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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
The longest race of the season last week, the Coca-Cola 600, ended a bit early before the scheduled distance, leaving Daniel Suarez with his first win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. NASCAR now heads to the music city of Nashville, Tennessee, for this week's Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway! Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Cracker Barrel 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 5/31/2026 at 7:00 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
Nashville is a unique 1.330-mile Intermediate oval track that is known for being one of the few tracks in the Cup Series raced on a concrete surface, rather than an asphalt surface. The Cup Series has been racing at Nashville since the 2021 season, but the other series have visited the track on and off since 2001. The concrete surface and limited recommended passing lanes at Nashville make it challenging for drivers to make passes at the track and raise tire management concerns. There have been a total of five unique winners in five Cup Series races at Nashville.
For fantasy players who are playing DFS in Nashville, the winning strategy for lineups involves having a balanced lineup between picking likely dominators/lap leaders and Place Differential upside-focused plays. It's important to have drivers who lead laps and compete for the win, which emphasizes picking drivers starting at the front, considering the challenge of passing at Nashville. However, with qualifying canceled due to rain, there are a couple of solid opportunities for drivers to gain points for lineups due to PD upside, as starting positions have shuffled some top drivers and respectable mid-tier options towards the back to start. Fantasy players who have the right combo of dominators and upside will be all set to cash out in DFS for this week's race.
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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.
Denny Hamlin
Starts 1st - DK: $11K, FD: $14K
Anyone who intends to win the Cracker Barrel 400 will likely need to go through Denny Hamlin. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota has been strong at races with the 1.5-mile Intermediate rules package (which Nashville also uses this week) this season, including top-5s and multiple laps led at Charlotte, Texas, Kansas, and a win at Las Vegas. He also won the All-Star race at Dover, which is also run on concrete.
In five Cup races at Nashville, Hamlin has three top-10 finishes with an average finish of 9.0. Nobody in the Cup Series led more laps than Hamlin at Nashville (344), which he gained through the four previous Cup events at the site. Hamlin's best finish at Nashville is third, which he obtained in 2023 and 2025.
In practice for this week's race, Hamlin ranked ninth in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds among most categories, including third in 30 consecutive lap averages. Considering Hamlin's track history, practice speeds, and performances this season, he is one of the top DFS choices worth consideration.
Christopher Bell
Starts 4th - DK: $10.2K, FD: $12K
Toyota has been shut out from winning at Nashville in the five races the Cup Series has run so far. This week, however, there are a number of Toyota drivers who have been strong and displayed plenty of speed to change that statistic. Christopher Bell is one of those drivers with a solid chance of being able to potentially take the win this week.
In five Cup starts at Nashville, Bell has four top-10 finishes with an average finish of 14.0. Bell's one other finish where he failed to finish inside the top 10 was his most dominant outing, where he led 131 laps, won the first two stages, and then fell late due to an accident. The No. 20 Toyota driver is one of only three in the field with at least four top-10s at Nashville.
While qualifying was axed due to weather delays, #NASCAR was able to put together a 45-minute combined practice session for the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville Superspeedway. Christopher Bell topped the speed charts by 0.022 seconds over Ross Chastain. pic.twitter.com/OkbJVU2yIn
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) May 30, 2026
In practice for this week's Cup race, Bell ranked first in overall and five consecutive lap averages, and displayed top-5 speeds in the 10-20 consecutive lap categories. Do not underestimate the no. 20 this week, as this race is a strong candidate for Bell to get his first win of the 2026 season.
Chase Briscoe
Starts 31st - DK: $9.7K, FD: $11.5K
At this point, is a Joe Gibbs Racing team stack worth consideration? There is a really compelling case to do so this week, especially when the team has a couple of race-winning contenders, and then there's Chase Briscoe, who looks to be the prime upside play of the week for DFS.
In five Cup starts at Nashville, Briscoe's best finish is 17th, and he never scored positive PD in his Cup career at the site. However, he did also lead 51 laps in last year's Nashville Cup race and was third at the end of the first stage. Similar to the theme of his 2026 season, luck has not always been at Briscoe's side despite showing some flashes of speed.
Chase Briscoe says the hot temperatures should lead to better racing for the fans.
"The hotter it is, the slicker it is and generally the better the racing we see," he tells @HeatherDeBeaux. "There's no rubber on the track, so I don't know what to expect right away."
— PRN (@PRNlive) May 30, 2026
In practice, Briscoe displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories, including fourth in 25 and 30 consecutive lap averages. Briscoe has enormous upside this week, and even if he falls short of finishing in the top 10, he is likely to be one of the top DFS scorers of the week, especially as he has the equipment to capitalize on positions this week.
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Ross Chastain
Starts 35th - DK: $8.1K, FD: $8K
There have not been many opportunities to mention Ross Chastain as a capable DFS option for races this season. That is especially the case since the team has barely displayed any flashes of race-winning speed this season, unlike in years past. However, Chastain is facing one of his best statistical tracks, and thanks to the weather over the weekend, he now looks to be a strong DFS option.
In five Cup starts at Nashville, Chastain has one win and three top-10 finishes with an average finish of 10.4. The No. 1 Chevrolet driver also led in three of his five appearances at the site, and never previously started outside of the top 20 before this week's race. Chastain finished 11th in last year's race at Nashville.
Ross Chastain was asked what the new Chevy body has felt like to work with, "You ever see those videos where they grease up a watermelon and throw it in the air? That's what it feels like."
Chastain said the car is more unpredictable in spots than before. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/OjWFmJLuHL
— Jonathan Fjeld (@Jonathan_Fjeld) May 30, 2026
In practice for Sunday's Cup race at Nashville, Chastain ranked fourth in overall lap averages, but was first in 15-25 consecutive lap averages. Considering his high upside, overall great track history, and equipment, Chastain is worth rostering in all DFS formats and is likely to get a great finish this week.
Austin Cindric
Starts 36th - DK: $6.9K, FD: $7.5K
If there is one team that has shown some great success before at Nashville, it's Team Penske. Penske has two wins at Nashville in the Cup Series with Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney. While those two have a chance to remain DFS options to consider, it's the team's third driver, Austin Cindric, who should not be overlooked for DFS this week.
In four Cup starts at Nashville, Cindric has three top-20 finishes, including a top-10 finish of seventh in 2022. The No. 2 Ford driver led two laps in last year's Cup race at Nashville and has an average finish of 16.8.
In practice for this week's race, Cindric ranked seventh in overall lap averages and displayed top-15 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories. Considering his equipment and upside, Cindric is one of the better overall options to consider rostering in DFS for this week.
Connor Zilisch
Starts 38th - DK: $6.4K, FD: $3.8K
For those who want a value DFS option and are willing to take a chance, Connor Zilisch is an interesting name to consider. The Cup Series rookie has never raced in a Cup car at Nashville and barely has any experience in NASCAR at this track. That being said, Zilisch is one to watch this week.
In his only O'Reilly Series start at Nashville back in 2025, Zilisch led 18 laps and competed for the win. He ultimately ended up in second to Justin Allgaier, but ran inside the top 10 all day. Through the first 13 races in this Cup season, Zilisch has four top-20 finishes, but he also notably finished in fifth during the All-Star race at Dover, which is another track with a concrete surface.
In practice, Zilisch ranked eighth in overall lap averages and 15th in 15 consecutive lap averages. With his starting position being towards the rear, Zilisch has incredibly high upside with equipment that is capable of placing in the top 20. Although he is a bit of a risk due to inexperience, his salary is low enough that he is worth taking a chance on this week.
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