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Picking a winning fantasy driver lineup for NASCAR can be a bit of a tough choice. There are many great drivers out there, but knowing about each one’s stats and performance will help you determine who to select for your game rosters. Here are a few tips on choosing the best NASCAR fantasy picks for 2015 drafts.

How to Choose NASCAR Fantasy Picks

Be mindful of weather
NASCAR drivers especially have to take the weather into account because rain means dismal track situations. Very bad weather can even suspend races, but generally the race will still continue with a little rain going on. However, it’s wise to look at each driver’s history to see who has handled bad weather in previous races.

Look at weekly stats
It’s critical to keep an eye on drivers’ weekly stats to make sure you know who’s the best. You’ll want to watch how each driver does on the track in terms of performance and pacing. By actually observing them during a race, you can see how they compete over different track situations. This is one critical component in choosing the best fantasy NASCAR picks.

Understand your Fantasy NASCAR league’s rules
You’ll need to keep in mind how many drivers are currently active, if the league allows player vs. player or if games are won based off total points earned for each season. Also, keep in in mind incentive points for leading at halfway or fastest lap — or most improved position. These rules are critical in determining your winnings and are a big part of choosing drivers, so be sure you know what the rules are before drafting.

Don’t ignore lesser-known picks
It’s great to select ace drivers who have many wins under their belt, but don’t ignore drivers who are getting top five or ten spots in the race. If they do well on a regular basis, it might be that driver’s up and coming breakthrough moment.

Starting position is key
Every racer will start at the pole, which is their individual starting position — and one that matters a lot in NASCAR fantasy games. For certain sites, such as DraftKings, place differential is a big determining factor in ultimate winnings. If you begin in fifth place and finished in first place, you’ll win 4 fantasy points. This means that racers who start at the back of the line will often earn a lot of points if they do well in the finish. For example, racers who are having car trouble might have to start at the back — but if they’re a strong favorite to win the race, you still want that person in your daily fantasy draft.

Know the track inside and out
Daily NASCAR fantasy is a ton of fun for many reasons, and the variety of racetracks is one of them. From track to track, conditions will vary, driver performance will vary, the weather will vary… There are just so many different factors to think about. Some drivers do extremely well on certain tracks but terribly on other ones. It’s your job to look at and compare drivers’ stats to make sure they have a history of doing well on the up and coming tracks.

Go with your gut
Sometimes you just have to take a chance — after all, this is NASCAR, and this is daily fantasy sports. The drivers themselves are taking a big risk just in playing their sport by zipping around the track at very high speeds. So if you think that your driver picks might be best for a race that’s on the way, go ahead and draft them. As long as you’ve done your homework, you should have a great shot at some winnings.

Keep an eye out for hot streaks
Sometimes the site you’re using will have a list of hot streaks to see how well drivers have done in their past few games. If they’re repeatedly tallying a ton of points in the races, that’s usually a sign that the driver is going to continue to do well. Try to draft them for your lineup and look for “fastest laps” areas in the player’s season finish.

These are some of the best tips to winning daily NASCAR fantasy using a good draft. Remember to keep an eye on track conditions, player stats and history, and weather that’s up and coming for the race. All these factors play into the ultimate outcome, so it’s critical to do plenty of research before starting your draft.