The NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington is on Sunday, and DraftKings is offering a new way to play fantasy NASCAR. The game is simple. Build a “Pick Set” (2+ drivers) and decide if they will outperform their stat projections.
Here is some advice to help build your DraftKings Pick6 Pick Sets for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington.
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Top NASCAR Pick6 Picks for the Cook Out Southern 500
Tyler Reddick | Finishing Position: 5.5
Pick6 Play: Better
The Southern 500 is a long race. The track changes as the 500-mile race transitions from day to night. That being said, the racing line doesn’t move away from the wall. It’s nothing elite drivers and teams haven’t experienced before. This isn’t Reddick’s first rodeo.
The 23XI No. 45 Toyota was gifted pole position when Saturday’s events were canceled due to storms. Track position is everything. It’s more than everything at “The Track Too Tough to Tame.” There’s one way around this track. If a slower car is clogging the lane, then elite drivers are stuck in traffic. With the pole, Reddick will be driving in the carpool lane all evening. The only way Reddick drops is if he wrecks or has a terrible night in the pits. That applies to everyone, but they also have to work their way through traffic. Reddick has the easiest path to achieving his Pick6 goal.
Denny Hamlin | Finishing Position: 4.5
Pick6 Play: Better
Everything that applies to Reddick’s Toyota applies to Hamlin’s No. 11 JGR Toyota. Both drivers have the numbers to back it up. In the last eight Darlington races, Reddick has a win, six top-5 finishes, and seven top 10s. Hamlin has a career’s worth of stats that prove he can dance with “The Lady in Black.” Hamlin has double-digit wins at Darlington across his races in the Cup and O’Reilly Series.
Beyond stats, there is a strong narrative for Hamlin. It was promoted at the beginning of 2026 after Hamlin suffered through a traumatic offseason following his loss in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship. He showed up fired up, and the narrative has been proven true. It’s playoff time. This is Hamlin’s chance to win his first championship. Each week he needs to pad his lead in the standings. The No. 11 JGR team’s goal is clear: build a point cushion that makes Homestead irrelevant.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
