NASCAR DFS Picks for the Daytona 500

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 Daytona 500 best bets earlier this week.

With all of this in mind, let's preview this weekend's Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway from the perspective of playing daily fantasy NASCAR on FanDuel.

Best NASCAR DFS Plays for Daytona

Potential Winners

Kyle Busch ($13,000)

Kyle Busch is the most accomplished driver in the field without a Daytona 500 win. Could we get another "20 years of trying" moment on Sunday?

Entering his 20th start in the Daytona 500, Busch seems to be getting closer and closer each year to ending the drought. He led in overtime in 2023 before a late wreck, and in 2024, Busch led 12 laps before getting shuffled late to finish 12th.

Either way, his average finish (9.3) is the best among drivers with multiple starts since the start of 2022. That includes a runner-up in last August's event.

Not only is Rowdy among the favorites in FanDuel's Daytona 500 odds (+1300), but he'll start 21st on the grid. In DFS, that allows him access to plenty of place-differential points, as well.

Brad Keselowski ($12,000)

When Busch eventually walks away, Brad Keselowski will be the most credentialed driver to not win a Daytona 500 if he doesn't get one first.

Kes actually has a win in the fall race at Daytona in addition to five triumphs at Talladega, NASCAR's other full-sized superspeedway. He's currently riding a streak of four top-eight finishes in the last six points-paying events between Daytona and Talladega.

There's no doubt "Bad Brad" can get it done on a drafting oval. He's just had rotten luck in "The Great American Race", which carried over into Thursday's qualifying race. An accident has dropped Keselowski to 34th on the starting grid.

That's awesome news in DFS. Even starting there, Keselowski has the sixth-best odds to win the 500 (+1700). He'll undoubtedly be Sunday's highest fantasy scorer if this is his year.

Mid-Range Threats

Kyle Larson ($10,000)

Despite being one of the most talented drivers to ever step foot in NASCAR, Kyle Larson hasn't been able to find victory circle at a drafting oval.

The 2021 Cup Series Champion has just 2 career top-five finishes over 41 starts in point races between Daytona and Talladega. If you're looking for the upside, one of them came in the most recent start last October at 'Dega. Is a streak building?

There's an element of luck to superspeedway racing that just hasn't gone Larson's way. He's also started way too close to the front in this race historically because his team, Hendrick Motorsports, has won 8 of the last 11 poles for the 500.

A speeding penalty in Thursday's qualifying race changed that. Larson starts 22nd, allowing for upside to pass in a Chevy we know is always going to be quick if he can avoid "The Big One".

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($8,000)

Most drivers aren't thinking playoffs in this special season opener. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has to be.

Stenhouse is down on speed most weeks, but he's unbelievable at drafting ovals. He's posted 4 wins and 11 top-five finishes over 48 starts, including a victory last fall at Talladega. He won the 2023 running of the Daytona 500 after Busch's wreck in overtime.

In both of those recent wins, Stenhouse Jr. started 31st or worse. His 31st-place starting spot might be daunting for others, but it's good luck for the #47 at this point.

Not many guys would be chosen above Stenhouse to pilot a car in Sunday's field, and he's shown he can win this race with Hyak Motorsports already.

Others to Consider

Christopher Bell ($8,800)

Despite iffy superspeedway form himself, Bell's teammates include three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin and polesitter Chase Briscoe. He can score a great finish starting 20th by working in tandem with either.

Value Plays

Martin Truex Jr. ($6,200)

Yes, we did say goodbye to Martin Truex Jr. on a full-time basis at the end of last season. This one-off shot at a first Daytona 500 win was always in the cards, though.

MTJ has posted 12 top-five finishes in 79 career appearances between Daytona and Talladega -- most notably as second by a nose in the 2016 edition. It wasn't his strongest track type, but he's capable.

That's especially the case since his #56 this weekend, though listed from TRICON Garage, is a Joe Gibbs Racing-prepared machine. That means we'll probably see him working with Hamlin, Bell, Briscoe, and Ty Gibbs plenty on Sunday.

Truex Jr. earned a speed provisional in Wednesday's time trials, so he took it easy in Thursday's qualifying race to not tear up his equipment. That's great news for us as he starts 39th on the grid. He's got a rock-solid floor in DFS and could still win the thing (+4800 odds on FanDuel).

Justin Haley ($5,500)

Spire Motorsports invested heavily in drafting ovals and road courses this offseason by bringing in a couple of talented guys on both: Justin Haley and Michael McDowell.

We'll focus on the ovals for Sunday. Both are former Daytona winners, and this equipment has proven to contend at recent superspeedways. Corey Lajoie piloted the #7 to three top-10 finishes at Daytona and Talladega between 2021 and 2024, and Haley finished seventh in his first try with the team last fall at Talladega.

From a DFS perspective, both are fine plays, but Haley's starting spot (35th) is a much better combination of floor and upside than McDowell's (25th). Stacking the two together -- should they find the front in tandem -- could prove savvy, too.

Haley is a favorite target of Jim Sannes' in Friday's Fresh From Florida 250 best bets for the Truck Series, but don't be surprised if he pops up in Sunday's Daytona 500 best bets, as well.

Others to Consider

Josh Berry ($7,000)

In his first season with Wood Brothers Racing, Berry will start 29th but have the benefit of working with Penske's prolific trio of former Daytona winners: Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Austin Cindric.

Ryan Preece ($6,800)

Stacking Preece with teammate and car owner Brad Keselowski could be a great way to correlate lineups. He's posted 5 top-10 finishes in 20 career starts on superspeedways -- and all of those came in much worse equipment than his RFK Racing machine.

Noah Gragson ($6,000)

Gragson's #4 is now a team car to Front Row Motorsports. Teammate Todd Gilliland led 31 laps in last year's Daytona 500, and Gragson finished 9th in that race for a different team. They're underdogs, but there's minimal risk with the Las Vegas native's 32nd-place starting spot.

New to FanDuel Sportsbook? You’ll receive $150 in Bonus Bets if your first $5+ bet wins! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking to play daily fantasy NASCAR? Check out the FanDuel Daily Fantasy NASCAR contests on FanDuel.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

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.