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Justin Carter's DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Health 250 at EchoPark Speedway. Read his daily fantasy NASCAR advice and Xfinity sleepers. (2025)
The NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Atlanta on Friday night for some high-speed pack racing. This is one of those weekends where drafting, teamwork, and crash avoidance matter more than ever. In other words, we're set for an interesting race with more unpredictability than usual.
Last week in Pocono, Connor Zilisch drove the No. 88 car to the victory, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. serving in the role as crew chief. It was the second win of the year for Zilisch and his first career oval victory in the Xfinity Series. You won't find Zilisch's name listed below, though — his average starting spot this season is 6.3, and he's yet to record a top 25 in any superspeedway race, so he feels like a fade.
Let's look at some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Focused Healthy 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 6/27/25 at 7:38 p.m. EDT.
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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 here for updates after qualifying.
Top Contenders
The only “sure” things here are Austin Hill and Jesse Love. Anyone else is a risk if you’re talking about potential winners.
Place Differential Plays
Target these drivers for place differential:
- Justin Allgaier
- Daniel Dye
- Carson Kvapil
- Jeb Burton
- Dean Thompson
- Josh Williams
- Matt DiBenedetto
- Joey Gase
Drivers To Fade
I’ll keep this simple: drivers who aren’t Hill or Love who start in the top 10 are very risky. I’ll also fade Blaine Perkins and Christian Eckes. Other than that, this race is kind of just a crapshoot, so just don’t go too heavy on any one driver.
Top Plays
Austin Hill ($11.0K)
There are really two drivers who should be favored above everyone else this weekend, and those are the two Richard Childress Racing cars.
We start with Austin Hill, who has already won here once this season. In fact, Hill comes into this race with five wins in the past six Atlanta races. He's dominating here in dramatic fashion, and the only time in this span he didn't win, he still led a lap and came in a solid 12th.
Austin Hill WINS once again at Atlanta!
In other news, the sky is blue, and Luxembourg is small.@AlwaysRaceDay pic.twitter.com/43hJEW6dSD
— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) February 23, 2025
Hill is too dominant at this track to ignore. His salary should honestly be higher than $11.oK, considering his recent track performance.
Jesse Love ($10.7K)
Jesse Love might not be as dominant as his RCR teammate, but he's recorded two superspeedway wins in Xfinity and three other top 10s. While there's more uncertainty to the outcomes here, Love has as good a chance of winning as anyone in this field other than his teammate.
Aric Almirola ($10.5K)
Let's say you want to fade RCR for some reason. What other top options are there beyond Hill and Love?
Aric Almirola should be in play, as he finished third in the first race at this track this season and has a ton of superspeedway experience from his time in the Cup Series. Almirola is always a threat when he runs this No. 19 car.
Justin Allgaier ($10.2K)
Justin Allgaier's results at superspeedways tend to be hit or miss, but the hits are always pretty good. He was second at Atlanta earlier this year, and he won at Daytona back in 2023. He doesn't have the same advantage over the rest of the field that he does at non-drafting ovals, but he'll be in the mix.
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Mid-Tier Options
Sam Mayer ($9.5K)
This mid-tier of drivers is riskier than usual this week, simply because I expect them to have qualifying speed but also to be potential victims of the whims of pack racing. For example, back in February, only two of the top 10 finishers started in the top 10. So for this tier, the deeper they start, the more appeal they have.
I'll provide some updates above before lock to account for this. For now, though, let's talk about some mid-tier drivers with solid superspeedway histories, beginning with Sam Mayer.
An early exit for Sam Mayer tonight at Atlanta.
Sam has been checked and released from the infield care center after this hit.@sam_mayer_ X @XfinityRacingpic.twitter.com/6sojWRpVnq
— Haas Factory Team (@HaasFactoryTeam) February 23, 2025
Mayer finished 36th at Atlanta earlier this season, but he was second at Daytona and has a pair of top 10s at this track on his resume.
Sheldon Creed ($9.3K)
Sheldon Creed has finished in the top 15 in all three superspeedway races this season, including a top-5 at Daytona. He was top 10 in five of the six superspeedway races last season and looks as close as you can get to being a lock for a strong run.
Sammy Smith ($8.8K)
Sammy Smith is a very "checkers or wreckers" driver at tracks like this. In the last 12 superspeedway races, Smith has not finished between 11th and 20th a single time. It's either top 10s (including a win at Talladega last fall) or it's a poor result. He's a boom-or-bust option on Friday night.
Taylor Gray ($8.5K)
In six career superspeedway starts, Taylor Gray has just one top 10. Still, he's in a fast Joe Gibbs Racing car, and he just missed out on a second top-10 at Talladega, coming in 11th. There's an appeal here.
Nick Sanchez ($8.0K)
This Big Machine Racing car has always seemed to have speed on superspeedways, dating back to when Parker Kligerman was in it. Nick Sanchez crashed out at Daytona to open the year, but was fifth at Atlanta and a solid 15th at Talladega.
Value Options
Place differential matters a ton here, and the nature of this track really expands who is in play, so this list is longer than usual. Pretty much everyone below, except maybe the Burtons, will need to start 20th or worse to have real appeal.
Harrison Burton ($7.8K)
Harrison Burton should cost more this week, but oh well — it just makes lineup building easier for us.
After surprisingly winning a Cup Series superspeedway race last year, Burton has shown in his return to Xfinity that these tracks are his strong suit. In three superspeedway races this year, Burton has three top 10s. He's the only driver to do that in 2025.
Daniel Dye ($7.7K)
Daniel Dye's Kaulig teammate Christian Eckes costs $10.0K this weekend, which is ridiculous and makes him an instant fade. That price is likely bumped up because Kaulig cars have a history of performing well at superspeedways, but times have changed. Don't expect the Kaulig cars to battle for a victory.
However, Dye at $7.7K has significant appeal. He was seventh in the first Atlanta race, then followed that up with a 10th at Talladega. If he can stay out of trouble, he has the skill to sneak in another top-10.
Jeb Burton ($7.3K)
While not quite as good as his cousin has been this year, Jeb Burton has the best superspeedway finish of the two, coming in second at Talladega. He also has the worst finish of the two, but it was only a 16th at Daytona. That's really not bad at all.
Dean Thompson ($7.0K)
Dean Thompson has had a strong rookie season in this Sam Hunt Racing No. 26 car, including opening the year with a top 10 at Daytona. He's a bit of a boring pick this week, but as long as he keeps the car clean, he should end the day between eighth and 18th.
Parker Retzlaff ($6.9K)
The past four superspeedway races have been disasters for Parker Retzlaff, as he has finished 27th or worse in each. Still, he's shown in the past that he can maneuver around these tracks, posting four top-10s in a five-race span in 2023 and 2024.
Anthony Alfredo ($6.7K)
Anthony Alfredo is another driver with plenty of experience on these tracks and a history that includes both good and bad results. He was sixth at Talladega, and he's been top-15 in four of the last six Atlanta races, but was 37th in the first race here this season.
Matt DiBenedetto ($6.6K)
Matt DiBenedetto has been one of the best superspeedway racers this season, finishing 11th at Daytona, 12th at Atlanta, and fifth at Talladega. He might not be a threat to win, but his extensive Cup Series experience makes him one of the best drafters in this field.
Jeremy Clements ($6.4K)
Jeremy Clements is no longer consistently one of the best underfunded drivers in the series, but he can still get good results from this No. 51 car on drafting tracks. He was ninth at Daytona and 11th in the first Atlanta race.
Blaine Perkins ($6.0K)
Jordan Anderson Racing is usually pretty good on superspeedways. Lately, that's mostly meant good results from Jeb Burton, but Blaine Perkins was seventh at Talladega and finished in the top 20 in the first Atlanta race.
Patrick Staropoli ($5.8K)
Patrick Staropoli isn't a big name, but the fact that he's in a Sam Hunt Racing car means he should cost more than $5.8K. His only previous Xfinity start was Martinsville earlier this year, where he started 33rd and finished 16th.
The Doctor is In
Patrick Staropoli making his second start of the year in the Sam Hunt Racing No. 24. Ran 16th in his debut at Martinsville. pic.twitter.com/wRERayPa17
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) June 26, 2025
His lack of superspeedway experience is a bit of a concern, but he did go from 37th to 11th in the ARCA race at Talladega earlier this year, so there's at least some evidence he can figure out tracks like this.
Joey Gase ($5.3K)
This is one of those weeks where Joey Gase being consistently off-pace comes in handy, as it potentially sets him up to miss all the crashes and come away with a solid finish. He's finished 15th, 21st, and 21st at superspeedway races this season. He started 37th and 38th in the first two of those before weirdly qualifying fourth at Talladega. If he qualifies like he did in the first two, he's a strong place differential play.
