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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Grant Park 165. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Grant Park 165 (2025).
NASCAR is taking its action to the streets of Chicago, as the Cup Series will host the Grant Park 165 on the Chicago Street Course this week. This is the third time that the Cup Series will visit this street course, which has proven to be a challenge for even the most seasoned veteran drivers. The street course is a 2.140-mile, 12-turn track that rolls around the historic Grant Park in Chicago. NASCAR currently has a deal with the City of Chicago that lasts until the end of this season, so there is a chance that this may be the final time the Cup Series races at the site for the foreseeable future.
This race also marks the second round of the 2025 In-Season Challenge for the NASCAR Cup Series. There are no perfect brackets remaining based on fan participation in the challenge after a wild race at Atlanta last week, but there are still 16 drivers looking to advance and get closer to the one-million-dollar prize. Keep this in mind as some drivers may pull desperate moves and strategies to not only remain in contention for the big cash prize but also collect a win to make the 2025 playoffs. This race is a wildcard where drivers who don't normally perform well on other types of tracks can perform well at Chicago, so consider factoring that into lineup construction.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Grant Park 165 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 7/6/2025 at 2:23 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
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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.
Shane Van Gisbergen
Starts 1st - DK: $12K, FD: $14K
Anybody who has followed NASCAR since he made his first start at this very track in 2023 knows that Shane Van Gisbergen must be discussed for road courses in general whenever the Cup Series visits one, let alone the Chicago Street Course. So let's knock out one of the top questions DFS players will have this week: Should SVG be added into lineups this week? The answer is that yes, he absolutely should be utilized in all DFS formats this week, but there are some things to keep in mind.
First, SVG is the most expensive driver to add to rosters on both sites for this week's race. Notably, on DK, he is priced $1.5K higher than the next best driver, Kyle Larson (DK: $10.5K | FD: $13K), while on FD, he is only $500 higher than the next highest-salaried driver, Christopher Bell (DK: $10.2K | FD: 13.5K). That is a big difference that should affect his usage on both sites for tournament lineups, as he will carry a higher roster percentage on FD since he's easier to roster there compared to DK.
For those unfamiliar with why the discussion on SVG for DFS this week is important, let's refer back to some of his numbers. In the previous two Cup races at Chicago, Van Gisbergen has one win from 2023, led nine laps, and arguably had the fastest car in both events. He is also a two-time Xfinity Series winner at the site, and he is the most recent winner in the Cup Series on a road course, getting his last victory at Mexico City in dominating fashion while leading 60 out of 100 laps.
Supercars legend Shane van Gisbergen won the pole for Sunday's NASCAR race in Chicago, and it wasn't even close. ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/lqRIbYkvpB
— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) July 5, 2025
In practice, Van Gisbergen displayed top-10 speeds in the single, five, and 10 consecutive lap average categories and will start in the pole position, which sets him up to dominate and lead laps right from the beginning of the race. His stats and the speed he displayed in pre-race events will no doubt make him a favorite to consider in all formats, especially as he's likely to be the top dominator of the race.
Chase Elliott
Starts 39th - DK: $9.5K, FD: $11.5K
Before switching to the Next-Gen car for the 2022 Cup Series season, Chase Elliott was the king of road courses in the Cup Series. All seven of his Cup Series victories on road courses, which is the third-most of all drivers all-time, came before 2022, and he looked primed to take the all-time record for most wins at the track type sooner rather than later. However, the No. 9 Chevrolet driver has yet to win at tracks with both left and right turns since the Cup Series car was modified.
That is not for a lack of effort, however, as Elliott remains one of the more skilled drivers at road courses in the field. In two races at Chicago, Elliott has a best finish of third, which he scored in the 2023 event at the site. He also has an average finish of 9.8 with 12 top-10 finishes, including a series-leading 10 top-5 finishes at road courses since 2022.
In practice at Chicago for this week's race, Elliott ranked second in overall lap averages and third in five consecutive lap averages, but he also made contact with the wall and was unable to set a lap during qualifying. As a result, he will start in the back with enormous upside for Sunday's race as his team elected to repair the damage obtained in practice.
Contact with the wall late in practice for the No. 9 of @chaseelliott. pic.twitter.com/E2ddCq3Fyl
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 5, 2025
Despite the setbacks in practice and qualifying, Elliott's upside and overall history at road courses make him worth consideration for all DFS formats, but he is a must-play for cash.
Chris Buescher
Starts 8th - DK: $8.6K, FD: $9.5K
There is no other driver in the Cup Series who has defined excellent finish consistency as well as Chris Buescher since 2022. In 19 races at road courses since 2022, Buescher leads all drivers with 15 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 8.8, and has never finished worse than 21st at the track type. He also has one road course victory, which came at Watkins Glen during the playoffs last season.
In two Chicago Cup races, Buescher has two top-20 finishes. He placed 20th in last year's race at the site, but he finished 10th in the 2023 Cup race at the site.
In practice, Buescher ranked among the top 10 fastest in all categories on speed, including first in 15 consecutive lap averages. Buescher's top-10 starting spot obtained from qualifying does not leave much upside, but his road racing history and equipment make him a driver who should not be ignored for DFS contests this week, especially in tournaments.
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Austin Cindric
Starts 27th - DK: $7.8K, FD: $6.8K
Team Penske is a NASCAR team that is not known for their road course success in the last couple of years. The last time one of their drivers won a road course race in the Cup Series was in 2018 when Ryan Blaney (DK: $7.5K | FD: $7.2K) won at the Charlotte Roval. Blaney makes for a decent DFS option from the team to consider, but Austin Cindric is very likely to become the highest DFS scorer of the week from the organization.
In two Chicago Cup starts, Cindric has two top-15 finishes. Cindric's best finish at the site was sixth during the 2023 Cup race at the site, while he finished 15th in last year's race. The No. 2 Ford driver also collected positive Place Differential at the end of both Chicago Cup races in the past two seasons.
In practice, Cindric ranked 24th in five consecutive lap averages and 14th in overall lap averages. Cindric's starting position is deep in the field, giving him plenty of upside for Sunday's race, and considering his equipment and past track history at Chicago, Cindric is a driver who can be a solid DFS option for all formats this week.
Will Brown
Starts 19th - DK: $7.3K, FD: $7.5K
NASCAR road course races are known for sometimes attracting racers from different types of Motorsports, and Chicago is a race that is no exception ever since SVG won in his Cup Series debut at the site in 2023. Fantasy players may not be familiar with the name Will Brown, but it would be wise for them not to ignore him for this week's race at Chicago.
Brown comes from a road racing background thanks to his experience with Supercars Championship racing, where he is the current driver champion in the series. Notably, that is the same series SVG raced before NASCAR and is a three-time champion with over 80 race victories. Brown is a younger driver with less experience and wins than SVG in supercar racing, but he is still pretty successful with 11 wins while in the middle of his eighth season in the Series.
Kaulig Racing is who Brown is driving for this week, making him teammates with fellow expert roar racer A.J. Allmendinger. Brown is making his second Cup Series start this week, as he previously drove for Richard Childress Racing as a third entry for the team in last year's race at Sonoma, where he made it as high as the top 20 during the race until electrical issues relegated him to a finish of 31st.
In practice for this week's race, Brown ranked 38th in overall lap averages and 23rd in five consecutive lap averages. Fantasy players should highly consider Brown for his extensive road racing experience and equipment overall, especially as he could end up being one of the more underrated drivers in the field, capable of earning a favorable result.
Great to finally hit the track in Chicago! Ending P19 in Quali wasn’t what we wanted after feeling really good in practice. Really looking forward to the race tomorrow with the @Shaw_Partners @mobileXus @KauligRacing team! 😁 pic.twitter.com/JAmrPkz1Ns
— Will Brown (@will_brown87) July 5, 2025
Bubba Wallace
Starts 37th - DK: $6.4K, FD: $4.5K
There are several notable drivers worth consideration for this week that are considered quality value options. Some of them include Todd Gilliland (DK: $6.5K | FD: $4.2K), Cole Custer (DK: $6.1K | FD: $3.2K), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (DK: $5.7K | FD: $4K), and Austin Hill (DK: $5.3K | FD: $2.5K), but it's not every day that a driver with solid equipment is priced this low for DFS with Bubba Wallace.
In his previous two Chicago races, Wallace has a best finish of 13th, which he scored in last year's race at the site. What is more impressive, however, for the driver of the No. 23 Toyota is that he has an active streak of eight consecutive races with a top-20 finish at road courses dating back to the middle of the 2023 season.
The fastest ride on the streets.@BubbaWallace has the best lap overall in practice at @NASCARChicago. pic.twitter.com/6o98pdiVwb
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 5, 2025
In practice, Wallace ranked first in single lap times, fourth in both overall and five consecutive lap averages, and third in 10 consecutive lap averages. Wallace spun twice during qualifying and set a really slow lap as a result, giving him massive upside for this week's race. Considering this, as well as practice speeds and results from last season, Wallace is a driver who should not be overlooked for DFS contests this week.
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