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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Coca-Cola 600. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Coca-Cola 600 (2025).
As part of the biggest weekend of the year for motorsports, the NASCAR Cup Series will hold its crown jewel event, the Coca-Cola 600, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Traditionally held during Memorial Day weekend with two other notable motorsports events, IndyCar's Indianapolis 500 and F1's Monaco Grand Prix, the Coca-Cola 600 is the longest NASCAR race of the season and the only race in this series to be 600 miles long.
This race will be a true test of endurance for drivers and their teams, especially as the track conditions at Charlotte will change. The teams that keep up with the track conditions the best will be the ones in contention to win this week. Keep that in mind when factoring in which drivers may be worth rostering for this week's race, in addition to picking the right dominators and picks with Place Differential upside.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Coca-Cola 600 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 5/25/2025 at 6:00 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.
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.
William Byron
Starts 3rd - DK: $10.5K, FD: $11.5K
It's difficult not to immediately mention Kyle Larson (DK: $11.5K | FD: $14K) to lead off the driver picks for the Coca-Cola 600, considering no driver has been better on 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks like Charlotte this season. However, one notable thing about Larson to remember this week: he's doing the Memorial Day double by running both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. That is 1,100 miles of racing between two of the biggest racing series in the world, and it is challenging to accomplish, as only one driver has successfully finished both races on the lead lap. The Coca-Cola 600 is the second leg of the double, meaning Larson may not perform at his best for Charlotte, with Indy likely to affect his mental and physical ability.
So, rolling with his teammate William Byron is a better option to consider as a top-priced option capable of dominating on Sunday. Byron is also cheaper than Larson on both sites and, believe it or not, has a better track record than Larson at Charlotte in the Next-Gen car. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver led in the last three Coca-Cola 600s and is the only Hendrick Motorsports driver to score a top-5 in the Next-Gen car, doing so over the previous two Cup events at Charlotte.
In practice, Byron displayed top-10 speeds in the single, five, 10, and overall consecutive lap average categories, meaning his car is likely to be fast and compete for the lead right from the jump. He also participated in a track test at Charlotte earlier in the year, and he did win the Xfinity Series race at the site during this weekend.
"It's fun to be back in victory lane."
Post-race comments from @WilliamByron. pic.twitter.com/M4cXbhilmS
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) May 24, 2025
Keep an eye on Larson's status at Indy as he may be the top dominator option if he does not finish the Indy 500 for whatever reason, but either way, Byron is a great alternative capable of being a factor for the win.
Ryan Blaney
Starts 21st - DK: $10.2K, FD: $12K
Ryan Blaney is a driver fantasy players should not overlook for this week's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Since 2020, Blaney has been a boom-or-bust driver at the site, with three top-5 finishes, including a win in the six races since that span. He does have two DNFs in the last three Cup events at Charlotte, but he also led in four of the last five.
Through 12 races so far this season, Blaney has five top-5 finishes, including four of the last five Cup events. This also consists of the last two races at 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks, Texas and Kansas. Notably, he also led 124 laps at Homestead, another track of a similar type, before blowing an engine.
Ryan Blaney has been by far the best passer in Cup this season.
On Intermediates and Short Tracks, Blaney has a Green Flag Pass Differential of +131, double that of the next best driver (Denny Hamlin, +66): pic.twitter.com/HrFbxRslLs
— Daniel Céspedes (@_DanielCespedes) May 21, 2025
Although he was ranked 34th in overall lap averages in practice, Blaney has been a strong performer at intermediate tracks and should be one to watch this week. His starting position also offers capable upside, making him easy to consider rostering in all formats.
Ross Chastain
Starts 40th - DK: $9K, FD: $9K
A big theme for this week's race is adjusting a car and improving it in changing track conditions. Ross Chastain's No. 1 Chevrolet team at Trackhouse Racing has been one of the best teams to do that this season. This, among a couple of other factors, makes Chastain one of the top DFS options of the week.
In the first 12 Cup races this season, Chastain has six top-10 finishes, but what is even more impressive is how much PD he has scored this season. He has an average starting position of 23.8 this season and turned it into an average finish of 13.9. That means that, on average, Chastain has gained almost 10 positions through all races this season.
In practice, Chastain had the fastest overall car in all categories except single lap and five consecutive lap averages before he got involved in a crash. As a result, he will go to a backup car and start in last place, but for fantasy purposes, this means that nobody else will have more upside this week.
Trouble strikes in practice for @RossChastain! pic.twitter.com/4EDJnAAYjN
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 24, 2025
This is not even mentioning how he led the second-most laps in the Next-Gen car than Chastain at Charlotte since 2022 (163), and he did finish eighth in last year's Coca-Cola 600. Chastain will be a very popular play for DFS this week, but there are too many things to like about the No. 1 Chevy driver that fantasy players should at least have some lineups featuring him, especially in cash games.
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Bubba Wallace
Starts 32nd - DK: $7.3K, FD: $7.8K
There are a couple of notable options filled with plenty of upside this week. One of those high upside options is Carson Hocevar (DK: $7.2K | FD: $6.8K), who set the fastest single lap in practice, but spun during his qualifying lap to start 39th. Hocevar is worth rostering in all lineups this week, but for the tournament players, it's best to consider similarly priced alternatives, and that is where the focus should be on Bubba Wallace.
Wallace has four finishes of 16th or better in eight Charlotte Cup starts, with his last two at the site being finishes of eighth and 11th. At the 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks this season, Wallace led in two different events at the track type and also finished third at Homestead. In practice for this week's race, Wallace displayed top-10 speeds in the 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories, showcasing how his car is better suited for longer runs.
Qualifying is overrated these days🙃
We will be fine 👊🏾
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) May 24, 2025
Overall, Wallace carries higher upside, has solid equipment, and favorable track history that can make him an underrated DFS option for this week's race.
Ryan Preece
Starts 28th - DK: $7.1K, FD: $6.5K
One driver with the potential to be a pleasant surprise as a DFS pick is Ryan Preece. In seven Charlotte Cup starts, the No. 60 Ford driver has four finishes with positive PD scored, including his last two races in the Next-Gen car.
This season, however, Preece joined RFK Racing, which has been the best team equipment-wise that he's had in his Cup career to date. In the first 12 races, Preece has seven top-20 finishes and finished in the top 10 in three out of the four Cup races at 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks.
Although Preece did not have the fastest times in practice, he should not be underestimated for a quality finish based on his 2025 performance so far. He has also been slower in practice sessions before, only to have his team adjust his car to make it fast and fight for a solid finish during the actual race, which is something to be expected for the Coca-Cola 600.
Shane Van Gisbergen
Starts 30th - DK: $5.3K, FD: $3K
For those looking for a value option to save on cap flexibility for this week's race, consider rostering Shane Van Gisbergen. Similar to his teammate Chastain, Van Gisbergen is another driver who has earned plenty of PD this season. SVG has an average starting position of 30.5, which became an average finish of 26.8 after the first 12 races this season. He also has three top-20 finishes this season, including a 20th-place finish in the last race at a 1.5-mile Intermediate track in Kansas.
SVG has one prior Cup Series start in the Coca-Cola 600 from last year. In that start, he began the race from the 36th position and went on to finish 28th and lead two laps while driving for Kaulig Racing. This year, he's driving for Trackhouse Racing, the same team where he got his only Cup Series win back at the Chicago Street Course in 2023.
The No. 88 Chevrolet driver displayed top-10 speeds in nearly all categories in practice, including 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap averages. Qualifying has not been SVG's strongest quality this season, but it has led him to plenty of opportunities to be a capable fantasy performer for cheap all year, and this week is no exception. Look for Van Gisbergen to move up as he gets a feel for the track throughout the race and picks up a few positions along the way.
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