This article is part of our NASCAR DFS series.
National Debt Relief 250
Location: Martinsville, Virginia
Course: Martinsville Speedway
Format: Oval
Laps: 250
National Debt Relief 250 Preview
We've seen some parallels between the Cup and Xfinity series throughout the season, and last weekend was the latest example. Drivers with standout regular seasons (Austin Hill and Tyler Reddick) were in danger of not reaching the Championship race, but each pulled out wins to punch their tickets to a meaningful race in Phoenix.
Heading into the final race of Round 2 of the playoffs, Justin Allgaier and Cole Custer both look comfortable to advance to the championship race, with the remaining four drivers likely needing a win in Martinsville to punch their ticket.
Key Stats at Martinsville Speedway
- Number of races: 42
- Winners from Pole: 6
- Winners from top five: 20
- Winners from top 10: 32
Previous Winners at Martins Speedway
2024: Aric Almirola
2023- Justin Allgaier
2023- John Hunter Nemechek
2022- Ty Gibbs
2022- Brandon Jones
2021- Noah Gragson
2021- Josh Berry
2020-Harrison Burton
2006- Kevin Harvick
1994- Kevin Wallace
Martinsville is one of the iconic short tracks on the NASCAR schedule and is now the setting for the final race before the Championship race. We've seen a lot of parody in the races. No pole winner has taken home the win since 1987 (Jimmy Hensley) and we've seen drivers charge up the field from starting positions of 29th (Josh Berry) and 12th (Brandon Jones) in 2021 and 2022, respectively. That said, results from Friday's qualifying will matter but don't count any of the best drivers out regardless of the session's outcome.
NASCAR Xfinity DFS Tools
DraftKings Values for the National Debt Relief 250
Tier 1 DraftKings Values
Aric Almirola - $11,000
Cole Custer - $10,800
Chandler Smith - $10,500
Justin Allgaier - $10,300
Sheldon Creed- $10,000
Tier 2 DraftKings Values
Sam Mayer - $9,800
Sammy Smith - $9,500
Riley Herbst - $9,000
Tier 3 DraftKings Values
Jesse Love - $8,600
Brandon Jones- $8,400
Tier 4 DraftKings Values
Josh Williams - $6,800
Jeremy Clements - $6,300
Myatt Snider - $5,700
NASCAR Xfinity Picks for the National Debt Relief 250
Cole Custer - $10,800
Sammy Smith - $9,500
Jesse Love - $8,600
Brandon Jones - $8,400
Josh Williams - $6,800
Myatt Snider - $5,700
Another parallel between the top two racing series in NASCAR is that we've seen the playoff field dominate the races. At Homestead, seven of the eight playoff participants from the Xfinity series were racing inside of the top 11. We should assume that pattern continues, making a stars and scrubs build the ideal way to construct a roster. That's reflected in our identified values, and the sample roster.
We can start with the exception to that statement, which is Brandon Jones. He's been mostly mediocre in the playoffs, so it would be reasonable to pass on him, but he does have a strong history at Martinsville. His finishes have been mediocre in recent races, but he started on pole in the spring and in 2022. Jones isn't at an ideal price, but he did stand out based on driver rating.
From there, we can hit our playoff drivers. Perhaps surprisingly, Sammy Smith has the highest driver rating of all active drivers (with the exception of Almirola, who won in the spring). He needs a win to advance to the Championship, so his strategy should be all in for a victory. Cole Custer doesn't need a win to advance but could use a good showing as he sits 28 points above the cut line. His history suggests that should come to fruition, as he's started inside the top three in each of the last three races with finishes of eighth and third. Love was fine at Martinsville in the spring and is another driver who needs a win, so should drive with some desperation. That will lead to boom or bust results, but he's driven well overall in the playoffs (sixth or better in six races).
That leads us to a few punt candidates. Josh Williams hasn't qualified well but has driven through the field for top-15 finishes in the last two races at Martinsville. Myatt Snider is less of a known commodity, as his only Xfinity races came at Martinsville in April and Las Vegas. He fared well in the spring race and generally has done well in his opportunity in the series. He's at a punt price and opens up a lot as far as roster construction.
