NASCAR Cup Series Championship: DFS Picks

The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race is the penultimate race of the 2022 season and the last chance for savvy DFS players to make some money, one left turn at a time.

Location

• Phoenix Raceway

Length

• 1-mile oval, 312 laps

Last 10 Track Winners

• Spring 2022: Chase Briscoe
• Fall 2021: Kyle Larson
• Spring 2021: Martin Truex Jr.
• Fall 2020: Chase Elliott
• Spring 2020: Joey Logano
• Fall 2019: Denny Hamlin
• Spring 2019: Kyle Busch
• Fall 2018: Kyle Busch
• Spring 2018: Kevin Harvick
• Fall 2017: Matt Kenseth

Last 10 Winners by Model

• Toyota: 5
• Ford: 3
• Chevrolet: 2

NASCAR Cup Series Championship: DFS Picks

We have finally arrived at the race to decide it all. From a DFS perspective, not much has changed, as there are still 36 racers on the track in Phoenix to pick from. But for better or worse (and by “worse,” I mean “tires”), this has been one of the most competitive seasons in NASCAR, and last week, Ross Chastain made sure we remembered that.

You will probably never see anything like that again, mostly because Chastain has fully established himself as the new kamikaze driver and Denny Hamlin’s archnemesis until the end of time. Additionally, Phoenix is a wide track with no out-of-bounds rules, which sounds like Chastain’s playground if there has ever been one.

The starting lineup is set, and the four remaining drivers and their qualifying positions, driver ratings, and salaries are as follows:

1. Joey Logano (QP 1, DR 112.3): FD $12,500 / DK $10,500
2. Christopher Bell (QP 17, DR 76.1): FD $13,500 / DK $10,700
3. Ross Chastain (QP 25, DR 63.3): FD $13,000 / DK $10,400
4. Chase Elliott (QP 5, DR 110.5): FD $14,000 / DK $10,900

The fact that Logano won the pole position and has his buddy Blaney beside him really sets up the idea that this is his race to lose. His driver rating of 112.3 is the highest on the track among active drivers, and there is no reason to believe that he won’t score enough fastest laps points to make up for any QP loss should he fail to win. He is a solid DFS play for the Series Championship Race.

Bell continued his “Wait until it is absolutely necessary to win and then do it” path to victory and has another opportunity in Phoenix. Starting from the 17th spot allows for great positional movement if he can pull off the trifecta of must-wins.

We’ve covered Chastain, who qualified 25th and will have a steep climb to win the series championship. And Chase Elliott, starting in the fifth position, is always a solid choice to pull out the victory.

DFS Values & Picks

For our lineups, here are some values that I like:

I have truly enjoyed my first season providing you with NASCAR content, and I hope you’ve all come out ahead overall. You can read more of my work over on our fantasy hockey pages, and you can always contact me on Twitter at @thewonkypenguin. That said, here are two lineups for today’s race. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. And, as always, good luck!