FanDuel NASCAR DFS Picks for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte

If you are looking for an action-packed way to consume sports on the weekend, NASCAR may be a great avenue to explore. Far from just driving in circles, some of the world's best compete nearly every weekend from February to November on tracks across America.

NASCAR drivers are scored ultimately based on how they finish in the race, how many spots they advance from their starting position, and how many laps they finish and lead. Avoiding drivers who crash out of the race is a must, though!

FanDuel Research is always your home for fantasy NASCAR advice. In addition to this helper, Jim Sannes has put forth his Coca-Cola 600 best bets earlier this week.

With all of this in mind, let's preview this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway from the perspective of playing daily fantasy NASCAR on FanDuel.

Best NASCAR DFS Plays for the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte

Potential Lap-Leaders

Kyle Larson ($14,000)

Kyle Larson's attempt at the Indy 500-Coke 600 double is one of the largest stories in racing this weekend, but it might be the only argument against him here.

In terms of raw speed ranking, Larson had the fastest car at all three 1.5-mile race tracks in 2025. Of course, he's got 12 wins on 1.5-mile tracks dating back to the start of 2021, which is the most of any driver on the circuit.

Frankly, I was concerned about Larson after mediocre practice times, but he stepped up to qualify 2nd and have immediate access to the lead. There are shenanigans that could be on the horizon if Larson's trip to Indy doesn't go smoothly, but he's a favorite to lead a ton of Sunday's race if he arrives in a timely manner.

Tyler Reddick ($12,500)

Behind Larson, a clear-cut second challenger isn't truly present.

Tyler Reddick was stuck in the slower practice session as Charlotte baked in Saturday's sunlight, but he still impressed for the fifth-ranked overall time and ninth-ranked 10-lap average. It wasn't all smooth sailing, though, as he popped the wall in qualifying to slip to 12th on the grid.

Reddick's average finish at Charlotte since the start of 2022 (5.0) is best among all drivers, and he's led 47 laps across the three oval starts in that time frame.

The Saturday broadcast was convinced that Penske contenders, like Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano, are down on speed directly as a result of organizational firings earlier this week. It's between Denny Hamlin, who has disappointed in all three 1.5-mile races this year, and Tyler Reddick for the next-best challenger to Larson.

Others to Consider

• Denny Hamlin ($13,500)

Mid-Range Threats

Kyle Busch ($10,000)

Saturday wasn't smooth for Kyle Busch.

On the week he extended his contract at RCR, Busch's RCR Chevrolet suffered another blow to an unlucky 2025. His steering column was broken and prevented any practice action. Admittedly, it was impressive he actually managed a 24th-place starting spot given he went into the time trial totally cold.

That poor starting spot is still a huge plus in fantasy.

There still seems to be momentum building for No. 8. He had a top-15 speed ranking at both Texas and Kansas, and Busch was running third before hitting a bump and backing it into the fence at Texas.

I tend to favor veteran drivers in this 600-mile war of attrition, and Busch has 8 top-10 finishes in last 10 starts on the Charlotte oval.

Ross Chastain ($9,000)

Ross Chastain's team paid dearly for pushing the limit in practice.

Leaving his tire pressures low to make speed, Chastain blew a left-rear tire and smacked the wall. Without the ability to qualify, he'll start dead last (40th) in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600.

There's plenty of time to make up the deficit, and they're probably okay to bump the air pressures up and still be competitive. Chastain had the fastest 10-lap and 15-lap average in Saturday's practice session, and the Florida driver is notorious for ripping the wall, which seems required this weekend.

Though his finish hasn't always matched his speed in this race, Chastain's 163 laps led in the past three Coke 600s are second only to Blaney (165).

Others to Consider

• William Byron ($11,500)
• Ty Gibbs ($9,500)
• Alex Bowman ($8,500)

Value Plays

Brad Keselowski ($7,500)

At just $7,500, it's totally fair to consider Brad Keselowski an outright favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600.

The 2020 Coca-Cola 600 winner was last year's runner-up, and he's peaking at the right time entering this year's race. He was 2nd when a tire popped at Kansas, but a 10th-place raw speed ranking at Charlotte's sister track shows his competitiveness far more than a 37th-place finish.

Sunday's race will be decided on the long run, and while Kes' single-lap speed was poor in qualifying (35th), he was 4th over a 10-lap average in practice and topped the 25-lap charts.

There's minimal risk at this salary for a car that profiles to advance in the field quickly. I can't imagine leaving him behind in cash games.

Carson Hocevar ($6,800)

Considering he topped practice charts on a single-lap basis, I thought Carson Hocevar would be a contender for the pole.

He was. But, coming off turn four, Hocevar spun out and ruined his time trial. He'll only start in front of Chastain's non-attempt with the 39th position on Sunday as a result.

Like Keselowski, here's a dark horse to win the race, though. Hocevar's top-six efforts on the 10-lap and 20-lap averages in practice were not new. He's got the field's 12th-best raw speed ranking at the three 1.5-mile tracks this year.

His teammates Justin Haley (13th) and Michael McDowell (15th) are starting uncomfortably close to the front for NASCAR's longest night. Hocevar will be popular, but his speed has consistently topped even Keselowski from this salary tier.

Others to Consider

• Bubba Wallace ($7,800)
• Ryan Preece ($6,500)
• Conor Zilisch ($6,000)
• Erik Jones ($5,200)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.