Stock car racing’s premiere series makes its second short-track stop of the season, spending the holiday weekend at Richmond Raceway. Make the most of the 2024 Toyota Owners 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: 2024 Toyota Owners 400
Driver As | The Elites
Denny Hamlin rates out No. 1 in most relevant metrics this week, including the Richmond and 2023-2024 short-flat tracks total speed rankings (courtesy of ifantasyrace.com). He was the best at managing his tire two weeks ago at Bristol. His biggest enemy will be himself.
His Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates will be nipping at his heels and are priced accordingly. Christopher Bell needed one more lap last week at COTA to get his second victory of the season. The No. 20 car won at Phoenix, our most recent race at a comp track, earlier this year. Martin Truex Jr. was second at Phoenix in the total speed rankings and finished second at Bristol, managing his tires just slightly worse than Hamlin that day. I’ll have the most Hamlin ($11,2000 on DraftKings) exposure in my NASCAR DFS lineups, but will also have some Truex Jr. and Bell scattered throughout lineups.
William Byron was the best car here a year ago, leading 117 laps and winning stage No. 1. Look for him to be perhaps the best non-Toyota driver this weekend.
Driver Bs | Point-Getters
Chris Buescher won Richmond’s second race last year and finished second at Phoenix this season. A salary of $9,300 is more than fair, especially after three straight T10s coming in.
Tyler Reddick was No. 1 in the total speed rankings both here last summer and at Phoenix earlier this year. While you never know if he’ll get the finish he deserves, the No. 45 car will be fast. His Toyota teammate Ty Gibbs will also be speedy. The 21-year-old leads the Cup Series in T10s and average finish (7.8). Returning to a track he’s won at in the Xfinity Series, he’s worth the play at $10,000 on DraftKings and $20.93 on Fantrax.
Driver Cs | In the Mix
Bubba Wallace was No. 3 in the total speed rankings at the latest Richmond race and will have the Toyota speed needed to compete. He’s circled this week for me, specifically on DraftKings at $7,700. Alex Bowman is averaging the sixth-most NASCAR DFS points per race (41.0) and is once again underpriced at $8,000 on DraftKings and $18.60 on Fantrax. He’s finished P8 in the last two Richmond spring races and won it in 2021.
Driver Ds | Could Do Worse
Josh Berry finished runner-up here a year ago in the No. 9 car. While his equipment might not be that good, he’s in the same car that got Kevin Harvick to victory lane at Richmond in 2022. Berry is in my NASCAR DFS lineups on both DraftKings ($7,500) and Fantrax ($6.56). You can also roll out his Stewart Haas Racing (SHR) teammate Ryan Preece, a renowned short-track racer who finished T5 in the last Richmond race and was 12th in the Phoenix total speed rankings.
John Hunter Nemechek remains top 15 in the Cup Series standings and still has no finishes worse than P25. He also gets the Toyota Richmond boost. I avoid playing Austin Dillon at all costs, but he has finished T10 in two of the four Richmond races in the Next Gen era. After his start to the season, nobody should be on him this week, providing possible leverage.
Driver Fs | The Junk Drawer
Erik Jones is the cheapest Toyota on DraftKings at $6,6000. His ceiling is likely capped with a T20 finish, but that’ll do at this price. I never mention Daniel Hemric in this article, and for good reason. However, the driver of the No. 31 car has finished P6 or better in five of his seven Xfinity starts at Richmond. He should not be the cheapest driver across NASCAR DFS platforms, including $5,000 on DraftKings and $5.00 on Fantrax.
Check out all of our content for the 2024 Toyota Owners 400:
- NASCAR DFS Picks, Tiers & Rankings: 2024 Toyota Owners 400
- Between Bets: 2024 Toyota Owners 400 Outrights
- PropKings: 2024 Toyota Owners 400
Thanks for reading our NASCAR DFS picks and tiers for the Toyota Owners 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.
For more fantasy sports and sports betting content, you can find me on Twitter @Between_SethFF.
*Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports*