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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
After taking off for the first of two weekends off for the 2026 season, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the Last Great Coliseum. It's Bristol Motor Speedway, baby! Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Food City 500 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 4/12/2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
Bristol is one of NASCAR's shortest tracks on the Cup Series schedule. It is a 0.533-mile concrete oval with 24 to 28 degrees of banking in each pair of turns on the track. Races at Bristol are known for having a small number of recommended passing lanes and plenty of close-quarters racing. Sometimes, the only way for drivers to make up positions at Bristol is to move others out of the way, but it also increases the chances for accidents to occur. This week's race will be 500 laps, which is among the highest lap counts of all Cup Series races for the year.
Unlike the past few seasons, where the intermediate rules package was used, this week's race at Bristol will use the new modified short-track/road course rules package, which includes 750 horsepower. Goodyear will also introduce brand-new tires for this week's race in the hopes that tire wear will be balanced for further short-track racing. Despite the unknown conditions of the rules package and tire changes, the general DFS strategy largely remains the same. For DFS lineups, it is important to nail the correct dominator drivers to anchor lineups. With the extremely high lap count and Bristol having a history of drivers who can lead for long periods of time, fantasy players who do not have the top dominators of the race will not cash out this week. As for the rest of a lineup, it is all about picking drivers who can maintain positions and survive until the end, especially as Bristol can be known for crashes and mistakes being very costly for DFS.
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DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Once you've read this article, be sure also to check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles to help you set your optimal DFS lineups. You should also check out our NASCAR DFS lineup tools for the ultimate combination of DFS resources to help you win big, including our Lineup Optimizer, DFS Cheat Sheet, Research Station, and more.
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Disclaimer: All the drivers presented as picks for this week's race are meant to be some of my top DFS recommendations of the week. They are not originally intended to fit all into one lineup.
Kyle Larson
Starts 8th - DK: $11.5K, FD: $14K
One of the biggest storylines of the weekend has been about the defending Cup Series champion and his 31-race winless streak heading to one of his best statistical tracks at Bristol. Kyle Larson's current winless streak is his longest since he joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, but Bristol represents a get-right opportunity for the No. 5 Chevrolet driver.
In 19 Cup starts at Bristol, Larson has three wins, 13 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 11.6 (third-best of active drivers), and 1,762 laps led (second-most of active drivers). Outside of last Fall's race at Bristol, Larson placed in the top five in every Bristol Cup start since the 2021 season. He also led over 400 laps each in two of his last three Bristol Cup starts. Larson also placed second, but led over 220 laps in the O'Reilly Series race at Bristol earlier in the weekend.
A P2 finish for @KyleLarsonRacin after leading for most of the race at Bristol. pic.twitter.com/lX3rLi7BM9
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) April 12, 2026
In practice for Sunday's race at Bristol, Larson ranked ninth in overall lap averages, third in 25 consecutive lap averages, and second in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although Larson has not looked dominant in any races this season, expect him to be competitive this week based on track history, practice speeds, and overall equipment.
Ryan Blaney
Starts 1st - DK: $10.7K, FD: $13K
Team Penske is always a team to watch when it comes to the shorter ovals in the Cup Series. The 2023 Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney, is also a notable threat on short tracks, with three Cup wins at the track type in his career. None of those victories came at Bristol before, but it is a track where his results have been increasingly more consistent and closer to the front every time.
In 18 Cup starts at Bristol, the No. 12 Ford driver has eight top-10 finishes, including each of the last three races at the site. Blaney also led in three of the last four Cup events at Bristol, and he matched his career-best finish at the Last Great Coliseum in his last appearance (fourth). In the 2026 regular season standings, Blaney sits second in points and is the only Penske driver to have won a race this year.
He had his hands full, but it paid off for @Blaney. pic.twitter.com/HUTXEMujKH
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) April 11, 2026
In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked eighth in overall lap averages and first in 15-30 consecutive lap averages. At Bristol, it usually pays out for DFS to have the driver that starts right at the front, like Blaney, who displayed fast practice speeds and favorable recent results. Expect the No. 12 Ford driver to lead laps from the beginning and compete for the win.
Ty Gibbs
Starts 5th - DK: $9.5K, FD: $12K
With 130 starts completed in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ty Gibbs has yet to become a winner. It is not through a lack of effort that he has not won a race, as Bristol is a track where Gibbs has come close before. The No. 54 Toyota driver has been hot and consistent with five straight finishes of sixth or better heading into this week's race this year.
Most laps led at Bristol in the NextGen era:
Kyle Larson - 946
Ty Gibbs - 440
Christopher Bell - 371
Denny Hamlin - 308
Chris Buescher - 187
Brad Keselowski - 143
Chase Briscoe - 127
Ryan Blaney - 101 pic.twitter.com/khsu223XKL— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) April 9, 2026
In six Cup Series races at Bristol, Gibbs has four finishes inside the top 10 and an average finish of 12.8. Three of the last five Bristol races have seen Gibbs lead over 100 laps, and he won at least one of the stages in two of the last four. Gibbs currently sits sixth in the regular-season standings after seven races this year.
In practice for this week's race, Gibbs ranked 21st in overall lap averages and ranked as high as 12th in 25 consecutive lap averages. Although he does not carry much upside since he starts inside the top five, he is a driver who has been consistent lately at one of his best statistical tracks. Fantasy players should consider Gibbs a sneaky option favored for tournament lineups.
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Brad Keselowski
Starts 21st - DK: $8.7K, FD: $10K
RFK Racing's Brad Keselowski has seen his fair share of success at Bristol in the past. His overall history at the site is extensive and has been mixed, but is generally favorable. However, the No. 6 Ford driver has been one of the most consistent performers of the season as he sits seventh in the regular-season standings with three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 11.6 as the Cup Series heads to Bristol.
In 29 Bristol Cup starts, Keselowski has three wins, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.7. Keselowski is also one of four active drivers with over 1,000 laps led in their Cup career at Bristol. The longtime veteran led 33 laps in his last race at Bristol, where he finished as the runner-up after starting 18th.
In practice, Keselowski ranked 28th in overall lap averages. Despite underwhelming practice speeds, Bristol is a track where Keselowski more often than not has scored positive Place Differential in almost all of the races at the site since 2022. Considering his overall favorable consistency and extensive track experience, he is a driver who has upside that should not be underestimated.
Ryan Preece
Starts 17th - DK: $7.5K, FD: $7.8K
Another driver whose skill set excels at shorter ovals is RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece. Although his history at Bristol in particular is not as strong as some of the other short tracks like Martinsville, he is still solid enough to the point where he is slightly underpriced on both sites this week.
In 10 Cup starts at Bristol, Preece has eight top-20 finishes with an average finish of 15.5. The No. 60 Ford driver has been excellent in terms of gaining positive PD at Bristol, as he finished ahead of his starting position in nine different Cup events. This season, after seven races, Preece sits 13th in the regular-season standings with six top-20 finishes and an average finish of 14.4.
Drivers with a career-best average finish through seven races in 2026:
Tyler Reddick - 5.71 (prev: 12.86)
Ryan Preece - 14.43 (prev: 16.71)
Shane van Gisbergen - 15.71 (prev: 27.57)
Bubba Wallace - 16.29 (prev: 16.86)
Carson Hocevar - 16.57 (prev: 23.57) pic.twitter.com/bd7uJpNCnk— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) April 1, 2026
In practice, Preece ranked 19th in overall lap averages and displayed top-15 speeds in the 15-25 consecutive lap average categories. With equipment capable of competing for a top-10 finish and an overall great history of gaining positive PD at Bristol, Preece is a driver who can pay off for DFS lineups this week.
Michael McDowell
Starts 19th - DK: $6.5K, FD: $4.5K
One of the more underrated value options for this week's race is Spire Motorsports driver Michael McDowell. While Bristol is a track where he struggled earlier on in his career, more recent races have seen improved results by McDowell that are noteworthy.
In 28 Cup starts at Bristol, McDowell has 10 top-20 finishes. Eight of those top-20s were obtained in his last 10 Cup appearances at the Last Great Coliseum, including four finishes of 11th or higher in the last six Cup events at the site. Currently, McDowell sits 17th in the regular-season standings with five top-20 finishes and an average finish of 17.1 after seven Cup races this season.
In practice for this week's race, McDowell ranked 22nd in overall lap averages, but flashed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Fantasy players should not ignore McDowell as one of the few value options who can score a highly favorable finish, especially on FanDuel, where his salary is incredibly cheap.
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