Fantasy NASCAR DFS Picks on DraftKings for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta

Some call the recently renovated EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta the peak of NASCAR racing. The 1.5-mile superspeedway marries the best elements of pack racing at Daytona or Talladega with the skill and craft of 1.5-milers that make up a majority of the Cup Series schedule.

As we inch toward the playoffs, we'll fire off nearly 40 cars here again for the Quaker State 400. In fantasy NASCAR, this 400-mile, 267-lap race will, straegically, be more similar to a drafting oval. It's a circuit where laps led and fastest laps are hard to predict, and -- as we learned last July -- attrition can certainly take its toll:

That means we'll largely want to "stack the back" where we can with cars starting deeper in the field, but there's more wiggle room to play top contenders to lead and win that will roll off in the top 20 than at Daytona or Talladega.

The green flag for Sunday's race is expected to drop at 7:19 p.m. EST on TNT.

Every week, DraftKings Daily Fantasy has NASCAR contests for all three of the top touring series. Here are my favorite picks for Sunday's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.

Atlanta DraftKings NASCAR DFS Studs to Target

Tyler Reddick ($10,500)

Regardless of starting spot, Tyler Reddick would be on many folks' shortlist for top contenders to win at EchoPark this weekend. The fact that he's starting 31st makes him a no-brainer in cash games.

It's been a trying summer for the Daytona 500 winner from February. Mechanical issues and on-track accidents have doomed him in four of the last five races. He had finished in the top 15 every single race this season prior to this stretch.

Still, his Daytona prowess has carried over to the superspeedway in Atlanta, where he also won in February and led 53 laps:

TWO IN A ROW!

Tyler Reddick wins at Atlanta! pic.twitter.com/W6YQiabtcK
— Rubbin is Racing (@rubbinisracing) February 23, 2026

Unless you're convinced the #45 team has a curse inflicted on them at the moment, it's really hard to avoid Reddick in cash games starting so deep in the field.

William Byron ($9,700)

Thankfully, three top contenders are starting far back toward the rear, so there's some flexibility to get a little different without being dumb.

William Byron provides it. The July 2023 winner -- after the repave -- has crashed out of three consecutive Atlanta races, so I'm expecting he'll be the least popular option of him, Reddick, and Christopher Bell ($9,500), a former Atlanta winner who rolls off 32nd.

The driver of the #24 had the third-best average running position in February's race (7.1) but finished 28th due to an on-track incident. It should surprise no one if he comes from the back to contend for the win.

Atlanta DraftKings NASCAR DFS Mid Tier Picks

Denny Hamlin ($9,100)

For someone with three Daytona 500 wins, Atlanta hasn't exactly been Denny Hamlin's forte. He has just one top 10 in his last six starts here.

There's just an element of randomness to that, though. He finished 6th last February without doing much differently, and the wins at Daytona and Talladega imply this racing style isn't prohibitive.

Raw speed isn't worth a ton at Atlanta where the draft is a great equalizer, but Hamlin's #11 had the fastest median lap time at Michigan, and he was fourth in green flag speed at this track in February.

If his negative track history throws the scent off his chances to win from the 28th starting spot, I'll happily buy in.

Carson Hocevar ($8,700)

While Carson Hocevar isn't making any friends on the race track, he undeniably has picked up drafting tracks in NASCAR's top series.

Hocevar won Talladega earlier this year, and he's -- stunningly -- got the best average finish at this track over the last five races (10.2) without a win. That includes three top 10s.

As sad as this is to say, the fact that plenty of wrecks have started off the front bumper of his #77 does buy some equity to miss "The Big One" that results from him turning another driver. Hey, we consider all factors here.

From 14th on the grid, Hocevar breaks my general principle on starters toward the rear, but I think his aggression and draft prowess is worth a look in tournaments.

Atlanta DraftKings NASCAR DFS Budget Plays

Austin Hill ($6,600)

Austin Hill is looking to make a statement to convince Richard Childress he's the man for this #33 car on a full-time basis. What better track for him to make it than here?

Hill is a 5-time winner at EchoPark Speedway in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in just 10 starts:

HOW SWEEP IT IS for Austin Hill! 🧹

Fourth win at Atlanta for the RCR driver. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/jQTEGuD7Zw
— NASCAR on USA (@NASCARonUSA) September 7, 2024

There probably isn't a closer venue between racing in the O'Reilly Series and Cup Series than Atlanta, either. The type of runs that you build, the racing lines, and the wreck avoidance are nearly the same. At most places, that history wouldn't matter quite as much.

Starting 30th, I actually think Hill will carry some popularity because of this, but his confidence on this track has to be pretty unshakeable.

A.J. Allmendinger ($5,900)

There's just no coincidence that A.J. Allmendinger, for this same team at Kaulig Racing, has five straight top-16 finishes at Atlanta.

He hasn't scored stage points in any of them. That means he's riding at the back patiently, waiting for a wreck to ensue. This strategy is perilous for a high-salaried driver to punt laps led points away, but for the budget play starting 27th? Take your time, brother.

There aren't many spots where Allmendinger has a chance to win, so he's among several in this value tier circling this as a chance to make some noise.

Zane Smith ($6,800) is another budget driver who has proven to keep his nose clean, posting three straight Atlanta finishes inside the top 11.

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