Food City Dirt Race DFS: DraftKings, FanDuel NASCAR Daily Fantasy Lineup Picks

The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Bristol on Sunday for a race on the dirt track. And after some weird qualifying races led to J.J. Yeley earning the third spot on today's grid, we're in for a pretty wild one on Sunday night. It's Easter racing on the dirt, y'all!

Last week, Kyle Larson led 93 of 400 laps on his way to a win at Richmond, while Josh Berry posted a career-best second-place finish. Martin Truex Jr. looked competitive, but some issues with the age of his tires on the final restart led to Truex fading back to 11th.

Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Food City Dirt Race on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 4/9/23 at 7:00 p.m. ET. If you have any questions or want to talk about NASCAR, you can find me on Twitter at @juscarts.

DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel

Once you're done reading this article, be sure to also check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles and analysis to help you set your optimal DFS lineups. You should also make sure to check out our NASCAR DFS lineup tools for the ultimate combination of DFS resources to help you win big.

Kyle Larson

Starts 1st - DK: $10,900, FD: $14,000

Whoever leads the first lap has a good shot to run away with this. Last year, for instance, Chase Briscoe started on the second row, but was able to get out front on the first lap, and he then led the first 48 laps before Kyle Larson took the lead.

This year, polesitter Kyle Larson—one of the best dirt track racers in the world—is my pick to get out front early and dominate. We saw yesterday in the Truck Series race that clean air matters a lot here, as Joey Logano led the final 99 laps. The math here is pretty simple: if Larson gets a good start, the sky's the limit for laps led.

Joey Logano

Starts 12th - DK: $9,800, FD: $12,000

Speaking of yesterday's Truck Series race, Joey Logano—driving a ThorSport truck—was dominant, leading 138 of the 150 laps on his way to the victory. He's also won here in Cup, and last year he finished third.

Logano isn't a name you think of when you think about the top dirt guys in NASCAR, but his resume at Bristol Dirt continues to grow. While Larson should dominate early, Logano will have a chance as the race goes on. I'd probably call him my No. 2 pick this week when it comes to betting the race win. Just has to keep it clean.

Denny Hamlin

Starts 30th - DK: $9,100, FD: $9,500

With Larson and Logano anchoring your lineup, you've got your two dominator options locked in. Now, it's time to build a lineup with some place differential upside. This is a race where that'll likely be the path to a DFS win: last year, for example, we saw seven drivers get a DNF, and the caution flag flew 14 times, with just two of those coming via stage breaks.

Hamlin starts 30th this week. He's had two very different results in the first two races here, starting second and finishing third in 2021, then starting 34th and finishing 35th last year after his engine let go.

Provided he keeps the car clean, there's a chance for 20-plus place differential points from this 11 car.

Also just in general, there are some good place differential opportunities for three of the four JGR cars. Probably want one of them in most lineups.

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription? Like what you read today? You can show your support for Justin by using promo code CARTER when purchasing a NASCAR Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium NASCAR articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer! Be sure to check out screenshots of NASCAR DFS winners and testimonials from RotoBaller readers and writers who have been winning on DraftKings and FanDuel using RotoBaller's Premium NASCAR tools.

Brad Keselowski

Starts 33rd - DK: $7,600, FD: $8,000

Here's another strong place differential play. Brad K ran well here last year, finishing 11th, the same place he finished in 2o21. I don't necessarily think he makes it a three-peat of 11th-place finishes since he starts all the way back in 33rd, but he's a clear top-20 option this week, so the place differential upside available here makes him appealing this weekend. I expect Keselowski to run a smart, steady race.

Justin Haley

Starts 25th - DK: $6,900, FD: $5,000

First, I wish Haley's teammate this week, Jonathan Davenport, wasn't starting 21st. That's too high to play him since he lacks Cup experience, but he's someone I do want to keep an eye on on Sunday night.

As for Haley, he rolls off the grid in 25th. He ran well here last year, starting sixth and finishing 14th, and he was top 10 in both of his Truck Series starts at Eldora, though the last time he ran there was in 2018. Kaulig's Cup team has struggled to find speed, but Haley has the talent to gain 10-ish spots during Sunday's race.

Corey Lajoie

Starts 35th - DK: $5,000, FD: $4,000

Lajoie is in the midst of his best Cup Series season. Through seven races, he has an average finish of 16.0. Before this year, his best average finish was last season's 24.3.

Last year, Lajoie started 26th here and finished 19th. It was a solid run for Lajoie, and the fact that this year's car seems to have significantly more speed just makes Lajoie even more appealing. I'm not expecting a ton out of him today, but a top 25 finish at this price would be a nice positive, and if things get extra chaotic, he could end up doing even better than that.

NASCAR DFS News and Driver Outlooks

More Fantasy NASCAR Analysis

The Keys to Weekly NASCAR DFS Success

NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller! Our DFS NASCAR Premium Package features several heavy hitters and proven winners.

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! In 2022 DFS contests, Jordan had a +33.92% profit margin good for +$10,467.06 profit and qualified for the Fantasy Racing World Championship.

Four-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team.