Daily Fantasy DraftKings NASCAR Forecast: 2024 Iowa Corn 350 (2024)

It’s time to trade in those California wine glasses for some butter and an ear of corn as the NASCAR Cup Series heads back east, making its debut at Iowa Speedway. Coverage of the Iowa Corn 350 begins on USA Network at 7:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 16.

Iowa finally welcomes NASCAR’s top-tier division after years of hosting Xfinity and Truck Series events. The 7/8 of a mile short track has had a penchant for putting on some great races in its brief history. What comes to mind for me in particular is the night that Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.‘s engine detonated in front of Carl Edwards, resulting in two destroyed cars finishing first and second in that NXS race back in 2011.

Will we see that type of memorable finish on Sunday? I can’t say that for certain. The Next Gen car’s short track package has been highly panned throughout its existence.

There is some hope on the Iowa horizon, though. Goodyear is bringing the “prime” tire compound they experimented with at North Wilkesboro Speedway last month. Based on the racing there, we’re likely to see some passing this weekend, meaning a poor qualifying run won’t automatically doom someone on your roster.

This race will be incredibly hard to predict from a fantasy perspective. There are no stats here to rely on, unless you go with drivers who’ve had success here in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series. Fortunately, that’s a pretty lengthy list.

For the rest of the drivers on the list this weekend? Go with your gut in making those final selections. But also look at two key tracks, North Wilkesboro and Worldwide Technology Raceway at Gateway, that may clue you in on how teams might perform.

For those new to DraftKings play, let’s take a look at the rules. Points will be awarded in their games for finishing position, position differential, fastest laps and laps led. The driver who wins the race scores 45 fantasy points, while second gets 42 points, third gets 41 points and so on, at least through the top 10. The 11th-place finisher scores 32 points, 21st gets 21 points and 31st gets 10 points.

However many spots they lose or gain on the track are added to or subtracted from their score. Then, if the driver leads a lap, they will earn 0.25 points for each lap led and 0.45 points for each fastest lap.

DraftKings NASCAR Scoring Rules

Fantasy Forecast

1. Christopher Bell ($10,800)

Stats that matter: Two career Xfinity Series wins at Iowa; Had the dominant car at Gateway until he suffered a mechanical issue late.

This pick is based almost entirely on how good Bell was at Gateway.

If it wasn’t for a late-race motor issue, Bell probably would’ve won that race, and he’ll definitely be a contender Sunday night. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver swept both stages and led the most laps by a country mile the last time the Cup Series was in the Midwest. As a result, I expect a pole run out of this team.

The No. 20 group do seem to have a knack for shooting themselves in the foot, though, whether it be mechanical issues or mistakes on pit road. But if they can keep the bad luck at bay, Bell will easily win at Iowa and should be the cornerstone of anyone’s fantasy roster.

2. Ryan Blaney ($9,800)

Stats that matter: One career Xfinity Series win at Iowa; One career Craftsman Truck Series win at Iowa; ran out of fuel while leading with less than two laps to go at Gateway.

When Bell fumbled the win away at Gateway, Blaney almost certainly should’ve gotten the job done.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen after some fuel mileage follies, leaving him still searching for that first win of 2024. That could all change this weekend though. The 2023 champion has a few things trending in his favor.

First, Blaney was really good at both North Wilkesboro and Gateway. He also is one of the few drivers in the field who have won in both the Truck and Xfinity Series at Iowa. That’s a level of success and experience few others have heading into the weekend.

Look for the bright yellow No. 12 to be scoring a heap of points on Sunday.

3. Brad Keselowski ($9,200)

Stats that matter: Two career Xfinity Series wins at Iowa; Finished third at Gateway; Three top-three finishes in his last four starts.

Keselowski is on a white-hot streak as of late.

He won at Darlington Raceway and added two podium finishes before having a respectable 13th-place run at Sonoma. That may not sound like much out in wine country, but he hadn’t notched a good finish there in a very long time up to that point.

I truly think this driver is Ford’s best hope at a title this year, and he’s an absolute sure-fire asset to your fantasy team this week. Go with Keselowski’s experience to get yourself some crucial points.

4. Chase Briscoe ($7,400)

Stats that matter: Won the most recent NASCAR race at Iowa (2019, Xfinity Series); Finished ninth at Phoenix Raceway earlier this season.

Briscoe has been abysmal since finishing fifth in Darlington a few weeks ago. Sitting in the midst of the playoff bubble, the No. 14 team has taken a step back from getting over the hump.

Maybe it’s the announcement that Stewart-Haas Racing is closing or maybe it’s just been a bad stretch of tracks for him. Either way, Briscoe definitely has been struggling. Iowa, however, is a good track for him historically, especially looking back at his time running NXS.

In fact, Briscoe’s the very last driver to win here from that series. That bodes well for him turning around this downward spiral.

5. Erik Jones ($6,400)

Stats that matter: Three career wins at Iowa (one in the Xfinity Series, two in the Craftsman Truck Series)

Talking about awful seasons, you have to feel for the driver of the famous No. 43.

Jones missed two races this season due to injury, and since returning, he’s finished 19th three times and 26th at Gateway. So, why in the world would I pick him this week?

Like it or not, those three 19th places show me that this team can absolutely be consistent when it wants to. Plus, Jones has a stellar resume here in the lower series. He probably won’t win Sunday, but it could be a top 10, top 15 kind of day.

6. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. ($6,000)

Stats that matter: Three consecutive Xfinity Series wins at Iowa from 2011-2012

Considering Stenhouse’s Iowa history, I couldn’t help but take a flyer on him this week. Back in the early 2010s, Stenhouse was an absolute force at this track. Three straight wins at any oval is impressive, even if they came over a decade ago. He’s a steal at this price with tremendous upside.

JTG Daugherty Racing may be one of the few single-car teams left in the sport but have flashed top-10 speed at some of the short tracks in recent years. Three of Stenhouse’s nine top-10 finishes last season came at ovals of a mile or less.

With luck, Stenhouse will flashback to his Roush Racing days and bring home a respectable finish for a team that desperately needs one.

Prop Bets and Locks

1. Austin Cindric (+180) to finish in the top 10: Cindric won at Gateway, albeit on a bad fueling exchange for his teammate. It’s not like he lucked into that win, though, as the Team Penske wheelman had one of the best cars all afternoon. It’s easy for me to conceive that he’s going to be pretty darn good Sunday night, too.
2. Ty Gibbs (+350) to finish in the top three: Gibbs has a very decorated record at Iowa over the course of his career. He’s won three times here in ARCA and he knows how to get around this place. After a really disappointing weekend at Sonoma, a top three would be a huge shot in the arm. Let’s not forget how absolutely dominant he was in the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro.
3. Ryan Preece (+15000) to win: Alright, let’s get crazy here. I know that Preece has had the worst season among his teammates by a longshot. Hear me out, though as a low-risk, high-reward dark horse bet. Preece has got a win here in Xfinity from the pole back in 2017… and it’s a short track, where anything can happen and late-race gambles can shake up the running order. Wouldn’t it be something if Preece could pull this off and you got paid big time?

Well, that’s all for this week. I’m on my way to get myself a roasted corn cob from the food truck across the street in honor of the weekend. Good luck, and most importantly, happy betting!