Chase Elliott Likely Won't Factor for the Win at Darlington

Although Chase Elliott came close to winning the last two 2020 races at Darlington before two separate crashes with Joe Gibbs Racing drivers took him out of contention, he hasn't really factored for the lead at Darlington since. However, he's still been pretty consistent with top-12 finishes in all but two of the last nine […]

Joey Logano Might Focus More on Playoff Races

Joey Logano has almost been the polar opposite of Chris Buescher as he no longer seems to care about where he finishes in a race as long as he wins at the right moments and accumulates a lot of stage points. While purists prefer Buescher's consistent approach, there's no denying that Logano's approach is better-suited […]

Missing Playoffs Allows Chris Buescher to Potentially Go All Out at Darlington

Although some people see Chris Buescher as a major playoff snub, he was far less deserving this year than in 2024 when he was a genuine snub because this year, he hardly ever had anything resembling winning speed. He is typically too risk-averse to avoid mistakes, which gives him a higher floor than most other […]

Shane van Gisbergen Qualifies Too Well for DFS Consideration

Since there is no road course in this round of the NASCAR playoffs, Shane van Gisbergen's playoff run will likely end right here. His 20th-place qualifying run made him one of the only three playoff drivers who failed to qualify in the top 14, so he'll likely lose points to all of them unless another […]

Austin Dillon Earns Best Qualifying Result at Darlington

Despite never leading a lap at Darlington, Austin Dillon wasn't actually bad here in his earlier years as he posted five top-10 finishes in his first 12 starts, including a second-place finish in the 2020 Southern 500. But almost all of that came with the Gen 6 car, while he has been significantly slower everywhere […]

Kyle Busch's Downturn in Speed This Year Makes Him a Worse DFS Option

Kyle Busch won only a single race at Darlington in 2008, but he has had some speed in the Next Gen era, leading 155 laps in the 2022 Southern 500 before an engine failure. He then finished 11th or better in four of the last five races, including a second-place showing in last year's Southern […]

Carson Hocevar Should Run Better at Darlington Than the Numbers Predict

Although Carson Hocevar hasn't posted a good finish at Darlington yet, Sunday's Southern 500 could provide him such an opportunity. Hocevar had speed when he qualified second for last year's Southern 500, although he quickly faded and earned no stage points before crashing out. Despite his general increase in speed, he had his worst qualifying […]

Ryan Preece a Low-key Strong DFS Option at Darlington After His Speed in the Spring

Ryan Preece starts 27th for Sunday's Southern 500. Preece has neither led a lap nor earned a top-10 finish at Darlington, but he did start on the front row twice. One of those came when he started on the pole in the second race in 2020 after a field inversion, but he qualified second on […]

Don't Expect Much From Michael McDowell

Michael McDowell's Darlington record has been pretty paltry to date, as he has only posted three top-10 finishes in his career here. While all three of those races came with the Next Gen car, which indicates that he's obviously improved of late, he has still run worse than his record implies because he has never […]

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has Struggled at Darlington

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has never been particularly strong at Darlington. Not only has he never led here, he's also only posted a single top-10 finish at the track -- an eighth-place finish in the 2022 spring race -- and even that was more a result of attrition than speed, as he had an average running […]

Despite 23XI Racing's Darlington Speed, Riley Herbst Will Likely Run Terribly

Although 23XI Racing has consistently had speed at Darlington with Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace each earning several top-10 finishes and battling for the lead in races at least once, the same has not held true for their rookie teammate Riley Herbst, who starts 33rd on Sunday in a race where Reddick starts fourth and […]

Attrition Too Unlikely for Cody Ware to Score Place-Differential Points at Darlington

Cody Ware starts 36th for Sunday evening's Southern 500. He actually had one of his career-best finishes on an unrestricted superspeedway in the spring Darlington race three years ago in 2022 when he finished 19th, but that was an atypical result for him on any track type. In his other Darlington starts, he crashed three […]

Trevor Rogers Continues Dominant Run in Win

Baltimore Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers (8-2) continued an incredible run and notched his eighth win of the season in an 11-1 drubbing of the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Rogers recorded his fourth straight start of seven-inning, one-run ball and allowed five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. That's now nine quality starts in […]

Bryan Abreu Melts Down in Loss

Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu turned in a rare poor performance in a 4-1 defeat against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Abreu fell to 3-4 on the season after surrendering three earned runs on four hits and two walks (two strikeouts) in two-thirds of an inning. The Astros called on Abreu to pitch the […]

Jeff Hoffman Hammered in Loss

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman (8-6) took his sixth loss of the year in a 4-1 game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Hoffman entered a 1-1 contest in the top of the ninth inning and proceeded to allow back-to-back home runs to Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich. Hoffman went on to give up […]

Darlington Has Been A Good Track for Todd Gilliland

One lower-tier driver to keep an eye on in Sunday night's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway is Todd Gilliland. The Front Row Motorsports driver has been pretty consistent throughout his career at "The Lady in Black," and better than average. In seven career Darlington starts, Todd Gilliland has finished 17th or better five […]

Jackson Chourio Slugs Clutch Homer in Return From Injured List

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio returned from the injured list on Saturday and hit a key home run in a 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. With the game tied 1-1, Chourio led off the top of the ninth inning and took Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman deep to give the Brewers a lead […]

NASCAR DFS Picks: DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Lineups for the Cook Out Southern 500 (2025)

It is finally time for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs to begin with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Darlington is a 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval track known for its unique track layout, where each pair of turns is completely different from each other in terms of length and banking. Typically, drivers and […]

Jets GM: Justin Fields "Can be One of Those Guys"

New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields agreed to a two-year, $40 million contract during the offseason. The signal-caller has had his share of ups and downs throughout his career thus far. However, Jets general manager Darren Mougey appears to have confidence in the 2021 No. 11 overall pick. "I do believe Justin can be one […]

Chris Sale Stellar in Return From Injury

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale didn't miss a beat in his first start in over two months on Saturday. Although the Braves lost 3-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies, Sale didn't factor into the decision in his return from a fractured rib cage. The 36-year-old southpaw limited the Phillies to one run on three hits while […]

Tez Johnson Makes Buccaneers Roster

Rookie wide receiver Tez Johnson has made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' initial 53-man roster after an impressive preseason. A seventh-round draft pick, Johnson earned his spot over Trey Palmer, who had flashed in his two seasons with the team but has since landed in New Orleans. With Jalen McMillan (neck) on Injured Reserve and Chris […]

Pavin Smith Likely Out for Season

Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman/designated hitter Pavin Smith (quadriceps) is likely to miss the rest of the season, manager Torey Lovullo said. Smith went on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 28 with a strained left quadriceps, and with the D-backs' season nearing an end, it doesn't appear he'll have enough time to make it back. […]

Cam Skattebo - Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Fantasy Football Picks for Week 1 (2025)

BALLER MOVE: Start in 14+ team leagues POSITIONAL VALUE: RB4 ANALYSIS: The New York Giants bolstered their running back room by selecting Cam Skattebo in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona State. During his final season at Arizona State, Skattebo flashed immense upside, totaling a Big 12-leading 1,711 yards. He also […]

Xavier Restrepo Added to Titans Practice Squad

The Tennessee Titans signed wide receiver Xavier Restrepo to their practice squad after the rookie failed to make the team's initial 53-man roster. Restrepo, who signed with Tennessee as an undrafted free agent in April, appeared in three preseason contests and logged three receptions for 26 yards on six targets. He could eventually reunite on […]

Aroldis Chapman Agrees to Contract Extension

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman has agreed to a one-year contract extension with the organization on Saturday. He'll get a one-year, $13.3 million extension that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season. Chapman has been outstanding with a 1.04 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, and a 74/14 K/BB ratio with 26 saves this season. […]

Tyler Phillips Earns Third Save

Miami Marlins relief pitcher Tyler Phillips was called upon to hold a three-run lead versus the New York Mets on Saturday. Both Ronny Henriquez and Calvin Faucher were already used earlier in the game. That being said, Phillips was given a save chance and made the most of it. He tossed a scoreless inning, allowing […]

Efton Chism III Practicing Ahead Of Week 1

New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III (ankle, foot) returned to practice earlier this week after missing some time due to an injury he suffered in the team's second preseason game. The Eastern Washington product told reporters he is "absolutely healthy" on Wednesday, a day after he officially made the Patriots' 53-man roster. Veterans […]

Juan Soto Homers Twice in Loss

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto did a little bit of everything during Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins. He started his day off by getting hit by a pitch in the first inning. He would walk in the second frame, steal second base, and score a run. Soto took right-hander Edward Cabrera deep for […]

Cole Custer Has Been Above Average in Southern 500

Call it coincidence or what have you, but Cole Custer has finished above average in every single Southern 500 he has raced in. Back ni 2020, he wound up 12th in this Crown Jewel race, and then he finished 11th in the 2021 running of it. In 2022, Custer wound up finishing 14th in that […]