Fantasy NASCAR DFS Picks on DraftKings for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

NASCAR's regular season finale is here, and it's usually chaos on the high banks of Daytona.

This 2.5-mile superspeedway is world-renowned for the Daytona 500, but the summer race under the lights has become just as important for the last few years as the cutoff race before "The Chase". The new 2026 playoff format doesn't quite create the same "win and in" drama, but we have some drivers who will have to navigate the chaos on Saturday night.

In DFS, this is a high-variance, 160-lap race that might be even crazier than previous versions. NASCAR has changed the aero package to, hopefully, produce more solo passing and enable bigger runs for trailing cars. Though no expert, I did get to drive this new package in iRacing this week, and the runs are significantly faster than even the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series cars, which usually put on a whacky show. Buckle up.

The green flag for Saturday's race is expected at 7:47 p.m. EST on USA Network.

Every week, DraftKings Daily Fantasy has NASCAR contests for all three of the top touring series. Here are my favorite picks for Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

Coke Zero 400 at Daytona DraftKings NASCAR DFS Studs to Target

Christopher Bell ($10,200)

The truth is that I don't really know whose going to thrive -- or survive -- Daytona. It's always putting 40 cars into a blender, but with that, the focus in daily fantasy is risk mitigation and leverage in tournaments.

Christopher Bell won't provide the latter, but he's a cash-game staple starting 35th. Surprisingly, the self-proclaimed mediocre drafter has the fourth-best average finish here since the start of 2023 (14.9). He's posted three podium finishes in his last seven races.

Remember, Bell won February's race at Atlanta and finished 2nd there in the fall. He'll be immensely popular in a capable Toyota from the back of the field, but it shouldn't shock anyone if he's the slate's top scorer.

Chase Elliott ($9,900)

Any time we drive through the gates at Daytona, Chase Elliott is a threat.

Chase Elliott wins Duel No. 2 at Daytona! pic.twitter.com/bDFPEoYfxU
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 13, 2026

Elliott won his qualifying race in February here and was within striking distance of his first career Daytona 500 before crashing on the last lap. He's scored a top-10 finish in 7 of the last 12 points races at this venue.

Though Elliott won't complete escape the radar, there are multiple-time Daytona winners and contenders starting around 30th. Elliott (22nd) won't be as extreme of a priority from a little bit further up the starting grid.

Coke Zero 400 at Daytona DraftKings NASCAR DFS Mid Tier Picks

Denny Hamlin ($9,100)

Anecdotally, I think of Denny Hamlin as an elite Daytona drafter. He's a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

Yet, he's actually finished no better than 13th here in each of the last 10 races at this track. That's shocking, but the previous Next Gen aero package really didn't suit Hamlin, who has historically been a great judge of runs and momentum. This new one might be more in his wheelhouse.

The veteran is on fire in general, posting a top-8 finish in 12 of his last 15 races. It's bizarre to see his salary so low at a track where he's had so much success before these recent hard times.

His starting spot (30th) will welcome the masses, but you will be left holding the bag if the #11 gets his first ever win in the July/August race at the World Center of Racing.

Carson Hocevar ($8,700)

For my money, Carson Hocevar is the best drafter in the world at the moment. I think you could have justified a slate-high salary for him.

CARSON HOCEVAR WINS AT TALLADEGA! pic.twitter.com/5B6WQFi87T
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 26, 2026

Hocevar got the first win of his career at Talladega, had the lead with less than 10 laps to go here in February, and posted two top-five finishes at Atlanta. His aggressiveness wins on tracks like this -- and, also, sometimes causes massive pileups.

Hey, variance is in your favor if "The Big One" is happening off Hocevar's nose and he gets away unscathed. It's been a trend on these tracks of late.

Starting 28th, Hocevar has a lot of potential trouble he can stir up, but I think his prowess at Daytona specifically will be overlooked by optimizers because of mechanical issues in two of his last three starts.

Coke Zero 400 at Daytona DraftKings NASCAR DFS Budget Plays

Austin Dillon ($7,300)

The biggest memo I can send in tournaments is to live down here, opting for place-differential points and leaving thousands of dollars of salary on the table.

There are countless plays just like Austin Dillon. The Richard Childress Racing driver is a two-time Daytona winner starting 29th. He can excel in this format of racing and provides a level of security from his starting spot at marginal ownership.

Austin Dillon SOMEHOW made it through this huge wreck and went on to win at Daytona in 2022. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/8xe5LWgM3U
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) August 24, 2024

Like Hamlin, I'm trying to buy low on Dillon's previous era of success in a different aero package. He's actually finished 23rd or worse in seven straight Daytona races, which didn't always favor aggression or drafting prowess instead of protecting track position.

John Hunter Nemechek ($5,200)

Some drivers approach Daytona differently, and I'd gobble up each and everyone I thought would ride at the back early in this race. I think it'll be chaos.

John Hunter Nemechek is a survivor. He's posted a top-15 finish in five of his seven races here, and he's made it to the end of every single one except February's Daytona 500. Regression might swing his way on Saturday.

Nemechek starts 27th, but I don't have a real preference for him over several other deep starters with a history of being able to see the end of drafting races. Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, A.J. Allmendinger, Noah Gragson, and Ty Dillon all start outside the top 30 with previous top 10s at drafting tracks; I'll mix and match them in tournaments.

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