The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway on Friday February, 18th 2022. Green Flag is set to drop shortly after 7:30 PM EDT. The race will be televised on FS1.
Most of the off-season talk has been about the NASCAR Cup Series introducing their NextGen car. The Camping World Truck Series truck will also have a new look themselves. Most notably, design changes on the front end of the truck will mirror the street vehicle versions of the Toyota Tundra, Ford F-150, and Chevy Silverado.
Last year at Daytona, Ben Rhodes drove through traffic on the last lap to get the season-opening win. The following week, Rhodes also took the checkered flag, again in Daytona, but this time on the road course. Rhodes was 2-for-2 on the year and ended up being the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion. The hot start for Rhodes last season is what propelled him on to the championship.
With the return of NASCAR this weekend, it is time to lay out a plan for your fantasy and DFS year to get off to a hot start as well.
Consistency
The current playoff format along with shorter stages in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series does not allow for a driver to be able to make many mistakes and recover. Finding a driver who consistently puts themselves in position for top ten finishes is the backbone to any successful fantasy player. For example, Matt Crafton’s last 10 races in 2021 didn’t include any wins, but he had 7 top ten finishes, 3 top 5 finishes, all while only leading 4 laps. In those final ten races, Crafton finished on the lead lap in every race.
Place Differential
Simply put, qualifying position minus finishing position. Find a driver who will make a charge from the back to the front is a key part of success in NASCAR DFS. For example, in his last five races of 2021, Parker Klingerman had an average starting position of 30th. In those 5 races he had two top 5 finishes and three top 10s. His average place differential was +16 spots per race. Keep an eye on pre-race penalties, though. A truck being sent to the rear for a penalty still keeps its qualifying position in regards to fantasy place differential.
Kyle Busch Motorsports
Kyle Busch Motorsports has historically found the next up-and-coming drivers and given them a ride. I doubt this year will be any different. Corey Heim is set to take on expanded duties this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports. He had three opportunities last year in KBM equipment and didn’t disappoint. His starts came at Darlington, Watkins Glen, and Martinsville, some of the most difficult tracks on the schedule. At Martinsville, Heim started 28th and drove to an 11th-place finish. Heim is currently scheduled for 9 races in 2022, although, some news outlets have stated that there are more starts coming for him.
Mitch’s Best Bet Pick: NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona
In races that are unpredictable like Daytona, I dig into the data and try and find something consistent and run with it. Having a truck running in the closing laps at Daytona means you have a chance for a victory. In seven races at Daytona, there is a driver that has one win, two top 5s, three top 10s, but most importantly is 7-for-7 in running at the finish of the race, meaning he has a chance. That driver is Grant Enfinger. He’s currently listed at 14/1 to win on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Follow me on Twitter @mitchbrunner as I make official picks closer to the race after digesting practice and analyzing practice and qualifying stats.
