The DFS NASCAR rankings below are based on a mixture of expected output and DraftKings Fantasy NASCAR salaries. The order is not based on the highest projected fantasy totals, but rather by the DFS value of each driver.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $400K ENGINEER [$100K TO 1ST] (CUP)
EDITOR’S NOTE: The NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte has been postponed to Monday at 3:00 p.m. ET.
1. Kyle Larson ($11,000) — During his 2021 redemption tour (11 wins and a championship), Larson won this Crown Jewel event. He just won $1 million by winning the All-Star race last week. He’s been a contender in nearly every race this season.
2. William Byron ($10,500) — Kyle Larson steals the show but Byron does his best to share the spotlight. Byron has two wins in the intermediate-track package. He won the third race of the season at Las Vegas and the most recent intermediate-track race at Darlington.
3. Denny Hamlin ($10,300) — Until last season, Hamlin had never won a Cup Series race at Charlotte. He was 0-for-30. After losing the lead in the first 10 laps of the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, it looked like the streak would reach 31. However, after some late-race restarts and overtime laps, Hamlin snuck away with the win.
4. Martin Truex Jr ($9,900) — The JGR Toyotas have found something. Truex and crew chief James Small have found something. Truex won at Dover. He followed that intermediate-track win by earning the second-best driver rating at Kansas and Darlington.
5. Ross Chastain ($10,100) — With The Roval taking the place of the fall Charlotte race, there’s just the Coca-Cola 600 every Memorial Day weekend. In the one Cup Series oval race at Charlotte last season, Chastain scored the most fantasy points (103 DKFP) by leading 153 laps.
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6. Chase Elliott ($9,700) — In five of the last seven Charlotte races, Elliott has finished second (2021), first (2020 Coca-Cola 600), third (2020 COVID make-up race), fourth (2019) and second (2017 fall race).
7. Christopher Bell ($9,300) — JGR has won two of the last three intermediate-track races. Bell was not the victor. He is yet to win a Cup Series race at an intermediate track.
8. Tyler Reddick ($8,800) — This has been a disappointing season for Reddick. It’s understandable given his team switch. Also, 23XI racing is a new team and they expanded rather quickly. Growing pains will happen in a competitive sport.
9. Kevin Harvick ($9,100) — This is not news, but it’s worth repeating to DFS NASCAR players. The SHR Fords have been strong at short tracks. They have produced top-5 cars that are capable of winning. They have been top-10 cars at intermediate tracks.
10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr ($7,300) — This isn’t a steal, so his ownership should remain low. There’s a reason for the price. Stenhouse has a top-10 finish in four of the last six races at Charlotte. In the last 11 races at Charlotte, his average finish is 12.6.
11. Ryan Blaney ($8,400) — Team Penske is just a little off. Blaney has been much better than his teammate Joey Logano but not as good as the JGR and Hendrick drivers. He had the third-highest driver rating at Dover (similar setup to Charlotte), but he failed to earn a top-10 rating at Kansas and Darlington.
12. Joey Logano ($9,000) — The defending Cup Series champ doesn’t look like he’ll be hoisting the trophy again this year. Logano looked decent at Kansas, but he’s not in same league as JGR and Hendrick.
13. Alex Bowman ($8,600) — Will Bowman bounce back? Can his body hold up for 600 miles in the Charlotte heat? It’s risky but this is an affordable price for a Hendrick Chevy.
14. Jimmie Johnson ($6,900) — He’s a long shot but he doesn’t have to win at this price. A top-10 finish in a Legacy Motor Club car is not out of the question. Not from a driver that has eight wins at Charlotte.
15. Zane Smith ($5,400) — The reigning Truck Series champ gets another run with the Front Row Motorsports Cup Series team. Smith is better than this price and Front Row cars are better than this price.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $400K ENGINEER [$100K TO 1ST] (CUP)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is greenflagradio2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.