NASCAR DFS Picks: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Lineups for the Quaker State 400 (2026)

July 12, 2026

Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (2026). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.

Chase Briscoe earned his first victory of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season last week at Chicagoland by holding off Christopher Bell. This week, the NASCAR Cup Series will be racing at EchoPark Speedway, also known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR's three drafting tracks. Atlanta is unique as it is the shortest of the three drafting tracks at 1.540 miles. This is because the site used to be a 1.5-mile Intermediate oval track that was reconfigured in 2022, and now uses the same rules package as Daytona and Talladega. Drafting track races are usually considered some of the bigger wildcards, where almost everyone in the field has a fair chance to win, but also potentially crash out. Races at Atlanta since the reconfiguration in 2022 have been chaotic and hard to predict, which also factors into DFS strategies.

As a drafting track event, DFS lineups are all about Place Differential and picking the right drivers to make it to the end. Atlanta is also a track where passing can be a challenge at times, as drivers need to rely on momentum and drafting to make moves. Despite the passing challenges, drivers often gain positions by pure attrition and surviving large crashes that can take out portions of the field at a time. The higher the starting position a driver is, the bigger the risk they pose for DFS and PD. The high likelihood of larger-scale wrecks also means DFS players have to create multiple lineups with different driver combinations to maximize their chances of success. It's all about picking the right set of drivers, and anyone can possibly win at drafting tracks, so the whole field is in play for DFS this week.

Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Quaker State 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 7/12/2026 at 7:00 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.

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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.

Tyler Reddick

Starts 31st - DK: $10.5K, FD: $13.5K

Tyler Reddick is going through his worst stretch of the season, with many things going wrong. Whether it's crashes, mistakes, or the car coming apart, anything that could go wrong has gone wrong for Reddick over the last month. Reddick's bad luck will eventually have to turn around, and Atlanta is a solid venue to ditch the bad luck, especially as  he won at the site earlier in the season.

TWO WEEKENDS IN A ROW FOR TYLER REDDICK, MICHAEL JORDAN AND 23XI RACING! pic.twitter.com/873TX7LKfQ

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 23, 2026

In nine starts at Atlanta since 2022, Reddick has four top-10 finishes and a win. This includes three top-10 finishes in his last four appearances at the site. The No. 45 Toyota driver also has been on a respectable streak of top-15 finishes at drafting tracks with four top-15s in his last four drafting track races that also include two victories, including this year's Daytona 500.

Reddick struggled in qualifying and ended up in 32nd, which provides him with enormous upside with equipment capable of placing in the top 10. He is sure to be a popular DFS option as one of the few big names starting towards the back with high upside, but he is well worth rostering based on his recent Atlanta and drafting track success.

William Byron

Starts 26th - DK: $9.7K, FD: $11K

Last week's race at Chicagoland was the best race of the year for William Byron, who has struggled to compete for race wins this season. In that race, he led a season-high 94 laps and at times looked like the favorite to get the win, which would be his first for the year. Atlanta is another track where Byron had previous success, but his overall results have been mixed despite his generally running well there.

Since 2022, Byron has had two wins and three top-10 finishes at Atlanta while also crashing out in three different races. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver also scored stage points at least once or twice in every race since 2022 at the site. Despite not always finishing well at the end, this shows that Byron has been a contender for a top finish many times at Atlanta.

RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE WILLIAM BYRON ON HIS NASCAR CUP SERIES WIN AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY. pic.twitter.com/vlNKxIRaVI

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) July 10, 2023

The Hendrick Motorsports cars did show plenty of speed in qualifying, with all of them scoring top-10 starting positions except for Byron. Unlike the rest of his teammates, Byron has plenty of DFS upside. Also, considering how his salary is between two other notables starting far back (Reddick and Christopher Bell), there is also a chance he may go overlooked and be a sneaky play for tournaments.

Carson Hocevar

Starts 14th - DK: $8.7K, FD: $9K

Some drivers just have a knack for performing well at drafting tracks on a consistent basis in their careers. Carson Hocevar has been developing into one of those kinds of drivers since last year with solid finishes, and now has become a winner on this track type in the Cup Series by winning at Talladega this season.

Iconic. Carson Hocevar celebrates at Talladega hanging out the window. pic.twitter.com/Na2Qf3EPuE

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 26, 2026

In five Cup starts at Atlanta since he never raced at the previous version of the track before 2022, Hocevar has three top-10 finishes and has never finished below 19th at the site. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver also scored positive PD in each of his five races at Atlanta and led in two of the last four events at the Georgia track.

While Hocevar did qualify inside the top 15, his history at this track and at other drafting tracks (with six top-10s in the last eight races at this track type) makes him a viable DFS option for all formats and especially tournaments.

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Great day today thanks for some extra help from @RotoBaller @FanRacingOnline @JoeNicely pic.twitter.com/mAIMTaEYWc

— brent buckner (@tenndolly2) August 7, 2023

Bubba Wallace

Starts 22nd - DK: $7.9K, FD: $8K

One driver who typically shows a lot of speed and often competes for race wins at drafting tracks is Bubba Wallace. Since the beginning of the 2024 season at drafting tracks, which is 15 races, Wallace has had nine top-10 finishes, and he has led laps in 12 different events. He currently has a streak of five consecutive races with at least one lap led, and he led the most laps in this year's Daytona 500 (40).

In nine races at Atlanta since 2022, Wallace has five top-15 finishes, including three inside the top 10. He led 46 laps in the Atlanta race earlier in the season and won the second stage. The No. 23 Toyota driver also notably earned positive PD seven times in that span.

With Wallace qualifying in the back half of the field, he has solid upside from his starting position. Also, considering his track record of often making it to the front in drafting track races, fantasy players could rely on the No. 23 driver for DFS in this week's race.

Zane Smith

Starts 34th - DK: $6.8K, FD: $6.2K

Zane Smith has quietly become a quality drafting track driver since joining Front Row Motorsports in 2025. Only twice has Smith finished outside of the top 20 while driving the No. 38 Ford at drafting tracks, and he is the only driver in the Cup Series this season to finish every race at the track type inside the top 10.

Smith is another one of the younger drivers who never raced on the previous version of Atlanta before 2022. In five races at the Georgia track, Smith has three finishes of 11th or better, which were all in his last three appearances at the site. He also scored positive PD twice in his Cup career at Atlanta.

After qualifying, Smith will start deep in the field for this week's race. Considering his success at drafting tracks more recently, he is a driver who fantasy players should target for this week's race in all DFS formats.

A.J. Allmendinger

Starts 27th - DK: $5.9K, FD: $6.5K

For someone who once stated that they hate racing at superspeedways and drafting tracks, A.J. Allmendinger has been a respectable driver in terms of finishing races at this particular track type. Allmendinger has placed in the top 20 and scored positive PD in each of the three drafting track races this season.

Atlanta just happens to be a track where Allmendinger has performed on a consistent level since the track's reconfiguration. In five races at the site since 2023, Allmendinger has five top-20 finishes, while scoring positive PD four times. He placed in the top 15 in the last four Atlanta races, including earlier this season, when he placed 12th.

With his starting position being farther back in the field, Allmendinger has plenty of upside with a car that is capable of placing in the top 15 based on track history, making him a favorable value play option for all DFS formats.

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