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 Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.
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Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $301K Southern Sunset [$100K to 1st] (Cup)
Fantasy NASCAR Driver Rankings: Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington
1. Ryan Blaney ($10,200) — The No. 12 Penske Ford was best-in-class in the spring race. Most drivers struggled to pass, but Blaney excelled, with stats to prove it — 29.0 PGAE/100 (positions gained above expectations). Blaney would have won the spring race by a sizable margin if not for Kyle Larson’s late-race spin.
2. Denny Hamlin ($11,000) — He did what he does — win. Hamlin stole the lead on pit road with six laps remaining, nailed the restart, and took home the checkered flag.
3. Kyle Larson ($10,500) — The 2025 spring race and 2024 Southern 500 showcase Yung Money’s dominance at high-groove tracks. Larson scored over 120 fantasy points in the 2025 Labor Day Weekend race. He wrecked on Lap 4 in the spring.
4. Tyler Reddick ($9,700) — There’s fast, very fast, and then Blaney. Reddick was the second-fastest car on the track in Stage 3, ripping the high groove. As the laps wore on, Blaney built speed while Reddick’s pace dropped.
5. William Byron ($10,700) — Clean air is king. Byron led 243 laps in the spring race but didn’t win. During an 89-lap green-flag run in Stage 3, several top-5 drivers pitted before Byron, leapfrogging him. Byron stalled in the dirty air behind top-5 cars.
6. Christopher Bell ($10,000) — This is tricky. Bell was average in traffic during the spring race. He cycled to the front late and held position, but passing was a struggle for most of the field, not just Bell.
7. Brad Keselowski ($7,600) — The RFK Fords missed the playoffs, so points are irrelevant. Wins are all that matter for the rest of the season. BK’s strategy will be more aggressive than usual. A longshot Ford won this race last season.
8. Chris Buescher ($8,300) — It’s been a disappointing season for Buescher, but the Southern 500 could turn things around. Buescher was a top-five rated passer in the spring Darlington race.
9. Ross Chastain ($8,700) — The spring race saw the Trackhouse driver start in the back half of the field. He wasn’t the fastest but outperformed those around him. Chastain crept into the top 15 by the second half of the race and posted one of the best cPOMS (continuous percent of max speed).
10. Chase Elliott ($9,500) — One win per season isn’t enough. Elliott’s winless drought ended in June at a superspeedway (Atlanta). His consistent approach could lead to a Cup Series Championship, but he’s not a key figure in NASCAR DFS.
11. Chase Briscoe ($9,200) — The story is familiar. Briscoe is a championship contender with great equipment. He dominated the Xfinity Series in 2020 and lit up the Cup Series this summer. Briscoe’s Pocono win wasn’t a fuel-mileage fluke. He’s been the runner-up in three of the last five races and a top-five finisher in four of the last five. Last but not least, Briscoe won the 2024 Southern 500.
12. Joey Logano ($9,000) — This feels like a classic Logano race. No one is talking about him, but he often goes overlooked and wins. It’s not scientific, but it’s his career arc. He’s won at Darlington before and has victories everywhere. Why not Sunday night?
13. Ryan Preece ($7,100) — This is Chris Buescher 2.0. Preece’s teammate never got the respect he deserved, with a salary too low for his performance. Preece follows the same arc — a top-10 driver with a back-of-the-field price tag.
14. Ty Gibbs ($6,900) — The luster has faded. There are concerns in the JGR camp. The No. 54 Toyota made offseason changes, and early-season struggles should be dismissed. Gibbs has shown flashes of brilliance, but his performance hasn’t met expectations. Darlington is one of his best Cup Series tracks, making him undervalued this weekend.
15. Todd Gilliland ($5,600) — Darlington is a unique intermediate track where history matters. Some drivers navigate the high line at the egg-shaped oval better than others. Toddzilla has a top-20 finish in five of his seven races at the Lady in Black, including four top-15s.
