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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
Last week's NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis was a wild one. It ended with Kyle Larson finally getting his first Cup Series victory of the 2026 season while snapping a 51-race winless streak in the process. The Cup Series now moves on to "The Last Great Colosseum," also known as Bristol Motor Speedway. Bristol is a 0.533-mile short oval track known for its concrete surface. The Cup Series has raced at the site since the early 1960s and has been a mainstay of the Cup schedule, with two race weekends every year.
Bristol is a track known for how tricky it is for drivers to make passes without either a tire advantage or lap traffic slowing their competition down. As a result, this is a track that does favor drivers to remain at the front of the pack and dominators to lead plenty of laps. Every race at Bristol since 2022 has featured at least one, if not multiple, drivers leading over 100 laps. Fantasy players should also be aware that the field has been greatly shuffled around with their starting positions this week, since practice and qualifying were both rained out. Starting positions were set by NASCAR's metric, which factors in points positions and finishing results from last week's race at WWTR. Several notable drivers present big Place Differential opportunities this week, but with no time on track before this race, this race will carry some unpredictability. However, Bristol is a track where plenty of drivers have past experience, and that is what will be relied upon for the DFS projections this week.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 9/19/2026 at 7:30 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
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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.
Our NASCAR Premium Package also comes with exclusive access to Jordan McAbee's DFS/betting picks, projections, and algorithm-predicted finishing order. Jordan's betting track record: 100+ units of profit since 2023, 25% yearly average profit since 2018.
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 1st - DK: $11.5K, FD: $14K
You can fight him, follow him or try to beat him.
The only thing you can't do is underestimate @KyleLarsonRacin. pic.twitter.com/tr2h0O7IVv
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 16, 2026
When a driver says that they "have their swagger back" after winning their first race of the year the week before they head to one of their best tracks, that is a scary thought for the competition. Despite not winning it, the spring race at Bristol, where he led 284 of 500 laps, showcased that even in a "down" season for Larson, the Tennessee track is one where he should never be underestimated for a great performance.
In 20 Cup races at Bristol, Larson has three wins, 14 top-10 finishes, and 2,046 laps led, which is the most of any active driver. Since 2022, Larson has only one race at the site where he placed outside of the top five, and he led over 280+ laps in three of the last four Bristol races.
Repost to congratulate Kyle Larson on his DOMINATING win at Bristol! pic.twitter.com/sYbc85XCHo
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 22, 2024
Considering that Larson starts right at the front of the pack at one of his best tracks, he is likely going to be the top favorite to fight for the win. Fantasy players should expect him to lead plenty of laps and be one of the best anchors for lineups this week.
Ty Gibbs
Starts 13th - DK: $10.4K, FD: $13K
Joe Gibbs Racing has been the top to beat in the last couple of seasons in Bristol Cup races. The team has won four of the last six Cup races at the site, including the last two. Ty Gibbs is the team's most recent winner, when he earned his first career Cup Series win after leading 25 laps and beating out Ryan Blaney.
TY GIBBS IS A NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNER! He holds off Ryan Blaney to get it done at the line. What a finish. pic.twitter.com/xgQEF3HFuo
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 12, 2026
Bristol is one of Gibbs' top tracks, dating back to the lower series. In seven Cup starts at the site, Gibbs has five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 11.0, which is the best of all drivers in the field this week. The No. 54 Toyota driver placed 15th or better in the last six Bristol races, and led multiple laps in four different events in that span.
Based on his starting position for this week's race, Gibbs has solid upside with some of the best equipment in the field. Fantasy players should highly consider Gibbs for all DFS formats as a top play this week. It also helps that he is sporting a tribute paint scheme to one of the most successful drivers ever to race at Bristol, Kyle Busch, complete with his old M&Ms sponsor.
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) September 18, 2026
Chase Briscoe
Starts 26th - DK: $9.9K, FD: $11.5K
The only one of the four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers to not have a Bristol win is Chase Briscoe. Despite that, Bristol is a track where Briscoe has been running well over the past couple of years, even with his prior team, Stewart-Haas Racing.
In eight Cup starts at Bristol, Briscoe has seven finishes of 14th or better, including four top-10s and an average finish of 11.6. Only Larson and Gibbs have a better average finish than Briscoe among the drivers in the field this week. Each of Briscoe's four top-10 finishes came in the last four Cup races at Bristol, and he led 127 laps in last year's September race at the site.
“Last year we led 100+ laps and he was pretty fired up so I couldn’t imagine if we won the race”
Chase Briscoe shares how he handles the pressure of Johnny Morris/Bass Pro Shops sponsoring his car for the Bristol night race + his thoughts on JGR’s M&Ms throwback scheme#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/gmpl2scSZk
— Braking Bob (@BrakingBob) September 18, 2026
Briscoe's starting position for this week's race is towards the back half of the pack. Considering his equipment and overall track history, Briscoe is a great DFS option for all formats, especially with a car that is capable of placing in the top 10.
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Carson Hocevar
Starts 5th - DK: $7.9K, FD: $8.2K
Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar is one to watch for Bristol. He has run well at this track throughout most of his Cup career, and although he has not won, he has been able to earn some respectable finishes.
In six Cup starts at Bristol, Hocevar has four finishes of 11th or better, including each of the last three Cup events at the site. Hocevar also led in two of the last three Bristol races and scored positive PD in four different events at the site.
Carson Hocevar is ninth in the standings at 88 points out of the lead, but don't tell him that. He's still trying to not pay attention to the points: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/t35Hd553WS
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 19, 2026
Based on past results, Hocevar's salary on both sites is a bit underpriced for Bristol this week. He does have a high starting position, which gives him little upside and some risk of losing positions based on PD. However, Hocevar's track history and equipment still make him worth taking a chance on as a top-10 contender and can pay off well, especially in tournaments.
Ryan Preece
Starts 16th - DK: $7K, FD: $7K
RFK Racing is a team that fantasy players will definitely want some exposure to this week. All three of the team's current drivers have solid consistency in terms of top-15 to top-10 finishes at Bristol and are worth consideration this week. Ryan Preece is the cheapest of the three to utilize in DFS, but also has been arguably the most consistent of the three at Bristol in terms of finishes.
In 11 starts in his Cup career at Bristol, Preece has an average finish of 14.8, with six top-15 finishes. Preece's worst finish at the site in his career is 25th, and he has only finished outside of the top 20 twice overall. Notably, he has also posted positive PD in all but one of his Cup starts at Bristol, and the only time he had negative PD was in September 2025, when he finished just one spot behind his starting position.
Although Chris Buescher may have the most upside of the three RFK drivers from starting the farthest back, Preece starts second-furthest back and is still in a position to obtain PD. With his overall consistency in recent races (eight top-20s in the last eight races this season) and equipment, Preece is worth rostering in all formats this week.
Michael McDowell
Starts 21st - DK: $6.4K, FD: $5.2K
Michael McDowell is one of the overall better value options to consider for this week's Cup race at Bristol. The No. 71 Chevrolet driver has been one of the more consistent drivers in Bristol at this tier to finish favorably. However, being aligned with Spire Motorsports, who have made gains in speed this season, makes McDowell an intriguing value option.
In 29 starts at Bristol in the Cup Series, McDowell has 10 top-20 finishes with an overall average finish of 26.3. McDowell's average finish in the last six Bristol races, however, is 14.6, with four top-20 finishes in that span. Most of McDowell's worse finishes in his Cup career at Bristol came earlier in his career, when he ran for teams that were not as strong as Spire.
With NASCAR making changes to the wet-weather tire policy, I wanted to talk to drivers about their crew chiefs having some decision-making power.
Michael McDowell and Joey Logano both explained the role they can play as drivers in the process. pic.twitter.com/mM6s2OGoRW— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) September 18, 2026
McDowell starts in the middle of the pack for this week's race. While he may not carry as much upside as some, he is in better equipment for this race than most. Overall, McDowell is one of the more trustworthy options as a value pick to consider for DFS, especially considering his road racing background would make him perform well in wet weather, should the track become damp during racing conditions.
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