Chris Durell brings you DraftKings fantasy NASCAR advice, DFS lineups picks and sleepers analysis for DFS NASCAR and the Bojangles Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway.

After a week off, NASCAR returns for the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. There will be a few teams taking a trip back in time this weekend with some retro paint schemes, and the feel of the Southern 500 is back, as NASCAR has moved it back to the Labour Day weekend. This race, for many, brings back a lot of memories such as Ned Jarrett's 14 lap win in 1965 or Junior Johnson putting his engine fire out on track with his own shirt while cars continued to race. Every year another memory is ready to be made.

Darlington is a track that presents a real test for drivers with its egg-shaped, oval setup. It requires drivers to use the top lane to be able to gain the most speed out of the corners, but if not navigated perfectly a "Darlington Stripe" is born. These are the black stripes you will see all over the outside wall by the end of the weekend due to the cars sliding up the track and contacting the barrier. This week NASCAR will be implementing the same rules package as Kentucky which will create more downforce and more passing. The tire Goodyear is using this week is meant to wear faster and will create a very loose environment throughout the race.

For DFS this week targeting drivers who start inside the top 10 and who are fast in practice will be key. Look for one or two drivers to lead a majority of the laps this week, and if you can pick both of them you will be miles ahead. Targeting drivers who are on the Chase bubble is also a good idea as they will be pushing hard to get max points or a win to lock up their position in the playoffs.

Editor’s Note: If you've never played Daily Fantasy before, our partner DraftKings is hosting a Fantasy NASCAR tournament this weekend for the Bojangles Southern 500.

It’s FREE to enter and pays out HUGE cash prizes! If you Sign up and make a deposit now, we’ll give you free access to RotoBaller's Premium NFL DFS Full Season Pass and DFS Lineup Picks (a $99.99 value). You’ll also get a 100% bonus on your first DraftKings deposit.

Daily Fantasy NASCAR: DraftKings DFS  Lineup Picks

The Entire Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Kyle Busch ($10,600)  Matt Kenseth ($10,200)  Carl Edwards($9,700)  Denny Hamlin ($9,500)

Getting as many JGR drivers in your lineup may be a great idea this week. All four of them are averaging better than a top 10 finish in the previous five races here. The entire team has been on fire for over a month now, and all should make it into the Chase playoffs. Busch is the only one not locked in and is sitting in 29th in the points. All four drivers make a nice pick in any format.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - $8,300

A great value this week, as his price has dropped to $8,300 which is ranked 13th this week. He has been very consistent lately with four straight finishes of 11th or better. In his previous five races at Darlington he has a top 5 and two top 10 finishes. He is an old school type driver who knows how to manage his tires and should be able to attain success here this weekend.

Clint Bowyer - $8,200

He is sitting in the 16th position in the Chase Grid and will have to hold off a number of other drivers to make it the playoffs. Bowyer has been on a good run lately with four finishes inside of 8th in his previous five races. This hasn't been one of his better tracks, but his need of points and good finish should result in a top 20 in a worst case scenario.

Ryan Newman - $7,800

Another driver like Bowyer who is inside the Chase bubble at the moment and is fighting to stay there. He has four top 15 finishes in his last five races and comes back to a track in Darlington where he has had some success. He has seven career top 5's  and four top 10 finishes in his previous five races here. Look for another strong result from Newman, as he looks race on into the playoffs.

Post Practice & Qualifying Update

Qualifying Top 10

1. #2 Brad Keselowski
2. #41 Kurt Busch
3. #4 Kevin Harvick
4. #22 Joey Logano
5. #24 Jeff Gordon
6. #11 Deny Hamlin
7. #78 Martin Truex Jr.
8. #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
9. #21 RyanBlaney
10. #18 Kyle Busch

Brad Keselowski will start up front for the race tomorrow night and was also fastest in final practice on Friday. Look for the #2 team, who handled the tires falling off the best, to lead a bunch of laps and be right at the front at the end of the race. Kurt Busch is a driver that could be used in GPP formats this week as he doesn't have a great track record at Darlington but was fast in both practices and will be starting on the front row. Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains a great cash game play as he will be starting 26th and was 12th and 15th in the two practices. On the low end you could use Alex Bowman, starting 35th, as a GPP Stars & Scrubs option. He was in the mid 20's in both practices and should receive at least 10 bonus points for place differential if he carries the speed over to the race.

DFS & Fantasy NASCAR Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-59" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

The Keys to Weekly NASCAR Success

NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller! Our NASCAR Premium Package for DFS and betting features several heavy hitters and proven winners.

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.

Five-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team. He has been nominated once again in 2024 for this award.