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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (2025). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
It's time for some more short track racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, as Bristol Motor Speedway is the next stop for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Bristol is a 0.533-mile concrete oval and is one of NASCAR's shortest tracks on the Cup Series schedule. This is a track with a reputation for being hard for drivers to make passes, especially as there is little room on the track and only a few recommended lanes for passing. Sometimes, as a result, this may encourage drivers to make contact with each other and bump others out of the way for position, which can also lead to crashes. Bristol is a challenging race track for drivers, and with a new tire compound being used for right-side tires this week, as well as this race being the last Saturday night race of the season, there will be challenges and unknown elements ahead.
This race is the final race in the Round of 16 in the Cup Series playoffs and is an elimination race. After this week's race, four drivers will be out of the running to compete for the Cup Series championship. Two drivers are currently locked into the Round of 12, Chase Briscoe and Denny Hamlin, as a result of both of them winning the previous two races in the round. Meanwhile, everyone else in the playoff field still has to earn their way into the next round. A few drivers, such as Kyle Larson, Bubba Wallace, and Ryan Blaney, are relatively safe with large point gaps to the cut line, while drivers like Alex Bowman and Josh Berry almost certainly have to win to advance. It is essential to pay attention to the playoff narratives, especially. They will affect driver and team strategies for this week's race and DFS.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 9/13/2025 at 7:30 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.
Kyle Larson
Starts 5th - DK: $11.5K, FD: $14K
There are certain tracks where some drivers are always thought of as a potential favorite to win because of their past performances. For Bristol, that driver is Larson, who might arguably be the best-performing driver in the Cup Series of the past few seasons at this track. The only other driver who even comes close in terms of overall performance via finishes, laps led, and average running position has been Hamlin, who is also a favorable option to consider at the top of both DFS sites this week.
DOMINATED. Kyle Larson puts on a clinic to WIN at Bristol Motor Speedway! #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/KrWoxD1Sc3
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 13, 2025
It can't be denied how excellent Larson has been at this track, especially since he first joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. Since then, Larson has never finished outside of the top five at Bristol and scored three victories. He even won the last two Bristol Cup races in dominating fashion, leading over 400 laps in both and sweeping the stages both times. Even when considering Larson's entire Cup career, he still has the best overall average finish (10.4) and the second-most laps led (1,762) of active drivers in 18 total races at Bristol.
In practice, Larson ranked 18th in overall and 15 consecutive lap averages of all drivers. His practice speeds were not particularly impressive, but he did roll with the second practice group, who ran under slower conditions, and his history is too great to ignore at Bristol. Consider rostering Larson as one of the primary anchor drivers to center around for DFS in this week's race.
Ryan Blaney
Starts 2nd - DK: $10.7K, FD: $13K
The key to a successful run in the NASCAR playoffs in the last couple of years has typically involved a driver getting hot and going on a streak of great finishes at the right time. For Blaney, that is exactly what has been happening both during and before the playoffs this season. Blaney has placed eighth or better in seven of the last eight Cup events and led multiple laps in six of the last seven.
This has resulted in Blaney having a large 42-point gap to the cut line going into this week's race, which adds extra security and insurance for him to go for the win this week. Why does this matter? It's because when a driver is likely to advance in the playoffs regardless of their points position, they do not have to rely on scoring stage points and can pull together aggressive strategies, and also drive more aggressively for position without worrying about their points situation. That matters for a track like Bristol, where a driver's aggression can pay off for a better finishing position and, in turn, pay off for DFS.
Blaney's history at Bristol has been mixed overall. He has an average finish of 17.8 and scored only seven top-10 finishes in 17 Cup starts at the site, but he did finish fifth earlier this year and sixth one year ago at the site. Blaney has also displayed plenty of speed on the shorter ovals this season, with top-5 finishes at both Richmond and Iowa last month.
Ryan Blaney appears to have the fastest car in Bristol.
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 12, 2025
In practice, Blaney ranked as the fastest driver in the 15, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories and ranked ninth in overall lap averages. Considering how Blaney will start on the front row, which is a huge advantage at this track, it would not be a shock to see him lead laps early and also be one of the top favorites to compete for the win this week.
Chase Briscoe
Starts 31st - DK: $10K, FD: $12K
Speaking of drivers who can afford not to worry about playing it safe and ride around due to their playoff positioning, there is Briscoe. The No. 19 Toyota driver from Joe Gibbs Racing is locked into the next round of the playoffs as a result of his win at Darlington right at the beginning of the Round of 16. Like Blaney, Briscoe has been one of the hottest drivers both before and during the playoffs, with six top-5 finishes in the last nine Cup events.
Briscoe's track record at Bristol has been very solid compared to most drivers in the field. Through six Cup starts at the site, Briscoe has five finishes of 14th or better and placed in the top 10 in his last two. He collected his best career Cup finish at Bristol earlier in the season with a finish of fourth back in April.
Chase Briscoe was shockingly slow ... just 30th on the speed chart for the driver with the most poles in 2025.
— PRN (@PRNlive) September 12, 2025
In practice, Briscoe ranked 17th in overall lap averages while displaying top-15 speeds in most categories. This includes rankings of 10th in 25 consecutive lap averages and eighth in 30 consecutive lap averages. Briscoe has incredibly high upside due to his starting position and makes for a DFS driver option who can pay off in any type of format this week.
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Brad Keselowski
Starts 18th - DK: $7.8K, FD: $8.5K
Non-playoff drivers can make for respectable DFS options in general, as well, like Brad Keselowski. Most drivers who are out of the playoffs still have something to race for, whether that is a trophy, to advance through the owners' points standings, or to pad out their stats and build momentum for the 2026 season.
Bristol has been a favorable track for Keselowski throughout his Cup career, with 19 top-20 finishes in 28 total races. He also has an average finish of 16.2 in his Cup career at the site and has won there three times total. Since the 2022 season, Keselowski has also had four finishes of 16th or better in five races in that span.
Brad Keselowski on what he thought of tire wear and fall-off in practice: pic.twitter.com/c35D9EYwdK
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 12, 2025
In practice, Keselowski ranked 27th in overall lap averages, but ranked among the top 10 fastest in all other categories. Due to his high experience and success at Bristol, combined with his equipment and starting position in the middle of the pack, Keselowski is worth considering for all formats. That is especially the case for a driver whose salary is towards the middle of the field this week.
Ryan Preece
Starts 20th - DK: $7K, FD: $6.2K
This may sound like a broken record, considering how many times he has been mentioned in these articles this season, but Ryan Preece should not be overlooked for DFS. This is especially the case because, through most of the season, regardless of track type, he has been an outstanding fantasy performer, and the DFS site still makes him easy to consider rostering due to where he's priced out every week.
In nine Cup starts at Bristol, Preece has eight top-20 finishes, with five of them being inside the top 15. Also, he still holds a perfect streak of collecting positive Place Differential in all of his Cup starts at Bristol since the beginning of his Cup career. Even Preece's worst Cup start, where he finished 25th in his first Cup race at the site, still netted him positive PD because he started 30th.
In practice for Saturday's race at Bristol, Preece ranked 23rd in overall lap averages while displaying top-15 speeds in the majority of categories. Starting just a little further back from his teammate and car owner, Keselowski, Preece is worth rostering as a driver likely to compete for a top-15 finish and save a little bit of salary compared to the other RFK Racing drivers.
Justin Haley
Starts 17th - DK: $5.7K, FD: $5.2K
Spire Motorsports driver Justin Haley makes for an interesting case of a punt play in this week's Cup race at Bristol. Although Haley is having an underwhelming season with an average finish of 21.9 after 28 races this season, he does pull out some decent results from time to time, depending on the track. Bristol is one of those tracks where Haley has showcased some favorable results before.
Justin Haley has now done 75 laps in practice with no issue. Not looking like the high-wear thing will be a factor. https://t.co/pwW6DxgYUE
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) September 12, 2025
In six Cup races at Bristol, Haley has finished in the top 20 three times and has an average finish of 22.5. He also obtained positive PD three times in his Cup career at Bristol and finished 13th earlier in the season at the site.
In practice, Haley set the fastest single lap time and ranked 12th in overall lap averages. The No. 7 Chevrolet driver also had the best five and 10 consecutive lap averages. Although he will have lower upside compared to those around his salary range this week, he starts in a much higher position than others, making him a bigger DFS risk for PD. Despite this, Haley's salary is cheap on both sites, and he has been faster than most in his price range.
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