The NASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is different than traditional NASCAR racing in many ways, but some of the similarities include the ability to bet on and play DFS for each.
From a DFS standpoint, the qualifying schedule (NASCAR iRacing qualifies immediately before the race compared to 24-48 hours prior in traditional NASCAR) means players have to set lineups before knowing the actual starting lineup.
This is significant because DraftKings awards bonus points for positional differential (the difference between finishing position and starting position).
In addition, DraftKings adds bonus points for laps led and fast laps, which are also very qualifying dependent — drivers who qualify up front have a better chance of leading laps and running fast laps without having to contend with traffic.
But with all of these unknowns, one factor we can rely on when trying to project driver strength is betting odds. NASCAR betting is a live market that adjusts as bettors shape numbers and move drivers up and down the odds board, compared to DFS driver salaries which are static.
Anybody who plays NASCAR iRacing DFS knows William Byron is good at virtual racing, but how do you fill out the rest of your lineups?
With this in mind, I compared DraftKings Sportsbook's NASCAR iRacing betting odds to driver salaries for Sunday's Toyota Owners 150 at Richmond (1 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1 and/or the Fox Sports app) to determine which drivers could be undervalued.
Please note that Quin Houff, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brennan Poole, Bobby Labonte, Corey LaJoie, Michael McDowell, Cole Custer, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chad Finchum, JJ Yeley, Joey Gase, Landon Cassill and Daniel Suarez have to earn a spot through Sunday morning's qualifying race (10:30 a.m. ET) and have not been included in the table below.
*Odds as of Sunday at 8 a.m. ET
NASCAR iRacing at Richmond Draftkings Driver Salaries & Odds
NASCAR iRacing at Richmond DraftKings Picks
Kyle Busch ($8,500)
Busch was fast in the most recent race at Bristol, although his 18th-place finish did not reflect just how good he was.
In fact, DraftKings Sportsbook gives him 10-1 odds to win this race, better than both Denny Hamlin ($9,300) and Garrett Smithley ($9,100), who are 12-1 each. In a vacuum, I still like Hamlin and Smithley more than Busch, but when you factor in driver salary, Kyle can provide some relief while being very similar in the eyes of oddsmakers.
Tyler Reddick ($7,500)
At 33-1, Reddick has the same odds as Clint Bowyer despite being $600 less. In addition, Reddick is cheaper than Joey Logano ($7,700) who sits at 40-1 to win Sunday's race at Richmond.
