Fantasy NASCAR DFS Picks on DraftKings for the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington

"The Chase" is back, and it starts with a crown jewel in "The Palmetto State".

It's Labor Day weekend, and that means it's the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Also dubbed "The Track Too Tough to Tame", this 1.33-mile, egg-shaped oval has been active on NASCAR's schedule since 1950. Drivers run right next to the fence in a seemingly eternal mental challenge.

In DFS, this is a 367-lap event, making it a key priority to find lap leaders. In the Next Gen era, the car that has led the most laps has averaged 226 of them out front, and if your lineup doesn't have that guy...you're probably not winning anything. Tire wear and attrition do provide room for some place-differential options -- especially since practice and qualifying were washed out on Saturday.

The green flag for Sunday's race is expected at 5:10 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 Sunday's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Southern 500 at Darlington DraftKings NASCAR DFS Studs to Target

Tyler Reddick ($10,500)

Handing Tyler Reddick the pole on Sunday could be pretty devastating for the rest of the field.

One of Reddick's five early-season victories came in the March race at this venue, and he led 77 laps with the third-fastest median lap time. It was his fourth top-five finish in his last six starts at the track.

TYLER REDDICK WINS AT DARLINGTON! pic.twitter.com/gyyVd3biIv
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 22, 2026

An underrated part of Reddick's starting spot? He'll have access to the first pit stall, too, on a night where teams could change up to 12 sets of tires.

Kyle Larson ($10,000)

For months, Kyle Larson has been fast. He's made several mistakes that have cost him. That's also a personal theme at Darlington, so I think No. 5 is a bit of a risk with great reward.

Larson's dirt background has clearly benefitted him at this venue. He's got 6 top-three finishes in his last 15 races here, and he's led over 120 laps four seperate times -- including during a dominant 2024 Southern 500 win.

If he were a front-row starter, I'd be a bit worried about a ceiling to lead laps on Sunday. He's just 10th in my blended speed rankings from comparable tracks. But, he starts 25th, which would absolutely make a tournament-winning lineup spot with a top five.

Southern 500 at Darlington DraftKings NASCAR DFS Mid Tier Picks

William Byron ($9,400)

Sheldon Creed has been a steady-but-unspectacular contender in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and emerged to win Saturday's playoff opener at Darlington. Could William Byron do the same?

Byron is winless during this 2026 campaign, and he's been down on speed at some larger venues. These tire-wear heavy ones haven't been bad, though. He had a top-eight median lap at Darlington in March (7th) as well as Las Vegas (3rd) and Richmond (8th).

He's also got the second-best average finish (10.3) among all drivers behind Denny Hamlin (9.6) at Darlington since the start of 2023.

Byron starts 20th, offering a similar place-differential compromise as Larson.

Ty Gibbs ($8,800)

I just mentioned Hamlin's success. Chase Briscoe has won consecutive Southern 500s. Could Ty Gibbs be the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota that goes under the radar?

Ty Gibbs during the 2024 Southern 500 @ Darlington. pic.twitter.com/h2rDN5xb72
— Andrew (@Basso488) April 3, 2025

I think it's unlikely from 28th on the starting grid, but Gibbs would be viable even without place-differential upside. He's posted a top-12 median lap at all five venues in my blended speed rankings. The worst of them came here (12th) in March, but you can chalk that up to dirty air. He finished 6th after starting...28th.

Larson, Gibbs, Byron, and Ryan Blaney (starting 24th) sort of invite this unique dynamic where you could theoretically see one of these place-differential options dominate the race beyond Stage 1. I'm interested in that type of build for cash games.

Southern 500 at Darlington DraftKings NASCAR DFS Budget Plays

Erik Jones ($7,500)

A cash-game staple emerged from the qualifying washout.

Erik Jones is pretty special at this track. He's a two-time Southern 500 winner and has scored a top-10 finish in 10 of his 17 starts at Darlington. Remember, this has come in suboptimal equipment at points, too.

Back-to-back NASCAR upsets?

Erik Jones has two Southern 500 wins to his name, and another would punch his ticket into the playoffs. 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/1QPcr14cac
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) August 28, 2024

Jones' efforts at this track in particular were rewarded in my blended rankings, which weighted his 15th-ranked median at Darlington well above other tracks in the sample, including an "N/A" ranking for Iowa, where he didn't even complete a lap.

I suppose the downside is that Jones, starting 36th, could get lapped and be a total non-factor as perhaps the most drafted driver in tournaments. It's hard to find someone with his upside in this salary range, though.

Zane Smith ($6,200)

The punting tier isn't easy with Daniel Suarez starting 2nd. I think Zane Smith is interesting.

Smith's Darlington history isn't too bad. He's got a top-15 finish in two of his last three starts here, but March's race here was his second-worst track among those in my blended sample (24th).

But, the Front Row driver's top-15 median laps at Las Vegas, Charlotte, and Iowa show an ability to make pace at multi-groove tracks with tire wear.

Smith starts 33rd, and I'm unsure if he'll carry much popularity. He's cooled off a bit from a summer heater with a finish of 22nd or worse in five of his last eight races.

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