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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Cracker Barrel 400. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Cracker Barrel 400 (2025).
The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Music City, Nashville, this week for the Cracker Barrel 400, which will take place at Nashville Superspeedway. This 1.330-mile Intermediate oval track features a concrete surface and moderate banking in its corners. Nashville's layout is completely unique compared to other tracks featured in the Cup Series, but it uses the same rules package and setups as regular speedway tracks, including Charlotte Motor Speedway, which was featured in last week's Coca-Cola 600.
This week's race at Nashville also marks the beginning of the second half of the 2025 Cup Series regular season. From this point onward, the playoffs will begin to become a bigger discussion in the Cup Series, especially as teams will start to consider focusing on winning or remaining consistent, depending on a team's situation in the standings. Keep an eye on each team's place in the standings because as the season approaches closer to the playoffs, each team's strategy and focus on either winning or consistent finishes will matter more and could affect the DFS outlooks of various teams.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Cracker Barrel 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 6/01/2025 at 7:00 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.
Denny Hamlin
Starts 2nd - DK: $10.7K, FD: $13.5K
Toyota is the only manufacturer of the three involved in the Cup Series to have never won a Cup race at Nashville. That is not based on a lack of speed or effort, however, as Toyota drivers led the most laps of all manufacturers at the site since the Cup Series started racing there in 2021.
Denny Hamlin has been the top driver from Toyota at Nashville and one of the closest drivers to win at the site. In four races at the site, nobody has led more laps than Hamlin (265), and he has an average finish of 7.0 within the last three Cup events. He also finished no worse than 12th in each of the last three Nashville Cup races.
Hamlin ranked sixth in overall lap averages in practice while displaying the best 15 and 20 consecutive lap averages. The No. 11 Toyota driver will also start right at the front of the pack, putting him in a solid position to become an early dominator with a fast car.
The only thing to be mindful of with Hamlin ahead of this week's race is that he may have a new baby boy born during the same time as the race. If his new child is expected to be born on Sunday, he will not be racing this week to be there for the childbirth, while Ryan Truex will be tapped to replace him in the race. If Hamlin does race on Sunday, he will be a top threat to compete for the win and lead laps, especially after strong practice numbers and solid track history at Nashville.
.@dennyhamlin's baby boy is due tomorrow. Denny said this afternoon he will not race if the baby arrives in that race window because that's his priority. But he has not determined yet what time his decision deadline would be tomorrow.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) May 31, 2025
For those looking for a pivot option instead of Hamlin if he can't race, consider Tyler Reddick (DK: $9,800 | FD: $11,500), who was fast in practice and finished third in last year's Nashville race.
Ryan Blaney
Starts 15th - DK: $10.2K, FD: $12K
No other driver this season probably defines the theme of "boom or bust" more than Ryan Blaney. Blaney has six top-10 finishes in the first 13 races this year, including five top-5 finishes in the last eight, but he also is tied for a series-leading five DNFs, with three due to accidents and two due to engine failures.
Blaney has been "boom or bust" at Nashville as well throughout his Cup Series career. The No. 12 Ford driver has two DNFs, but also two finishes of sixth or better in four total starts at Nashville. He also led 26 laps in last year's Cup race at the site.
In practice, Blaney displayed top-10 speeds throughout most categories, including ranking fifth in 30 consecutive lap averages, showcasing that his car is excellent on longer green flag runs. He was also the fastest driver of all in practice group A.
Considering his equipment and upside, Blaney is worth consideration, especially as he will likely be one of the best options to pick up positive Place Differential and finish inside the top 10.
Ross Chastain
Starts 5th - DK: $10K, FD: $11K
Nashville is considered a home race for Trackhouse Racing. Team owner Justin Marks originally started the idea for the team while in Nashville, and the team is also hitting a milestone start as an organization. This will be Trackhouse's 300th Cup start and could be one of the top teams to watch, especially after they won the Coca-Cola 600 last week with Ross Chastain.
Speaking of Chastain, he is a former winner at Nashville, winning at the site in 2023. Nashville is one of Chastain's stronger tracks with an average finish of 10.3 through four starts, which is fourth-best of all drivers in the field this week. He also is one of only two drivers to have a series-leading three top-5 finishes in his Cup career at Nashville.
In practice, Chastain had one of the best cars as he displayed top-10 speeds in all categories and ranked second in overall lap averages. The No. 1 Chevrolet driver was also tied for first in 25 consecutive lap averages and the best 30 consecutive lap averages. Normally, Chastain has not been the strongest qualifier this season, but he did score his best starting position of the season through qualifying.
Although he may not carry too much upside, there are too many positive factors for Chastain to consider him as a DFS option this week, and there is a solid chance that he may be able to go back-to-back and follow up his Coca-Cola 600 victory with a Nashville victory.
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Carson Hocevar
Starts 26th - DK: $7.5K, FD: $7.5K
As far as lower-end mid-tier drivers go for DFS this week, Carson Hocevar is perhaps one of the best overall choices to add to rosters this week.
In his only Nashville start from last year, Hocevar ended up in 16th. Through the first 13 races this season, Hocevar has five top-20 finishes and an average finish of 23.1. What is notable, however, about Hocevar is his ability to pass cars and find his way to the front with plenty of speed displayed. This has also been showcased plenty of times this season as he led in seven different Cup events, including each of the last five.
In practice, Hocevar ranked 22nd in overall lap averages but displayed top-15 speeds in all other categories, including 10th in 25 consecutive lap averages. Hocevar did not get the cleanest lap during qualifying, but this sets him up well as a high upside option for DFS this week.
Fantasy players should utilize Hocevar in all formats this week, especially as he looks like one of the few drivers in the field to have a fast enough car to make moves through the field. Remember, Nashville is not the easiest track for drivers to make passes for position outside of restarts unless they have an extremely fast car, and Hocevar has indicated that he has great speed regardless of the track type.
Daniel Suarez
Starts 32nd - DK: $6.9K, FD: $6.2K
As mentioned previously with Chastain, this is a notable weekend for Trackhouse Racing as they make their 300th start as a Cup Series organization on what they consider to be a home track race. This is worth reiterating again as the team will put plenty of effort and resources into making all of their cars competitive on Sunday.
Daniel Suarez has been solid at Nashville in the past. In four Cup races at the site, Suarez has three top-20 finishes, an average finish of 14.0, and never finished worse than 22nd. He also gained positive PD in two of his four races at Nashville.
In practice, Suarez ranked 30th in overall lap averages but displayed top-15 speeds in all other categories. He will start towards the rear of the field, providing plenty of upside with decent equipment capable of placing in the top 20 this week.
John Hunter Nemechek
Starts 36th - DK: $5.5K, FD: $4.2K
DFS players looking for a deeper value option for this week's race should look towards rostering John Hunter Nemechek this week.
In his only Cup start at Nashville, Nemechek finished 31st despite being involved in a wreck and scored positive PD. He is a former Xfinity Series winner at the site, scoring the victory in the 2024 race. In 13 races completed this season in the Cup Series, Nemechek has six top-20 finishes and an average finish of 18.8.
In practice, Nemechek ranked 34th in overall lap averages but displayed top-20 speeds in the 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories, showcasing decent speeds on longer green flag runs. With Nemechek starting at the very rear of the field, he has amazing upside and equipment that has proven, regardless of track type this season, that he can compete for a top-20 finish.
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