Stockcar racing’s premiere series returns to Kansas for the second race of the 2023 playoffs. Make the most of the 2023 Hollywood Casino 400 with our NASCAR DFS picks and tiers.
We reveal our “Tire Tiers” and betting cards live every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. EST on our YouTube series, “The Backroad.” Be sure to tune in, enjoy the race and reach out if you have any questions.
(DFS prices are courtesy of DraftKings and Fantrax)
NASCAR DFS Picks, Tiers & Rankings: 2023 Hollywood Casino 400
Driver As | Fast Thoughts
This is a racetrack that Toyota has dominated since the introduction of the Next Gen car last season, so it’s natural that they make up the top four in our top tier this week. Of that quartet, Bubba Wallace is the best NASCAR DFS value at $9,200 on DraftKings and $20.26 on Fantrax. Wallace won this race last fall in 23XI’s No. 45 car.
Meanwhile, team owner Denny Hamlin took home the trophy at Kansas in the spring and likely would have done so last week at Darlington if not for a late pit road miscue. Hamlin has won four times here and has earned T5s in more than 40 percent of his starts at Kansas. The No. 11 is more likely than most to be worth every penny of his series-high $11,000 DraftKings price tag.
Driver Bs | Fast Thoughts
While we expect the Toyotas to be the class of the field, Ford shouldn’t be far behind – hence why a trio of blue oval teams and four Ford drivers make an appearance in the B-Tier this week. Ryan Blaney is a sneaky, underrated play this week. You’re getting a driver who is sixth-best in the total speed rankings (courtesy of ifantasyrace.com) at high-speed 1.5-mile racetracks (as well as Michigan, another Kansas comparable) at just $8,500 on DraftKings and $22.26 on Fantrax. In his final ride at Kansas, Kevin Harvick will hope to earn a fourth win at this track and continue to live up to a career average finish of 9.9 here. Harvick has finished T10 in more than half of his career Kansas races, so his NASCAR DFS price of $9,500 on DraftKings and $23.03 is warranted.
Driver Cs | Fast Thoughts
Generally, we think Chevrolet will be the third-best manufacturer this week, hence their large presence in a small third tier this week. The Hendrick Motorsports duo of Chase Elliott ($8,100, $16.96) and Alex Bowman ($7,800, $18.56) represent mid-tier NASCAR DFS pricing that they certainly wouldn’t get if they were in the playoffs. Both drivers have run extraordinarily well at Kansas in the past and are both top-10 in comparable track speed rankings and track-specific speed ranks since the Next Gen car was introduced.
Driver Ds | Fast Thoughts
The two lowest-value (in both NASCAR DFS pricing and on-track performance) playoff drivers warrant an appearance here in Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell. Neither break inside the top 20 of comparable track total speed rankings, but Stenhouse Jr. did finish 12th at the spring Kansas race. This is likely the exception to the rule, however, as neither Stenhouse Jr. nor McDowell have any T10s here, and there’s little reason to believe that either will this week.
Driver Fs | Fast Thoughts
It’s a crowded F-Tier this week, with none of these drivers inspiring confidence but a few warranting mention as surprising potential lineup back burners. Carson Hocevar has run better than his experience and equipment would indicate in both of his Cup Series starts this year, including a 17th-place finish last week. I’ll take that for sure at his $6,400 DraftKings price tag or the $5.00 minimum on Fantrax. Aric Almirola could be someone to watch at $6,700, as well. Since joining the No. 10 team, Almirola’s average Kansas finish lines up at the same 17th-place run that Hocevar gave us last week.
Thanks for reading our NASCAR DFS picks and tiers for the 2023 Hollywood Casino 400. Check out more of our racing content and other written work here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.