This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
Location: Darlington, South Carolina
Course: Darlington Raceway
Format: Oval
Laps: 147
NASCAR Xfinity Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200 Preview
It was pretty easy to foresee the end of the Xfinity race at Martinsville getting ugly last weekend, and that's exactly what occurred. A pileup on the final lap caused primarily by Sammy Smith cost Taylor Gray a chance for his first win the Xfinity Series and also brought some unwanted attention to the series. A number of prominent personalities within the sport criticized several drivers following the race and Smith was ultimately penalized 50 points, giving us an interesting backdrop heading into a weekend at a daunting intermediate track.
Key Stats at Darlington
- Number of Races: 69
- Winners from Pole: 16
- Winners from top-five starters: 43
- Winners from top-10 starters: 55
Previous 10 Darlington Winners
Fall 2024 – Christopher Bell
Spring 2024 – Justin Allgaier
Fall 2023 – Denny Hamlin
Spring 2023- Kyle Larson
Fall 2022 – Noah Gragson
Spring 2022 – Justin Allgaier
Fall 2021- Noah Gragson
Spring 2021- Justin Allgaier
Fall 2020- Brandon Jones
Spring 2020 – Chase Briscoe
As is clear from the distinguished winners list, Darlington is a popular track for Cup drivers to drop down a level and take part in Saturday's festivities. That's the case once again, as Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott are all in the field.
Known as the "Lady in Black" and the "Track Too Tough to Tame," Darlington is a classic track and is often a race of attrition. Setup is particularly difficult at Darlington due to the unique egg shape of the track, and we often see cars hit the wall trying to optimize speed toward the to of the banking.
There are also some trends to take away from the recent track history. Only one of the last 10 race winners drove a Ford (Briscoe) and five of the last six race winners started in the top three of the grid.
NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
Based on a Standard $50K Salary Cap
Tier 1 Values
Christopher Bell - $11,000
Justin Allgaier - $10,200
Sam Mayer - $10,000
Tier 2 Values
Austin Hill - $9,500
Jesse Love - $9,000
Taylor Gray - $8,400
Ryan Sieg - $8,100
Tier 3 Values
Christian Eckes - $7,600
Harrison Burton - $7,500
Daniel Dye - $7,300
Tier 4 Values
Jeb Burton -$7,000
Dean Thompson - $6,700
NASCAR Xfinity DFS Picks for the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help a Hero 200
Christopher Bell - $11,000
Justin Allgaier- $10,200
Christian Eckes- $7,600
Daniel Dye - $7,300
Jeb Burton - $7,000
Dean Thompson - $6,700
Pricing is relatively flat compared to the last few weeks, which keeps all avenues of building a roster open. There is one driver at each end of the pricing spectrum that I plan to prioritize. The first is Christopher Bell, who won the last time the Xfinity Series competed at Darlington. In total, he's run in the series four times at the track and has qualified on the top row three times and has finished inside the top seven in each of the last three races.
He's a good driver to build around and can immediately be balanced out by Daniel Dye, who is a strong value option. He stands out in the optimizer with the second-highest point per dollar projection. The reason is pretty clear, as Dye has three top-10 finishes (two have come in the last two races) and has at least 39 DK points in each of his last three races. There is one point of hesitation, which is that he finished only 19th and 23rd in the truck series when racing at Darlington.
From there, the option is to build in another elite driver or pick up multiple Tier 2 drivers. Both are good choices. Allgaier has both a strong history at the track (three wins in his last eight races and top-ten finishes in eight straight) and is having an excellent season. He leads the series in points and has led the most laps. It's also worth noting Hill. He has the second-highest raw projection and the highest point per dollar projection.
Dean Thompson is another value worth going into some detail on. He's in his first full year in Xfinity and seems to be finding his footing by tallying three consecutive top-15 finishes. That's not exciting, but he has more potential than his price point indicates.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Best Bets for the Sports Clips VFW Help a Hero 200
Outright Winner – Christopher Bell (+145), Justin Allgaier (+650), Sam Mayer (+1000)
Bell could very well win, but his odds are pretty difficult to invest in with a 40-man field and some unpredictable finishes. Based on price, he's a pass. Based on skill and track record, he's the obvious choice.
We've also discussed the reasons for backing Allgaier to win his third race of the year. While still short, his odds are more palatable than Bell. Mayer is on the lower-end of legitimate contenders for the win, but his qualifying history at the track is intriguing as he's started inside the top six in four straight races. His ability to translate that into results has been inconsistent, but the potential remains high.
