The DraftKings NASCAR DFS season officially gets underway with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray, and the flagship DraftKings contest on the slate features $200,000 in total prizes with $50,000 awarded to first place. While this race is an exhibition, the DFS stakes are very real and require disciplined lineup construction.
Due to winter weather in the Winston-Salem area, NASCAR has moved the Cook Out Clash to Monday. The updated schedule includes practice and qualifying at 11 a.m. ET, the Last Chance Qualifier at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Cook Out Clash main event at 6 p.m. ET. The schedule shift does not change the DraftKings slate or pricing, but it does increase the importance of monitoring updates throughout the day.
Bowman Gray Stadium is a tight, flat short track where contact is common, mistakes are costly, and laps are limited. There’s very little room to recover, which makes lineup balance and DraftKings salary allocation critical. This slate isn’t about perfection. It’s about survival, track position, and finishing clean.
Below is a complete breakdown of every driver on the DraftKings slate, grouped by salary tier.
Top Tier ($10K+)
These drivers offer the most raw upside on the slate, but come at a premium. Paying up means you’re betting on talent and experience, not guaranteed domination.
- Kyle Larson – $10,500
- Chase Elliott – $10,300
- Ryan Blaney – $10,200
- Denny Hamlin – $10,000
Upper Tier ($9K Range)
This range balances upside with flexibility. These drivers can win the race, but also allow for more balanced builds compared to the top tier.
- William Byron – $9,800
- Christopher Bell – $9,600
- Chase Briscoe – $9,400
- Joey Logano – $9,200
- Ross Chastain – $9,000
Upper Mid-Range ($8K Range)
Strong talent without the pressure of needing a win. These drivers can pay off simply by running clean and finishing well.
- Tyler Reddick – $8,800
- Kyle Busch – $8,600
- Chris Buescher – $8,400
- Ty Gibbs – $8,200
- Josh Berry – $8,000
Mid-Range ($7K Range)
This tier often decides contests at short tracks. Solid finishes and avoiding trouble matter more than raw speed here.
- Alex Bowman – $7,800
- Bubba Wallace – $7,700
- Ryan Preece – $7,500
- Connor Zilisch – $7,400
- Carson Hocevar – $7,200
- Austin Cindric – $7,000
Lower Mid-Range ($6K Range)
Salary savers with realistic paths to value. These drivers don’t need big runs — they just need to stay clean.
- Corey LaJoie – $6,900
- Austin Dillon – $6,800
- Shane van Gisbergen – $6,600
- Erik Jones – $6,500
- John Hunter Nemechek – $6,400
- Noah Gragson – $6,300
- Todd Gilliland – $6,200
- Zane Smith – $6,000
Value Tier ($5K and Below)
Pure value plays that help unlock higher-priced drivers. At Bowman Gray, simply finishing can be enough to exceed value.
- Michael McDowell – $5,900
- Daniel Suárez – $5,700
- Cody Custer – $5,600
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – $5,500
- AJ Allmendinger – $5,300
- Ty Dillon – $5,100
- Riley Herbst – $5,000
- Cody Ware – $4,800
- Chad Finchum – $4,600
- B. Myers – $4,500
Final DraftKings Thoughts
This DraftKings slate isn’t about chasing the fastest car. Qualifying and when the lineup is officially set will determine a lot, because track position is even more important at a short track like Bowman Gray, where passing is difficult and mistakes are costly.
Once starting positions are finalized, they should play a major role in how lineups are built and adjusted before lock.
