Darlington opens the postseason, and the abrasive, egg-shaped surface punishes mistakes from the green flag on. The Track Too Tough to Tame chews up right-side tires and paint jobs alike, rewarding drivers who can find the top groove without kissing the wall. Here are the top DraftKings picks for Sunday night’s race.
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Top DraftKings Picks for the Cook Out Southern 500
- Denny Hamlin ($11,000) — Darlington is Denny’s domicile. Statistically, he’s one of the greatest — if not the greatest — Darlington drivers of all time. His win total is in the double digits across the two top series in NASCAR.
- Kyle Larson ($10,000) — Denny Hamlin faces stiff competition from the rim riders. Larson has the ability and the willingness to run inches from the wall. Larson can dominate Darlington, but sometimes “The Lady in Black” fights back. The wall reaches out and grabs him, and all Larson’s speed goes out the window while he puts down his window net before the checkered flag.
- Tyler Reddick ($10,500) — There is a profile for Darlington. Dirt-track racers know how to rip the wall. It’s not a narrative; it’s a fact. Reddick’s stats prove it. In the last eight races at Darlington, Reddick has a win, three runner-up finishes and a fourth-place finish.
- Chase Briscoe ($9,800) — There are a handful of dirt-racing legends who are comfortable with the preferred racing groove at Darlington. The Track Too Tough to Tame isn’t that tough for Briscoe. He’s won two of the last four at the egg-shaped intermediate track.
- Ryan Blaney ($10,200) — The favorite to win the 2026 Cup Series Championship is Denny Hamlin, but Blaney isn’t far behind. He might be far behind on Sunday night. Darlington is one of Blaney’s worst tracks. That being said, the No. 12 Penske Ford finished third in the spring race.
- Christopher Bell ($9,600) — The boxes are checked. Bell has a dirt-racing background, and he drives a Toyota. In the last seven Darlington races, he has three top-5 finishes.
- William Byron ($9,400) — Hendrick Motorsports seems to be an afterthought this season. The talk is Toyota. Chevy has been a step behind all season. However, this is racing. Anything can happen. Teams find speed. Byron’s had speed at Darlington in the past. He won the 2023 spring race.
- Ty Gibbs ($8,800) — The intermediate tracks are back. Darlington isn’t a cookie-cutter 1.5-mile oval, but it’s more intermediate than short track. Darlington implements the 2026 short-track package, but Darlington is still an intermediate track. Gibbs’ 2026 intermediate track finish of ninth is the fourth-best in the series.
- Joey Logano ($9,200) — Let’s see what Lucky Logano does in a points-based playoff. The No. 22 Penske Ford is unstoppable on short, flat tracks. Darlington is not short or flat. He’s won here before, but a lot has changed since the spring 2022 race. He won that race by wrecking William Byron. That has not changed.
- Chris Buescher ($8,600) — The last intermediate-track race didn’t go his way — 19th at Chicago. Even with that average result, Buescher is a top-10 driver at intermediate tracks in 2026. No one ever talks about him. He always goes underowned in NASCAR DFS on DraftKings. Buescher is and will always be leverage.
- Brad Keselowski ($8,300) — Don’t discount the veterans. DraftKings is discounting the 2012 Cup Series champ. This could be a deal. The last time NASCAR implemented a points-based playoff format, Tony Stewart surprised the series, went on a heater and stole the Cup. Keselowski was the runner-up in the Darlington spring race.
- Chase Elliott ($9,000) — It’s difficult to allocate salary towards a Chevy driver. Elliott is a top-10 driver, but not a dominator. He doesn’t lead laps routinely. The No. 9 Hendrick Chevy lives in no man’s land. That’s low-ownership land. That’s the secret fishing hole for fantasy.
- Carson Hocevar ($7,900) — Toyota has title hopes. Most believe it’s their championship to win. Most, but not all. Hocevar has hope. Few drivers have his confidence and thick skin — or obliviousness. He just drives, drives fast. The young gun has a top-10 finish in the last two races at Darlington.
- Erik Jones ($7,500) — The Southern 500 is a crown jewel race that favors the elite, but there have been plenty of upsets. Jones won the 2022 Southern 500 driving the No. 43 car for Richard Petty. He earned a podium in the 2025 Southern 500 for Legacy Motor Club.
- Riley Herbst ($6,100) — There’s always a rub. Herbst benefits from a connection with Monster Energy. Nepotism and sponsorship are the rule of the modern Cup Series. Herbst is dismissed. He’s not great. But he’s been better than expected. He’s a top-20 driver at intermediate tracks this season.
