Most people have some idea of how regular fantasy sports work for team sports like NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. At the same time, you might not fully understand the little details which you can visit our home page or sport-specific pages to learn more. Non-team sports like NASCAR are entirely different, and, to some, it is the most fun they have playing DFS. Not because it is necessarily their favorite sport, but rather it is something new, exciting, and completely different from the norm.
How to Play
The thing with new and different is that it can be a lot of fun, but at the same time, it can be nerve-wracking because you may not understand exactly how to play. We are here to help; many NASCAR daily fantasy teams have the same foundations as other DFS like CFB, Soccer, or the NFL. Yet as NASCAR is not a team sport, it has some little niches or intricacies you need to understand before you start playing. Let’s break it down step by step so by the time you have made it through this guide; you will be ready to race towards potential winnings.
Lineup Budget/Money/Cap Space
One area where NASCAR DFS is similar to sports like NBA, MLB, NHL, and others is that your lineup still works around a budget/salary cap. A budget/salary cap is the money you have to fill out your lineup. Each driver has a predicted point total for each race. The driver salary is set by that predicted total and is different on each site/app. Each time you insert a driver into your lineup, their salary is deducted from your budget. You have to fill out your lineup by staying at or under the total salary you have to use.
Lineup Types
This is where NASCAR differs, as, in a lineup, there are no positions because NASCAR is a sport based on individuals. So regardless of lineup size on a DFS site/app, you are simply inserting a certain number of drivers into your lineup. That can range anywhere from 1-10 or even more for particular competitions. Just for reference, the standard DraftKings lineup consists of six drivers. There are alternate lineups with different positions in sports, like NBA, NHL, or other teams sports. In NASCAR, any alternate lineups basically have a few extra drivers or fewer drivers.
Advice
Perhaps the most important of doing well in NASCAR daily Fantasy is understanding the scoring systems, as they are very different from traditional sports like CFB or MLB. Nascar drivers earn points based on several factors. To use DraftKings, for example, their scoring system for Nascars is:
| General | Scoring |
| Place Differential (Where you started v.s. Where you finish) | +/- 1 point |
| Fastest Lap | +0.45 points |
| Laps Led | +0.25 points |
| Finish Position | Scoring |
| 1st place | +45 points |
| 2nd place | +42 points |
| Each place is lower by one spot
3rd 4th |
One fewer point
+41 points +40 points |
While it has been mentioned that the scoring system may be the most important part of NASCAR DFS, that would be in reference to knowledge of how to play. Because the most important part in setting your lineup is the value, a driver gives you. What that means is how much a driver scores points-wise for you v.s. how much salary did it cost to put them in your lineup? Frequently in NASCAR, a driver that finishes 7th could be the highest-scoring driver. How is that possible? Well, because maybe they started in 37th place. That would give you 30 points for place differential and another 37 points for finish position. Before any points are given for laps led or fastest laps, that one driver is already 67 points.
Tips
Be aware of a driver’s week leading up to the race, have they had car issues, how did they do in qualifying, and is their driving team altogether. If a driver has two pit crew members out or his crew chief is suspended, that can affect how they race.- Be aware of drivers starting position and understand their max value points-wise. If a driver wins qualifying and starts out first, know that they can’t get positive points out of place differential. Often a driver that maybe had a car issue in qualifying or a wreck and has to use a backup car, meaning they start at the back of the racing field, can have the potential for a lot of points.
Why is Daily Fantasy Better Than Season Long Fantasy?
One of the great things about NASCAR daily Fantasy, as opposed to season-long, is there is no need to worry about injury, suspension, or any other things that happen throughout a long season. Sure those things can mess up your lineup for one race, but that is it. In season-long Fantasy, those problems can destroy your entire season.
As well, there is no waiting for a payday; even if you are a season-long NASCAR aficionado, you are still waiting to win your league’s money until after the season. That is also assuming all your buddies paid your league commissioner. In DFS, when you win, your earnings are available to you almost instantly on most sites/apps after the race.
Frequently Asked NASCAR DFS Questions
Our recommendation for most sports is not to risk putting an injured player in your lineup. Yet in NASCAR, because there is no one to replace them if a driver is injured but still races, they typically finish the race. Now the injury, though, may affect how well they race.
No, not in the aspect of scoring, as the system stays the same, but it does matter when it comes to choosing a driver for your lineup. All drivers have track types and specific tracks they race on better than others. Lookup a driver’s history and see how well they have fared over their career at specific tracks.
NASCAR has very few weather concerns about how it affects Fantasy. All drivers are racing together, so unlike team sports like the NFL, NHL, NBA, etc., not just one driver/player’s game gets canceled. If the race is canceled or postponed, it happens to everyone. In a postponement, keep your lineup; your money would be returned to you in a cancellation.
Yes, NASCAR DFS is legal over most of the country, with just six states not allowing it. Don’t worry, though; when on any site/app, they will use your location to determine if you can play.
