Getting Started in Fantasy NASCAR
It's time to warm up those engines with cars about to hit the track at Daytona International Speedway for the kickoff of the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series. With all the hype and excitement shifting into high gear it is a good time to get the lowdown (or at least a refresher) of the primary fantasy NASCAR game formats out there.
Fantasy NASCAR runs the gamut from traditional draft-style games, to weekly tiered driver selections, daily fantasy games and salary cap leagues. With all formats, the goal is to assemble the team of drivers you think is most likely to score the most points in that week's race. Fantasy managers should always study the points system for their game to optimize the driver selections on that week's track. For instance, points for laps led could favor a driver starting at the front of the field, but finish differential points could favor drivers who start further back in the pack. Either way, picking the winner surely can pan off, but that is easier said than done in the current era of NASCAR Cup Series competition.
Draft-Style Competition
Draft-style competition is the original fantasy format. At the start of the season each team manager drafts from the available field of drivers. That drafted team would generally remain static throughout the season with the opportunity for managers to drop and add free-agent drivers along the way. I've seen this format in use for many years and more recently the
