DRAFTKINGS Dominator Points Cheatsheet

Dominator Points in DraftKings DFS games refer to the bonus points awarded to a driver for leading laps and for achieving the fastest laps during a race. These points are crucial for maximizing a player's DFS score, as they reward drivers who perform exceptionally well and dominate the race. Use the DraftKings Dominator Points Cheatsheet to identify key trends in laps led and fast laps at this week’s NASCAR race, with detailed tables, graphs, and projections to help you make informed DFS decisions.

Pennzoil 250 presented by Take 5 Oil Change

Saturday, July 25th, 2026

Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, IN

'Top Dominators' Point Distribution Charts

Before diving deep into strategy, it's crucial to get a quick lay of the land. By studying the bar charts displaying the top dominators for recent races at this track, players can understand the general trend of how dominator points are awarded here. Remember, every track is unique and can favor different strategies.

  1. Spotting the Consistent Performers: Focus on drivers who consistently make it to the top of the Dominator Points table across multiple races. These drivers not only perform well at this particular track but also have the right combination of skill, car performance, and team strategy to maximize their Dominator Points. Consider giving them priority when making your selections.
  2. Understanding Track Dynamics: Some tracks might favor drivers starting from the back due to potential place differential points, while others might reward those who start up front and dominate. Look at the 'start' and 'finish' positions in the table. If you notice that top dominators often start in higher positions, it suggests that qualifying well and maintaining that lead is crucial at this track.
  3. Laps Led vs. Fast Laps: Break down the Dominator Points into its components. Some drivers might lead more laps, while others might have more fast laps. If a driver is consistently leading a significant percentage of laps but isn't clocking fast laps, it indicates they're good at maintaining a lead but might not be the fastest on the track. Conversely, drivers with a high percentage of fast laps but fewer laps led might face challenges in overtaking but have the speed when they find clear track. Adjust your strategy based on what earns more points at this track.
  4. Balancing Risk with Reward: The 'Rank' column provides insights into a driver's overall performance, including non-dominator aspects. A high-ranking driver with fewer dominator points might have a balanced performance across various scoring categories. In contrast, a low-ranked driver with high Dominator Points is a high-risk, high-reward choice: they score big when they dominate but might falter in other aspects.
  5. Take Notes and Adjust: No strategy is foolproof. Use this data as a starting point, but be sure to make notes on race days, especially when unexpected events shake up the usual trends. Over time, you'll develop a nuanced understanding of the track, the drivers, and the hidden dynamics at play.

Remember, the essence of daily fantasy sports lies in combining data with intuition. These insights serve as a guide, but trust your gut, watch the races, and adjust your strategies as you learn more. The beauty of NASCAR DFS is that every race brings new opportunities to score big. So study the stats, enjoy the race, and may your roster lead you to victory lane!

Fast Lap Projections

Pennzoil 250 presented by Take 5 Oil Change, Saturday, July 25th, 2026

The values you see here are what is also displayed in your projection table. I believe in transparency, and understanding the method behind the madness can help you make better-informed decisions. Thanks for trusting my process! Below this table is an explanation of my method for determining fast laps.

DRIVER PROJECTED ACTUAL ABS DIFF PTS IMP
JJ Yeley 0 0 0 0
Justin Allgaier 39 16 23 -10
Joey Gase 0 0 0 0
Chase Elliott 4 6 2 1
Jeb Burton 0 0 0 0
Ryan Ellis 0 0 0 0
Ryan Sieg 4 0 4 -2
Ross Chastain 0 10 10 5
Brennan Poole 0 0 0 0
Garrett Smithley 0 0 0 0
Josh Bilicki 0 0 0 0
Austin Hill 0 1 1 0
Brandon Jones 11 1 10 -5
Harrison Burton 0 0 0 0
Jeremy Clements 0 3 3 1
Anthony Alfredo 0 0 0 0
Preston Pardus 0 0 0 0
Sheldon Creed 0 4 4 2
Blaine Perkins 0 0 0 0
Kyle Sieg 0 0 0 0
Sam Mayer 7 1 6 -3
Dawson Cram 0 0 0 0
Patrick Staropoli 0 0 0 0
Dean Thompson 0 0 0 0
Taylor Gray 4 1 3 -1
Nicholas Sanchez 0 0 0 0
Parker Retzlaff 0 1 1 0
Rajah Caruth 0 2 2 1
Blake Lothian 0 0 0 0
Mason Maggio 0 0 0 0
Sammy Smith 0 0 0 0
William Sawalich 0 8 8 4
Jesse Love 4 0 4 -2
Carson Kvapil 0 11 11 5
Nathan Byrd 0 0 0 0
Corey Day 0 2 2 1
Brent Crews 0 16 16 7
Lavar Scott 0 0 0 0
How I Project Fast Laps: A Peek Behind the Scenes
  1. Historical Data: I start by examining the last 'n' races, giving me a solid foundation of recent performance to predict future outcomes.
  2. Net Laps Calculation: Racing isn't just about speed – it's also about strategy and luck. Caution laps are a testament to that. I subtract all caution laps from the total to get the net laps for each of the races in my data set.
  3. Driver's Fast Lap Percentage: For each driver, I compute the percentage of fast laps they've achieved from these net laps. This gives me a driver's average 'speediness' across the analyzed races.
  4. Track-Specific Adjustments: Each track is unique, and historical trends matter. I look at the last 'n' races at the upcoming track to determine the average number of caution laps. Deducting this from the total laps for the upcoming race gives me the projected race laps.
  5. Projected Fast Laps: With the driver's fast lap percentage in hand and the projected race laps, I calculate the number of fast laps I expect each driver to achieve in the upcoming race using their assigned percentage.
  6. Normalization: Racing is unpredictable, and usually my initial projections may not sum up to the total projected race laps. To ensure consistency, I adjust my predictions so that the total number of projected fast laps equals 100% of the projected race laps.
  7. Continued Evaluation & Refinement: My model isn't static. I continually assess its accuracy using the Mean Absolute Error method. This allows me to identify areas of improvement and ensure my projections are as accurate as possible.

Draftkings Dominator points from recent races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Here is a breakdown of how the ebb and flow of Draftkings Dominator Points tends to work out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for races through the seasons.

The tabs for each race are labeled with: #Race [Season].

Pennzoil 250

Saturday, July 26th, 2025

  • Laps: 100
  • Caution Flags: 6 (2 Stage cautions and 4 other.)
  • Caution Laps: 29
  • Lead Changes: 10

Laps Led Dominator Points

Filter Laps Led:
TOP 'LAPS LED' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS LED DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN LED % LED RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 8th 36th 37 37.0 % 32 -28 5 6.75 9 -7.00 -128.6 %
Sam Mayer Haas Factory Team 41 Ford 1st 2nd 32 32.0 % 5 -1 42 3.15 8 52.15 15.3 %
Connor Zilisch JR Motorsports 88 Chevrolet 7th 1st 19 19.0 % 2 6 45 4.95 5 60.70 8.2 %
Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports 17 Chevrolet 19th 4th 7 7.0 % 1 15 40 6.30 2 63.05 3.2 %
Taylor Gray Joe Gibbs Racing 54 Toyota 14th 3rd 3 3.0 % 4 11 41 1.80 1 54.55 1.8 %
Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 6th 35th 2 2.0 % 37 -29 6 2.25 1 -20.25 -4.9 %

Fast Laps Dominator Points

Total Fast Lap Dominator points for this race were reduced by 13.05 points. (29 caution laps x 0.45 points)

Filter Fast Laps:
TOP 'LAPS FAST' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS FAST DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN FST % FST RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 8th 36th 15 23.4% 32 -28 5 6.75 9.25 -7.00 -96.4 %
Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports 17 Chevrolet 19th 4th 14 21.9% 1 15 40 6.30 1.75 63.05 10.0 %
Connor Zilisch JR Motorsports 88 Chevrolet 7th 1st 11 17.2% 2 6 45 4.95 4.75 60.70 8.2 %
Sam Mayer Haas Factory Team 41 Ford 1st 2nd 7 10.9% 5 -1 42 3.15 8.00 52.15 6.0 %
Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 6th 35th 5 7.8% 37 -29 6 2.25 0.50 -20.25 -11.1 %
Taylor Gray Joe Gibbs Racing 54 Toyota 14th 3rd 4 6.3% 4 11 41 1.80 0.75 54.55 3.3 %
Jesse Love Richard Childress Raci… 2 Chevrolet 4th 9th 4 6.3% 17 -5 35 1.80 0.00 31.80 5.7 %
Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 5th 32nd 2 3.1% 36 -27 9 0.90 0.00 -17.10 -5.3 %
Ryan Sieg RSS Racing 39 Ford 21st 5th 1 1.6% 3 16 39 0.45 0.00 55.45 0.8 %
William Sawalich Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota 9th 6th 1 1.6% 8 3 38 0.45 0.00 41.45 1.1 %

Pennzoil 250

Saturday, July 20th, 2024

  • Laps: 100
  • Caution Flags: 7 (2 Stage cautions and 5 other.)
  • Caution Laps: 29
  • Lead Changes: 12

Laps Led Dominator Points

Filter Laps Led:
TOP 'LAPS LED' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS LED DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN LED % LED RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Cole Custer Stewart Haas Racing 00 Ford 1st 2nd 47 47.0 % 2 -1 42 7.20 12 59.95 20.0 %
Riley Herbst Stewart Haas Racing 98 Ford 2nd 1st 30 30.0 % 1 1 45 8.10 8 61.60 13.0 %
Brandon Jones JR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 6th 15th 10 10.0 % 24 -9 28 0.90 3 22.40 13.4 %
Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 3rd 3rd 5 5.0 % 7 0 41 4.95 1 47.20 2.1 %
AJ Allmendinger Kaulig Racing 16 Chevrolet 8th 8th 4 4.0 % 11 0 36 2.70 1 39.70 2.5 %
Ryan Sieg RSS Racing 39 Ford 27th 11th 4 4.0 % 6 16 32 1.35 1 50.35 2.0 %

Fast Laps Dominator Points

Total Fast Lap Dominator points for this race were reduced by 13.05 points. (29 caution laps x 0.45 points)

Filter Fast Laps:
TOP 'LAPS FAST' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS FAST DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN FST % FST RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Riley Herbst Stewart Haas Racing 98 Ford 2nd 1st 18 28.1% 1 1 45 8.10 7.50 61.60 13.1 %
Cole Custer Stewart Haas Racing 00 Ford 1st 2nd 16 25.0% 2 -1 42 7.20 11.75 59.95 12.0 %
Aric Almirola Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 3rd 3rd 11 17.2% 7 0 41 4.95 1.25 47.20 10.5 %
AJ Allmendinger Kaulig Racing 16 Chevrolet 8th 8th 6 9.4% 11 0 36 2.70 1.00 39.70 6.8 %
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 9th 9th 4 6.3% 12 0 35 1.80 0.00 36.80 4.9 %
Ryan Sieg RSS Racing 39 Ford 27th 11th 3 4.7% 6 16 32 1.35 1.00 50.35 2.7 %
Daniel Dye Kaulig Racing 10 Chevrolet 22nd 7th 2 3.1% 5 15 37 0.90 0.00 52.90 1.7 %
Brandon Jones JR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 6th 15th 2 3.1% 24 -9 28 0.90 2.50 22.40 4.0 %
Austin Hill Richard Childress Raci… 21 Chevrolet 14th 6th 1 1.6% 8 8 38 0.45 0.00 46.45 1.0 %
Shane van Gisbergen Kaulig Racing 97 Chevrolet 23rd 4th 1 1.6% 3 19 40 0.45 0.00 59.45 0.8 %

Lilly Diabetes 250

Monday, September 10th, 2018

  • Laps: 100
  • Caution Flags: 7 (2 Stage cautions and 5 other.)
  • Caution Laps: 31
  • Lead Changes: 14

Laps Led Dominator Points

Filter Laps Led:
TOP 'LAPS LED' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS LED DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN LED % LED RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 2nd 1st 41 41.0 % 2 1 45 3.60 10 59.85 16.7 %
Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Raci… 21 Chevrolet 8th 5th 25 25.0 % 5 3 39 2.70 6 50.95 11.8 %
Chase Elliott GMS Racing 23 Chevrolet 10th 4th 13 13.0 % 4 6 40 2.70 3 51.95 5.8 %
Matt Tifft Richard Childress Raci… 2 Chevrolet 12th 6th 8 8.0 % 6 6 38 3.15 2 49.15 4.1 %
Ty Dillon Richard Childress Raci… 3 Chevrolet 14th 33rd 4 4.0 % 37 -19 8 0.90 1 -9.10 -11.0 %
Tyler Reddick JR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 9th 2nd 3 3.0 % 3 7 42 2.25 1 52.00 1.9 %
Austin Dillon Kaulig Racing 10 Chevrolet 32nd 8th 3 3.0 % 1 24 36 0.45 1 61.20 1.6 %
John Hunter Nemechek Chip Ganassi Racing 42 Chevrolet 6th 25th 2 2.0 % 34 -19 17 0.45 1 -1.05 -95.2 %
JJ Yeley RSS Racing 38 Chevrolet 27th 30th 1 1.0 % 28 -3 12 0.00 0 9.25 0 %

Fast Laps Dominator Points

Total Fast Lap Dominator points for this race were reduced by 13.95 points. (31 caution laps x 0.45 points)

Filter Fast Laps:
TOP 'LAPS FAST' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS FAST DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN FST % FST RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Ryan Blaney Team Penske 22 Ford 1st 3rd 10 16.1% 8 -2 41 4.50 0.00 43.50 10.3 %
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 2nd 1st 8 12.9% 2 1 45 3.60 10.25 59.85 6.0 %
Matt Tifft Richard Childress Raci… 2 Chevrolet 12th 6th 7 11.3% 6 6 38 3.15 2.00 49.15 6.4 %
Chase Elliott GMS Racing 23 Chevrolet 10th 4th 6 9.7% 4 6 40 2.70 3.25 51.95 5.2 %
Daniel Hemric Richard Childress Raci… 21 Chevrolet 8th 5th 6 9.7% 5 3 39 2.70 6.25 50.95 5.3 %
Tyler Reddick JR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 9th 2nd 5 8.1% 3 7 42 2.25 0.75 52.00 4.3 %
Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 7th 7th 4 6.5% 11 0 37 1.80 0.00 38.80 4.6 %
Ryan Preece Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota 3rd 28th 4 6.5% 38 -25 14 1.80 0.00 -9.20 -19.6 %
Ty Dillon Richard Childress Raci… 3 Chevrolet 14th 33rd 2 3.2% 37 -19 8 0.90 1.00 -9.10 -9.9 %
Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 11th 10th 2 3.2% 16 1 34 0.90 0.00 35.90 2.5 %
Elliott Sadler JR Motorsports 1 Chevrolet 4th 35th 2 3.2% 40 -31 6 0.90 0.00 -24.10 -3.7 %
Ross Chastain JD Motorsports 4 Chevrolet 16th 12th 1 1.6% 17 4 31 0.45 0.00 35.45 1.3 %
Alex Labbe DGM Racing 36 Chevrolet 20th 19th 1 1.6% 22 1 24 0.45 0.00 25.45 1.8 %
Ryan Truex Kaulig Racing 11 Chevrolet 13th 22nd 1 1.6% 27 -9 20 0.45 0.00 11.45 3.9 %
John Hunter Nemechek Chip Ganassi Racing 42 Chevrolet 6th 25th 1 1.6% 34 -19 17 0.45 0.50 -1.05 -42.9 %
Cole Custer Stewart Haas Racing 00 Ford 5th 29th 1 1.6% 39 -24 13 0.45 0.00 -10.55 -4.3 %
Austin Dillon Kaulig Racing 10 Chevrolet 32nd 8th 1 1.6% 1 24 36 0.45 0.75 61.20 0.7 %

Indiana 250

Saturday, September 7th, 2019

  • Laps: 100
  • Caution Flags: 8 (2 Stage cautions and 6 other.)
  • Caution Laps: 31
  • Lead Changes: 14

Laps Led Dominator Points

Filter Laps Led:
TOP 'LAPS LED' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS LED DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN LED % LED RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota 1st 1st 46 46.0 % 1 0 46 6.50 12 64.00 18.8 %
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 8th 2nd 24 24.0 % 2 6 42 7.50 6 61.50 9.8 %
Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 3rd 29th 15 15.0 % 33 -26 15 5.00 4 -2.25 -177.8 %
Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 2nd 6th 8 8.0 % 11 -4 38 3.00 2 39.00 5.1 %
Josh Williams DGM Racing 36 Chevrolet 19th 17th 4 4.0 % 18 2 27 0.00 1 30.00 3.3 %
Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Raci… 2 Chevrolet 4th 30th 2 2.0 % 36 -26 14 2.00 1 -9.50 -10.5 %
Noah Gragson JR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 13th 3rd 1 1.0 % 3 10 41 0.50 0 51.75 0 %

Fast Laps Dominator Points

Total Fast Lap Dominator points for this race were reduced by 13.95 points. (31 caution laps x 0.45 points)

Filter Fast Laps:
TOP 'LAPS FAST' DOMINATOR POINTS LAPS FAST DRAFTKINGS POINTS
DRIVER TEAM # MAKE ST FIN FST % FST RNK PD FIN FST LED TOT % OF TOT
Justin Allgaier JR Motorsports 7 Chevrolet 8th 2nd 15 21.7% 2 6 42 7.50 6.00 61.50 12.2 %
Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota 1st 1st 13 18.8% 1 0 46 6.50 11.50 64.00 10.2 %
Christopher Bell Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota 3rd 29th 10 14.5% 33 -26 15 5.00 3.75 -2.25 -222.2 %
Austin Cindric Team Penske 22 Ford 6th 27th 6 8.7% 32 -21 17 3.00 0.00 -1.00 -300.0 %
Brandon Jones Joe Gibbs Racing 19 Toyota 2nd 6th 6 8.7% 11 -4 38 3.00 2.00 39.00 7.7 %
Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Raci… 2 Chevrolet 4th 30th 4 5.8% 36 -26 14 2.00 0.50 -9.50 -21.1 %
Justin Haley Kaulig Racing 11 Chevrolet 7th 5th 2 2.9% 8 2 39 1.00 0.00 42.00 2.4 %
Cole Custer Stewart Haas Racing 00 Ford 11th 7th 2 2.9% 8 4 37 1.00 0.00 42.00 2.4 %
BJ McLeod JD Motorsports 15 Chevrolet 21st 22nd 2 2.9% 25 -1 22 1.00 0.00 22.00 4.5 %
Brandon Brown Brandonbilt Motorsport… 86 Chevrolet 31st 28th 1 1.4% 27 3 16 0.50 0.00 19.50 2.6 %
Mike Harmon Mike Harmon Racing 74 Chevrolet 37th 32nd 1 1.4% 28 5 12 0.50 0.00 17.50 2.9 %
Stephen Leicht JD Motorsports 1 Chevrolet 30th 23rd 1 1.4% 20 7 21 0.50 0.00 28.50 1.8 %
Joey Gase Motorsports Business M… 35 Toyota 29th 18th 1 1.4% 12 11 26 0.50 0.00 37.50 1.3 %
Landon Cassill JD Motorsports 4 Chevrolet 34th 16th 1 1.4% 6 18 28 0.50 0.00 46.50 1.1 %
Ryan Sieg RSS Racing 39 Chevrolet 10th 10th 1 1.4% 15 0 34 0.50 0.00 34.50 1.4 %
Jeb Burton JR Motorsports 8 Chevrolet 12th 4th 1 1.4% 4 8 40 0.50 0.00 48.50 1.0 %
Noah Gragson JR Motorsports 9 Chevrolet 13th 3rd 1 1.4% 3 10 41 0.50 0.25 51.75 1.0 %
Austin Dillon Kaulig Racing 10 Chevrolet 14th 34th 1 1.4% 36 -20 10 0.50 0.00 -9.50 -5.3 %