The 2021 NASCAR season is about to kick off which means it’s time for Fantasy racing! NASCAR Fantasy play is becoming one of the most popular fantasy options for many players. One reason is that it is so easy to get started, learn the process, and enjoy both the real-life race as well as your fantasy team picks!
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If you’re just getting started with NASCAR Fantasy then you may have a few questions. The first one might be the fact that I mentioned picking your “team” in the paragraph above. Here are some NASCAR Fantasy basics that will help you hit the track running!
Not Every NASCAR Fantasy is the Same
First, it’s important to say that not everywhere you choose to play Fantasy NASCAR will be the same. The rules may vary slightly. In general, you pick a team of drivers who earn points as a team during one race.
The number of drivers you can pick may range in number. And, some fantasy platforms allow for a driver pick to be designated as a “Garage” driver. Meaning, if one of your picks wrecks out or is doing poorly, you can swap them with the “garage” driver. Check your rules on when you can make the swap.
Also, the method in which points are awarded may vary from platform to platform. Make sure you know so there won’t be any surprises. It could be as basic and earning points on how good your drivers place at the end of the race, as in all of them finish in the top-ten with one being the winner.
Some fantasy platforms may award points for leading laps, winning stages, green-flag passes, and more. It just depends on the game you choose to play. Don’t worry, most fantasy providers make it as easy as possible for their customers to play.
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The Basic Game
Here’s how it works, NASCAR Fantasy means you pick a team of drivers for each race. Then, your team earns points during the race, hopefully, more points than other teams in your league. It’s that simple.
As mentioned above, the points and rules may vary slightly depending on where you play, but that’s the gist of NASCAR Fantasy. Again, depending on your platform, you can play one race or compete during an entire season. Now the question is; how do you pick a team?
Picking Your Fantasy Team
The toughest part of picking your team is centered on how your Fantasy provider has set up making driver selections. It can be as simple as picking your favorite drivers or going by the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
However, if you are in a large league, then there may be some limitations built-in. Not every player in a league can pick the same drivers like everyone else or things would be boring and the game would probably not work as well.
Salary Cap Play: One way your league may be set up is for Salary Cap play. This means every player gets a set amount for salary to use on selecting your drivers for each race. If you spend too much for the best driver ever, then you’ll have less to round out the rest of your team.
Driver Class Play: This version has some of the work done for you. Your fantasy platform has already categorized the drivers into classes, such as A, B, and C. This is generally based on past season performance but may factor in stats as the season goes on and even how rookies perform. But that’s not important – the work is already done. All you have to do is pick your drivers, which could be two from class A and B and one from class C.
Driver Draft: – The draft version is similar to drafting players for NFL, MLB, NBA fantasy play. You draft players for your team for a whole season. Generally, only one driver can race for one team. And, you can most often make trades and pick up free agent drivers if you need to change your team up.
One note, some platforms may limit the number of times you can start a driver. Check out the rules before you get started.
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Checking out Stats
Just like other fantasy games and wagering, checking some stats beforehand is well worth the effort. Yes, you can still just go with your top-five favorite drivers and be finished with things. Or, you can do some basic research and possibly improve your outcome.
Most providers will have a stat section with info relevant to their rules and point systems. But you can also check out NASCAR.com for stats as well as sites like racing-reference.info. Here are some things to consider.
How a driver is performing during the season.
How a driver has performed at the same track in the past.
How car manufactures have performed at a track in the past.
How a team has performed at a track in the past. Such as Joe Gibbs Racing at a certain track. That stat will show you how four different drivers combined have done at each venue.
Check a driver’s average starting position and average finishing position for the track.
Take a look at the number of laps your drivers have had at each track.
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Take the Green Flag!
All of that was a long way of saying, pick some drivers and have fun! As I said, fantasy NASCAR play is one of the most popular for fans starting because it can be so simple. Just make sure you know what the rules are and how points are awarded. Then sit back and enjoy the race!
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