NASCAR DFS Picks: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Lineups for the Eero 400 (2026)

July 5, 2026

Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway(2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.

Happy Fourth of July weekend! With last week's race at Sonoma Raceway ending with Shane Van Gisbergen getting his second victory of the 2026 season, there are no more road course races in the NASCAR Cup Series for the rest of the year. Instead, the Cup Series will return to Chicagoland Speedway for this week's Eero 400, which will be the first Cup event at the site in seven years. Chicagoland is a 1.5-mile Intermediate Tri-Oval track comparable to both Kansas and Charlotte. Tire wear will be a big concern this week, as Chicagoland is a track with an older track surface, which can cause tires to wear out and go flat at a quicker rate than the average track. The tires being used this week have been used at a couple of other tracks this year, including Nashville, Michigan, Pocono, and other 1.5-mile oval tracks.

Despite Chicagoland being a track the Cup Series has not raced on in the current car, the main strategies for DFS will not differ hugely from other 1.5-mile Intermediate ovals like Kansas, Charlotte, Texas, and Las Vegas. This is a race where we can expect some dominators to play a factor in determining winning lineups in DFS, as well as Place Differential. A mix of both types of driver picks is necessary, especially since Chicagoland will have drivers who can move up through the field and make passes, while there is a big clean-air advantage to being at the front, favoring drivers to lead for a while if they make it to first. As always, be sure to diversify lineups with different driver combinations to maximize the chances of cashing out in case of lineup-destroying conditions, such as as tire failures, driver or pit crew mistakes

Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Eero 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 7/5/2026 at 3:30 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.

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

Here is a fun fact: Out of the three active former Chicagoland race winners that are in the field this week, Denny Hamlin is the only one of the three who is still racing for the same team with the same number since the Cup Series stopped visiting the track. Hamlin was not much of a dominator back when Chicagoland was an active part of the NASCAR schedule, but he's become one of the top drivers since.

In 14 Cup races at Chicagoland, Hamlin has one win, seven top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.5. The No. 11 Toyota driver scored five of his top-10s within his last six races at the site. After 18 races so far this year, Hamlin has four wins, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 9.2. He also placed in the top five in all four prior races at 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks this year.

Luck was on @dennyhamlin's side for his pole-winning lap as he caught up with @DanielleTrotta 😆🍀 https://t.co/7SaIMBrGNq pic.twitter.com/dI1WsGXUoz

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) July 4, 2026

In practice for this week's race, Hamlin ranked seventh in five, 10, and 15 consecutive lap averages while ranking fifth in 20 consecutive lap averages. Despite not showing race-winning speeds in practice, Hamlin has been one of the fastest on 1.5-mile ovals this year, and with another pole position acquired, expect the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to dominate and be the guy to beat this week.

Tyler Reddick

Starts 13th - DK: $10.7K, FD: $13.5K

Tyler Reddick is one of many drivers who have never raced at Chicagoland in the Cup Series. However, he did experience the track in the O'Reilly Series, having two starts in 2018 and 2019 with a best finish of ninth. Although Reddick has lost the regular-season points lead after a rough month of June that saw only one top-5 finish, Chicagoland represents a great bounce-back opportunity for the No. 45 Toyota driver.

Tyler Reddick started the month of June with a 97 point lead on Denny Hamlin. By the time it ended, he had lost the points lead for the first time this season. What Reddick had to say today about the last month:

"That's racing. We had a really good start, and we were reminded… pic.twitter.com/pVR6PmE7G1

— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 4, 2026

Through the first 18 Cup races this season, Reddick still leads the Cup Series with five wins, but also has 12 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 9.8. On 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks this season, Reddick has three top-5 finishes, including a win at Kansas. His worst finish at this track type this year is a 13th-place finish at Las Vegas.

In practice for this week's race, Reddick ranked third in five consecutive lap averages and first in 10-25 consecutive lap averages. Due to his top-notch practice speeds and upside provided by his starting position outside of the top 10, Reddick makes for one of the better DFS options available for all formats.

William Byron

Starts 10th - DK: $9.7K, FD: $10K

Hendrick Motorsports has only three Cup Series victories in NASCAR history at Chicagoland. The only former Chicagoland winner from the team who is still active is Alex Bowman, but the team's other three drivers also have Cup experience there. While William Byron has no Chicagoland victories like Bowman or has come close to earning them multiple times like Kyle Larson, he should not be overlooked this week.

In two previous Cup races at Chicagoland, Byron's best finish is eighth from the 2019 event at the site, where he also led nine laps. In 18 Cup races so far this season, Byron has eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.4. He also finished in the top 10 in every single race at 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks this season, with a best finish of third at Las Vegas, where he also led 26 laps.

In practice for this week's race, Byron ranked sixth in five consecutive lap averages, fourth in 10 and 20 consecutive lap averages, and third in 15 consecutive lap averages. Although Byron may not have been competitive for the win in many races this season, his consistency this year and his practice speeds make him a sneaky DFS option for Sunday's race at Chicagoland.

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Bubba Wallace

Starts 8th - DK: $8.5K, FD: $8.5K

Through pre-race events, 23XI Racing was one of the top teams in terms of speed this week. However, only one of the team's four drivers entered for this week's race has ever raced on the track in the Cup Series, the No. 23 Toyota driver, Bubba Wallace. Wallace has been hit-or-miss throughout the year, but Chicagoland is a track where he can be more competitive for a great finish than most.

In two prior races at Chicagoland, Wallace has a best finish of 23rd. However, both of his previous starts at the site were with Richard Petty Motorsports instead of 23XI Racing, whose equipment is closer to race-winning equipment than RPM's. With 18 races completed so far this season, Wallace has eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 17.0. He was also a top-10 finisher at Las Vegas, Kansas, and Texas.

In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked fourth in five and 15 consecutive lap averages, fifth in 10 consecutive lap averages, and seventh in 20 consecutive lap averages. Despite lower upside from his starting position, Wallace has the speed to compete for a top-5 finish and makes for one of the better tournament options available, who can be easily overlooked.

Corey Heim

Starts 28th - DK: $7.5K, FD: $6.8K

San Diego winner Corey Heim is back for his first Cup Series race since his first win at Naval Base Coronado. Heim has never raced at Chicagoland in any NASCAR national series, as he did not make any starts in any of the top three series until 2021, when NASCAR had already stopped racing at the site.

It’s the first #NASCAR race for Corey Heim since his win in San Diego, but he is focused on bettering his oval results. His full response: pic.twitter.com/EkoIjbr1Bc

— Braking Bob (@BrakingBob) July 4, 2026

Heim is on a part-time schedule in the Cup Series for the 2026 season, driving the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing in preparation for his first full-time Cup Series season in 2027. Through six starts this season, Heim has one win and three top-20 finishes, with two of them being at 1.5-mile Intermediate ovals.

In practice for this week's race, Heim ranked among the top five fastest drivers in all categories except for overall lap averages, where he was sixth. Considering how Heim qualified deep in the field but has some of the best equipment out there, DFS players should make Heim one of the first drivers to lock into lineups in all formats.

Ryan Preece

Starts 20th - DK: $6.7K, FD: $6.2K

A couple of drivers were being considered for the last part of this write-up around the same price range, including Zane Smith and last week's winner, Van Gisbergen, both of whom could pop up with a solid result based on other races at 1.5-mile Intermediate ovals this year. However, Ryan Preece of RFK Racing could be the most overlooked driver of the three, especially with favorable results that should not be ignored.

Preece had one single Cup start at Chicagoland in 2019 while driving for JTG Daugherty Racing. He started 22nd and went on to finish 28th, but he climbed into better equipment since the Cup Series stopped racing at Chicagoland. In the first 18 races this year, Preece has 13 top-20 finishes, including top-15s at Las Vegas, Kansas, and Texas.

In practice for this week's race, Preece ranked 10th in five consecutive lap averages, 13th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and 15th in 15 consecutive lap averages. With his practice speeds indicating that he has a car capable of competing for a top-10 finish, he is a great DFS option who can provide results while saving a bit of salary.

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