DFS Picks and Recommended Lineup for the 2021 NASCAR EchoPark Texas Grand Prix

After a marathon at the Drydene 400, the best drivers in NASCAR settle in for a sprint at the 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix.

Going from 400 laps to 68 is quite the adjustment, and it may put an onus on paying up for some of the top talents, and also backing some of the guys up front.

It is also a road course, which is a dreaded landing spot for even some of the biggest names in motorsports.

In longer races, you want some more wiggle room, but with precious few laps to work with, you just need guys who can dominate and stay ahead of the pack.

So, who can you trust in your daily fantasy NASCAR lineups this week? Let’s see who I like in this week’s NASCAR DFS picks and top lineup. For extra help with betting on this week’s race, be sure to stop by our NASCAR betting picks section.

One usually useful NASCAR betting strategy (that can also be applied to formulating daily fantasy NASCAR lineups) is looking at track and event history.

There is none of that here, as this is the first race for this event, and also the first stop at Circuit of Americas. With a level playing field, top betting favorite Chase Elliott stands out here.

Elliott enters as the odds-on favorite to win the 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix, as he’s in fantastic form (7th or better in each of his last three races), he took second at a road course earlier this year, and his first win of the 2021 season has to be right around the corner.

I tend to think it comes here. Elliott is one of the best drivers in NASCAR, this is a short race, and with nobody else having a clear edge, talent and momentum could win out here.

Ty Dillon is finally back in the mix, as he last raced in the Cup Series in late March. It has been a long layoff, so yeah, rust is a concern. But he’s just way too cheap.

Dillon doesn’t just stand out as one of the best NASCAR DFS sleepers this week. It’s pretty arguable he’s the sleeper to buy into.

In just four races this year, he has one top-10 finish and three times he’s cracked the top-20. He also has done well at the road courses this year, racking up 18th and 19th place finishes.

Dillon has at least been competitive at most of his road course runs, too. He finished 15th at the Charlotte Roval in 2019, too.

I like the history for him at road courses fine enough, but this is a talented driver at an absurd price tag.

Larson is another expensive driver I like this weekend. He is in elite form, having finished runner-up in each of his last two races.

Larson was dominating at the Drydene 400 (263 laps led!), and he was quite good two weeks prior at the Buschy McBusch Race 400. His ability to get/stay up front is quite clear, and he’s at least been in the mix in the majority of his races in 2021.

I also like Larson’s history at road course events. He hasn’t dazzled on the road courses in 2021, but in his three road course events in 2019, he finished 13th or better each time.

When you introduce the field to a brand-new track and event, I think leaning on high-level talent in good form is a fine way to go. Larson will be chalky, but he projects as the second-best driver in this race.

I think eating the chalk with Larson and fading Martin Truex Jr. may be one good daily fantasy NASCAR strategy to implement this weekend.

Elliott and Larson are both expensive and project well. Larson feels like good chalk, while Elliott is shaping up to be contrarian – and perhaps a brilliant pivot off Truex.

We shall see, but I like that elite pairing, and then Dillon is just way too cheap as he makes his return to the NASCAR circuit.

My core NASCAR DFS picks include two elite drivers (one chalky, one contrarian), and one potentially elite value.

Due to Dillon saving me so much cash, he’s honestly the only “risky” pick here, and I can wrap up my NASCAR DFS lineup for this week with one more elite driver and two rock-solid options.

Brad Keselowski is the third big name to crack my roster this week. He’s coming in at a considerable discount, he still projects as a top-10 fantasy option, and he is also slated to be very low-owned.

This is all wild to me, seeing as he has a win, two top-5 runs, and three finishes inside the top-16 in three of his last four events. That, and he’s crushed at road courses in his career.

Dating back to 2010, he has nine top-10 runs at road courses. He’s one of the most talented drivers out there, too, and he’s in solid form. He’s absolutely worth a roll of the dice at this price and this projected ownership.

He finished fourth at the Busch Clash this year and was 9th and 2nd in his last two stops at the Charlotte Roval. Dillon has been hit or miss at road courses, but he’s been super competitive in general in 2021.

Dillon scored a win at the Food City Dirt Race, and he’s cracked the top-20 in all but one race this season. That is something that will weirdly go overlooked, and he also comes in at a palatable $7k at DraftKings.

If you want toms betting advice for the 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix, I suggest checking out the previously linked NASCAR picks page to see what Adam Haynes has to say.

That said, I do think there can be a correlation between NASCAR DFS and NASCAR betting. I don’t think every single value play is automatically a viable longshot bet, of course.

I don’t think either Dillon brother wins here, and I probably wouldn’t bet on Reddick to stage the upset.

I’d trust the elite drivers who put themselves in strong positioning up front, and right now, my favorite bets would be Elliott, Larson, and Keselowski (in that order).

Top Tip

One other tip when betting on NASCAR. Make sure you’re getting the best price possible. Chase Elliott looks like a fantastic driver to bet on, but he has +240 odds at one sportsbook, and +200 at another.

Regardless of which NASCAR betting site you call home, how do you not bet on Elliott at the one with +240 odds? I think the point is clear, but it’s also important to vet your online betting options.

Ready to bet on who will win the 2021 EchoPark Texas Grand Prix? Use some of the best NASCAR mobile betting apps to place your bets.