RADIO
One week after Parker Kligerman took the checkered flag at Daytona only to later be disqualified, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is back in action at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is another drafting track, similar in ways to Daytona but in a more compact package.
We might not see some of the wild results we see at Daytona, but there's always a chance that things get wild at this track. Here at RotoBaller, we want to help you make informed decisions about your DFS lineups, which is why I'll be breaking down the slates for the Craftsman Truck Series.
Let's look at some NASCAR Truck Series DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Truck Series Fr8 208 on DraftKings. Be sure also to check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Truck Series, including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 2/22/2025 at 1:50 p.m. EST.
Truck Series DFS Preview - DraftKings
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Top Drivers
Kyle Busch - $10.5K
Starts Ninth
Any time Kyle Busch climbs into a NASCAR Truck Series truck, he's a threat to win. He's won a race in 12 consecutive seasons and just once in that span did he win fewer than two.
He seems to have taken a bit of a step back now that his Truck Series starts are for Spire and not Kyle Busch Motorsports, but he should still be viewed as the favorite to come away with a win on Saturday.
Corey Heim - $10.0K
Starts 19th
I love the place differential upside here. Here's a funny fact: contain this race, Corey Heim has now started 19th at Atlanta three times. In the previous two, he finished first and second.
Corey Heim has been called to Victory Lane for photos after the 75 team was disqualified for both sides of the rear being too low #NASCAR staff had to get creative for the backdrop since it had already been flipped for tomorrow’s ARCA race pic.twitter.com/UMttCfht7G
— Daren Stoltzfus WESH (@DarenStoltzfus) February 15, 2025
Clearly, Heim can work his way through the field here. He should make quick work of the cars in front of him and be in the battle for a top five, if not the win.
Michael McDowell - $9.8K
Starts 17th
After making zero Truck Series starts since 2009, Michael McDowell is set to race for the second weekend in a row in the Spire truck. The Cup Series veteran had a bad race at Daytona last week, but he's still an experienced superspeedway driver. He should be viewed as a top contender this weekend.
Chandler Smith - $9.7K
Starts 28th
This is probably the top-place differential play on this whole slate. Chandler Smith, who had two top fives here in the Xfinity Series last year, starts way back in 28th in what should be a fast Front Row Motorsports truck. Smith finished sixth at Daytona last week, leading 34 laps in his return to racing full-time in the Truck Series.
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Mid-Tier NASCAR Trucks DFS Lineup Options
Grant Enfinger - $9.0K
Starts Second
While the superspeedway-like nature of this track makes it risky to play drivers starting up front because they risk delivering you negative place differential points, I do see some upside in Grant Enfinger.
In three races on this new Atlanta surface, the winner hasn't come from the front row yet, but it has produced a number of laps led. In 2022, Stewart Friesen started second and led the most laps. In 2023, the front row of Zane Smith and Ty Majeski combined to lead zero laps. Last year, Tyler Ankrum led 46 after starting second.
We’ve got a fast @ChampionPowerEQ @TeamChevy We roll off 2nd at 1:30 et tomorrow pic.twitter.com/qiVLP5iTI3
— Grant Enfinger (@GrantEnfinger) February 21, 2025
Kind of all over the place, but there might be something to that No. 2 starting spot. It's why I'll sprinkle Enfinger into some lineups.
Layne Riggs - $8.5K
Starts 16th
Sometimes the drivers starting in the teens can get ignored at superspeedways in favor of drivers with more place differential upside. A good driver is a good driver though — last year, Corey Heim, Nick Sanchez, and Rajah Caruth all started in the teens and finished in the top 10 here.
If one of the best drivers starts in that range, there's DFS upside. And well, Layne Riggs is one of the title favorites this year and starts 16th, so that's why he's worth playing on Saturday.
Kaden Honeycutt - $8.1K
Starts 25th
While the other Niece trucks should be solid most weeks, Kaden Honeycutt is in what's by far the best truck that the team will bring most weeks.
Honeycutt finished sixth in this race last year, the first of six top 10s he had in his 14-race limited schedule. Now in a full-time role in the Truck Series, Honeycutt should be a playoff contender this year.
Gio Ruggiero - $7.8K
Starts 22nd
Gio Ruggiero opened the season strong last week, finishing second at Daytona. It was a huge win for DFS players as Ruggiero started all the way back in 34th, giving him a huge point total of 75.7 fantasy points.
There's not quite as much upside this week as Ruggiero starts 22nd, but there's still a good bit of place differential available if the rookie can keep the truck clean again this week.
William Sawalich - $7.7K
Starts 23rd
One race at Daytona shouldn't change the narrative that William Sawalich has been underperforming, but it was still nice to see the No. 1 truck start off 2025 with a top 10. It was Sawalich's first Truck Series top 10 since Aug. 11, 2023.
He starts this weekend's race right in that sweet spot for place differential and is priced well, so he should be a popular play this weekend.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Value Picks
Tanner Gray - $7.3K
Starts 26th
With Taylor Gray now in Xfinity, it's up to Tanner Gray to carry the family legacy as he embarks on his sixth full-time season. Gray finished 22nd at Daytona last week to open the season on a sour note but has a chance to bounce back at another wide-open track.
Gray's 26th-place starting spot is exactly what we want in DFS this weekend for place differential. Many of the cheaper drivers aren't in play because this isn't quite as much of a crapshoot as Daytona, so a driver at this price starting deeper than 25th in a good truck is a must-play.
Bayley Currey - $7.2K
Starts 30th
When all's said and done on Saturday, Bayley Currey might wind up as my most rostered driver. Currey and the Niece No. 44 truck will start back in 30th. That's exactly where he started in the 2023 race here when Currey went on to finish fourth.
Matt Mills - $6.2K
Starts 24th
While I don't love Matt Mills as much as his Niece teammate Bayley Currey, the fact that he's $1.0K cheaper certainly gives him some strong appeal. Mills hasn't been great at superspeedways though, so I likely won't go too heavy on Mills
Dawson Sutton - $6.0K
Starts 15th
This is about as deep as I'd go in value this week. The drivers farther down either start too high to have upside, or they're in trucks that are too bad to get much forward movement, barring massive chaos.
Dawson Sutton starts 15th, which is probably too high, but he's a talented kid, and anything can happen here. He showed speed at Daytona and could be able to pop if things get a little weird.
Practice day in ATL 📍 pic.twitter.com/9ALuHrJucW
— dawsonsuttonracing (@dawsonsutton26) February 22, 2025
Which is to say that yes, I would build some lineups this weekend that account for the possibility of weirdness. Not as many as you might build at Daytona or Talladega, but still at least a couple.
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