The NASCAR season is revving up and DraftKings is shifting into high gear with an assortment of fantasy NASCAR contests. Dive into the best fantasy racing picks for the NASCAR Cup Series Wurth 400 at Texas.
For NASCAR insight and quick DFS help, follow Pearce Dietrich (@Race4thePrize) on Twitter.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $350K Engineer [$100K to 1st] (Cup)
1. Kyle Larson ($11,000) — Look at Larson’s Texas Hog Points (Lap-Led and Fast-Lap Points). He scored 39 in 2024, 63 in 2023, 16 in 2022, and 111 in 2021. His crew chief set up cars for Jimmie Johnson for years, and Texas was one of Johnson’s best tracks.
2. Ryan Blaney ($10,000) — Texas was one of Blaney’s best tracks. He’s still strong on the 1.5-mile oval, but he hasn’t been as dominant in the Gen-7 car. Blaney excelled at high-speed tracks in the old package. Flat-out, flat-foot, full-throttle, never-lift races were his forte. Those days are gone.
3. Tyler Reddick ($10,200) — In the Gen-7 car, Reddick has earned two top-five finishes in three races, with 79 Hog Points across those events. Finishing position is hard to predict due to pit cycling and cautions at Texas, but speed is more consistent.
4. Denny Hamlin ($10,500) — The No. 11 JGR Toyota won’t be the fastest, but it will be fast enough. Hamlin will likely be battling for the win on the final restart. The question is whether he can deliver as a winning DFS NASCAR pick with a high price and only finishing position points.
5. William Byron ($10,800) — Darlington isn’t the best data point, but it’s the most recent intermediate track race. Byron led nearly every lap, scored the second-most fast-lap points, and finished second. He was the third-highest-rated driver at Texas in 2024.
6. Brad Keselowski ($7,600) — This has been a challenging season for RFK and Brad Keselowski. Has the veteran aged out? This weekend could provide answers. Keselowski has a top-10 finish in six consecutive races at Texas. If he fails to earn a top-10 this time, it might signal the end is near.
7. Chris Buescher ($7,800) — The three intermediate-track races this season were at vastly different tracks, making it hard to draw direct comparisons. However, if a car was fast at all three, it’s reasonable to expect the team to set up well for another unique 1.5-mile oval. Buescher has the second-best average finish in the first three intermediate-track races.
8. Ross Chastain ($8,200) — Texas often comes down to aggressive restarts. “Crash-tain” is the most aggressive driver in the Cup Series. He gives it and takes it. Last year, he took it, wrecking while battling for the lead on the final lap.
9. Chase Elliott ($9,000) — The winless drought continues. Talladega was a missed opportunity to get into the win column, but Texas offers another great chance. Elliott ended his previous lengthy winless streak at Texas in 2024. He wasn’t the best driver in the best car, but track position often trumps talent and setup at Texas.
10. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($6,200) — Is Hyak Motorsports more invested in Stenhouse than JTG was? Quietly, Stenhouse is having one of his best seasons. He’s a borderline top-20 driver every week. With cautions — there were 16 at Texas in 2024 — Stenhouse could secure a top-10 finish at a very low price point.
11. A.J. Allmendinger ($6,600) — It’s surprising but shouldn’t be. The parity in the Gen-7 era is real. Allmendinger finished eighth at Las Vegas, seventh at Homestead, and 18th at Darlington. His average finish is the fourth-best in the Cup Series.
12. Cole Custer ($5,400) — Texas was chaotic last season. Passing is limited, but cautions are frequent. It’s easy for a car to get loose when running wide of the lone groove. Cautions trigger restarts, and when passing is tough, drivers push to gain positions on restarts, leading to more wrecks and value drivers scoring fantasy points through attrition.
13. Ty Dillon ($5,100) — This isn’t the old Ty Dillon. His equipment is much improved, and the Gen-7 car has ushered in an era of parity. A top-15 finish is possible for every driver, and a top-10 is within reach if the race features plenty of cautions. Dillon has a three-race top-10 streak at Texas — all in weaker equipment.
14. Zane Smith ($6,000) — This DFS NASCAR pick combines Texas’s volatility with a driver performing well. Smith finished 11th at Homestead and 12th at Darlington.
15. Christopher Bell ($6,000) — This feels like an unnecessary spend-up option. There’s better intermediate-track cars. That being said, good cars will wreck. The best car doesn’t always win. The best car won’t win the Texas race if there are double-digit cautions again.
Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $350K Engineer [$100K to 1st] (Cup)
