NASCAR Daily Fantasy Picks and Helper: Coke Zero Sugar 400

If you are looking for an action-packed way to consume sports on the weekend, NASCAR may be a great avenue to explore. Far from just driving in circles, some of the world's best compete nearly every weekend from February to November on tracks across America.

NASCAR drivers are scored ultimately based on how they finish in the race, how many spots they advance from their starting position, and how many laps they finish and lead. Avoiding drivers who crash out of the race is a must, though!

FanDuel Research is always your home for fantasy NASCAR advice. In addition to this helper, Jim Sannes takes a look at the best bets of the weekend in his betting guide.

With all of this in mind, let's preview this weekend's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway from the perspective of playing daily fantasy NASCAR on FanDuel.

NASCAR DFS Picks

Track Primer and General Lineup Strategy

With a spot in NASCAR's playoffs on the line, the series heads back to where the season started at Daytona.

Casual and diehard fans of stock car racing all know what the high banks of Daytona International Speedway's 2.5-mile oval deliver -- tight packs, drafting, edge-of-your-seat excitement, parity, and a ton of carnage. That's why NASCAR moved this race to the playoff cutline, creating an opening for a surprise winner to inject drama into the postseason picture.

In daily fantasy, there's really no need for track trends or a specific build path this weekend. A tried and true approach of "stacking the back" -- a.k.a. finding the most competitive cars starting as closely toward the back of the field as possible -- is a must to succeed in any DFS format at drafting ovals. As Jim's win simulations show, the win probability across the field is fairly flat, and it's almost impossible to project laps led.

Friday's qualifying session left us a few mid-range drivers starting deeper in the field, but a bulk of the traditional "studs" have spots closer to the front, and many of them are locked into the playoffs with nothing on the line tonight but fun and a trophy. Personally, that means we'll be leaving plenty of salary on the table to build optimal lineups. I'm talking even upwards of $15,000 at times in tournaments.

Overall, I love DFS on a drafting oval. It's different and a lineup can go from the top of the board to toast in a lap. Buckle up and enjoy -- but remember that variance with your bankroll in mind.

Driver Rankings

Below are the top 30 from my post-qualifying rankings for each driver based on equipment, starting order, recent form, track history, and overall talent level -- in that order.

Starting Spot is where the drivers will roll off the grid. For potential lap leaders (i.e. high-salaried drivers), closer access to the front is better. For value plays, a lower starting spot gives a higher floor and access to 0.5 points on FanDuel for each position advanced in the order.

Jim's Sims are the win simulations run by FanDuel Research's Jim Sannes. This week's sims were updated after practice and qualifying.

MLT Rank, the driver's weighted average median lap time ranking at the relevant sample of similar racetracks to this weekend, is a great indicator of overall speed. The prior races in the sample (with weight percentage) this week are:

• Daytona (Spring 2024) - 40%
• Talladega (Spring 2024) - 30%
• Daytona (Fall 2023) - 20%
• Atlanta (Spring 2024) - 10%

Coke Zero Sugar 400 DFS Studs to Target

Denny Hamlin ($14,000)

It's simply not wrong to put Denny Hamlin at the top of an ambiguous board for odds to win the Coke Zero Sugar 400.

Hamlin is a three-time winner at Daytona and Talladega combined since the start of 2020, which is tied with Ryan Blaney for the most of any driver. Those two stand well above the rest in terms of getting the job done.

We're looking for drivers starting toward the back, and Hamlin's 19th-place starting effort is the lowest of any driver above $11,000. That's a huge feather in his cap compared to others but also should make him excruciatingly popular as a solid pick to win.

I'd pivot from Hamlin in spots in tournaments, but I wouldn't blame anyone starting their cash-game lineup here.

Bubba Wallace ($11,000)

Hamlin is even more viable when Bubba Wallace is such an obvious stacking partner for him.

Wallace's 23XII Racing Toyota is owned by Hamlin and former NBA great Michael Jordan, so Denny could spend a ton of time behind Wallace helping him advance through the field. Bubba enters this Daytona event 1 point behind Ross Chastain and 16 points behind Chris Buescher for a playoff spot, but the odds all three of those drivers make it home without crashing and falling out of the postseason seems unlikely.

Don't discount Bubba's ability on these drafting ovals. After all, his first career win came at Talladega in 2021 during the playoffs. His 14.9 average finish on drafting ovals since the start of 2021 trails only Blaney and Chase Elliott among full-time series regulars.

Bubba's 18th-place starting spot is another acceptable choice in this salary tier.

Coke Zero Sugar 400 DFS Mid-Range Threats

Tyler Reddick ($8,500)

The last time NASCAR visited a superspeedway, Wallace's teammate, Tyler Reddick, was victorious. Here's another addition to a stack that could be formed behind Bubba to help him reach the postseason.

It's been feast or famine for Reddick in his career on this layout with five finishes of 7th place or better, but he's yet to post another top-15 effort besides those races. Reddick was second in the 2022 running of this Daytona event, so I certainly don't see him as a poor racer on drafting ovals.

Reddick's manufacture adds to his appeal with Hamlin, Wallace, Christopher Bell, and Ty Gibbs all driving JGR Toyotas in tonight's race. They all happen to be starting further back in the field and will work together, presenting an opportunity to stack their upside.

Fitting our baseline criteria to be considered, Reddick rolls off 25th on Saturday.

Ross Chastain ($8,000)

I mentioned Ross Chastain in the playoff mix with Wallace, yet his Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet is the first non-Toyota in this helper.

Chastain's luck has run dry in five consecutive races outside the top 15 at Daytona and Talladega, yet it seems to be a bit different than others' perpetual issues at drafting ovals. Ross wrecked from seventh on the final lap this May at Talladega, and he was crashed from the lead in overtime of this year's Daytona 500.

While in the mix, he's been a victim of variance with long-term results to prove it, including a 2022 win at Talladega. He'll start 24th tonight.

There are value Chevrolets running the same ECR chassis as Chastain to come, so he's not entirely devoid of stacking partners -- including teammate Daniel Suarez from 22nd.

Others to Consider

• Christopher Bell ($9,000)
• Alex Bowman ($7,800)
• Ty Gibbs ($7,500)

Coke Zero Sugar 400 DFS Value Plays

Erik Jones ($6,800)

It's not likely that Erik Jones will sneak up on anyone in DFS tonight. He's Tail-End Charlie (starting last in 40th) on the field, and there's no denying both his floor and upside as a strong plate racer from the Toyota camp.

Jones has finished sixth or better in four of the last nine races at Daytona or Talladega, which is especially impressive with all starts coming for this smaller Legacy Motor Club team. Up until 2022, Jones also didn't have a teammate to work with in these events like he does tonight in the form of John Hunter Nemechek, who starts 35th.

It's hard to deny the driver, manufacture, or starting position for $6,800 tonight. He's without a doubt a top-10 overall option in DFS, and crazier things have happened than Jones even winning tonight's race to sneak into the playoffs.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($6,000)

Sneaking into the playoffs is also Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s prerogative on Saturday.

Stenhouse's 2024 can only be summed up as dismal and remembered by a single right hook, but the three-time winner on superspeedways has likely had this event circled since he came up empty at Talladega in May.

He won the 2023 Daytona 500 last season, adding to a sample in prior car configuration that he's among the best -- and most aggressive -- on these drafting ovals. Unlike Wallace or Chastain, he's got absolutely nothing to lose tonight -- and I'm not sure if that's good or bad for his DFS prognostication.

Down on raw speed the bulk of the season, he'll start 35th this evening, but it would be a surprise to no one to see the Mississippi native in contention at "The World Center of Racing" again.

Others to Consider

• Corey Lajoie ($5,500)
• Justin Haley ($4,500)
• Carson Hocevar ($4,200)
• John Hunter Nemechek ($4,000)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.