RADIO
William Byron Could have A Great DFS Performance at Charlotte
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports will start 31st for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after qualifying was canceled due to rain. The position for Byron was set based on a formula and equation used by the NASCAR rule book to determine the starting lineup. In nine Cup starts at Charlotte, Bryon has five top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.7. Through the first 12 races this season, Byron has six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.0. In practice, Byron ranked first in overall lap averages, but he comes with enormous upside from his starting position. Due to his great track history, equipment, and upside, Byron is a must-start for all DFS formats who can have a massive DFS day.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Briscoe Is A Solid Tournament Option for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Chase Briscoe will start in the fifth position for this year's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Briscoe was given the starting position after qualifying for this week's race was rained out, and the starting lineup was set by the NASCAR rulebook. In five Cup starts at Charlotte, Briscoe has two top-5 finishes, including a career-best finish of third in last year's Coca-Cola 600. In 12 Cup races so far this year, Briscoe has five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 17.5. In practice, Briscoe ranked 10th in 10 consecutive lap averages of all drivers. Although Briscoe has been hit-or-miss at times at this track and throughout this year in finishing results, he looked fast enough in practice to warrant rostering in this week's race. Due to his low upside from his starting position, however, Briscoe works best for tournament games over cash games in DFS.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ty Gibbs May not be Worth his Salary for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing is starting on the outside of the front row in second for this year's Coca-Cola 600. This is the second-highest starting position of Gibbs' Cup career at Charlotte after qualifying was canceled due to weather. In three Cup starts at the site, Gibbs has one top-10 finish of sixth back in 2024. After 12 Cup races completed this season, Gibbs has one win, eight top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.8. In practice, the No. 54 Toyota driver ranked 18th in 10 consecutive lap averages, 12th in 15 consecutive lap averages, and fourth in 20 consecutive lap averages. While Gibbs has been performing on a higher level this season, Charlotte is a track where he displayed mixed results, and his practice speeds do indicate that he will compete for a top-10 rather than a win. Fantasy players should only consider Gibbs for tournament games since he has very little upside to offer in this week's race.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chris Buescher May be a Sneaky Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start in the seventh position for this week's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Buescher obtained the starting position after qualifying was canceled due to weather and the field being set by the NASCAR rulebook. In 13 Cup races at Charlotte, Buescher has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.8. Through 12 races this year, Buescher has six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 11.3. In practice for this week's Cup race, Buescher displayed top-10 speeds in the 15 through 25 consecutive lap average categories. The No. 17 RFK Ford driver does not have much upside from his starting position, but he has solid long-run practice speeds and is one of the most consistent performers of the year. Although he is best suited for tournament lineups, he is one of the more underrated options of the week to consider.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Bubba Wallace Has Favorable Upside for Charlotte DFS Lineups
23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace is starting in the 24th position for this week's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Coca-Cola 600. Wallace was given the position by NASCAR under the rulebook after qualifying was canceled on Saturday due to rain. In nine Cup races in his career at Charlotte, Wallace has four top-20 finishes with one inside the top five. After 12 races completed so far this season, Wallace has six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 17.0. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked 10th in 15 consecutive lap averages and sixth in 20 consecutive lap averages. Considering his top-notch equipment and fast practice speeds, Wallace is worth consideration for all DFS formats with favorable upside.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Ross Chastain Is A Strong Addition for DFS Lineups at Charlotte
Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing will start in the 27th position for this week's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chastain will start there as a result of starting positions being set by the NASCAR rulebook after qualifying was rained out on Saturday. In eight races at Charlotte, Chastain has three top-20 finishes and is the current defending winner of the Coke 600. With 12 races completed so far in the 2026 season, Chastain has seven top-20 finishes with two inside the top 10. In practice, Chastain ranked 16th in 10 consecutive lap averages and sixth in 15 consecutive lap averages. Chastain's starting position offers plenty of upside, and with equipment capable of competing for a top-15 finish, he is a worthy addition to any DFS lineup this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Should Fantasy Managers Roster Austin Dillon for Charlotte DFS Lineups?
Richard Childress Racing's Austin Dillon will be starting in ninth for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After qualifying was canceled due to weather, Dillon was given the starting position as per the starting lineup equation from the NASCAR rulebook. In 17 Cup starts at Charlotte, Dillon has one win and five top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.9. Through the first 12 races this season, Dillon has eight top-20 finishes with one inside the top 10. In practice for this week's race, Dillon ranked third in overall lap averages and 26th in five consecutive lap averages. With a high starting position, Dillon does not have much upside for this week's race. Historically, Charlotte is not Dillon's best track, and his practice speeds make him more suited to be a risky tournament play.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Elliott Should Be Strong at Charlotte
Chase Elliott has been strong on the high-speed 1.5-mile tracks in 2026, so there's no reason to think he won't contend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600. Now, Chase will start from back in 16th-place when the race goes green, but passing cars has been no problem for the Hendrick Motorsports driver this season; at Las Vegas, Elliott started 15th and finished second, and then at Texas, he started 14th and ended up in victory lane. Over the last two Coca-Cola 600s, Chase has posted finishes of sixth and seventh, and don't forget that he won this Crown Jewel race back in 2020 (after starting 19th). Charlotte Motor Speedway is a strong track for Chase Elliott and he should be a contender this weekend. As far as DFS goes, he's a great pick at an affordable salary ($9,700 on DraftKings).
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Carson Hocevar Confident for Coca-Cola 600
Don't count out Carson Hocevar in the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend. Remember, Hocevar blew an engine in last year's race while contending for the lead, and the No. 77 Chevrolet might be a little bit better this time around. After practice on Saturday, Hocevar stated, "I felt like we were pretty fast. I feel like we're pretty good. I wish we could qualify, but we came from last to the front last year and we're a few spots better than then." Looking at similar tracks this season, Hocevar ended up 13th at Kansas back in April and finished seventh at Texas after starting from the pole and leading 40 laps. He will have to start from back in 23rd for this weekend's race, but with there being 600 miles to race, Carson will have plenty of time to get toward the front. He's a solid DFS play this weekend, even at an elevated salary of $8,700 on DraftKings.
Source: PRN
Source: PRN
Corey Heim a Chalk DFS Pick at Charlotte
Corey Heim will rightfully be a popular DFS pick for the Coca-Cola 600 this weekend. Thanks to qualifying being rained out and the starting lineup being set by the metric, Heim will start from dead last (39th) in this year's Coca-Cola 600. That means that Heim is the safest DFS pick on the slate, as he can not lose any positions during the race. Additionally, he has massive upside in fantasy contests, as the No. 67 Toyota is a very competitive car. In addition to finishing 15th at Kansas earlier this year, Heim also led 69 laps at Texas a few weeks ago--and both of those tracks are relatively similar to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the site of this weekend's race. Priced at just $6,900 on DraftKings this weekend, Corey Heim is an easy pick to make that should make it into the optimal lineup if he doesn't run into any issues during the race.
Source: Jayski
Source: Jayski
Is Michael McDowell A Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups?
Michael McDowell of Spire Motorsports will start fourth for this week's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. McDowell was given the starting position after qualifying was canceled due to rain, and starting positions were assigned by the NASCAR Rulebook. In 26 starts at Charlotte, McDowell has two top-10 finishes, which were scored in the last four races at the site. After 12 races so far this season, McDowell has three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 19.9. In practice for this week's race, McDowell ranked first in 10 consecutive lap averages. Although McDowell did have some quality finishes in the last few years and did show speed in practice, he is only playable in tournament lineups due to his low upside.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Shane Van Gisbergen Dominates Watkins Glen for First Win of 2026
Shane Van Gisbergen put on a dominant performance in this year's Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International as he won the race without much competition. Van Gisbergen began the race from the pole position in first and led every lap in the first stage until his first pit stop on lap 18. Despite losing positions from pitting, Van Gisbergen made enough of a gap to the rest of the field to finish the first stage in eighth, scoring three stage points at the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Van Gisbergen regained the lead and dominated the stage until pitting for a second time during the lap 40 caution. He then spent the rest of the stage regaining the lead from Michael McDowell, which he successfully did on lap 47. Van Gisbergen went on to win the second stage and earn 10 more stage points. In the final stage, Van Gisbergen left the field behind and led every lap until his final pit stop on lap 76. This left him in 22nd as others pitted before him, and then Van Gisbergen had to make up a 28-second gap behind the lead. Van Gisbergen spent the rest of the race making up the gap and passing others on the way until he caught up with the leader, Ty Gibbs, on lap 93 and never looked back, as he went on to earn his first win of the 2026 season and his second at Watkins Glen. With his Watkins Glen victory, SVG now moves to 16th in the regular season standings after 12 races this year.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Michael McDowell Finishes Second for Best Run of the Year At Watkins Glen
Michael McDowell was one of the top contenders for the win at the Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. McDowell started the race from second and ran there during the whole first stage until his first pit stop on lap 17. Due to how far away from the pack McDowell was at the time of pitting, he did not fall too far behind and was able to finish the first stage in 10th and gain one stage point. In the second stage, McDowell ran in the top three behind Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch through most of the stage, but took a different pit strategy on lap 40 during a caution. Unlike Van Gisbergen and Zilisch, McDowell stayed off of pit road and inherited the lead when the race went back to green. Due to being on older tires, McDowell steadily lost positions at the end of the stage and fell back to 12th, losing out on further stage points. McDowell pitted between stages and then used the tire advantage he gained in the third stage to make it up to second behind Van Gisbergen until his final pit stop on lap 75. From there, McDowell charged through the field to make it back to second, where he finished the race. This would be McDowell's second top-5 finish of the season, as well as his first at Watkins Glen. After 12 races this season, McDowell is now 21st in the regular-season standings and 58 points behind the cutoff position for the final spot in this year's Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Ty Gibbs Scores New Career-Best Finish of Third at Watkins Glen
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing placed third in the Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. Starting from the 10th position, Ty Gibbs was one of the more consistent drivers to run towards the front of the pack. The No. 54 Toyota driver ran inside the top 10 through most of the first stage until heading to pit road before the end of the stage on lap 17. As a result, he fell back to 17th, his eventual finishing position for the first stage, which gave him no stage points. In the second stage, Gibbs cycled back to the front of the pack thanks to moves on the track and great pit stops. This allowed Gibbs to make it up to third by the end of the second stage and score eight stage points. In the final stage, Gibbs made a pit stop strategy by pitting early on lap 61 and then tried to make it through the rest of the race by saving fuel. This strategy gave Gibbs the lead once Shane Van Gisbergen went to pit road on lap 76. While Gibbs held on to the lead and was holding off Connor Zilisch and A.J. Allmendinger, Gibbs soon had to deal with Van Gisbergen as he rallied from 22nd to the front. Gibbs lost the lead to SVG with seven laps to go, and then he also lost second place to Michael McDowell, leaving Gibbs to finish the race in third. This was a new career-best finish for Gibbs at Watkins Glen in the Cup Series, and he now moves to sixth in the regular-season standings after 12 races this year.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Tyler Reddick Continues His Strong Season With Fifth-Place Run at Watkins Glen
Tyler Reddick continued his strong season with a fifth-place finish at the Go Bowling at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. Reddick started the race from 15th and, despite gaining a couple of positions, went to pit road early in the first stage for tires and fuel. As a result, Reddick ended the first stage in 19th place and did not score any stage points. Reddick used this to his advantage, moving towards the front as other drivers pitted between stages. In the second stage, Reddick ran inside the top 10 through most of the stage, but progressively gained positions until he made it up to second by the end of the stage. Reddick was unable to get past Shane Van Gisbergen, but he still left the second stage with nine stage points. In the final stage, Reddick ran in second and was chasing Van Gisbergen through most of the stage until pitting on lap 71. From there, Reddick would run without issue until the end of the race, where he finished in fifth. This would be Reddick's first top-5 finish of his Cup career at Watkins Glen and eighth overall of the 2026 season. With 12 races now completed, Reddick remains the Cup Series regular-season standings points leader by 129 points over Denny Hamlin.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
