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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
After an eventful offseason that led to many changes for the upcoming season, NASCAR is back! The 2026 Cup Series season kicks off with the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500, taking place at Daytona International Speedway. Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Daytona 500 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 2/15/2025 at 2:30 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
For those unfamiliar with Daytona, it is a large 2.5-mile superspeedway oval and one of NASCAR's three "Drafting Tracks." Races at drafting tracks are known for races with large packs, where drivers, regardless of how good their equipment is, can have equal speeds. Drivers must also make careful moves for position, as one wrong move can trigger a large-scale crash and shift the entire dynamic of a DFS contest in seconds.
The field for the Daytona 500 is set after most pre-race events were completed, including both qualifying and the two America 250 Florida Duels. In qualifying, Kyle Busch scored the pole position with the fastest time set of the field, and Chase Briscoe, last year's Daytona 500 polesitter, will join him on the front row. Joey Logano won the first Duel race, while Chase Elliott won the second Duel race and will start third and fourth, respectively. This race will feature 41 drivers, including Jimmie Johnson, who used the Open Exemption Provisional to enter, and four drivers with open teams: Corey Heim, Justin Allgaier, Casey Mears, and B.J. McLeod.
DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
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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.
William Byron
Starts 39th - DK: $10K, FD: $13K
An optimal strategy for success at Daytona involves rostering drivers with significant Place Differential upside. This is because positions at Daytona tend to shuffle around a lot at a drafting track, whether it's because of drivers who crash or spend the entire race making up positions to the front. Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron has some of the most upside in the field this week and is one of the most intriguing DFS options available this week.
In 16 races at Daytona, Byron has three wins, including the last two Daytona 500 events, and five top-10 finishes. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver found the front and led in each of the last five Daytona races, including 10 laps led in last year's Daytona 500. Last year at drafting tracks, Byron led in five of the six events at the track type and gained two top-5 finishes.
William Byron on his wreck in the first duel and having to go to a backup car for the Daytona 500. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/Mpxodf1xOy
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) February 13, 2026
Byron was a part of the first America 250 Florida duel, where he started in the 12th position, but crashed out and finished 22nd. As a result, Byron will be in a backup car and start at the back of the pack. The PD upside that Byron has will make him a popular and favorable play with too great of a score ceiling to ignore for DFS, despite him being the most expensive driver to consider rostering on Sunday on DraftKings.
Bubba Wallace
Starts 27th - DK: $9.1K, FD: $10K
Some drivers always have a tendency to compete for the win regardless of their starting position at Daytona. Bubba Wallace is one of those drivers with a history of running well at Daytona. Although he has never won the Daytona 500, he has been a runner-up in the Great American Race twice in his Cup career to date.
In 17 Cup starts at Daytona, Wallace has the second-best average finish of all active drivers of 14.4. He also has 14 top-20 finishes with six inside the top 10 and led at least once in all but one of his points-paying races at Daytona since joining 23XI Racing in 2021. Notably, Wallace scored positive PD in four of his last five races at drafting tracks, with three of those being top-10 finishes.
Trouble in Duel No. 1! Bubba Wallace takes the lead ... then chaos. pic.twitter.com/ETpQxwiJsA
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 13, 2026
Wallace was a part of the first of the two America 250 Florida duels, where he started 16th and eventually finished 13th. At one point during his Duel race, Wallace went from 18th to the lead in the span of a few laps before being spun, leading to his finish outside of the top 10. With Wallace maintaining his car without damage, it should also be highly competitive on Sunday. Bubba has plenty of upside from his starting position and is worth recommending for all formats this week based on his past Daytona history alone.
Alex Bowman
Starts 21st - DK: $8.5K, FD: $7.5K
One of the more underrated drivers to consider for the Daytona 500 from a DFS perspective is Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman. The driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet was the runner-up finisher during the 2024 Daytona 500 and has a current streak of three consecutive finishes of sixth or better at this event.
In 19 starts at Daytona, Bowman has 12 top-20 finishes with seven inside the top 10. Bowman's average finish of 15.8 in his Cup career ranks third-best of all drivers to make the Daytona 500 field this week. At drafting tracks last season, Bowman obtained top-10 finishes in three of the six races at the track type.
Practice is done for the day at @DAYTONA! @Alex_Bowman and the #Ally48 mostly worked on handling in the draft for this session. P2 on the charts. 👊 pic.twitter.com/oEWWYAbJvv
— Ally Racing (@allyracing) February 13, 2026
Bowman was in the first America 250 Florida duel race, where he started in the fourth position and went on to finish 10th. This gives him a starting position in the middle of the pack and provides some solid upside. Considering how the Hendrick cars are always fast at Daytona and have won the last two 500 events, look for Bowman to be one of the more favorable options for DFS.
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Erik Jones
Starts 24th - DK: $7.3K, FD: $5.2K
Erik Jones is another driver who sometimes goes overlooked in races at drafting tracks. Legacy Motor Club's No. 43 Toyota driver is a former summer Daytona race winner from 2018 and placed in the top 20 in each of the last four Cup Series races at the Florida superspeedway.
.@Erik_Jones didn't mince words about the 2026 season for @LEGACYMotorClub and himself on the No. 43 team.
📈 "It's really our year that we have to start putting it together." pic.twitter.com/0jpYVsGbAV
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) February 13, 2026
In 18 races at Daytona, Jones has 11 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. The No. 43 driver has collected positive PD in four of the last five Cup Series races at Daytona and led 10 laps in his last appearance at the site in August 2025. At drafting tracks last season, Jones finished in the top 20 in four of the six races at the track type, which includes two fifth-place finishes at Echopark Speedway and Daytona.
Jones participated in the second America 250 Florida duel race, where he started in 12th place and finished in 11th. The starting position for Jones provides him with solid upside for this year's Daytona 500 and makes him a sneaky DFS option to consider for all formats. FanDuel in particular has him at a heavy discount compared to DraftKings, making him especially appealing for cap flexibility.
Todd Gilliland
Starts 18th - DK: $5.9K, FD: $5.5K
Front Row Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland is a value driver to watch for this week's Daytona 500. The driver of the No. 34 Ford has typically not been as successful at Daytona in terms of quality finishes compared to other drafting tracks, but he is still considered a solid racer on this track type. Gilliland has finished 16th or better in four of his last five Cup events at drafting tracks dating back to last year.
In eight races at Daytona, Gilliland has only one top-20 finish in his career. However, that finish was an 11th-place result that came in his last appearance at the track in August 2025. Gilliland also scored positive PD three times in his Cup career at Daytona and has three top-10 finishes in duel races at the site.
Gilliland participated in the second America 250 Florida duel race, where he started 16th and finished in the eighth position. The driver of the No. 34 Ford has decent upside based on his starting position, but does not provide as much as some other drivers around his price range. However, he offers high cap flexibility and generally runs well at drafting tracks, especially with FRM's cars having an alliance with Team Penske, the fastest Ford team on pure speed at drafting tracks.
Ty Dillon
Starts 34th - DK: $5K, FD: $4.5K
In order to succeed at DFS at Daytona, fantasy players have to be willing to take shots at rostering drivers towards the bottom of the salary ladder. Sometimes, these drivers can prove to be the biggest difference-makers for a lineup since any driver has the potential to perform well at Daytona, especially in a tournament setting. That is where a driver like Ty Dillon can prove to be valuable this week.
In 16 races at Daytona, Dillon has eight top-20 finishes, including a finish of 14th in last year's Daytona 500. The No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet driver has finished worse than 22nd only once since 2022 at Daytona and gathered positive PD in four of the past six races in that span.
Ty Dillon contended for the win in his Duel race last year. Looks like he's primed to do it again. Dillon takes the lead pic.twitter.com/qZIyBB65Vv
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) February 13, 2026
Dillon was a part of the second America 250 Florida duel race, where he started in 18th position and finished in 16th. This left him with a starting position deep in the field for the Daytona 500, with enormous upside. The Kaulig Racing driver also flashed plenty of speed during his duel race and even led three laps. Do not underestimate Dillon as a quality value option for this week.
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