Cook Out Southern 500: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy NASCAR Lineup Picks

It's a big throwback energy weekend in Darlington, and the NASCAR Playoffs are finally here. The Lady In Black is the perfect track to kick the 16 drivers who made the playoffs into shape due to its challenging turns, and unique egg shape. All in all, the 2020 season thus far has been unique due to changes brought by COVID-19, but things are finally starting to feel somewhat normal with more fans attending races.

The Southern 500 is a huge tradition unlike any other, and has become the race where the drivers throw it back to honor past drivers and paint schemes that built the sport. Not many have been able to consistently run perfectly at this track like others, which is why it's earned the nickname "Too Tough To Tame". This Sunday night we'll see some of the coolest cars, and hopefully some incredible racing after what we saw on Saturday during the Xfinity race.

Looking into the DFS side of things, this race should be a little easier to read due to two post-COVID-19 break races on the books. The two hoss honcho's of NASCAR (Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick) are at the top of the board in terms of price, followed by Chase Elliott who is on the pole. These three drivers each have the best opportunity to get the victory this Sunday night, but as history has shown us, anything can happen at this crown jewel.

DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel

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Kevin Harvick #4

(DraftKings $10,900 | FanDuel $14,200 | DK SportsBook +285 )

Harvick starts from P8 on Sunday night, and since 2013, he's been one of the best drivers at this track. It's not like it's rocket science to start Harvick on any given week in your DFS lineups, but I can't just not write about him for this one. Look for Harvick to do Harvick things Sunday night, and put that sexy Busch throwback up into the Top 5 faster than the speed of light.

Chase Elliott #9

(DraftKings $10,600 | FanDuel $11,700 | DK SportsBook +800)

I've been talking about Elliott all week long, and I haven't had any second thoughts with my pick to win the race. Elliott doesn't have the best record at Darlington, but in the previous two races, he looked damn good (especially before turned by Kyle Busch after leading 28 laps with a possible win in his sights). I look to see Elliott and Hamlin duke it out hard, but Elliott to come away as the led laps leader.

Kyle Busch #18

(DraftKings $10,000 | FanDuel $11,000 | DK SportsBook +1100)

I promise I'm not crazy (well sometimes) putting Rowdy Busch in my article this week, but I really think this is where we see him flip the switch. Busch has had some of the worst luck in his entire career this season, and even with that being a possibility, I'm not going to rule him out. Kyle starts in P15 on Sunday night, and should work his way up through the pack to deliver some good points production.

Erik Jones #20

(DraftKings $9,600 | FanDuel $10,500 | DK SportsBook +2000)

That Jones boy is ready to roll at one of his best statistical tracks in the Cup Series. It's wild how good Jones is at The Lady In Black, and for an added cherry on top, he'll be starting from the rear in P30. Jones has never finished outside the Top 10 at Darlington, so don't be a fool and count him out while still searching for a ride in 2021.

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Ryan Preece #37

(DraftKings $5,900 | FanDuel $5,000)

Preece is a solid value player this Sunday night starting from P35. I wish there was more good news to share about his skills at this track, but the one thing we know is that JTG Daugherty has some decently fast Chevy Camaro's, so we shouldn't worry about him scooting into the Top 30 slowly. Preece should be excellent in cash games this weekend.

Ty Dillon #13

(DraftKings $6,000 | FanDuel $4,500)

Geico Dillon got some tough news over the weekend, and will no longer be Geico Dillon after this season. With Germaine Racing leaving the sport, Ty is now in a make or break situation if he wants a driving seat with a new team next season. Luckily, Dillon has shown he's no stranger to the Top 15 at this track, and should be another great place differential play starting from P25.

Ryan Newman #6

(DraftKings $7,200 | FanDuel $7,500)

Newman is another spicy play this Sunday starting in P31. In his career, Newman has been a victim of The Lady In Black just as much as a beneficiary. Even though I don't see Ryan getting a Top 10, I do see him helping us cash in on DFS sites.

Tyler Reddick #8

(DraftKings $7,000 | FanDuel $9,000)

Tyler "Red Dog" Reddick is a driver I'm incredibly excited about for Sunday night due to two factors. The first is his starting position (P24) combined with the skills he's shown us earlier in the season, and the second is his amazing throwback scheme inspired by Jeff Burton. Get Reddick in a good bit of lineups, and sit back for one hell of a show from NASCAR's most exciting rookie of 2020.

For any and all fantasy NASCAR questions, find me on Twitter @GarageGuyChase and subscribe to the Garage Guys Fantasy Sports Podcast for Fantasy NASCAR and Fantasy Football talk. Good luck RotoBallers!

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