NASCAR is back. After NBC’s two-week Olympic Break, the Cup Series returns under the lights at the short track in Richmond, Virginia. DraftKings is dishing out a $100K grand prize to the winner of Sunday night’s fantasy NASCAR contest. Check out the DFS NASCAR rankings below and make your fantasy racing picks for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $333K Engineer [$100K to 1st] (Cup)
1. Martin Truex Jr ($10,100) — Richmond is one of Truex’s best tracks. All of the short tracks are his best tracks. Truex doesn’t always seal the deal with the win but leading laps is another story. Truex scored 119 DKFP in the spring Richmond race.
2. Kyle Larson ($10,500) — The short, flat tracks were once a weakness for Yung Money. That ended in 2023 when Larson won at Richmond and Martinsville. Larson won the pole and scored 96.15 DKFP in the spring race at Richmond.
3. Denny Hamlin ($10,700) — Iowa was a struggle for Hamlin. It wasn’t surprising given the unfamiliar track. Outside of Iowa, Hamlin has been the best short-track driver in 2024. He hasn’t led the most laps, but he’s always in the mix. He was in the mix in the spring race and was able to steal the win from his teammate.
4. Christopher Bell ($10,300) — The last time the Cup Series was at a short track, Bell swept the weekend (New Hampshire). Similar to the flat track in New Hampshire, Richmond is one of Bell’s best tracks. Bell has earned a top-5 DFS score in five of the last six Richmond races.
5. Joey Logano ($9,100) — The Richmond night race has always been better than the day race for Logano. The spring race ended up being a night race after being delayed by rain. Logano scored 71 DKFP and finished second. He’s earned a top-10 DFS score in eight of the last nine Richmond races.
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6. Chase Elliott ($9,200) — In his last seven Richmond races, Elliott has four top-5 finishes. The short, flat track has never been one of his favorite tracks. He won’t be the best on Sunday night but could win if his pit crew is the best.
7. William Byron ($9,400) — The summer schedule wasn’t kind to the No. 24 Hendrick Chevy. It’s summer. The NASCAR schedule is diverse and doesn’t represent the traditional tracks. Richmond is traditional. Byron won at Martinsville and was the runner-up at Iowa. A return to short-track racing will be welcomed by Byron and the No. 24 Hendrick team.
8. Josh Berry ($7,800) — This might be a lame-duck team. The engineers could be spending more of their time on resumes. It’s a legitimate concern. The future is uncertain but the past is clear. The late-model legend has been one of the best short-track racers in 2024.
9. Ty Gibbs ($8,400) — This is NASCAR’s second trip to Richmond this season. The first race was in April. A lot has changed. The JGR Toyotas started the season with a leg-up in the new short-track package. If that advantage has vanished, then it’s hard to believe that Gibbs is better than a top-10 driver.
10. Tyler Reddick ($8,800) — The summer schedule brought the No. 45 23XI Toyota to life. Will the return to traditional ovals break Reddick’s breakout? Will the Olympics break break the breakout? If Reddick is clean on pit road, then he’ll have a shot at the win.
11. Brad Keselowski ($9,600) — Has RFK fallen? The JGR Toyotas and Hendrick Chevys have not lost a step. The Penske Fords have stepped up. Where do the RFK Fords stand? Richmond is one of Keselowski’s best tracks, but he’ll need a competitive car to demonstrate his talent.
12. Chris Buescher ($8,900) — The end of the 2023 summer was great for Buescher. He won at Michigan, Richmond and Daytona. Can he get hot again? Buescher finished fifth in the last short-track race (New Hampshire).
13. Ryan Blaney ($9,800) — Richmond is one of Blaney’s worst tracks. His best finish in the last nine Richmond races is seventh with an average finish of 15th. The Penske Fords have found some speed but will Blaney unlock it at Richmond?
14. Todd Gilliland ($6,500) — Excluding Pocono (34th), Gilly has an average finish of 13th over the last 10 races. All 10 of those races were top-20 finishes. The Front Row Fords are in a technical alliance with the Penske Fords. They’re piggybacking off Penske’s speed.
15. Alex Bowman ($8,600) — This is not an appealing pick. Bowman isn’t cheap and he’s not great. He is affordable and good. His short-track season doesn’t compare to his teammates. That means his Hendrick Chevy is much cheaper. Bowman could sneak his way into the winning lineup based on point-per-dollar output.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $333K Engineer [$100K to 1st] (Cup)
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