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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
After Ryan Blaney's third win of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season at New Hampshire, only one race remains before The Chase begins for this year's championship. It will be the Coke Zero Sugar 400, taking place at Daytona International Speedway. This will be the second trip the Cup Series will have at Daytona after the Daytona 500 to open the season. Daytona is unique as one of the largest oval tracks, sitting at 2.5 miles long, and is considered one of NASCAR's three "drafting tracks." Races at Daytona are known for pack racing, where drivers will "draft" off of each other in order to maintain a higher maximum speed, with "drafting" being able to change the airflow of cars so speeds can be equalized between drivers, regardless of how good or bad their equipment is. As a result, races at Daytona can be considered great equalizers where any driver can have a shot to win.
That's also why Daytona is one of the most difficult tracks to find success on in DFS. This is a track where drivers who aren't weekly contenders can shine. The best DFS strategies for Daytona involve picking multiple lineups with different driver combinations, especially to stay in contention for the money despite the high chance of crashes. Races at Daytona typically don't have a single dominator lead the entire race; instead, the lead is shared among many drivers over the course of the event. This means it is better to focus on picking drivers who have plenty of Place Differential upside or those who can maintain a top finishing position, especially in tournaments where rostership percentage can be a difference maker. Do not be afraid to take chances this week, and also be wary of multiple lineups, as larger-scale crashes are common at Daytona, which can flip the results of any DFS contest in a matter of seconds.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 8/29/2026 at 7:30 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.
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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.
Ryan Blaney
Starts 19th - DK: $10.5K, FD: $14K
It is no shock that this week, a Team Penske driver ends up being the most expensive driver of the week to add on both sites. In fact, on FanDuel, Penske drivers are the top three most expensive drivers to add to rosters this week. Ryan Blaney being the most expensive of all is no shock either, especially as the best of the team's three drivers on drafting tracks in recent years.
RYAN BLANEY WINS AT DAYTONA AFTER A WILD FINAL LAP! 😱 pic.twitter.com/4vs4N17mxM
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) August 24, 2025
In 22 total Cup starts at Daytona, Blaney has two wins, nine top-10 finishes, and 260 laps led, which is the fourth-most of all drivers in the field this week. The No. 12 Ford driver is the defending race winner of this week's race at Daytona and led in five of the last six Cup events at the site. The last time the Cup Series visited a drafting track this season, Blaney also ended up winning at Atlanta.
RYAN BLANEY WINS IN ATLANTA. What a Monday-morning finish! Wow. pic.twitter.com/xCGRJn3nqq
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 13, 2026
Out of the three Penske drivers, Blaney has the lowest starting position, back in 19th. This provides him with great upside for this week's race. Considering that Blaney is typically one of the fastest and most competitive drivers at drafting tracks, having him with this much upside makes him worth adding in all DFS formats for this week's race.
Tyler Reddick
Starts 17th - DK: $9.7K, FD: $12.5K
This summer has been an overall struggle for Tyler Reddick, who keeps mixing in finishes around the top 10 along with crashes and finishes well outside of the top 30. However, Reddick is a driver to watch for this week's race at Daytona, especially considering how well he has run at drafting tracks this season.
TYLER REDDICK WINS THE DAYTONA 500! pic.twitter.com/nOAjUM4Buu
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 15, 2026
In four drafting track races so far this year, Reddick placed in the top 15 every time. He also won the first two races at this track type, including this year's Daytona 500. Notably, Reddick also scored positive PD in each of his last three Daytona Cup starts, which include two finishes of second or better in that span.
23XI Racing is one of the better teams on drafting tracks, and Reddick has favorable upside for this week's race. Despite being boom-or-bust in recent races this season, Daytona is a track where he can pay off for DFS lineups
Bubba Wallace
Starts 26th - DK: $9K, FD: $9.5K
Continuing on with more 23XI Racing representation this week, Bubba Wallace is another driver who DFS players should consider rostering this week. Drafting tracks are a strength for the driver of the No. 23 Toyota, especially with Daytona arguably being where he's performed best on average of the three in the Cup Series.
In 18 Cup starts at Daytona, Wallace has 15 top-20 finishes, with seven of them being inside the top 10. Wallace's average finish of 14.2 in his Cup career at Daytona ranks second-best of all drivers in the field, and he also led at least one lap in each of the last five races at the site. This year's Daytona 500 marked a strong result for Wallace, as he led the most laps (40) of all drivers and placed 10th after starting 27th.
.@BubbaWallace is very concerned over starting tomorrow’s race with a new rules package and 0 practice ahead of time.
Listen to his comments here. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/7wEcpbfr7K
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) August 28, 2026
Similar to the Daytona 500 earlier this year, Wallace will start outside of the top 25 at Daytona this week. Wallace's No. 23 team usually is one of the fastest on these types of tracks, especially with how often they can make it to the front in drafting track events. Fantasy players should not ignore Wallace's upside and utilize him in lineups for this week's race.
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Carson Hocevar
Starts 28th - DK: $8.7K, FD: $11K
One driver who has displayed strong results in recent years at drafting tracks is Carson Hocevar. The No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet driver has been among the top drivers this season at this track type, especially as evidenced by nabbing his first career Cup Series victory at Talladega back in April. Hocevar scored top-5s in each of his last three drafting track races.
Iconic. Carson Hocevar celebrates at Talladega hanging out the window. pic.twitter.com/Na2Qf3EPuE
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 26, 2026
Daytona has not been as strong of a track historically for Hocevar so far. In five Cup starts at the site, Hocevar has two top-20 finishes and he earned positive PD twice. However, the majority of his results at Daytona were due to crashes or equipment failures, which have since been improved this season.
Hocevar has a deeper starting position back in 28th, giving him plenty of upside for this week's race. Considering how he has seven top-10s in the last nine drafting track races and led in each of the last four this year, Hocevar is a driver who fantasy players should not underestimate this week at Daytona.
Zane Smith
Starts 34th - DK: $5.9K, FD: $5.5K
Daytona is a track where picking drivers towards the bottom of the salary ladder can be a contest-winning move. Front Row Motorsports is a team whose drivers are typically cheap on DFS sites, yet they consistently show better speeds than most. All three of FRM's drivers, including Noah Gragson and Todd Gilliland, are viable DFS options, but it is Zane Smith who is the standout to watch from the team.
In six Cup starts at Daytona, Smith has four top-20 finishes with an average finish of 18.7. The No. 38 Ford driver also has five finishes with positive PD scored at Daytona, and scored the best finish of his career at the site earlier in the season (sixth). Smith also placed in the top 10 and scored positive PD in four of the last five drafting track races.
Smith has incredibly high upside thanks to a starting position in the back of the pack. Despite a lackluster qualifying effort, Smith has been great in drafting track races and represents an excellent DFS bargain who can pay off this week.
Ty Dillon
Starts 31st - DK: $5K, FD: $4K
As mentioned earlier, Daytona is the type of track where taking a chance on a driver who is not an every-week contender can pay off well for DFS. This particularly applies to drivers who sit at the bottom of the salary ladder, such as Ty Dillon, who has a proven track record of solid finishes at drafting tracks.
In 17 Cup starts at Daytona, Dillon has nine top-20 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. Five of Dillon's last seven races at Daytona have ended with him scoring a top-20 finish, including earlier this year when he started 34th and finished 14th. At drafting tracks, Dillon currently has a streak of five straight top-20 finishes, with four of those also being finishes with positive PD scored.
Consistency is hard to find when it comes to drivers towards the bottom, but Dillon is one of the best value options to consider. He gives fantasy players plenty of cap flexibility and usually provides a quality finish, which could be more than enough to help a lineup become a winning one.
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