By admin 
We’ve got just five races left in the playoffs — and the entire season. It’s flying by.
Read more Why Raiders Have Ample Opportunities To Upset Patriots
NASCAR’s run of 1.5-mile tracks continues. We’ve seen two in a row at Kansas and Las Vegas, and Charlotte is extremely similar in terms of shape and moderate tire wear. Many consider this the best oval in the sport for this Next Gen race car.
In DFS, this is yet another 267-lap race, but we’ve got a new wrinkle compared to the last two weeks. Qualifying (and practice) were washed away on Saturday, meaning the metric set the field. That does put many fast cars on this track type up front, but some of the better drivers and teams are buried after a tough week in Sin City.
The green flag for Sunday’s race is expected at 3:19 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 Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Charlotte DraftKings NASCAR DFS Studs to Target
Denny Hamlin ($11,200)
I’m digging in my heels on Denny Hamlin over Kyle Larson as the championship urgency shifts to the #11.
Hamlin spun out from the top five last week in Las Vegas, damaging the car and forcing the worst median lap ranking that he’s had on a 1.5-mile track this season (12th). He’ll also start 12th this weekend after the poor race.
OH NO!
Hamlin spins, but he keeps the No. 11 Toyota out of the wall! pic.twitter.com/YP95rMnRcn
– NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 4, 2026
Still, the Toyota driver led 75 laps and finished third with the third-best median lap time in May’s Coca-Cola 600 at this venue, which was dominated by Toyota until the rain handed Daniel Suarez a win.
He’s still extremely fast and should come at a fraction of the roster rate that Larson, from the pole, careers. I adore him in tournaments.
Christopher Bell ($10,700)
The metric (finally) opened up a place-differential option with either Larson or Hamlin, too.
Christopher Bell starts 17th after his power steering failed at Las Vegas. It’s actually incredible that he still had the seventh-best median lap despite the issues, and Bell is the only driver with a top-eight median lap on every single 1.5-mile track this year.
Like his teammate in the #11, Bell hasn’t had much championship momentum since a win early in “The Chase” at Darlington. This is a good place to get back on track.
Charlotte DraftKings NASCAR DFS Mid Tier Picks
Ty Gibbs ($9,400)
Ty Gibbs is my third Joe Gibbs Toyota featured. Sense a pattern?
His #54 actually had the best median lap in May, and he led the field in fastest laps (30), which score points on DraftKings.
He’s been horribly unlucky on the last two 1.5-mile tracks in consecutive weeks. He’s had a top-11 median lap time but finished exactly 17th in both races. Issues on pit road continue to plague this team, but there is some variance in that.
Starting 14th, I don’t actually think Gibbs will be enormously popular as most of the field jams in Larson.
Corey Heim ($8,000)
Corey Heim continues to barely exceed a budget salary when all the kid seems to do is win.
Read more Who Should I Start Week 5? Fantasy Football Sunday Lineup Advice
In his 13th career start, Corey Heim has his FIRST Cup Series win! #NASCARonPrimepic.twitter.com/j604yklzgm
– Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) June 22, 2026
Heim, running a part-time schedule for 23XII Racing, has 2 wins in just 10 starts, and one of those came here at Charlotte in May. Qualifying was washed away that weekend, so he started dead last (39th) and finish 19th.
It’s deja vu. He’s starting 38th after the same thing happened on Saturday.
Heim is a high-floor play that has the talent and equipment to win this race outright. In part because crew chief Bootie Barker is so good with strategy, he’s proven to be a dangerous, dangerous fade when in the lineup.
Charlotte DraftKings NASCAR DFS Budget Plays
Ryan Preece ($7,000)
Ryan Preece had his hands full starting last in “The Chase”, and he’s done well to post five top-10 finishes in his last seven races.
Unfortunately, it’s entirely over after a 28th-place finish at Las Vegas. The #60 team just missed the balance, and there weren’t any problems besides being slow.
Therefore, they’re a bit risky at a similar track, but Preece was 9th in median lap times at Charlotte in May before a mechanical problem, and he finished 10th at Kansas two weeks ago.
Did they figure it out in the simulator this week? Starting 24th at this low salary, I’m willing to figure it out.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($5,600)
If there’s a “horse for the course” at Charlotte, it’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who is usually finishing 20th or worse everywhere else.
Stenhouse has 10 top-15 finishes in his last 12 races at Charlotte, including a 12th-place finish in May for this same underfunded Hyak Motorsports team. This track is slick with tire wear, which plays into the former dirt racer’s hands.
For whatever reason, Stenhouse Jr. is extremely track sensitive. He was 26th or worse in median lap time at both races at Kansas and Las Vegas, and he finished 32nd each of the last two weeks. Yet, Charlotte and Texas, also 1.5-mile tracks, worked well for him.
I’m willing to punt here from the 33rd starting spot and see if he’s just got a knack for this venue that I can’t explain.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Today’s best reads
- Fantasy NASCAR DFS Picks on DraftKings for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas
- Fantasy College Football Picks on DraftKings for Week 6’s Main DFS Slate
- Week 5 Sunday Night Football DFS Showdown Strategies: Focus on Bijan Robinson and Derrick Henry at Captain
- Fantasy College Football Picks on DraftKings for Week 5’s Main DFS Slate
- NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football DFS GPP Tournament-Winning Plays With Geno Smith Leading the Way
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Fantasy NASCAR DFS Picks on DraftKings for the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Read more Tyrese Haliburton Returns After 472 Days in Pacers’ Preseason Win at Iowa State
This story was originally published October 11, 2026 at 5:00 AM.