F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix DFS Picks: Sprint to The Finish

Formula 1 returns this weekend for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. This race is one of the special races where qualifying took place on Friday with a Sprint Race taking place on Saturday for the official qualifying positions for the grand prix. There will be plenty of information out for DFS players this weekend as the Sprint Race gave a mini sample of what to expect on Sunday.

F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix DFS Picks

The biggest story out of Friday’s qualifying session was that Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was able to put his car on pole position for the sprint. Ferrari has clearly made some improvements with their time off over the past month to get this car unlocked.

The Sprint on Saturday set us up for a spectacular race on Sunday. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is a 51 lap race that will see Ferrari start on pole position. This is Ferrari’s first pole position of the year. The starting grid is not as easy to read this week with multiple teams seeing their drivers split up like Mercedes and AlphaTauri.

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Formula 1 DFS Picks: DraftKings F1 Picks

Constructor: Ferrari ($8,500 DraftKings)

There is no surprise that Ferrari is taking the top spot this weekend after their strong performance in qualifying and the sprint on Saturday. Leclerc is starting on pole position while Carlos Sainz will be starting on the second row in fourth. Both Ferrari drivers are in play this weekend as captain options with their constructor because of pricing.

Constructor: Red Bull ($13,200 DraftKings)

Rounding out the first two rows on the grid, Red Bull saw Max Verstappen barely get edged out by Leclerc in qualifying and during the sprint. Verstappen will be starting on the front row once again with his team mate, Sergio Perez, just behind in third. The Red Bull constructor is a more preferred option in GPP tournaments because of their elevated price tag. A double podium finish is likely here as long as both cars are able to stay on the track on Sunday.

Constructor: McLaren ($4,500 DraftKings)

No one can fault anyone taking a chance on Aston Martin this weekend as they seem to have made the jump into the top four conversation this year, but if price is being considered, McLaren is the much better value that can provide plenty of roster flexibility. McLaren is $4,800 cheaper than Aston Martin, but is sandwiched around their drivers.

With Lando Norris starting in seventh and Oscar Piastri in 10th, this duo is starting to believe in their car. After strong results at the Australian Grand Prix where both drivers scored points after starting in the bottom half of the grid, Norris and Piastri are looking to push in Azerbaijan. Using the McLaren constructor is the ultimate roll of the dice this weekend which sets up nicely for massive GPP tournaments.

Driver: Charles Leclerc ($8,800 DraftKings; P1)

The price drop for the Ferrari duo has come at the perfect time. Leclerc and Sainz are both at their cheapest prices of the season. Leclerc has looked like the more polished 1A driver for Ferrari in Azerbaijan and has shown quality all weekend in his maneuvering this tricky circuit. Leclerc will be a heavily owned captain in cash and GPPs because of his price.

Driver: Max Verstappen ($14,400 DraftKings; P2)

Fade Verstappen at your own risk. While Leclerc is clearly the better value because of his price tag, Verstappen is simply on another planet when it comes to racing. This Red Bull car looks to have another gear during races and as long as his car holds up, Verstappen should find himself on the podium once again. Verstappen can be stacked with Red Bull in both cash and GPPs because of the duo’s upside. He is still the favorite to win at -215 at various sportsbooks.

Driver: Lewis Hamilton ($9,600 DraftKings; P5)

With most DFS players stacking both Verstappen and Leclerc in lineups, Lewis Hamilton becomes a sneaky contrarian GPP play. Hamilton and the Mercedes car does look to be improved from their 2022 design, but clearly they still have a ways to go. Hamilton will be starting six spots ahead of his team mate George Russell which makes this play a little safer, but does still offer upside depending on what happens in front of him. There is a way of fitting all three of the top drivers in lineups this weekend, but it will force DFS players to use McLaren at the constructor spot.

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Driver: Lando Norris ($5,800 DraftKings; P7) or Oscar Piastri ($5,200 DraftKings; P10)

As previously mentioned, this McLaren duo is in line to surprise people on Sunday. This is their best starting grid position of the year with both starting in the top half. They are both priced similarly, but Norris’ experience here could prove to be the difference maker. Both will be in the player pool in GPPs and cash games as the third driver into lineups.

Driver: Alex Albon ($4,800 DraftKings; P13)

Death, taxes, and Alex Albon being a mid-range value play. Albon will be starting in 13th which is just two spots ahead of his team mate Logan Sargeant, but his experience will prove to be the difference maker. For cash games Albon makes sense, but Sargeant could be sprinkled into GPP lineups. Both Williams drivers have been doing better than expected this year as most pegged this team to finish dead last once again.

Driver: Yuki Tsunoda ($4,000 DraftKings; P8)

AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda is the best value play on the grid in Stokastic’s model. He will be starting eighth place on Sunday which is 12 spots in front of his team mate who is starting at the back of the grid. Tsunoda has more experience here and while many suspect him falling out of the top 10 during the race, his six spots for finishing and beating his team mate will be enough for him to provide value.

Driver: Nico Hulkenberg ($3,800 DraftKings; P17)

Realistically, either HAAS driver is worth a dart throw at this point with both drivers starting near the back of the pack on Sunday. Nico Hulkenberg is simply the better play based on their times from this weekend, but neither is expected to contend for extra points. Hulkenberg is just $400 more than Kevin Magnussen, but the top driver from this team will provide great value for a probable six point finish at sub-$4,000.

Final F1 DFS Picks & Summary

Cash game lineups will be fairly straightforward this weekend. Most lineups will start with either Leclerc or Verstappen at captain and then stack them with either Ferrari or Red Bull. After that is when builds will get interesting. The McLaren duo seems poised to strike on Sunday, but with the plethora of options sub-$4,000, some DFS players may tend to go for a stars and scrubs approach. Tsunoda should be heavily owned with his price tag and starting position for cash games.

For GPPs, fantasy players will have to decide on which stack to go with. Both Leclerc and Verstappen should be the highest owned pay-up options at race time, so the mid-range will make-or-break lineups this weekend. If players are fading Verstappen, it makes sense to target Perez, while the same can be said about players fading Leclerc and using Sainz. Both of the second drivers should be used as contrarian pieces in large field tournaments.

Teacher, writer and avid sports fan with a passion and love for F1 racing.

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