RADIO
Erik Jones Quickest in Practice at Darlington
It shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone to see Erik Jones' name at the top of the speed chart in practice on Saturday at Darlington Raceway. "The Lady in Black" is one of the best tracks on the schedule for Jones, as he is a two-time winner there and has one of the best average finishes (12.8) among all active drivers there as well. Erik Jones simply has a knack for racing at Darlington. Jones and his Legacy Motor Club Toyota led the way in practice with a lap of 29.925 seconds (164.331 mph) but the No. 43 wasn't able to back that speed up in qualifying, and instead Erik will start from back in 24th-place for the Goodyear 400. As far as DFS goes, that makes Jones a pretty attractive option with his Place Differential upside, especially at his affordable salary of just $7,500 on DraftKings. Remember, he finished third here last fall after starting 19th.
Source: RACER
Source: RACER
Denny Hamlin Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin will start in ninth place for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway after qualifying. Hamlin is the only driver from JGR to qualify inside the top 10 this week. In 27 races at Darlington, 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 is also the defending winner of this week's race and has placed in the top 10 in each of the last four Darlington races. Through five races in the 2026 season, Hamlin has one win, three top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.0, and is currently fourth in the regular-season standings. In practice for Sunday's race, Hamlin ranked 34th in overall lap averages and as high as 12th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although his practice speeds were underwhelming, Darlington is one of Hamlin's top statistical tracks and always is a threat to be considered for the win at the site. Fantasy players should not underestimate Hamlin because of his incredible track history at Darlington.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Briscoe Is One of the Top DFS Options of the Week for Darlington
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 23rd position for this week's Darlington Raceway Cup event, the Goodyear 400. Briscoe has not qualified this far back in the field in a Darlington Cup event since May 2023 and marks his first start at the site outside of the top 20 since joining JGR in 2025. In 10 Cup races at Darlington, Briscoe has eight top-20 finishes, two wins, and an average finish of 14.4. The No. 19 Toyota driver led more laps at this particular track than any other in the Cup Series (338). With five races completed this season, Briscoe has two top-10 finishes, but also three outside of the top 30, with an average overall finish of 24.0, and he currently is 26th in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race, Briscoe ranked 33rd in overall lap averages, but displayed top-10 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories. Darlington is one of Briscoe's best tracks statistically, and he has fast long-run practice speeds this week. Combine that with his high upside from his starting position, and Briscoe is one of the top DFS options of the week to consider for all formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start in the 13th position for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. It will be Byron's lowest starting position at the site in the Cup Series since September 2023. In 15 Cup starts at Darlington, Byron has one win, seven top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.4. Through the first five races this year, Byron has four finishes of 13th or better with an average finish of 12.6, while he is currently seventh in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race, Byron ranked 14th in overall lap averages while ranking as high as 24th in 20 consecutive lap averages. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver may not have the fastest practice speeds, but his overall history at Darlington has been respectable. Fantasy players could take a chance on Byron this week in any DFS format, especially based on his season-wide performance to date.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Christopher Bell be Considered A Decent DFS Option for Darlington?
Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 22nd position for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This is the lowest starting position for Bell in the Cup Series at Darlington since joining JGR in 2021. In 13 Cup races at the South Carolina track, the No. 20 Toyota driver has nine top-20 finishes, including four inside the top 10, and an average finish of 15.3. Through five races so far this season, Bell has an average finish of 13.0 with three top-5 finishes and is currently sixth in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race, Bell ranked 27th in overall lap averages and as high as 24th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Bell's practice speeds were slow, but his Darlington track history has been decent. Since he drives for one of the top Cup Series teams in terms of equipment, Bell should not be fully underestimated for this week's race, but he is more favored in cash games than tournaments for DFS due to his upside from starting in the middle of the pack.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Darlington This Week For DFS?
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the third position for Darlington Raceway's Goodyear 400 after qualifying. This will be Elliott's first top-5 starting position in a Darlington Cup race since 2021. In 18 Cup races at the site, Elliott has eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.9. He also scored Positive Place Differential in each of the last six Darlington Cup races. After five races this year, Elliott sits fifth in the regular-season standings with an average finish of 9.4 and three top-10 finishes. In practice for this week's Cup race, Elliott ranked 19th in overall lap averages while ranking 26th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Although his practice speeds were underwhelming, his overall positive track history still makes Elliott a driver who should not be overlooked for this week's race. However, the limited upside from his high starting position makes him playable only in tournament DFS contests.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Joey Logano May Not Have the Speed to Warrant A Darlington DFS Lineup Spot
Joey Logano of Team Penske will start 29th in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway after setting a slower lap during qualifying. This is the lowest starting position for Logano in a Cup race at Darlington since his first race at the site with Penske in 2013. In 24 races at Darlington in his Cup career, Logano has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.6. Through the first five races this season, Logano has four top-20 finishes and scored positive Place Differential three times. In practice for Sunday's race at Darlington, Logano ranked 35th in overall lap averages, 28th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and 29th in 15 consecutive lap averages. Despite a favorable track history at Darlington, Logano's practice speeds were among the slowest in the field this week and did not improve during qualifying. It is because of his car's speed and slow start to the year that Logano is not recommended in general for DFS this week. The No. 22 Ford driver is only playable in cash lineups due to his potential ceiling from starting in the rear of the field.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Should DFS Players Trust Ross Chastain at Darlington?
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start 25th after qualifying for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This will be the fourth time that Chastain will start outside of the top 20 at the site since 2023. In 13 cup starts at Darlington, Chastain has seven finishes, including each of the last five, inside the top 15 with an overall average finish of 17.0. With five Cup races completed so far this season, Chastain has three top-20 finishes, including one inside the top five, and an average finish of 20.6 while ranking 20th in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race at Darlington, Chastain ranked 36th in overall lap averages while displaying top-20 speeds in the 25 and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Despite his underwhelming start to the 2026 season, Darlington is a solid track historically for Chastain. Considering his starting position, which offers respectable upside, he is a driver who can be considered for all DFS formats, especially cash games.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Kyle Busch Be A Worthy DFS Option for Darlington?
Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing is starting this Sunday's race at Darlington Raceway, the Goodyear 400, from the eighth position. This matches his starting position from this race one year ago, which was his best since joining RCR in 2023. In 28 races at Darlington, Busch has one win, 17 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.1, which ranks sixth among active drivers. After five Cup races so far this season, Busch has three top-20 finishes, an average finish of 21.2, and sits 22nd in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's race, Busch ranked 22nd in overall lap averages but ranked fourth in 10 consecutive lap averages, third in 15 consecutive lap averages, and sixth in 20 consecutive lap averages. Although Busch qualified inside the top 10, he does not carry much PD upside based on his starting position. However, his practice speeds being faster on longer runs and his solid Darlington track history do make Busch a driver to consider for tournaments, as someone with low rostership who should aim to maintain a top-10 finish.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Brad Keselowski May be A Contriarian DFS Tournament Option At Darlington
Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing will start in fifth position for Sunday's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. It will be the first time since Atlanta in February that Keselowski will start inside the top 10 this season. In 24 starts at Darlington, the No. 6 Ford driver has two wins, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.1, which ranks third-best among active drivers. After five races so far this season, Keselowski has five top-20 finishes with two inside the top 10. He is also 12th in the regular-season standings so far. In practice for this week's race at Darlington, Keselowski ranked third in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories, including fourth in 25 consecutive lap averages. Due to his high starting position, Keselowski does not carry much upside. However, his great track history at Darlington and fast practice speeds make him a solid contrarian tournament option for DFS.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Daniel Suarez has Little Upside for Darlington DFS Lineups
Spire Motorsports driver Daniel Suarez will start in the 11th position for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This will be the best starting position for the No. 7 Chevrolet driver since May 2023 at the South Carolina track. In 16 Cup starts at Darlington, Suarez has six top-20 finishes, with only one inside the top 10, and an average finish of 23.1. Through five races so far this season, Suarez has three top-20 finishes with an average finish of 18.2 and is currently tied for 16th in the regular-season points standings. In practice for this week's race, Suarez ranked 29th in overall lap averages, displaying top-10 speeds in the 10, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Despite solid practice speeds on the longer run, Suarez's overall track history at Darlington and low upside make him a DFS risk this week. These factors make Suarez only playable in tournament lineups in DFS this week overall.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Denny Hamlin Dominates and Gets His Third Career Las Vegas Win
Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing won the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday with the best car in the field. Hamlin started the race from second, but quickly took the lead from Christopher Bell after two laps. The No. 11 Toyota driver led most of the first stage, but in the final couple of laps, his car experienced enough tire wear that he lost grip, causing him to be slow enough for Bell and Kyle Larson to pass him. Hamlin obtained eight stage points as a result of finishing third at the end of the first stage. During the pit stop between the first and second stage, Hamlin sped on pit road, sending him to the back of the pack on a penalty. Hamlin spent the rest of the second stage trying to recover from the penalty, and he did, making it up to fifth by the end of the stage and collecting six more stage points. In the final stage, Hamlin continued his ascent to the front and passed William Byron for the lead on lap 185. Outside of a caution that caused him to restart second, Hamlin dominated the rest of the stage to earn his third Las Vegas victory, holding off Chase Elliott at the end before his car's tires completely wore out. With his first victory of the 2026 season, Hamlin now moves to fourth in the regular-season standings.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Chase Elliott Earns Runner-Up Finish at Las Vegas
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott finished Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the runner-up. Elliott began the race mid-way through the pack in the 15th position, but progressively worked to the front over time. In the first stage, he made it up from 15th all the way to the eighth position, ending the first stage with three stage points. In the second stage, Elliott started making it to the top five, peaking at third, but by the end of the stage, he faded back to ninth and earned two more stage points. In the final stage, Elliott returned to the top five and stayed there as his car improved on handling and speed to compete for the win. Elliott made it up to second and, in the closing laps, was chasing Denny Hamlin for the win, but the race ended before Elliott could fully catch up and make a move for the win. This was Elliott's first top-5 finish in the Next-Gen car at Las Vegas, and he is now fifth in the regular-season standings after five races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
William Byron Wins A Stage and Finishes Third at Las Vegas
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports finished in third place for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver first started the race from ninth, but quietly gained a few positions in the first stage. By the end of the stage, he made it to sixth and earned five stage points. In the second stage, Byron made it to the top five and helped his teammate Kyle Larson obtain the lead. He eventually got by Christopher Bell and then, in the closing laps of the second stage, passed Larson and went on to win the second stage. In the final stage, Byron began by fighting with Larson for the lead and eventually getting ahead of him for a couple of laps, until Denny Hamlin made it to the front and passed Byron. From there, Byron never saw the lead again, but ran most of the race inside the top five and kept his car clean until he eventually finished third behind Hamlin and his other teammate, Chase Elliott. This was Byron's best Las Vegas Cup finish since his win at the site in March 2023, and he is now seventh in the regular-season standings after five races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Finishes Fourth at Las Vegas After Strong Run
Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell was highly competitive and was one of the top drivers in Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but did not get the victory. Bell started the race at the front in the pole position, but quickly lost the lead to his teammate Denny Hamlin after the opening two laps. He then lost further positions to his other teammate, Ty Gibbs, and Kyle Larson before the first round of green flag pit stops. From there, the No. 20 team improved the car, and Bell returned to the lead and never looked back for the rest of the stage, winning and nabbing 10 stage points. In the second stage, Bell ran inside the top five throughout most of the stage. Although he challenged Larson and William Byron for the lead at a few points, Bell could not keep up and ended the stage in third. In the final stage, Bell continued to run in the top five, and although there were a few points where he was competing for the lead, he could not keep up with Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and William Byron, settling for fourth place by the end of the race. This was Bell's third consecutive top-5 result of the season and now sits sixth in regular-season points after five races.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
