Fantasy NASCAR at DraftKings comes down to reading the track before reading the odds. Iowa’s short, flat layout rewards clean air and punishes mistakes. Here’s where the value hides this week.
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Top DraftKings Picks for the Iowa Corn 350
- Denny Hamlin ($11,100) — Track history isn’t on Hamlin’s side, but 2026 is. Hamlin has the highest cPOMS in the 2026 short-track package. What’s cPOMS? He’s fast. Here’s a better stat — his average finish is the best.
- Christopher Bell ($10,700) — Dig deep. Bell won Iowa O’Reilly Series races in 2018 and 2019. He was the runner-up in the other two Iowa races in 2018 and 2019. He’s led 668 laps in five races (2017-2019).
- Ty Gibbs ($8,200) — Track history could suppress ownership. JGR Toyotas should never be dismissed. Ty Gibbs dominated an O’Reilly Series that was absent Iowa. His experience is limited. The limits do not seem to matter in his third Cup Series season. He’s a top-5 driver in this package.
- William Byron ($10,000) — Iowa might be the boost that the No. 24 Hendrick Chevy needs to get around the Toyotas. Byron is the defending race winner and the 2024 runner-up.
- Ryan Blaney ($10,500) — Only two drivers are NASCAR Cup Series winners at Iowa. Blaney won the first race in 2024 and finished fourth in 2025.
- Chase Briscoe ($9,200) — Richmond is Iowa’s closest comparable track. The No. 19 JGR was great at Richmond with Martin Truex driving. Briscoe was the runner-up at Iowa last season.
- Kyle Larson ($9,700) — Will the winless drought continue for the 2025 Cup Series Champ? Hendrick has speed at Iowa, and Larson was competitive at Iowa in 2025, but the results don’t support this expensive DFS pick. Larson needs clean air and fortune. Mechanical errors and pushing the car too hard have plagued the No. 5 Chevy since 2024.
- Chase Elliott ($9,000) — Track history stats matter. Elliott knows how to maximize speed at the short, flat track in Iowa. His wARP (weighted average running position) is top 5. Get the No. 9 Hendrick Chevy out front and let him run.
- Joey Logano ($9,500) — The 2026 short-track package is back. Logano is back. He is always back. This is what Logano does, and his hair does not. Logano was written off. He then dominated the North Wilkesboro race. He can win this race. He can win the 2026 Cup Series Championship.
- Tyler Reddick ($8,500) — Short, flat tracks are the bane of his existence. Reddick figured out road courses, but the last challenge to becoming a complete Cup Series driver is short, flat tracks. Iowa, Richmond, and Martinsville have been no-go zones for the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota.
- Carson Hocevar ($7,700) — The hokey sponsor shill has talent. His Spire Motorsports Chevy has speed. Before Spire was stealing data from the JGR Toyotas, Hocevar was fast at Iowa — top-10 finish in 2025 and a top-15 finish in 2024.
- Brad Keselowski ($7,900) — The entire stable of RFK Fords was fast at Iowa last season. Ryan Preece drove through the field. Keselowski finished third.
- Josh Berry ($6,900) — It’s now or never. Berry is in a familiar place. The underfunded underdog has to prove himself again. The late-model legend saved his NASCAR National Series career with an O’Reilly Series win at Martinsville. Berry knows short, flat tracks. His average Iowa cPOMS is the third best.
- Alex Bowman ($7,300) — In two runs at Iowa, Bowman earned a top-10 cPOMS and wARP in both. Is he a winner? No, but he can move forward and return value while going under-owned in DraftKings Fantasy NASCAR contests.
- Austin Cindric ($7,200) — Team Penske has 2026 short-track speed. Cindric is a top-10 driver. He finished 12th in 2025. His O’Reilly Series stats at Iowa are underwhelming, but that was 2018-2019. Cindric was a part-time driver.
