At long last, Chase Briscoe secured his first win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season after he showed up with a fast hot rod at Chicagoland and he drove it right on to victory lane. Briscoe is certainly validating Joe Gibbs Racing’s decision to sign him and put him into the 19-car as he now has four wins in two seasons with JGR. This was right around the time he started heating up a year ago so perhaps last week’s win gives him the momentum to collect a few more wins this year.

For this weekend, we head to EchoPark Speedway, formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway. It marks the second time NASCAR has swung through Atlanta this year. Tyler Reddick collected the win earlier in the year, but we also know we should expect a little chaos and some longshot drivers to come into play as the laps tick off.

We have all your coverage with the NASCAR DFS Playbook for DraftKings and FanDuel in addition to the NASCAR DFS Projections and the NASCAR DFS Ownership outlook. Let’s dive in and take a look at the top NASCAR DFS picks and lineup building strategies on DraftKings and FanDuel as we get ready for the Quaker State 400!

 

 

 

EchoPark Speedway

EchoPark Speedway 1.5-mile oval but it draws very little comparison to tracks like Vegas, Kansas, Charlotte, Texas, or even Chicagoland. The track was repaved, and they increased the banking to essentially turn this into a track that is a smaller version of Daytona and Talladega.

While those two tracks are true superspeedways, EchoPark Speedway is simply a 1.5-mile track where drafting is essential. Strangely enough, we’ve seen some consistent leaders at this track so we can’t entirely rule out dominator candidates, which we’ll discuss more throughout the article.

Based on the trends table above, we can find win equity from almost anywhere on the starting grid. You can win from the pole and you can win from outside the top 30. Each of the last five races at this track have seen at least four drivers lead 20+ laps and there’s been at least one driver in each of those races to lead 50+ laps, and I’ll touch on some drivers capable of that in the driver pool.

Considering this is a drafting race, the field will constantly be shifting throughout the night. There will be comers and goers and track position will be key, especially for any late-race restarts. I’ll also note that three of the last five races here required overtime. And a whopping 62%(!) of drivers finishing in the top 10 previously started outside the top 12 and we will likely see at least 10 drivers gain double-digit place differential for our NASCAR DFS picks.

 

 

 

NASCAR DraftKings and FanDuel Scoring Trends with DFS Strategy

It’s not too surprising that the top scores on DraftKings and FanDuel are coming from deeper in the field. Due to the nature of this racing, and the potential for wrecks, all drivers are at risk. But those starting deeper in the field tend to score better simply by surviving through attrition and making it to the end.

We aren’t completely “stacking the back” for this race, however. That can work in cash games but you have to take some risks in tournaments. If either Ryan Blaney or Joey Logano win this race with 50+ laps led, you’ll want them in your lineup. But there are dominator candidates spread out among the field and I’ll touch on my favorites in the section below.

Eight of the nine optimal lineups at new Atlanta have left anywhere from $2,000-$4,500 on the table on DraftKings. So we can still be creative and take a similar approach to lineup construction as we do for Daytona and Dega, but we don’t need to leave egregious amounts of unused salary on the table. And I don’t think that’ll be the case for this race. There is a lot of chalk PD to be found in the top tier and the mid-range feels a bit dry. It’s very easy to build position different lineups with Reddick, Byron, Bell, and Hamlin. And for the last two spots you can punt with drivers starting in the last two rows. But that’s a chalk build. It’s easy to duplicate and we’re due to see chalk blow up in a race like this.

I’m only doing five lineups for Sunday night’s race and playing light because these races are a bit of a lottery ticket. One of the unspoken strategies when we come to these superspeedways is dialing back the DFS exposure because of the variance we witness at these tracks. Two of my lineups are mostly playing drivers starting outside the top 20. I have two other lineups getting exposure to the front row. And for my last lineup I’m mostly leaning into my own personal “gut” calls and getting a little contrarian with it. There are so many ways to build lineups with our NASCAR DFS picks but don’t go too heavy on drivers starting inside the top 10 because those are the drivers exposed to negative position differential.

 

 

 

NASCAR Quaker State 400 Top Tier DFS Picks

Tyler Reddick (Starting P31) – DraftKings: $10,500 | FanDuel: $13,500

I don’t hate Ryan Blaney just given his upside and the Fords ability to run well in this type of race. But I preview another driver starting on the front row so scroll down a bit for a dominator recommendation. For now, I’ll take the layup with Tyler Reddick because of the starting spot.

Tyler Reddick has a pretty good floor for this race and a very high ceiling. A top 10 finish would return 55+ fantasy points on DraftKings. He won the Daytona 500 this year and he followed that up by winning the first Atlanta race after he led 53 laps from the pole. He also started P23 in this race a year ago, led 18 laps, and finished fourth.

He will carry significant ownership for Sunday night’s race, but I will offer up some contrarian options throughout the driver pool to help you differentiate your lineups.

Chase Elliott (Starting P7) – DraftKings: $9,900 | FanDuel: $12,000

Elliott is a fine drafter at superspeedways. But he’s shown he’s far better at this particular track and this is his home track where he’s won twice. In his wins he’s led a total of 137 laps at this track. So we have a bit of win equity but the dominator potential probably isn’t as consistent compared to the likes of the Team Penske drivers.

Even in this race earlier in the year he only finished 11th but he managed to lead 11 laps and he finished top five in each of the first two stages. He certainly has the upside of the Penske drivers and while the Fords are meant to run exceptionally well in a race like this, they have a tendency to wreck each other towards the end as they race for the win. Elliott, surprisingly, hasn’t wrecked in the eight races he’s run at this track so there may be more of a safety net here. But leaning into variance is key for this race. Just because he hasn’t wrecked doesn’t mean he definitely won’t.

Christopher Bell (Starting P32) – DraftKings: $9,500 | FanDuel: $9,500

Bell is certainly a better value on FanDuel, but there aren’t many pricing restrictions for a race like this so he can easily be played on both sites. But ultimately the Toyota’s didn’t qualify well for this race. And that’s totally fine. Based on the trends table above, there’s win equity to be found all over the starting grid. It’s not like a majority of previous winners are all starting in the first four rows.

I actually like that the Toyota camp didn’t qualify well. They’re certainly in the minority of this race and they can work together to move up through the field. We need some big position differential plays to hit and Bell certainly fits the bill. In Bell’s last seven races here, he’s finished fourth or better three times with a win. In the other four race he finished outside the top 20. But he’s qualified outside the top 20 in six straight Atlanta races so he’s always presenting himself as a good play for our NASCAR DFS picks.

Joey Logano (Starting P2) – DraftKings: $9,300 | FanDuel: $13,000

It feels like we are getting a discount on DraftKings with Logano but for a race like this, we’re likely leaving money on the table anyway, so it doesn’t matter too much. Logano’s not having a good year, but he thrives in these races and you can never count him out. Despite averaging just 22 fantasy points per race on DraftKings this year, there’s obviously a reason he’s priced over $9,000 on DK and he’s the third-most expensive driver on FanDuel.

He’s won twice at Atlanta since they re-configured the track. And while we don’t try and emphasize dominator points for a race like this, Logano stills finds his way to the front. In the nine races at new Atlanta, he’s averaging about 40 laps led per race. And that number is certainly inflated a bit because in three of those races he’s led over 50 laps. And in two of them he’s led over 80. But he does tend to qualify very well on these tracks, and he tends to keep his position the front to be in position late in the race.

Does he always finish well? No but that’s the nature of this style of racing. If he does win or even finish top five or top 10, then we’re likely getting a good score if he can once again get to the front and lead laps under a long green flag run as the field just tries to avoid wrecking or making an aggressive move until stage three.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks: Mid-Tier Drivers

Carson Hocevar (Starting P14) – DraftKings: $8,700 | FanDuel: $9,000

I’m skipping over Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin. They’re fine plays but pretty much every Toyota car is going to make the driver pool below so I don’t want to keep saying “we’re looking at PD here.” Instead I’d rather go with Hocevar who has shown he has the ability to navigate these races and move up.

Hocevar has five Cup Series races under his belt with Spire Motorsports at Atlanta. He’s finished top 10 here in each of the last three races including a runner-up finish in February 2025. Even a few months ago he started P15 and finished fourth. But Hocevar has also gained 10+ spots of position differential in all five of his Atlanta appearances. And from this starting spot, he’ll grab some ownership, but it won’t be as aggressive as the drivers starting deeper in the field.

We also know he got the win at Talladega earlier in the year and he finished sixth in both Dega races in 2025. So he’s really upped his game for this type of racing and he’s certainly a driver that can win this race.

Austin Cindric (Starting P8) – DraftKings: $8,200 | FanDuel: $10,000

When you think of potential dominators for a track like this, you obviously consider the two drivers starting on the front row: Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano. But the other Penske driver that is capable of getting to the front of this race is Austin Cindric. The bad news? Cindric’s wrecked in three straight Atlanta races. Prior to that he did have a five-race stretch where he finished 12th or better.

Cindric’s an appealing option because, while it’s difficult to predict who will lead laps, Cindric has led 10+ laps in six straight races at this track. In three of those races, he led 20+ laps. And in his last seven races at Atlanta, he’s won five stages and finished as the runner-up in three more. The point I’m trying to make is that he puts himself in position to contend for a win.

The thing that’s out of our control is the push and aggression of other drivers as the laps wind down. Everyone makes a move to the front in an effort to win and that’s clearly gotten the best of Cindric at this track. But he’s a winner at both Daytona and Talladega and this is a track he can win at.

Bubba Wallace (Starting P22) – DraftKings: $7,900 | FanDuel: $8,000

We naturally upgrade Bubba Wallace at a track like Atlanta, but this is a rare instance where Bubba may not be the slam dunk he appears to be. Yes, alongside his Toyota teammates, he’ll start in the middle of the field and offer position differential for our NASCAR DFS lineups. Bubba’s a previous winner at Talladega and he’s always in contention at Daytona.

But the results at Atlanta have just been okay. He’s strangely also performed better in the first Atlanta race each season, but I won’t read too much into that. For example, this past Spring he led 46 laps and finished eighth. In the spring races in 2024 and 2025 he also finished top 10. But in the last three Summer races at Atlanta, he’s finished outside the top 20.

It’s a bit fascinating but not a huge reason to fade Bubba. He deserves to be upgraded at any drafting track for our NASCAR DFS picks and Sunday night is no different.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Starting P15) – DraftKings: $7,700 | FanDuel: $5,200

Stenhouse is a driver with solid track history at the new configuration of Atlanta. But, you know, that’s if he finishes the race. He did wreck in the first Atlanta race this year and he didn’t finish either race back in 2022. However, from 2023-2025, he had an average starting spot of 30.1 and an average finish of 9.6 across six Atlanta races. 

For Sunday night’s race he doesn’t offer as much PD upside as he did in the past but there’s still a chance he finishes in the top five. Stenhouse thrives in this kind of racing. He’s won twice at both Daytona and Talladega, but there’s obviously the reality he could wreck as well. But he still has a similar outlook to Carson Hocevar. There’s a little win juice with this play that may get overlooked. It’s certainly easy to stack the expensive PD chalk with the value PD chalk for this race.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks: Value Drivers

Zane Smith (Starting P34) – DraftKings: $6,800 | FanDuel: $6,200

Zane Smith has had plenty of success with this style of racing throughout his career. He’s won a couple drafting races at Daytona in the Truck Series. And in the last three races at Atlanta at the Cup Series level, he’s finished 11th or better in all three. And in those races he started with much better track position so he wasn’t exactly in the player pool. For Sunday night’s race he rolls off P34 so he’s a phenomenal upside play for our NASCAR DFS picks.

Earlier this year for the Daytona 500, Zane started P30 and finished sixth. In four-of-six Cup Series races at Daytona he’s finished 13th or better. We also saw him grab a top five at Talladega in April after he started P30. He’s shown he can survive through attrition and score well so he’s certainly a driver that qualifies for cash and GPP contests for our NASCAR DFS picks.

Austin Hill (Staring P30) – DraftKings: $6,600 | FanDuel: $4,800

Austin Hill’s been talked about quite a bit heading into this weekend in the wake of his recent on-track issues with Shane Van Gisbergen. SVG seems willing to move past everything. Hill isn’t quite there yet. But I do believe that Hill understands this isn’t the track nor the style of racing to get revenge. You do that on a road course or a shorter track at less speed.

Hill is a talented drafter. He may not stick in the Cup Series, but he’s had great success at drafting tracks in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Hill’s won five-of-nine O’Reilly races at this track. He’s won four-of-ten Daytona races. He swept the Talladega races in 2025. The kid’s a natural talent for this kind of racing.

For Sunday’s race he’s going to be trendy. Everyone knows how good he is with this racing in the lower series even if it hasn’t quite translated to similar success in the Cup Series. But given where he starts, and that this is considered his home track, I want to still include him among our NASCAR DFS picks because he has upside for Sunday night’s race.

AJ Allmendinger (Starting P27) – DraftKings: $5,900 | FanDuel: $6,500

It’s funny that Allmendinger has gone on record in the past saying he hates this style of racing and yet he’s actually pretty good at it. In five Cup Series races at this version of Atlanta, Allmendinger’s worst finish is 16th. And typically, he’s qualified better than where he’ll start Sunday night, so he’s a great value for our NASCAR DFS picks.

Dinger’s actually having a pretty good season all things considered. Kaulig Racing doesn’t have the full support from Chevy like other teams do because Kaulig has made it known they’ll eventually become the primary team for Dodge. But this is the type of race where the playing field is level. While I don’t think Dinger has a great chance to win, I can’t rule it out. But a top 15 finish is a bit more reasonable and that would score very well from where he’s starting.

The Last Two Rows

In the last two rows, we get four of the six cheapest drivers: Noah Gragson, Code Ware, BJ McLeod, and Chad Finchum. You can even expand this brief write-up to include Cole Custer who starts P33. There’s a fair chance one or two of these drivers score 40+ fantasy points on DraftKings. That’s the nature of the beast with these races. Even drivers who are having a bad year or are uncompetitive in most races have a chance to grab a top 10 or top 20 in a race like this. Remember, we’re aiming to leave a little money on the table. These drivers certainly help us do that while offering a great floor and ceiling because of their starting spots.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Optimizer & Lineups Picks This Week

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