished second in the ARCA Series Kansas race earlier this season, too. Another driver for fantasy players to consider this week is Mason Massey. Massey crashed out of last year's Kansas race, but he does have two top-10s this season and should be capable of grabbing a top-20 this week, too.
