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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Food City 500. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Food City 500 (2025).
After a dramatic final stage of racing at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400, Denny Hamlin won for the second race in a row. The No. 11 Toyota driver now looks to win his third consecutive race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500. Hamlin's team, Joe Gibbs Racing, has won five of the eight races so far this season and should also be a factor to win this week's race at Bristol.
Bristol is a 0.533-mile concrete oval known for being one of the shortest overall tracks in the Cup Series and is also known for being rough on tires. Tire wear will be a big topic of discussion for teams this week, and the drivers who are known for saving their equipment and tires will be the ones to succeed at Bristol. Generally, this favors more experienced racers or those that come from a short-track racing background, as they tend to have a better skill set for Bristol, where saving tires is essential for success.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Food City 500 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 4/13/2025 at 3:09 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.
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 4th - DK: $11.1K, FD: $14K
Since the Next-Gen car's introduction in 2022, Joe Gibbs Racing led 48% of the laps at Bristol. Hamlin, in particular, has been a big contributor towards the team's success in NASCAR history and is one of the best drivers at the track in the field this week.
Does @dennyhamlin get his first ever career 3-peat win out of the 4x @ItsBristolBaby winner? 👀 pic.twitter.com/DqmUOTR1ZS
— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) April 12, 2025
In 35 races in his Cup career at Bristol, Hamlin has four wins, 19 top-10 finishes, and 1,199 laps led, which is the third-most of all active drivers. Hamlin is the defending race winner of this week's race, and he placed in the top 10 in each of the last five Bristol races. He is one of only four drivers in the field to finish in the top 10 in all four Bristol races since 2022 and the only one to win twice in the Next-Gen car.
In practice, Hamlin had one of the faster cars by displaying top-10 speeds in all categories except for 10 consecutive and overall lap averages. Hamlin ranked as high as fifth in 30 consecutive lap averages and was the fastest of all drivers in practice Group B in 10 consecutive lap averages.
Considering his equipment, practice speeds, and extensive history of success at Bristol, it will not be a shock to see Hamlin compete as one of the top drivers for the win this week.
Kyle Larson
Starts 3rd - DK: $11K, FD: $13.5K
If there is one driver in the field who is likely to compete with and beat out the Joe Gibbs Toyotas for this week's race at Bristol, it will likely be Kyle Larson. Bristol happens to be one of his top tracks statistically, and the path to victory at the site has run through the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet since 2021.
Kyle Larson wins the Xfinity Series race at Bristol and leads 276 of the 300 laps in the process.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) April 12, 2025
In 17 starts at Bristol, Larson has two wins, 12 top-10 finishes, 1,351 laps led, and a series-leading average finish of 11.0. Since Larson joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, Larson has never finished lower than fifth in a Cup race at Bristol.
In practice, Larson ranked fourth in overall lap averages and ranked first in 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and overall lap averages of all drivers. This shows that Larson has one of the fastest cars of the weekend, and with his high starting position, he will be one of the top drivers to compete for the win right from the beginning of Sunday's Cup event.
Most fantasy players will probably rely on either Hamlin or Larson as their top dominator choice for this week's race, and both are valid and worth spending up in DFS. It is a testament to how great these two are at this track, and for cash lineups, it is a smart strategy to have one or both drivers in lineups this week.
Chris Buescher
Starts 24th - DK: $8.3K, FD: $10K
This race will be all about surviving, avoiding trouble, and taking care of equipment while finding positions through the field. One of the best at accomplishing that at Bristol in recent years has been RFK Racing's Chris Buescher.
In 16 races at Bristol, Buescher has eight top-20 finishes and one win. This includes four consecutive top-15 finishes, and he earned positive place differential in the past four races at the site.
Buescher ranked 23rd in overall lap averages and ranked as high as 21st in 15 consecutive lap averages in practice. He qualified in the back half of the pack this week, but this is a familiar position for Buescher at Bristol, as he never started higher than 17th in the Next-Gen car.
.@Chris_Buescher breaks down the tire wear at Bristol this weekend.
🎙️: @tanner_marlar pic.twitter.com/2XQAuGgd3C
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 12, 2025
Based on his upside, history, and equipment, Buescher may be a sneaky DFS option for Sunday's race at Bristol.
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Ryan Preece
Starts 29th - DK: $7.5K, FD: $7K
Place Differential is generally trickier to chase at Bristol compared to most other Cup Series tracks. This is because the track is more challenging for drivers to perform passes on since there are only a few passing lanes for drivers to make moves for position. Races like last year's, where tire wear is severely affected by the race conditions, make chasing PD upside more intriguing, and pre-race events indicated that tire wear will be a major factor for Sunday's race conditions.
When it comes to handling tire wear, adverse track conditions, and starting deep in the field to collect positive PD, Ryan Preece is one of the best overall choices to conquer those conditions. In nine starts at Bristol in the Cup Series, Preece has eight top-20 finishes, but he has yet to finish a single race at the site with negative PD, which is something nobody else in the field shares.
“Our entries are good our exits is where we lose it”
“10-4, feels a lot better. Need it to roll the center more”@RyanPreece_ sits P17 halfway through Group A practice. He’s made two runs. pic.twitter.com/4nbNldKDK7
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) April 12, 2025
In practice, Preece ranked 37th in overall lap averages and 34th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Preece may not have the fastest car in the field this week, but his starting position towards the back of the pack makes him one of the safer overall drivers to consider. There are very few safe drivers available to roster for Bristol lineups, and Preece's track history makes him one to consider for all formats, especially if the race becomes a matter of surviving.
Austin Dillon
Starts 17th - DK: $6.3K, FD: $4.5K
There are several different approaches to rostering drivers considered to be in the value tier this week. One approach is to roster a driver starting in the upper half of the pack, where a driver could utilize the speed they have from pre-race events to remain around their starting position or gain a few other positions without being at risk of falling off the lead lap early. Rostering value drivers in this fashion is also a great way to be contrarian in tournament games. One of the better DFS options with this in mind is Austin Dillon.
In 19 starts at Bristol, Dillon has 12 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 18.2. The driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet also finished with positive PD earned in four of the last five Cup events at Bristol.
In practice, Dillon ranked ninth in overall averages while displaying top-20 speeds in all categories. Dillon does not offer as much upside as some others, including the next driver below to mention, but he showcased solid speed in practice and regularly competes for finishes inside the top 20 at Bristol based on history and equipment.
John Hunter Nemechek
Starts 32nd - DK: $6K, FD: $4K
Another such approach for rostering value drivers this week is rostering a driver who starts deep in the field and can gain positions through attrition and a car that can navigate through the field in traffic conditions. John Hunter Nemechek is a value option who fulfills these criteria this week for Bristol.
In four starts at Bristol, Nemechek has three top-20 finishes with a best finish of sixth, which he scored in last year's spring race at Bristol. Nemechek also obtained positive PD in three of his four appearances in the Cup Series at the Tennessee short track.
In practice, Nemechek displayed top-10 speeds in all eligible categories while ranking fourth in overall lap averages. With his starting position providing plenty of upside, Nemechek is a great value option for all formats, especially as a driver who displayed better history than most in this salary range.
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