Daily NASCAR DFS Picks: Charlotte

“Im glad I didn’t know, the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could’ve missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.” – Garth Brooks, “The Dance”

With hearts heavy and heartbreak seeping out of every corner of our community, the NASCAR Cup Series still races on Sunday, May 24, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

It’s one of the most important of the year, in fact. The Coca-Cola 600 is the second crown jewel on the calendar and it is a grueling experience of four 100-lap stages and an absolute war of attrition. It’s about skill, sure. But it’s also about whose equipment can last the full distance and be around at the end to capitalize on the mistakes of other competitors.

Pay close attention to who has been good at intermediate tracks this season. Names like Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick and Chase Elliott should be at the top of your rotation for this week. You can also take a flyer on a few drivers, too, because this race can lead to big upsets and unforeseen outcomes.

The weather will also be a big factor, as these drivers may end up just racing to halfway. You should also keep an eye on the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolets. With the terrible and unexpected loss of Kyle Busch, those teams will be racing hard to get one for him and his family to be sure.

Fantasy Forecast

Denny Hamlin $11,500

Hamlin has to be the odds-on favorite this Sunday. You could base that statement on several different things, but I’m going to lock in on two of them.

First, Hamlin’s average finish on intermediate tracks this year so far is an incredible 2.33. Yep, you read that right. He has finished no worse than fourth in all three of those events this year. He’s also coming off an All-Star win last week at Dover Motor Speedway.

Second, he has not finished worse than 15th since April 26. I’m all about momentum. In a tough and trying week, Hamlin always seems to be prepared and ready to win no matter what. I’m all in on No. 11 this weekend.

Chase Elliott $9,700

As good as Hamlin has been this year on intermediate tracks, so too has NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver.

Elliott’s average finish on intermediates in 2026 is also a mind-blowing third, and he also won at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s sister track, Texas Motor Speedway, last month. His runner-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and eighth-place run at Kansas Speedway make him a real threat to win the first crown jewel in his already illustrious career.

However, it’s Elliott’s bad luck in these crown jewels that gives me pause. Back in 2020, leading this very race, an ill-timed pit stop handed the lead and eventual win to Brad Keselowski.

More recently, Elliott was leading with 100 yards to go in this year’s Daytona 500 before Lady Luck dealt him another bad hand and no crown jewel to show for it. He’s absolutely a threat, but he’s going to have to find his clutch gene to get it done.

Chris Buescher $8,500

Something about Chris Buescher is speaking to me for the Coke 600. As already mentioned, the race is a war of attrition. It’s not usually about where you start or how your practice session or qualifying session went that determines your outcome in this race.

If there is any team in the garage that has that grind-it-out mentality, it’s this one. Buescher also has a sneaky good 7.5 average finish on intermediates this season. I keep waiting for RFK Racing to break out of the slump and really put themselves into playoff contention.

Buescher might not win this race, but this No. 17 Ford is top-five bound.

Alex Bowman $7,800

Alex Bowman has an absolutely terrible, no good, awful year to be sure.

However, he and this No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team have been showing a lot of life as of late.

Let’s look back at his last few finishes: back-to-back podiums at Texas and Talladega Superspeedway. Back-to-back ninth-place finishes at both Watkins Glen International and the All-Star Race at Dover. There is just no quit in Bowman.

Bowman is a beautiful dark horse for this race, should you choose to go that route.

Austin Dillon $6,500

Listen, it goes without saying why I’m picking Austin Dillon in the lineup this week.

Coming off the devastation of yet another impossibly trying week for one of NASCAR’s greatest teams, RCR has to run well in the Coke 600. This No. 3 team has an amazing opportunity ahead of it.

What’s more, Dillon is on a huge roll. He was a surprising sixth at The Glen, and perhaps more surprisingly, he ran a solid fourth at Dover. Dillon has also won this race before by outlasting everybody else.

I would love to see this car win. He and RCR need it, the garage needs it, hell, the whole racing community needs it. But a solid top 10 will get things rolling in the healing direction this weekend.

Noah Gragson $5,400

As already stated, this race has provided some real upsets over the years and this would be one of them.

Noah Gragson was once one of the sport’s hottest young names in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, racing under the guidance and tutelage of the late great Busch.

Years later, Gragson found himself racing against Busch and Gragson must have learned something along the way. Much like Steve Park back in 2001 at Rockingham Speedway, it would be really cool to see the protege who’s battled through so much run up front and contend for a win.

Top Bets of the Week

Chase Elliott +700

I have to give the nod to Elliott this week. Hamlin will definitely be in second or third place when it is all said and done, but Texas is so similar to Charlotte that it just feels like Elliott has the edge. Elliott is in a much better place than he has ever been to win the crown jewels and start padding a Hall of Fame resume. The siren sounds in Dawsonville, Ga. for Memorial Day.

Dark Horse: Austin Dillon +6500

This is a long shot and would be storybook. But as already mentioned, it would be so therapeutic. Normally, I would say this is a fun pick to make some money, and no doubt this would be a cool money maker. But this pick, this pick comes from the heart. For Rowdy.