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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Quaker State 400. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Quaker State 400 (2025).
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second time this season. However, the track does come with a new name, EchoPark Speedway, after a new sponsorship deal was completed since the last race at the site. Atlanta is one of the three tracks in the Cup Series that uses the Superspeedway rules package, a car setup that is normally used on tracks that feature pack racing and drafting.
This week marks the first race of the five-race inaugural In-Season Tournament for the NASCAR Cup Series on TNT and Max. 32 different drivers in the field have been paired up in 16 head-to-head matchups, with the best finisher in each matchup moving on to the next round in the next race. This will keep going until a winner of the tournament is crowned after Indianapolis, where they will win one million dollars. Mentioning this tournament is important for the context of DFS for the next few races, as some drivers will take the tournament seriously and use it as justification to pursue higher finishing positions or make riskier moves and pit strategies for position.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Quaker State 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 6/28/2025 at 7:17 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
DFS Lineup Picks - DraftKings, FanDuel
Once you've read 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 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.
Disclaimer: All the drivers presented as picks for this week's race are meant to be some of my top DFS recommendations of the week. They are not originally intended to fit all into one lineup.
Ryan Blaney/Team Penske
Starts 3rd - DK: $11K, FD: $14K
This first pick will not just be reserved for Ryan Blaney, but any of the three Team Penske drivers. Fantasy players who are familiar with the sport on superspeedways will know how fast the three drivers normally are on this track type, and the same general notes can be applied to all three of them. They are some of the fastest, most dominant drivers, and they're the top favorites to win at Atlanta.
Joey Logano wins the pole for the #QS400 at @EchoParkSpdwy!
Josh Berry will start alongside on the front row, then it's Ryan Blaney and Austin Cindric for the Penske-powered sweep of the front two rows.
— PRN (@PRNlive) June 27, 2025
Joey Logano (DK: $10.7K | FD: $13.5K) is expected to be one of the top dominators since he starts right at the pole, while Austin Cindric (DK: $10.2K | FD: $12.5K) is the cheapest of the three drivers from Penske and has a slight bit more upside, but he will carry high rostership as well. Blaney, however, stands out in a few particular aspects compared to Logano and Cindric.
Blaney is the most expensive of the three drivers, so naturally his rostership will likely be lower than Logano's since fantasy players want to have more cap flexibility where possible and Blaney does not offer that. Blaney is also the most consistent finisher of the three Penske drivers, as he is the only driver in the field to finish in the top 20 in every race at Atlanta since 2022, while also scoring a series-leading six top-10 finishes in that span.
The three Penske drivers should be the first drivers to consider when setting any lineups this weekend. They're just that good at competing for the win at Atlanta, and Blaney is the easiest driver to trust to score an excellent finish this weekend.
Christopher Bell
Starts 28th - DK: $9.2K, FD: $9.5K
It's not every week where DFS players can get any discount on one of the top championship contenders of the year, but that is how Christopher Bell falls this week. FanDuel especially makes it easy to add him to rosters since he's below $10K.
In the last seven Cup races at Atlanta, Bell has three top-5 finishes, but this also includes the first race earlier in the season at the site. During that race, Bell started in the 32nd position and went on to lead the final lap of the race, giving him his first victory at Atlanta. Outside of Atlanta this season, Bell has finished below 30th at other superspeedway events despite showing plenty of speed, so this track stands out even more as a place where Bell can succeed for fantasy players, as he tends to finish better there.
Christopher Bell on having spotter Tab Boyd, who was released from Hyak Racing last week, as his new spotter. His interim spotter Matt Philpott did not have much experience compared to Boyd. pic.twitter.com/2S2UQWjjgx
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 28, 2025
Toyota drivers struggled through qualifying, making some of their drivers, like Denny Hamlin (DK: $9.5K | FD: $10.5K) or his teammate Bell, interesting options through place differential alone. Based on average finish at Atlanta since 2022, however, Bell is the top standout with an average finish of 15.3. Do not sleep on the No. 20 Toyota driver for this week's race.
Kyle Busch
Starts 29th - DK: $8.8K, FD: $12K
There have not been too many weeks this season where Richard Childress Racing's Kyle Busch looked like he would be a standout DFS performer, but Atlanta is one of those tracks that favors the driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
In the last seven Atlanta races, Busch has five straight top-10 finishes going into this week's race. He also found his way to the front at some point in the last three as he led 13 or more laps in each event. Busch also gained positive PD in four of the last five Cup events at the site.
With nine races left in the regular season, Kyle Busch enters the Cup race tonight at Atlanta 50 points behind the playoff cutoff. He feels he could still point his way in. What he said about his outlook @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/LCPtLCg2f3
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 28, 2025
This is the lowest starting position ever for Busch at Atlanta since the track was reconfigured before the 2022 season. Considering his high upside, look for Busch to capitalize and be a strong fantasy performer on Saturday night, especially for DraftKings lineups where his salary is cheaper compared to FanDuel.
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Daniel Suarez
Starts 31st - DK: $7.7K, FD: $7.2K
Trackhouse Racing is a team that fantasy players should keep in mind for Atlanta lineups this week. Ross Chastain (DK: $8.5K | FD: $8.5K) has only one finish outside of the top 15 in the last seven Atlanta Cup races and has plenty of upside from his starting position of 34th.
For those who can't afford Chastain, Daniel Suarez also fits well into Atlanta lineups as his history at the site has been highly favorable. In seven races since 2022 at Atlanta, Suarez has five top-10 finishes, with a series-best four top-5 finishes, including a win. Suarez's average finish of 11.0 in that span is also better than Chastain's.
Daniel Suarez's run of success at Atlanta was interrupted when he got caught in a wreck in February. Suarez says his team knows what they did wrong the last time they were here and got back to what worked for them.
Asked Suarez a bit about what goes into race craft/management at… pic.twitter.com/5Sw6U1KWZH
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) June 28, 2025
With high upside and excellent track history, Suarez is a driver to consider for all DFS formats, especially as this race represents one of Suarez's better chances to sneak off with a victory and make the Cup Series playoffs.
Michael McDowell
Starts 32nd - DK: $6.8K, FD: $6.2K
The lower tiers of drivers have plenty of standout options this week, but one of those drivers who should not be overlooked this week is Michael McDowell. In the three previous superspeedway events this season, McDowell has three consecutive top-15 finishes, placing 11th at both Daytona and Talladega while finishing 14th at Atlanta.
In the last seven Atlanta races, McDowell has four top-15 finishes, never finished lower than 24th, and has an average finish of 15.3, matching Bell, who was mentioned earlier. McDowell also collected three finishes with positive PD in the last seven Cup events, including the first race of the year back in February.
McDowell has plenty of upside and solid equipment, likely to compete for a top-15 finish. He is not one of the flashier names in the field, but McDowell is a driver worth rostering in all formats this week.
Since Michael McDowell has some experience going from lesser to better equipment, I asked him a bit about what Chase Briscoe talked about after winning Pocono last week about how he's learned he can push his cars harder.
McDowell related it to when he went from… https://t.co/ZyUOH33c8s pic.twitter.com/YlvoH30Yvh
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) June 28, 2025
Corey LaJoie
Starts 25th - DK: $5.5K, FD: $3.8K
In Atlanta, even drivers that are among the cheapest to add into DFS lineups could end up becoming competitive for a top finish if the circumstances line up. One of the better drivers to consider as a deep sleeper this week is Corey LaJoie, who is entering this week's race in a second Rick Ware Racing car.
In the last seven Atlanta races, LaJoie has four top-20 finishes, which were all inside the top 15. He also captured positive PD five times in that timeframe despite driving for both Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing.
Corey Lajoie Could Surprise at Atlanta #StackingPennies @CoreyLaJoie #NASCAR #FantasyNASCAR #DFS #DraftKings #Betting #NASCARBetting #GamblingTwitter #GamblingX @NASCARDFS @EchoParkSpdwy https://t.co/OUvT3Y2nWy
— Jordan McAbee (@FanRacingOnline) June 28, 2025
LaJoie carries solid upside going into this week's race, and fantasy players should not forget that Rick Ware has a technical alliance with RFK Racing, which has also displayed speed and favorable results at times at Atlanta. Most of the Ford drivers qualified well this week outside of LaJoie, but this means that fantasy players can roster a driver from arguably the fastest manufacturer of the week for a very low salary. LaJoie is a great value option who should be considered for all formats this week.
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