X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

NASCAR Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 DFS: DraftKings Lineup Picks for Rockingham (4/19/25)

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES STOCK DFS PICKS

Justin Carter's DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway. Read his daily fantasy NASCAR advice and Xfinity sleepers. (2025)

On Friday night, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series officially kicked off Rockingham Speedway's return to NASCAR with a fun, fuel-mileage race that saw Tyler Ankrum win his second career race.

Now, it's the Xfinity Series's time to shine. This will be the first visit to Rockingham for the Xfinity cars since 2004, a race that was so long ago that Martin Truex Jr., who finished second in it, had never made a Cup Series start at the time. Now, Truex is retired.

Let's look at some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series North Carolina Education Lottery 250 on DraftKings. Be sure to also check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for Xfinity Series, including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 4/19/25 at 4:03 p.m. EDT.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Xfinity DFS Preview - DraftKings

Be sure to also check out all of our other weekly NASCAR DFS articles and analyses to help you set your optimal DFS lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel.

 

Post-Qualifying Updates

Check back after qualifying for updates!

Dominator Options

Bit of a weird starting grid here, which makes me interested in two drivers at the top: polesitter Connor Zilisch and fourth-place starter Kasey Kahne. Both have upside, but also clear downside as well — for Zilisch, it's that he's still adjusting to ovals and for Kahne, it's that he hasn't raced in NASCAR since 2018.

Other than that, Brandon Jones, Jesse Love, and Justin Allgaier start sixth through eighth, respectively. All should have a shot at the win.

Place Differential Plays

Here are some drivers to target for place differential:

  • Sammy Smith (13th)
  • Sheldon Creed (17th)
  • Jeb Burton (22nd) — great speed in practice
  • Carson Kvapil (25th) — probably my No. 1 play of this slate
  • Daniel Dye (27th)
  • Harrison Burton (29th)
  • Kris Wright (30th) — pure chaos play
  • Anthony Alfredi (34th)
  • Kyle Sieg (36th) — my favorite value play

Drivers to Fade

These drivers start too high:

  • Parker Retzlaff (Second)
  • Nick Sanchez (Third)
  • William Sawalich (Fifth) — I want to think this is the start of him figuring things out, but it's hard to really get all the way there
  • Thomas Annuziata (20th)

Top Plays

Justin Allgaier ($11.5K)

The practice speed might not have quite been there for Justin Allgaier — his 10-lap average ranked just 13th — but the current nature of the Xfinity Series means that he stands out above the rest of the field.

Allgaier has two wins already this year as well as seven top fives, which has led to an average finish of 7.2 for the defending champion. As far as Rockingham experience, he ran a 2008 ARCA race here, but that's probably not much of a factor this weekend. If he dominates, it's because he's the best driver in the series.

Sheldon Creed ($10.3K)

Sheldon Creed has struggled a bit with consistency this season, but the Haas Factory Team driver has three top fives this season and has definitely flashed the speed it takes to finally win one of these Xfinity Series races.

Creed was also very fast in practice, turning the third-fastest single lap and ranking second in lap average across all five tracked average lengths, all the way from 3-lap to 20-lap average.

Jesse Love ($9.7K)

What driver ranked ahead of Creed in all of those averages? It was Jesse Love, who currently sits third in the point standings and looks to build off a strong run at Bristol last weekend, where he finished sixth. He should be a strong contender for the win.

 

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS NASCAR subscription?

Like what you're reading? You can show your support for Justin by using promo code CARTER when purchasing a NASCAR Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium NASCAR articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Mid-Tier Options

Austin Hill ($10.0K)

I prefer Austin Hill's RCR teammate Jesse Love this weekend simply because he seemed to figure this track out faster. Hill was 14th in 10-lap average and 13th in 20-lap average during practice.

Still, we're talking about Austin Hill, a guy who always just seems to be in the mix everywhere. He's won twice already this season and would be ahead of Love in points if not for a 24th-place finish at Bristol last week.

Hill won't be a threat to dominate this race, but if things get messy, he could easily sneak into the lead in the closing laps like he did at Martinsville, where he won despite leading only one lap.

Kasey Kahne ($9.5K)

This is certainly the riskiest play of the race. Kasey Kahne hops back into a NASCAR stock car for the first time since 2018 to pilot this No. 33 car for Richard Childress Racing.

But while health issues — specifically, dehydration and heat exhaustion — forced him to leave NASCAR, he's kept active in sprint cars, so he shouldn't be too rusty. In practice, we got a glimpse of that. His best lap was only the 18th-fastest, but he was fourth in 20-lap average.

One thing working in Kahne's favor is his experience at Rockingham. Most of this field has never stepped foot on this track, but Kahne finished second in the final Cup race here in 2004, plus he's run five Xfinity Series races at the track.

Connor Zilisch ($9.3K)

It feels like consistency is starting to arrive for rookie Connor Zilisch, though he remains a bit of a DFS risk because he keeps qualifying too well and losing place differential points.

But Zilisch has finished 12th or better in four of the last five races as he works to get his bearings on ovals, and he was fifth in 20-lap average in practice.

Brandon Jones ($9.0K)

Brandon Jones ran Friday's Truck Series race to get some extra Rockingham experience. He only finished 17th, but those laps should still be useful.

In Xfinity, Jones has five top 10s in the last six races, including a win at Darlington. He was fifth at Bristol last week and appears to have his best shot ever of being an Xfinity title threat.

Carson Kvapil ($8.8K)

Carson Kvapil ran the fastest individual lap during practice and he comes into this race off of back-to-back top fives. He's going to break through with his first Xfinity Series victory at some point and this might be the weekend, as the lack of experience here for much of this field should work as a way of evening things out.

Sammy Smith ($8.6K)

Sammy Smith is a great sleeper pick this weekend, largely because he was one of the few Xfinity drivers to race in Friday's Truck Series race. Smith only finished 16th in that race, but he logged valuable laps that could be useful as he navigates through the Xfinity field on Saturday.

Ryan Sieg ($8.2K)

Ryan Sieg has finished in the top 10 in all three short track races this season and ranked sixth in practice in 10-lap average. He should definitely be viewed as a top 10 threat on Saturday.

 

Value Options

Christian Eckes ($7.6K)

Christian Eckes showed good long-run speed in practice. He was only 18th in 3-lap average, but jumped all the way to sixth in 20-lap average.

Eckes comes into this weekend with back-to-back top 10s at Darlington and Bristol. Before that, he led 22 laps at Martinsville but crashed out with a little over 20 laps to go in the race. The rookie driver is quickly figuring things out.

Dean Thompson ($7.3K)

Rookie Dean Thompson has been impressive. Best known for how often he crashed in the Truck Series, Thompson has just one DNF this year and has managed three top 10s, including at Martinsville and Bristol.

Daniel Dye ($7.0K)

Daniel Dye was seventh at Martinsville and 13th at Bristol. He's shown some aptitude on short tracks and his only DNF this season was at Daytona, which shouldn't really count against him. Dye should be able to battle for a spot in the back part of the top 10 if he keeps the car clean.

Jeb Burton ($6.8K)

Jeb Burton was the biggest surprise of practice as the No. 27 car ran the fourth-fastest lap and barely fell off on the long run, ranking eighth in 20-lap average. My only concern here is that he'll qualify too well, leading to him being a late fade option. Check back after qualifying for an update on that.

Parker Retzlaff ($6.7K)

Parker Retzlaff showed surprising speed during practice, running the eighth-fastest individual lap, though his speed fell off on longer runs. Still, he was 16th in 20-lap average and he enters this weekend with four consecutive top 20s.

Kyle Sieg ($6.2K)

Though not nearly as competitive as his brother, Kyle Sieg could be a sneaky good cheap play this weekend after displaying solid speed in practice. Sieg ran the 13th-fastest lap and even his 20-lap average ranked inside the top 20.

Kris Wright ($5.5K)

If you want to really dig in the bargain basement, Kris Wright showed at Martinsville he could survive a chaotic race, finishing ninth. However, at Bristol he was right back to the tail of the field as he finished 31st, so Wright's not a cheat code or anything. He's just a decent chaos punt option.

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis



The Keys to Weekly NASCAR Success

NASCAR is back, and it's time for you to win more with RotoBaller!
Our NASCAR Premium Package for DFS and betting features several heavy hitters and proven winners.

Jordan McAbee anchors the team with his exclusive NASCAR DFS and betting picks, DFS projections and algorithm-predicted finishing order! Jordan had a 60+ unit betting profit in 2024 NASCAR, and a 25% average annual profit since 2018. He won the FSWA Racing Writer Of The Year award in 2023, and has been nominated for DFS Writer Of The Year in 2024.

Five-time NASCAR Racing Writer of the Year finalist and fantasy industry legend Scott "The King" Engel is also in the crew, bringing you his weekly strategies and lineup picks. Set your winning DFS lineups with our award-winning team. He has been nominated once again in 2024 for this award.

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyreek Hill

Won't Catch Passes Until August
Shane Bieber

Shut Down From Throwing Until Next Week
Ryan Mountcastle

Out 8-12 Months With Grade 2 Hamstring Strain
Rome Odunze

Anticipates Big Year 2
Shea Langeliers

A's Place Shea Langeliers on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Keilan Robinson

Joins Eagles
Ladd McConkey

Focused on Staying Healthy
Logan O'Connor

to Miss 5-6 Months Following Hip Procedure
Ezequiel Tovar

Rockies Place Ezequiel Tovar on 10-Day Injured List With Oblique Strain
Francisco Lindor

Out Again on Friday With Toe Injury
Tyler Seguin

Nursing a Shoulder Injury
DAL

Pete DeBoer Fired by Stars
Stuart Skinner

Seeks Sixth Consecutive Win Friday
Sergei Bobrovsky

Looks to Return to Winning Ways Friday
A.J. Greer

Remains Out Friday
Corbin Burnes

to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Bryce Harper

Day-to-Day With Sore Wrist, Not Playing on Friday
Luis Robert Jr.

Returning on Friday
Ryan Ritter

Promoted to Major Leagues
Gardner Minshew II

Throwing at OTAs
Rondale Moore

Active at OTAs
Colston Loveland

Could Return Soon
Kyle Monangai

has "Really Stepped Up"
Anthony Richardson

No Structural Damage to Anthony Richardson's Shoulder
Sean O'Malley

Set For A Rematch
Merab Dvalishvili

Set For His Second Title Defense
Kayla Harrison

Could Become The New UFC Champion
Julianna Peña

Julianna Pena Set For Co-Main Event
Joe Pyfer

A Favorite At UFC 316
Kelvin Gastelum

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Mario Bautista

Looks For His Eighth Consecutive Win
Isaac Guerendo

Taking Part in OTAs
Patchy Mix

Makes His UFC Debut
Evan Engram

Off to a Good Start at OTAs
Alvin Kamara

Not Present for OTAs
Vicente Luque

An Underdog At UFC 316
Kevin Holland

Set To Open Up UFC 316 Main Card
Derek Carr

Didn't Want to "Just Take the Saints Money"
Trevor Lawrence

Making Progress at OTAs
Framber Valdez

Dominates the Pirates on Thursday
Marcus Semien

Goes Deep Twice on Thursday
Alex Caruso

Shines Off the Bench in Game 1
Luguentz Dort

Knocks Down Five Triples in Game 1
Cason Wallace

Moves into the Starting Lineup in Game 1 Loss
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Scores 38 Points in Game 1 Defeat
Obi Toppin

Drops 17 Points in Game 1
Aaron Nesmith

Posts a Double-Double in Pacers Game 1 Victory
Pascal Siakam

Leads the Pacers with 19 Points in Game 1 Win
Tyrese Haliburton

Hits Game-Winning Shot as Pacers Steal Game 1
Davante Adams

Making Positive Impact on Puka Nacua
Anthony Richardson

Expected to be Ready for Training Camp
Michael Pittman Jr.

OK But Likely to be Held Out of Minicamp With Knee Injury
Pittsburgh Steelers

Quindell Johnson Heading to Pittsburgh
Karl-Anthony Towns

Undergoes Treatment for Knee, Finger Issues
Nate McCollum

Waived by Seahawks
Kevin Durant

Knicks Reportedly Make an Offer for Kevin Durant
Tyler Soderstrom

Slugs Two Homers in Blowout Win Over Twins
Jacksonville Jaguars

Dawuane Smoot Reunites with Jacksonville
Kyle Teel

Being Called Up by White Sox
Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks "Looking to Get After it in the Run Game"
Shea Langeliers

Exits Early on Thursday
Shane Bieber

Scratched With Elbow Soreness
Zack Wheeler

Phillies Expect Zack Wheeler to Return Early Next Week
Josh Naylor

Day-to-Day With Multiple Injuries
Brandon Woodruff

Pulled Off Rehab Assignment After Elbow Injury
Giancarlo Stanton

Could Return in Mid-June
Kyle Tucker

Returns on Thursday Against Nats
Francisco Lindor

Dealing With Broken Toe, Intends to Play Through it
Nicolas Batum

Clippers Expect Nicolas Batum to Return for Next Season
Tyus Jones

Reportedly on Kings Radar
Jeff Green

Wants to Play for Two More Years
Steven Adams

Rockets Desperate to Get Steven Adams Under a New Contract
Fred VanVleet

Likely to Remain in Houston
Nate Schmidt

Logs Pair of Helpers Wednesday
Carter Verhaeghe

Registers Two Assists In Game 1 Loss Against Oilers
Sam Bennett

Establishes New Franchise Record with 12 Postseason Goals
Kasperi Kapanen

Stays Productive in Finals Opener
Connor McDavid

Records Two Assists in Wednesday's Win
Leon Draisaitl

Scores Twice in Game 1 Win Against Panthers
Kristaps Porzingis

to be Moved This Offseason?
Phoenix Suns

Jordan Ott Named Suns Head Coach
Zion Williamson

to Remain Pelicans "Focal Point"
Nikita Kucherov

Takes Home Second Ted Lindsay Award
Derek Forbort

Sticking with Canucks for One More Year
Noah Cates

Lands Four-Year, $16 Million Extension
Brock Nelson

Staying with Avalanche for Three Years
A.J. Greer

Out for Wednesday's Game 1
Connor Brown

Ready to Go Wednesday
Rico Hoey

a Decent Dark-Horse Option at TPC Toronto
Harry Hall

a Decent Option at TPC Toronto
Beau Hossler

Not Appealing Ahead of RBC Canadian Open
Taylor Pendrith

Could See Success at RBC Canadian Open
Ryan Fox

a Solid Option at TPC Toronto
Mackenzie Hughes

is a Risky Option at TPC Toronto
Eric Cole

Not A Great Option For RBC Canadian Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

a Volatile Option at TPC Toronto
Quade Cummins

Hard to Trust at RBC Canadian Open
PGA

Matti Schmid a High-Risk, High-Reward Play at TPC Toronto
Jake Knapp

a Boom-or-Bust Option at RBC Canadian Open
Doug Ghim

a Sneaky Value Play at RBC Canadian Open
Gary Woodland

a Solid Value Play at RBC Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy

Eyes Third RBC Canadian Open Title
Wyndham Clark

Hoping to Reverse Slide at RBC Canadian Open
Erik Van Rooyen

Erik van Rooyen Continues Rocky 2025 Campaign
Sahith Theegala

Trying to Find Positives in 2025
Justin Rose

Enjoying Career Renaissance at 44
John Pak

Striving to Improve on PGA Tour
Kurt Kitayama

Roller-Coaster Season to Continue in Canada
Max Homa

Motivated for RBC Canadian Open
New York Knicks

Knicks Fire Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
Bronny James Jr.

May Have Regular Role with Lakers Next Season
Dante Exum

and Mavericks Have "Mutual Interest" to Work Out New Deal
Tyler Kleven

Inks Two-Year Extension with Senators
Marcus Johansson

Staying with Wild for One More Year
Yanni Gourde

Agrees to Six-Year Extension with Lightning
Ludovit Klein

Outclassed At UFC Vegas 107
Mateusz Gamrot

Bounces Back In The Win Column
Ramiz Brahimaj

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Billy Ray Goff

Gets Submitted
Bruno Lopes

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Dustin Jacoby

Scores First-Round Knockout
Ketlen Vieira

Dominates at UFC Vegas 107
Macy Chiasson

Dominated At UFC Vegas 107
Duško Todorović

Dusko Todorovic Drops Three Fights in a Row
Zachary Reese

Gets Back In The Win Column
Joey Logano

Puts Together a Clean Race and Finishes In the Top Five At Nashville
William Byron

Steady Performance Earns Him a Top-Five Finish At Nashville
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Finally Returns to the Top 10 At Nashville
Kyle Larson

Rollercoaster Day At Nashville Ends In the Top 10
Tyler Reddick

Makes A Top-10 Recovery At Nashville
Ryan Blaney

Denny Hamlin Factors for Nashville Win Until Ryan Blaney's Three-Wide Pass
Ryan Blaney

Joey Logano Runs Better Than Expected, Still No Match for Teammate Ryan Blaney
Erik Jones

Delivers Best Run Since 2022 at Nashville
Christopher Bell

Recovers From Stage 2 Crash to Finish 10th
Ross Chastain

Mildly Disappointing at Nashville but Still Runs Decently
Chase Briscoe

Dominates Early but Struggles in Traffic
Carson Hocevar

a Great DFS Option to Consider for Nashville Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Solid Value Option For Nashville DFS Lineups
Justin Haley

Should DFS Players Roster Justin Haley At Nashville?
Todd Gilliland

Is A Safe Value Play For Nashville DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Win at Nashville, Could Have to Miss Race
Ross Chastain

Always Strong at Nashville
Kyle Larson

Struggling to Find Speed at Nashville
Chase Elliott

Can Chase Elliott Snap Winless Streak at Nashville?
Alex Bowman

Still Searching for First Top-10 Finish at Nashville
Ty Gibbs

Can Ty Gibbs Turn Things Around at Nashville?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF