Cup Series Phoenix DFS Picks
- RoundersKyle
- Mar 8
- 3 min read
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Phoenix Raceway this weekend, a one-mile oval known for its unique dogleg and short-track style racing. With flat corners demanding precise car setup and driver skill, Phoenix is a track where track position, tire management, and pit strategy can make or break the weekend for drivers. Long run speed is likely going to be important as we should get some long green flag runs throughout the race.
Potential Dominators
William Byron
Joey Logano
Ryan Blaney
Christopher Bell
Byron and Logano both start on the front row and are two of the best drivers here at Phoenix. They both had top 5 speed in practice and should be at the front to contend all day long. I have them ranked very close and I don't have much of a preference on who to use. I would potentially give Byron the slight edge starting on pole and I feel like Hendrick Motorsports has a little more momentum to start the season. However, Logano did win the championship here at the end of last season and is great here as well. Both are top picks this weekend and should lead a lot of laps to start the race. Blaney and Bell are tow other drivers that are really good at Phoenix. Now they start a little farther back just outside the top 10, so they have some place differential points that come with them. I expect them to get to the front early in the race and be top contenders this week. Blaney showed a lot of speed in practice while Bell didn't jump out on the speed charts but that is not uncommon for him in practice. All 4 of these drivers are great top options for DFS this weekend.
Place Differential Plays
Kyle Larson
Ross Chastain
Daniel Suarez
Chase Briscoe
Alex Bowman
Ty Gibbs
Larson had one of the best cars on the long run in practice and starts back in 17th. He should move forward and be a top contender in the top 5 and have the potential to battle for the win making him a good option at Phoenix this weekend. Chastain had top 10 speed in practice throughout the run so I expect him to move forward from his 24th starting spot. He’s ran solid here before and should have top 10 potential with his mid range price tag on Draftkings. His teammate Suarez starts even farther back and he has a cheaper salary as well. Suarez was 14th-13th-13th-12th on his 15 through 30 lap averages in practice. He should be a good value play if he can back that up and run in the top 15. Briscoe, Bowman, and Gibbs all start towards the back and have huge place differential potential this week. They were all solid in practice and should be able to move forward and be good place differential options this week. None of them flashed a ton of speed in practice but I would expect them all to run top 20 and have potential for a top 10 if they improve throughout the race. Overall they have huge place differential potential and are likely to be popular picks this week.
Cheap Options
Zane Smith
Noah Gragson
Austin Dillon
Ricky Stenhouse
Zane Smith is going to be the most popular cheap options this week as he showed a lot of speed in practice. Zane had top 5 lap averages on the 15 to 30 lap runs in his practice session. Starting back in 26th at $5500 salary on Draftkings makes him a great cheap option if he can run top 20 with upside for more. Gragson is a bit of a flier play with a lot of upside since he starts towards the back of the field. He was alright in practice and if he can stay clean and on the lead lap early he has a lot of place differential potential. Dillon and Stenhouse are riskier plays than some others since they start in 20th and 21st and don’t have as big place differential potential. But they both had good speed in practice times with Stenhouse being 12th and Dillon being 15th in 25 lap averages. I expect with them starting higher up it will keep their ownership lower. If they can end the day around the top 15 they could be great options towards the bottom of the salary barrel.
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