Welcome back NASCAR fans. This week, the Cup series heads to Music City, USA, and Nashville Superspeedway for the Cracker Barrel 400. A staple in the O’Reilly Auto Parts and Truck Series since 2001, Nashville became a regular stop in the Cup Series in 2021, making this the sixth race here.
In this article, I will preview the track, look at some fantasy trends, and identify a few drivers who are primed for success this weekend.
NASCAR DFS: Cracker Barrel 400
Track Preview & Fantasy Angle
Nashville is a unique track as it profiles in two different track type categories in my model. It is considered an intermediate oval by many, but with its flat banking (14 degrees), also profiles as a short/flat track, as well. Like Darlington, the new 750-horsepower package will be used this week at Nashville. These are the only two intermediate ovals that will use the package, so not only should we look at track history, but we could also look at this year’s Darlington race for a comp in our research.
From a finishing position perspective, Nashville has displayed a very high correlation to starting position outside the 2024 race, which had five drivers starting outside of 22nd (two outside 30th) that finished Top 10 in that race. The first two NextGen races here in 2022 and 2023 saw just five and six drivers reach double-digit place differential, but the last two years have yielded nine drivers in each race to reach that level of place differential.
No matter which way you look at it, Nashville is a dominator-heavy track with three drivers leading 45 or more laps in all four NextGen races. One driver has led 99 or more laps in all four races, while each of the last two saw the top dominator lead 130 or more laps.
Top Pre-Qualifying Targets for DraftKings
Ryan Blaney ($10,000)
Blaney is coming off a Top 10 at the Coca Cola 600 and comes into Nashville checking almost every box. He won the race here in 2025 and has finished 6th or better in three of the four NextGen races here. He has also been dominant on flat tracks, finishing 6th or better in nine straight, including four wins. Sitting at 4th in pricing this week, Blaney is my top play heading into practice and qualifying this weekend.
Kyle Larson ($10,500)
The winless streak continues for Larson, but there is a lot to like this week. He is the only driver to finish in the Top 10 in all four NextGen races here and also won the 2021 race in the old package. Despite not winning on flat tracks recently, he is second to Blaney in average finish and has nine top 10’s in 11 races since the start of last year. I like the momentum he has coming off a solid top 5 at Charlotte last week. If he shows us some speed in practice and qualifies inside the top 10, I am all over Larson in DFS this week.
Joey Logano ($8,200)
It has been a rough season for Logano, but the good news is that he is coming off a solid top 10 at Charlotte. More good news as he returns to Nashville, where he won in 2024, finished 4th last year, and has four top 10’s in five races. Like his teammate Blaney, he has been excellent on flat tracks with six top 5’s and nine top 10’s in the 11 races since the start of last season. The price point is still way down right, and we should take advantage before he starts trending back up.
Zane Smith ($6,500)
Smith is easily my top pre-qualifying value play, checking almost every box. He hasn’t been great on flat tracks, but has been excellent here at Nashville with a runner-up in 2024 and 13th last year. The form also stands out as he is 10th in average finish over the last five races with two Top 10’s.
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