Fantasy Fastlane: Darlington heavy hitters in play for Throwback Weekend

The annual Darlington Throwback Weekend is here, and we’ve got some doozy schemes to watch in action. My personal favorite is Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet, throwing back to Terry Labonte’s 2003 Southern 500 win. The Kellogg’s throwback will look good up front, as Larson will be among the most popular fantasy lineup picks this weekend. Many of the same picks from Homestead-Miami Speedway two weeks ago should be in the mix again this weekend with a few wrinkles added.

New to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced last year in which strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2025 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.

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MUST START:

Kyle Larson | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 5 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 9-2

Similar to Homestead, Larson has led a boatload of laps at Darlington, only to have one win on his resume. He added a second Homestead victory last month, and there’s a chance he does the same this weekend at Darlington. He dominated September’s Southern 500, leading 263 of 367 laps, only to fall to fourth in the finishing order. The No. 5 team is a lock for my lineup, though his Next Gen finishes here are scattered. 

MUST START:

Tyler Reddick | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 13-2

The most recent trip to Darlington isn’t one Reddick wants to remember, as he gutted out a stomach bug to finish 10th. Last spring, he was racing Chris Buescher for the victory when a slide job went wrong, ending both of their chances. If Reddick hones in his aggression, he should be a factor again this weekend. The primary concern here is much was expected out of the No. 45 car at Homestead and he had a below-average race there in March.

MUST START:

Denny Hamlin | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 7-1

Hamlin is hitting his stride early in the 2025 season, dominating last weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Darlington is among his best on the circuit, earning four victories in 25 starts. He has an impeccable average finish here of 8.2 throughout his career. Take advantage of Hamlin’s consistency this weekend, as he runs a unique line around the track that benefits him on long runs.

MUST START:

Chase Briscoe | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 19 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 15-1

Briscoe did a splendid job in last year’s Southern 500, holding off a determined Kyle Busch, who had fresher tires, and winning his way into the postseason. Competing for a shuttering Stewart-Haas Racing, Briscoe was the only driver to score top fives in both Darlington races last season. Crew chief James Small also has a Darlington triumph with Martin Truex Jr. in 2021. 

SLEEPER PICK:

Chris Buescher | View stats

RFK Racing, No. 17 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 22-1

If it wasn’t for that late contact with Reddick last spring that cut one of Buescher’s right-side tires, he would have four consecutive top 10s at Darlington. The way drivers finesse and wheel their cars around Darlington is up Buescher’s alley. Even with a disappointing Martinsville result last weekend, he’s still 11th in the points standings with four top 10s through seven races.

SLEEPER PICK:

Bubba Wallace | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 23 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 16-1

With consecutive third-place efforts, Wallace’s mentality shift for the 2025 season is paying off. All four of his top 10s at Darlington have come in the last five races, and he scored stage points in all four stages last year. Wallace is riding a hot streak, and that should continue through Darlington.

SLEEPER PICK:

Kyle Busch | View stats

Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 18-1

If last year’s Southern 500 was just a few laps longer, it’s possible Busch would have extended his consecutive winning seasons to 20 straight. Surprisingly, the two-time Cup champion has only one Darlington victory, a distant memory ago (2008). The No. 8 team has shown some of its most speed over the last two seasons at intermediate tracks, as Busch was among the leaders at Las Vegas last month until he had a loose wheel and his race spiraled out of control.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 7-1

Blaney was barely out of the gate last fall when he was taken out by a mistake from Truex on Lap 2. But his overall Darlington numbers are concerning, with three top 10s in 16 starts and a best finish of eighth. With how fast the No. 12 car has been on intermediate tracks to start 2025, surely, he can change that narrative this weekend. But history would say otherwise. 

STAY AWAY FROM:

Brad Keselowski | View stats

RFK Racing, No. 6 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 28-1

It’s never good to kick a man while he’s down, but Keselowski is in an extended slump since the middle of 2024. Sure, he snapped the longest winless drought of his career here last spring at 110 races, but he followed that up with a 14th-place finish in September. Dating back to Sonoma last June (28 races ago), he has a pair of top fives (Michigan and Talladega) and seven total top 10s. 

STAY AWAY FROM:

Alex Bowman | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 48 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 30-1

Once the race is playing out, nearly each week this year, I’ve asked myself aloud why I didn’t consider Bowman more for my lineup (he was in my lineup for both COTA and Las Vegas). His Darlington numbers are middling, however, with four top-10 finishes in 12 starts with HMS. Four of his last six races here have been 19th or worse, with three of those being 26th on back. Let’s reconvene next week for Bristol. 

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Denny Hamlin vs. William Byron

Hamlin is among the all-time greats at Darlington with his four victories, tied with Harry Gant for seventh on the all-time Darlington wins list. Byron is a rising star, particularly at Darlington. If Joey Logano didn’t fence him in the spring race in 2022 and he wasn’t involved in a late wreck while running inside the top 10 last fall, he’d have eight top 10s in the last nine races here. Instead, those numbers are plagued with an average finish of 16th in 13 starts. Hamlin always finds a way at Darlington with a 72% top-10 percentage, so I’ll take the No. 11 car.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Joey Logano vs. Ross Chastain

These two have a bit of beef with one another following Martinsville last weekend. Logano is a previous Darlington winner with mixed results dispersed throughout his career. Meanwhile, Chastain has wrecked while leading late in the race twice while driving for Trackhouse. Going with the No. 22 car, which has shown plenty of speed with little results in 2025, while Chastain is outperforming his car’s potential thus far. Logano’s nod to Cale Yarborough’s 1976 scheme is among my favorites, too. 

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Chase Elliott vs. Bubba Wallace

Neither driver has been stellar at Darlington, as both are still looking for their first victory at the 1.33-mile track. The No. 23 team is on a roll with consecutive top fives, while Elliott quietly sits third in the regular season championship standings. With four top-10 finishes in the last five Darlington races, Wallace is my pick.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Ty Gibbs vs. Kyle Busch

Gibbs is coming off his strongest weekend of the season at Martinsville, while it was among Busch’s worst. Both drivers finished runner-up at Darlington in 2024, which is also Gibbs’ only finish better than 15th at Darlington in five starts. Let’s go with Busch, who has shown potential on intermediates with RCR. 

MY LINEUP: Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, William Byron

GARAGE: Chris Buescher

36 for 36: Ugh, another trying weekend here by picking Josh Berry for Martinsville. It started off well, looking like he was going to win the opening stage until a late caution stalled his chances, and then his battery faltered. Now needing to dig out of a points hole, I must go big. Let’s aim for Chase Briscoe, who was the only driver to score top fives in both Darlington races in 2024, including a Herculean drive to hold off Busch on fresh tires in the Southern 500.