After a long stretch of runner-up finishes this year, Christopher Bell finally broke through and got his first win of the season. It’s a little stunning simply because Bell had a stretch a few seasons ago where he won three straight races early in the year. And he’s always a threat to win on the shorter, flat tracks earlier in the schedule. But he won at Darlington to give him some momentum as we continue with the second race of the Chase.

World Wide Technology Raceway (aka Gateway) is our host this weekend. This is the fifth straight year Gateway has appeared on the schedule, and it’s the second consecutive year it’s fallen on the playoff schedule. It’s a bit of a tricky track because passing can be difficult. But as always, there’s money to be made with the latest edition of NASCAR DFS picks.

We have all your coverage with the NASCAR DFS Playbook for DraftKings and FanDuel in addition to the NASCAR DFS Projections and the NASCAR DFS Ownership outlook. Let’s dive in and take a look at the top NASCAR DFS picks and lineup building strategies on DraftKings and FanDuel as we get ready for the Enjoy Illinois 300!

 

 

 

World Wide Technology Raceway

Gateway makes its fifth appearance on the NASCAR schedule as it’s been a bit of a focal point during the NextGen era. This is a unique egg-shaped track similar to Darlington Raceway, but that’s about all it has in common with the Lady in Black. Gateway measures in at 1.25 miles with relatively flat banking. Turns 1 and 2 measure in at 11 degrees. Turns 3 and 4 come in at around nine degrees.

One of the biggest complaints about this track is that it can be very difficult to pass. So pit strategy and fuel/tire management will be vital. For our NASCAR DFS picks, we can lean into the fact that three of the four races at Gateway have seen 28 lead lap finishers. So the track is big enough to keep drivers outside the top 20 on the lead lap. That certainly won’t be the case next weekend at Bristol.

The Trends Table above may look a bit odd. Usually it’s a five-race sample size that make up the data for that table. But we only have four races worth of knowledge so the fifth column is blank. However, I do believe we see some noticeable trends worth applying to our NASCAR DFS picks. Over the last three races at Gateway, the winner has come from the front row. And sure enough, the top 10 is loaded with Chase-eligible drivers.

 

 

 

NASCAR DraftKings and FanDuel Scoring Trends with DFS Strategy

As we segue to the lineup building strategy for our NASCAR DFS picks, we’re looking at a race with 240 laps. So we’ll have about 150 dominator points to work with for when building our lineups. And that’s where this gets tricky. Usually at shorter tracks we have 180-200 dominator points to work with. Next week, we’ll have over 300.

In four races at Gateway, only one driver has led 100+ laps. But in all four races, we’ve seen at least three drivers lead 20+ laps. In each of the last three races we’ve seen at least two drivers lead 50+ laps. With all that in mind, it seems logical to target two-to-three dominators. But with only 150-160 dominator points available to us, it becomes crucial trying to identify those top plays because those points become all-the-more valuable and you need your dominating drivers to finish well.

Passing can be difficult but it’s not impossible. Track position can be gained on pit road and we do see a decent amount of cautions to shake up strategy. All four Gateway races have seen at least seven drivers gain double-digit place differential. So we really want all the dominator points we can target while finding some value options that can move up and score a top 15 finish, but you can settle with top 20 results for your cheaper NASCAR DFS picks.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks & Strategy: Enjoy Illinois 300

 

NASCAR Enjoy Illinois 300 Top Tier DFS Picks

Christopher Bell (Starting P4) – DraftKings: $11,000 | FanDuel: $14,000

Bell is the most expensive driver on both DraftKings and FanDuel for our NASCAR DFS picks. After a long stretch with seven runner-up finishes, Bell finally broke through for his first win of the season last week at Darlington and it came at the right time as NASCAR kicks off the postseason.

We do tend to upgrade Bell when we come to these shorter, flat tracks. He’s historically been very strong at tracks like New Hampshire and Phoenix. In the four races at Gateway, he’s finished between 7th and 11th but he also led 80 laps in this race two years ago.

What stands out making Bell a high-ceiling play is that his car was very good in the long run during Saturday’s practice. He ranked first in 15, 20, and 30-lap averages while he was second to Ryan Blaney in the 25-lap metric. This is a high upside play with dominator potential and Bell works in all formats for Sunday’s race.

Ryan Blaney (Starting P3) – DraftKings: $10,200 | FanDuel: $12,000

Another race and another Playbook featuring Ryan Blaney as a potential dominator. Blaney’s only led six laps over the last two races but mind you, one of those races was Daytona and last week we were at Darlington where he started outside the top 20. And even then, he still found a way to return over 60 fantasy points on DraftKings because he finished so well.

Prior to those two races we saw him lead extensive laps at shorter tracks such as Iowa (129), Richmond (88), and New Hampshire (115) which he won. Blaney’s yet to claim a win at Gateway but he’s led laps in all four races at this track while finishing sixth or better in three of those races.

To no surprise, the Penske cars looked very strong during Saturday’s practice session. Blaney was the fastest or second-fastest across several metrics so it would not surprise anyone if he managed to lead laps at Gateway on Sunday, and possibly claim victory.

Joey Logano (Starting P1) – DraftKings: $10,200 | FanDuel: $12,500

Joey Logano found himself in a spot where he needed a big performance to make up some ground on the Chase standings and he went out and won the pole for our NASCAR DFS picks. This gives Logano great track position and win equity as we can tell from the trends table earlier in the article.

Logano also won the very first NASCAR Cup Series race at this track four years ago. And he’s never finished worse than fifth. It’s almost annoying how we’ve come to expect Penske to come into contention this late in the year but Logano is in a great spot to provide a huge return for our NASCAR DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Saturday’s practice session indicates that he should once again have a car worthy of a top five result at this track. And to back up the practice speed, he went out and won the pole so he’s going to be a very trendy play in all formats Sunday afternoon.

Tyler Reddick (Starting P18) – DraftKings: $9,500 | FanDuel: $11,000

This isn’t the greatest track type for Reddick, and even he probably knows it. The top tier certainly delivers some dominator candidates that we’ve already touched on. Reddick’s price tag and starting spot deliver a pretty good floor if he can move up and score well. Would I target him over the three previous drivers we’ve mentioned and possibly Denny Hamlin? I highly doubt it.

But Reddick can still be a useful piece for our NASCAR DFS picks if he can just run a clean race, rack up some fastest laps, and finish inside the top eight then it’s likely he’s in the optimal lineup. We didn’t get a good look at his car in the long run during practice but during the shorter metrics he was inside the top eight based on speed. Again, there are drivers with a cleaner path to a higher ceiling but he can return 50+ fantasy points at this price tag.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks: Mid-Tier Drivers

William Byron (Starting P24) – DraftKings: $9,000 | FanDuel: $10,000

I gave a lot of thought to featuring Chase Elliott in this range and he’s well worth playing based on his top three finish here a year ago and based on the better practice results. Plus, Elliott starts with better track position and may have the higher ceiling if he manages to get to the front.

But I do touch on some dominator candidates throughout the entire article. And we do need some drivers to land in the optimal lineup just based on position differential. And William Byron fits that bill even if I do have some concerns.

He only has one top 10 finish at Gateway but he starts P24 and finished 11th here a year ago. If he just finishes ninth for Sunday’s race with no dominator points, then he’s providing us with 50 fantasy points on DraftKings at a flat $9K price tag. Momentum isn’t on his side but for Sunday’s race we’re just leaning into the fact that this is a good driver in good equipment. But it has been a rough year for the Chevrolet camp with this new body.

Austin Cindric (Starting P13) – DraftKings: $8,200 | FanDuel: $9,500

It’s one of the few times all three Penske drivers, and the Wood Brothers affiliate driver, will all appear in the same Playbook for our NASCAR DFS picks. But all four cars looked great during Saturday’s practice session. Cindric is a previous winner at Gateway, but it came at the expense of Ryan Blaney running out of fuel in the closing laps two years ago. But let’s not write that result off as a complete fluke. Cindric did lead 53 laps that day.

But still, Cindric did look great during Saturday’s practice session and he rolls off P13 for this race on Sunday. And truthfully, we do tend to see some drivers outside the top 10 lead laps and Cindric could be a dark horse candidate to do so. He may not have been as elite as some of the more expensive drivers in practice, but Cindric’s car might be good enough to finish inside the top eight. And if he can collect some dominator points along the way, there’s a path for him to land in the optimal lineup.

Josh Berry (Starting P16) – DraftKings: $7,900 | FanDuel: $8,500

I’m very curious as to where Josh Berry’s ownership numbers actually land by the time this slate locks on Sunday. Berry has finished dead last in each of the last two races at Gateway. But he’s on a very solid run at the moment as he sticks it to Wood Brothers Racing after they decided not to bring him back for the 2027 season. Berry will join Legacy Motor Club and they have to be excited about the driver they’re getting considering what Berry has done of late.

Berry has finished top 10 in six straight races at a variety of tracks: Indianapolis, Iowa, Richmond, New Hampshire, Daytona, and Darlington. But this 21-car is a Penske affiliate and this small crop of Fords have been very impressive of late.

While Berry has delivered poor results in the last two Gateway races, the car looked competitive during Saturday’s practice session. He was consistently in the top six across several metrics. Now with a full NFL slate on Sunday, there likely won’t be many casual NASCAR DFS players for this race. Because of that, I do think the sharps land on Berry a decent amount despite his last two results at Gateway.

Carson Hocevar (Starting P6) – DraftKings: $7,400 | FanDuel: $7,200

Hocevar is always going to be a risky play. Even for this race, he starts P6 and can cost us significant PD if he finishes poorly or wrecks. He wrecked Brad Keselowski last week and Brad made it very clear, he is seeking revenge. Gateway is actually the perfect track to do just that. It’s not a superspeedway. It’s not even a 1.5-mile intermediate. This is a flat track where you can screw another driver over without putting them at risk of a serious injury. Brad is also not a playoff driver, so he has nothing to lose.

While that is a huge risk, Hocevar still has upside if he can run a clean race. That is a challenge for him at times though. Hocevar ranked top three during practice in 5, 10, 15, and 20-lap averages. So the qualifying effort isn’t necessarily fluky. And he is aggressive enough to possibly strategize for track position and lead laps. That would be huge for a driver in the $7K range on both DraftKings and FanDuel.

Is Hocevar a cash game play? No. He rarely is due to the variance with this driver. But the price tag is reasonable, and the Spire cars all looked like they had decent speed in practice.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks: Value Drivers

Ryan Preece (Starting P14) – DraftKings: $7,000 | FanDuel: $7,000

Preece is a fine option considering we are back at a shorter, flat track. And these tracks tend to be his bread & butter despite the fact his first career win came at Daytona two weeks ago. But three weeks ago at New Hampshire, Preece started P18 and finished ninth with 17 laps led and nine fastest laps.

Preece started P29 in this race three years ago with Stewart-Haas Racing. He gained 12 spots and finished 17th. Last year, in his first season with RFK Racing, he started P32 and finished 13th. For Sunday’s race he doesn’t offer as much PD, but I do think there’s upside. The RFK cars didn’t look great in practice, with the exception of Preece who was at least top 15 across most metrics.

If he finishes ninth, we’re looking at 40+ fantasy points. But he is a Chase-eligible driver so he needs as many points as he can get so I’m looking for him to take some risks for track position and I do think a top five result is viable.

Michael McDowell (Starting P29) – DraftKings: $6,500 | FanDuel: $6,000

Earlier in the Hocevar section, I did acknowledge that the Spire Motorsports cars flashed top 15 speed. And I do stand by that, but sometimes that speed doesn’t translate on race day. So I’m a bit hesitant to utilize Daniel Suarez but I do think McDowell can be played simply because he’s not as much of a risk due to the starting spot.

Based on the practice-to-qualifying table, McDowell could have a top 15 car and he’s a driver offering plenty of veteran experience. In four races here, McDowell has three finishes of 18th or better. He’s even managed to lead 30+ laps in two races at this track. Last year for this race he started P28 and finished 14th. This play certainly can work.

The one reservation I have is that his teammates are eligible for the Chase, but McDowell is not. It’s possible that more research and resources were allocated to Hocevar and Suarez. But McDowell is still viable based on the track history and practice speeds so I don’t want to fade him simply because he didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

Shane Van Gisbergen (Starting P35) – DraftKings: $6,200 | FanDuel: $5,500

SVG hasn’t seen too many good results of late, but it’s rare that he starts this deep in the field. The car had good speed in practice. He was top 15 in several metrics so, in theory, he should move up. But Gateway is a track where it can be difficult to pass. So he has a lot of work to do after he may have overdone it on his qualifying run.

He's only raced here once and he finished 25th. But we should at least acknowledge that he’s improved on the ovals so a top 20 results isn’t entirely out of the question. But if you need more salary relief, or possibly two plays that you may have more confidence in on the ovals, then scroll on down to the last two drivers.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (Starting P36) – DraftKings: $5,400 | FanDuel: $2,500

Todd Gilliland (Starting P34) – DraftKings: $5,300 | FanDuel: $3,500

It is difficult to play any of these final three drivers with confidence. So we shouldn’t go particularly heavy on any of the three. We should diversify the portfolio and get exposure to all three. SVG, Stenhouse, and Gilliland all start deep in the field, but their practice speeds indicate they are better than where they qualified.

Gilliland was fast early in Saturday’s practice. He surprisingly ranked top 12 in 5, 10, and 15-lap averages. Gilly started P35 in this race two years ago and finished 16th. The year prior he started P28 and finished 15th.

Stenhouse is always a risky play because you don’t get the nickname of “Wrecky” by sheer happenstance. Stenhouse is no guarantee to finish the race. And the shorter, flat tracks aren’t where we tend to target Stenhouse for our NASCAR DFS picks. However, he starts dead last. He cannot kill us with any negative PD. He wasn’t as good as Gilliland in practice, but he should have a top 25 car if he keeps it clean. A top 24 result, with no dominator points, would return 30 fantasy points at minimum.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Optimizer & Lineups Picks This Week

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