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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
Five races are now finished in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. The fifth race of the season had Denny Hamlin obtain his first race victory of the year last week at Las Vegas to take 10th on the all-time wins list in the Cup Series for himself. Race No. 6 of the year will be at the "Track too tough to tame," Darlington Raceway, located in South Carolina. Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Goodyear 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 3/22/2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
Darlington is a unique 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval that the Cup Series visits twice per season. It is one of NASCAR's oldest and most unique tracks, with races being hosted since 1950, and there is no other track on the Cup schedule that is shaped like an egg, with each pair of corners being different lengths and degrees of banking. This track is considered one of the most challenging tracks for drivers to maneuver, as it is easy for cars to lose grip, slide around, hit the wall, and take themselves out of contention with one wrong movement.
This race will feature the 750-horsepower rules package, which has not been used with the Next-Gen car before. As a result, there are some unknowns regarding track conditions and how the cars will handle beyond what is seen during pre-race events such as practice and qualifying. That being said, Darlington is a track that favors drivers with plenty of experience or those who have shown proficiency at the site before. For DFS lineups, it is important to roster multiple drivers who can be potential dominators who likely can lead whole portions of the race. Darlington has always been a track where passing is tricky, which favors drivers who can maintain positions through the race, especially if they start towards the front of the pack.
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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.
Denny Hamlin
Starts 9th - DK: $11K, FD: $14K
Toyota has won four of the first five Cup Series races this season. The last time a single manufacturer has won that many races outside of Chevrolet has been Ford, dating back to 1992. It is noteworthy to address, since the Toyotas have been very fast, successful, and consistent to start the year. Fast, successful, and consistent also describes Hamlin's overall incredible track record at Darlington.
And the winner is... @DennyHamlin @LVMotorSpeedway
A rejuvenated Hamlin drove to victory Sun. after a speeding penalty that put him in the rear and following an off-season that included loosing his father in a tragic house fire.
In the Deadline Room he was asked how he was… pic.twitter.com/IWiMKzkIeE
— Claire B Lang (@ClaireBLang) March 16, 2026
In 27 races at Darlington in his Cup career, Hamlin has five wins (most of active drivers), 20 top-10 finishes (most of active drivers), 1,022 laps led (second-most of active drivers), and an average finish of 7.9 (best of all drivers all-time). The No. 11 Toyota driver led at least one lap in each of the last 12 Darlington races and has an active streak of four consecutive top-10 finishes going into this week's race.
In practice, Hamlin ranked 34th in overall lap averages and ranked as high as 12th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Despite the underwhelming practice speeds, Hamlin should never be underestimated at Darlington, as it is one of his best tracks statistically in the Cup Series. With three top-10 finishes in a row and four finishes with positive PD scored in a row this season, Hamlin also has plenty of positive momentum heading to a track where he can compete for another win.
Chase Briscoe
Starts 23rd - DK: $10.7K, FD: $13K
Joe Gibbs Racing swept both of the Darlington races with victories last season. The track's most recent winner is Chase Briscoe, who won last fall, and he describes Darlington as one of his favorite race tracks. The No. 19 Toyota driver has struggled this season with only two top-10 finishes in the first five races, but Darlington is a prime bounce-back spot, especially with his past success at the site.
In 10 Cup starts at Darlington, Briscoe has two wins and three top-5 finishes with an average finish of 14.4. He scored positive PD six times, and he also led more laps at Darlington than at any other track on the Cup Series schedule in his entire career (338, which all came within the last three Cup races at the site). All three of Briscoe's top-5s were also obtained in the last four Darlington races.
VIDEO: Chase Briscoe pre-race press conference from Darlington Raceway
🎥 #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/W9TcK3O6GO
— Speedway Digest (@speedwaydigest) March 22, 2026
In practice for this week's race, Briscoe ranked 33rd in overall lap averages but displayed top-10 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories. Briscoe's starting position, being midway through the pack, makes him an excellent DFS option for all formats with plenty of upside. Fantasy players should not overlook Briscoe as a driver likely to finish in the top 10 this week.
Tyler Reddick
Starts 1st - DK: $9.5K, FD: $12.5K
The only driver with multiple wins so far this season, Tyler Reddick, is someone to watch for this week's race at Darlington. The South Carolina track has always been a strong track for the driver of the No. 45 Toyota, especially with how strong a start to the 2026 season he's had with three wins and four top-10 finishes through the first five races.
In 13 Cup races at Darlington, Reddick has seven top-10 finishes and an average finish of 11.5, which is second-best of all active drivers. Reddick led at least one lap in each of the last five Cup races at Darlington, and he has top-10 finishes in each of the last three. He also finished as the runner-up in three different Cup events at Darlington.
This #BuschLightPole came with a Darlington Stripe for @TylerReddick. 😅 pic.twitter.com/kZ8OyjjHPv
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 21, 2026
In practice for this week's race, Reddick ranked 18th in overall lap averages and was the fastest driver in the 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Considering how he has one of the fastest cars through practice, and how he starts right at the front, look for Reddick to be a top dominator and compete for the win this week.
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Ty Gibbs
Starts 28th - DK: $8K, FD: $9K
One of the more consistent drivers through the 2026 season so far has been Ty Gibbs. The No. 54 Toyota driver has three consecutive top-5 finishes going into this week's race and currently sits 10th in the regular season standings with an average finish of 14.6 after five races.
In seven Cup Series races at Darlington, Gibbs has five top-20 finishes and an average finish of 15.0. He has never finished worse than 22nd in his Cup career at Darlington, and he placed in the top 10 in the last two spring Darlington races. Gibbs scored positive PD in three of his seven Cup starts at Darlington, including two of his last four.
Ty Gibbs offers his interesting take on increased horsepower at the larger tracks. #Nascar
Presenting Partner: @MyPlaceHotels pic.twitter.com/Tp1XM0fOAg— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) March 22, 2026
In practice for Sunday's race, Gibbs ranked 20th in overall lap averages, and he ranked among the top 10 fastest in 15-30 consecutive lap averages. Due to his starting position deep in the field, Gibbs has plenty of upside with some of the best equipment in the field. Fantasy players should highly consider Gibbs for all DFS formats this week, especially with how many points he can earn just from potential PD.
Erik Jones
Starts 24th - DK: $7.5K, FD: $7K
Some drivers are well-known for their efficiency on certain tracks. For Legacy Motor Club's Erik Jones, Darlington is his top track statistically, and he is always a driver to watch at the South Carolina oval track.
In 16 Cup races at Darlington, Jones has two wins, nine top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.8, which ranks fourth-best among active drivers. Darlington remains the only track where Jones has multiple Cup Series wins, and he also obtained positive PD in each of the last seven Cup events at the site.
That one is on me. Brushed the wall during our qualifying lap which killed our time. Feeing positive with the speed we had in practice though. Let’s have a day tomorrow. #teamtoyota pic.twitter.com/IZG1EOgIP9
— Erik Jones (@Erik_Jones) March 21, 2026
In practice for this week's race, Jones ranked 11th in overall lap averages, and he displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories. With Darlington being a top track, solid upside from his starting position, and equipment capable of competing for a top-10 finish based on practice speeds, Jones is a driver who should not be overlooked for Sunday's race.
Zane Smith
Starts 19th - DK: $6.3K, FD: $5.8K
Front Row Motorsports driver Zane Smith is having a solid start to the 2026 season so far. In the first five races, Smith has three top-15 finishes, an average finish of 17.4, and sits 19th in the regular-season points standings. The No. 38 Ford driver does not have a large sample size of starts at Darlington, but has been decent at the site overall.
In four Cup starts at Darlington, Smith has two top-15 finishes, which were both gained in last year's races at the site, as well as an average finish of 20.8. He also has three consecutive finishes with PD scored going into this week's race at Darlington.
In practice for Sunday's race at Darlington, Smith ranked 25th in overall lap averages while ranking among the top 20 fastest in 15-30 consecutive lap averages. Although he may not carry as much upside as some other drivers, he does have the equipment to maintain a top-10 finish, which will be better than most in this DFS salary range.
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