Daily Fantasy NASCAR DraftKings: 2024 Coca-Cola 600

After some close-quarters classic short-track racing for $1,000,000 last week, it’s time to see who gets to cash in on the next Crown Jewel.

The Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte Motor Speedway is a stalwart on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule, and for good reason. This prestigious race has more in common with long-distance marathon racing than it does anything else.

At 600 miles, this race has the longest distance of any of the other 35 races that will be run this season, and it is a true test of who is the toughest driver in the sport. These drivers will not just be battling each other. They’ll be battling the heat, the changing track conditions as we go from the daytime start into the night, and of course their own racecars.

Whoever has the most endurance and concentration usually ends up winning this race. This is an intermediate though, and these racecars can have some temperamental handling according to the track’s changing conditions. The crew chiefs will have to set these things up perfectly and keep up with the racetrack if they want to have some success.

While there have been some legendary names that have won this race, such as Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth, there have been some upsets. For example, Casey Mears had just enough gas back in 2007 to get his first and only win in the Cup Series. For some fantasy perspective, JJ Yeley finished second and Kyle Petty finished third in that race. Can you imagine having the fantasy know-how to have any of those three guys in your lineup that night? Yeah, me neither.

Anything can and will happen in this race, which makes it hard to pick for. I tend to lean on trends and statistics to make my picks for this one. If you find yourself with a top-heavy lineup and not a lot of money left, it’s perfectly OK to take a couple of fliers this week.

Coverage of the Coca-Cola 600 begins Sunday (May 26) at 6 p.m. ET on Fox.

Here are the rules for Fantasy NASCAR on DraftKings if you’re new.

Points will be awarded on DraftKings for finishing position, position differential, fastest laps and laps led. The driver who wins the race scores 45 fantasy points, while second gets 42 points, third gets 41 points and so on, at least through the top 10. The 11th-place finisher scores 32 points, 21st gets 21 points and 31st gets 10 points.