NASCAR DFS Picks, Tiers & Rankings: 2024 Busch Light Clash

Stock car racing’s premiere series opens up the season with an exhibition race at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Make the most of the 2024 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum 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)

NASCAR DFS Picks, Tiers & Rankings: 2024 Busch Light Clash

Driver As | 

Martin Truex Jr. is the defending Busch Light Clash champion, and he’s priced like it, sitting at a $10,200 salary on DraftKings. While I have nothing against the now 43-year-old driver, if I’m paying up to be in the $10K range, I prefer to roster Kyle Larson for $10,4000 this week. Larson finished in the top five in back-to-back trips to the Coliseum and was second among active drivers in the total speed rankings (courtesy of ifantasyrace.com) on the shorter-flat tracks last season. The only driver higher than Larson on those total speed rankings is Denny Hamlin, who led 26 laps here a season ago and returns at a reasonable $9,700.

Driver Bs |

Bubba Wallace led 40 laps at last year’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum and was third in green flag speed. I’m not the only one who recognizes that, as he’ll be the chalkiest of the chalk at an absurdly cheap salary of $7,600. Still, if you can diversify your lineup in other areas, it might be worth it. Joey Logano won this event in 2022 but finished 16th a year ago, making him too expensive for my taste at $9,400.

Chase Briscoe at $7,400 is the NASCAR DFS leverage play I’m most excited about in the B-Tier. While he finished just one spot better than Logano a year ago, he has started the Busch Light Clash in the top seven the past two years and finished with a T5 at both Martinsville races last season, our closest comp track. Austin Dillon will also be chalky after finishing this race in the top three in consecutive seasons. Like Wallace, I’m OK with rostering him if I have leverage plays like Briscoe elsewhere in my lineup.

Driver Cs |

Ryan Preece was the storyline of the Busch Light Clash a year ago, leading the most laps (43) and ultimately finishing P7 after some mechanical issues. He’ll be heavily rostered and is honestly a tad too expensive for my taste at $7,800. Though he’s a rookie, Josh Berry might be my favorite C-Tier driver this week, as Kevin Harvick was a master at the shorter-flat tracks in this car. Berry also looked good in another gimmicky event, winning the All-Star Open at North Wilskborro last season in the No. 48 car. Also, don’t count out Erik Jones at $7,000 flat. The Legacy Motorsports driver finished fourth in the inaugural Clash and at least qualified for the main event last season in sub-par Chevy equipment that has been swapped for a Toyota this season.

Driver Ds |

With the way the NASCAR DFS salaries are currently constructed, you shouldn’t need to really dip down into the D-Tier or F-Tier much this week. However, if you’re trying to stack the top of your lineup with a pay-down option here, my favorite is Michael McDowell at $6,4000, who has an average finish of 20th in both featured events.

Driver Fs |

McDowell’s Front Row Motorsports teammate Todd Gilliland finished 23rd in the Busch Light Clash feature a year ago and looked good in the heat races. If you’re really stretched for cash to round out your lineup, I don’t mind paying $5,200 for the No. 38 car. Other than that, the only driver I’m really OK with taking a shot at down in this range is Cup Series rookie Carson Hocevar, as his aggressive driving style should fare well on this quarter-mile exhibition loop.

Thanks for reading our NASCAR DFS picks and tiers for the 2024 Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum. 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.

For more fantasy sports and sports betting content, you can find me on Twitter @Between_SethFF.

*Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports*