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On Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series season gets going with the Daytona 500. We've had the Clash and the Duels already, but this is the first time all 40 cars will be on the track together.
Did I say 40? I meant 41, as a new rule this year led to a slight expansion of the field as NASCAR gave a provisional to Helio Castroneves that put the multi-time Indianapolis 500 winner in the field.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 2/16/2025 at 1:58 p.m. EST If you have any questions or want to talk about NASCAR, you can find me on X at @juscarts.
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DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Once you're done reading this article, be sure also to check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles 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, including our Lineup Optimizer, DFS Cheat Sheet, Research Station, and more.
Chase Elliott
Starts 17th - DK: $9.5K, FD: $11.0K
When discussing superspeedways in terms of how the tracks impact DFS contests, most people are going to talk about place differential. That makes sense. With the prevalence of crashes here, drivers who can get major PD points if they survive are certainly appealing.
But that approach can also lead to you skipping over some really strong fantasy options because they "don't start deep enough." For example, Chase Elliott rolls off 17th, and a number of people will write him off for starting in a kind of no man's land—too far back to lead early laps, too far forward for max place differential.
Elliott has crashed out of three of his last five Daytona starts, but he's also led laps in two of the past three races here. Elliott should be a contender, assuming he doesn't have his usual Daytona bad luck.
Brad Keselowski
Starts 34th - DK: $9.2K, FD: $12.0K
Brad Keselowski is going to be in so many lineups on Sunday, but there's good reason for it as he starts way back in 34th.
Brad Keselowski was fastest in final cup practice for the Daytona 500. pic.twitter.com/WAMpWP4TlL
— Bumblebee48 🐝 (NASCAR MOM) (@KellieBlundell) February 15, 2025
Brad K has a very "checkers or wreckers" approach here. In 31 starts, Keselowski has 15 DNFs and eight top 10s. That means that in 74.1 percent of his Daytona starts, Keselowski has either finished in the top 10 or failed to finish.
That showcases why there's always a risk with the driver of the No. 6 Ford, but also why that risk gets mitigated when Keselowski starts this far back.
Christopher Bell
Starts 20th - DK: $8.8K, FD: $8.8K
Like Elliott, Christopher Bell might start a little too close to the front to be a max-value place differential play. Still, he has plenty of place differential upside as the No. 20 car fires off 20th on Sunday.
Bell struggled here earlier in his career but has turned things up a notch over the past two seasons, with three top-5s in four Daytona races. He's led double-digit laps in the last two Daytona 500s.
On this day in 2024, Christopher Bell won Duel Race #2 at Daytona! pic.twitter.com/vhqxaCrH4L
— Nascarpixtures (@Nascarpixtures) February 15, 2025
No one is ever really "due" for a win. Thinking that way is a recipe for losing money in DFS and betting because you start to buy into the idea that a certain driver has to win here soon.
There's no guarantee Bell will ever win at Daytona in Cup. He's certainly not "due" for one. But what Bell has done over the last four Daytona races is showcase his ability to run up front. He fits the profile of someone who can win a Daytona race soon.
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Alex Bowman
Starts 38th - DK: $8.2K, FD: $7.8K
We have another chalk play. Alex Bowman crashed and had to go to a backup car, which is why he starts 38th on Sunday. That backup car proved to be very fast in final practice, as Bowman was second-fastest.
Final practice is a wrap! @Alex_Bowman is second fastest! pic.twitter.com/MSUxRexngz
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) February 15, 2025
Bowman is a great candidate to rocket through this field. Obviously, anything can happen here, so there are no guarantees, but Bowman has five consecutive top-20s at this track.
If the car stays in one place, Bowman can easily net you at least 20 place differential spots.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Starts 31st - DK: $7.5K, FD: $8.0K
Part of me is worried that the No. 47 hasn't shown much speed all week, but that part gets quieted a bit when I remember this is Daytona, and anything can happen, including HYAK Motorsports opening its season with a strong result.
Stenhouse won the 2023 Daytona 500 but has crashed out in five of his last six races here. You really are either getting a contender or a torn-up race car out of this car, with no room for anything in between.
Noah Gragson
Starts 32nd - DK: $6.8K, FD: $6.0K
With the demise of Stewart-Haas Racing, the team's four drivers from last season have all found their way to new Cup Series teams in 2024. Josh Berry is driving for the Wood Brothers. Chase Briscoe replaced Martin Truex Jr. at Joe Gibbs Racing. Even Ryan Preece found a spot at RFK Racing.
Noah Gragson's new home is at Front Row Motorsports, a team that has shown a strong superspeedway pace over the last few seasons. While it hasn't been the best weekend so far for Gragson, he has two straight Daytona 500 top-10s and is a sneaky strong option in fantasy this weekend.
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