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Dave's NASCAR DFS Picks (Xfinity Series) for The HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway (2025). Read his daily fantasy NASCAR advice and Xfinity DFS sleepers.
Last Saturday was a wild day for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We were trending well with our DFS picks last week, but unfortunately, things took an ugly turn in the final 15 laps. Kyle Larson got into Justin Allgaier when the former got loose trying to make a pass. Things really went sour when Austin Hill threw a temper tantrum and intentionally wrecked Aric Almirola a few laps later. Hill was given a five-lap penalty, finished 34th, and was suspended for this weekend's race. We had Hill listed as a fade last week, so at least that part of the chaos worked to our benefit. Some tough breaks, but that’s how things go sometimes.
As a result of all the calamity, Connor Zilisch won his third consecutive race and gave JR Motorsports its 100th win in the organization's history. The series makes a stop at Iowa Speedway this weekend. Tempers are sure to flare at the .875 mile short track.
Will Zilisch’s hot streak continue this weekend? Or will someone else emerge for the victory? Let's break down some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series HyVee 250 on DraftKings. Also, make sure to check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for the Xfinity Series, including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. This slate locks on 8/2/25 at 4:48 p.m. EDT.
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Check back later for any updates after practice and qualifying results.
Top NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Plays
Justin Allgaier ($12K)
Starts 15th
Despite crashing out of last week's race, Allgaier remains the regular season points leader. He's got a pair of third-place finishes at the short tracks already this year. Allgaier finished 30th in this race last year, but led 14 laps and posted stage finishes of fourth and seventh before an accident ended his day. He also finished 10th in quality passes.
Allgaier has a strong history at Iowa Speedway. He's made 17 career Xfinity Series starts at Iowa. Allgaier has a win in 2018 to go along with four top fives and 12 top 10s as well. His average finish at the track is 10.8.
Look for Allgaier to get back on track this week with a strong finish. DFS players can feel confident building their lineups around the JR Motorsports veteran.
Connor Zilisch ($11.8K)
Starts Fourth
Zilisch is just on an absolute heater right now. He's got speed every weekend and seems to be catching all the breaks along the way. That is a hard combination to beat.
The young phenom has done it!@ConnorZilisch is a winner at the Racing Capital of the World in @JRMotorsports’s 100th @NASCAR_Xfinity win!#NASCAR | #Pennzoil250 pic.twitter.com/553C4ARAVH
— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) July 26, 2025
After kissing the bricks last weekend and snagging his third consecutive victory in the process, Zilisch rolls into Iowa with all the momentum in the world. However, one area of weakness this year has been short-track racing. He finished outside the top 10 at both Bristol and Martinsville earlier this year. A 12th-place finish at Bristol has been his best short track finish so far. Zilisch finished 28th at Martinsville but did lead 100 laps and won both stages before faltering in the final stage. Despite the poor finish, that showing suggests that Zilisch is more than capable of competing on the short tracks.
You just can't bet against him right now. It feels like Zilisch is coming into his own as a driver. He will probably be racing on Sundays sooner rather than later. Expect another strong performance on Saturday.
Sam Mayer ($10K)
Starts Fifth
Mayer is the defending champion at Iowa. He led 47 laps last year and posted stage finishes of second and third before securing the race victory in the final stage. Mayer also posted an average running position of 4.12, which was best in the field. He finished just outside the top 10 with an 11th-place finish at Bristol but scored a top-five finish at Martinsville.
Mayer has yet to win this season after winning seven races from 2023-2024. Some of that is because he no longer drives for JR Motorsports. However, this is a good spot to play him this weekend. Mayer is a nice alternative to Allgaier and Zilisch if you want to save a little cash in your lineups.
NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Fades
Ross Chastain ($11.5K)
Starts 11th
Chastain will be making his fifth Xfinity Series start of the year on Saturday. He has finished inside the top eight in three of four races, including two top-five finishes. However, he has only led 23 laps in his four starts and hasn't been a serious contender for a win.
Chastain finished 11th in last year's Cup Series race at Iowa and finished ninth in the Xfinity Series race at Iowa last year, too. He has nine career Xfinity Series starts at Iowa dating back to 2015. Chastain has two top fives and four top 10s to go along with an average finish of 14.2. He hasn't led a lap single in any of his nine Iowa starts.
None of this really makes Chastain an appealing option this weekend. He's one of the best drivers in the field, but until we see him consistently leading laps and contending for victories, it's probably best to fade him at this price.
Carson Hocevar ($11K)
Starts Third
Hocevar was tabbed to drive the #11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet this weekend following the dismissal of Josh Williams. While Hocevar has experienced some success in the Cup series in 2025, this will only be his sixth career Xfinity Series start and first Xfinity Series start ever at Iowa Speedway.
Despite all this, Hocevar is currently the fourth-most expensive driver on the slate. While he's undeniably talented and finished 14th in the Cup Series race at Iowa last year, Hocevar feels a little overpriced this weekend. The #11 car has struggled to find consistent speed in 2025, and while some of that is certainly on Williams, the switch to Hocevar may not bring immediate elite results.
Hocevar qualified well and was 10th quickest in practice, but he only had the 17th best 10-lap average. We might see him fade toward the middle of the pack once the race begins.
This is probably just a way for Hocevar to gain some more track experience in preparation for Sunday's Cup Series race. Target other options at more affordable prices.
Mid-Tier NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Options
Sammy Smith ($9.5K)
Starts Ninth
Smith has been very good on the short tracks this year. He finished fourth at Bristol and 10th at Martinsville and led laps in both races. Smith finished fourth last year at Iowa and was second in quality passes. This is a good week to throw him into lineups.
Sheldon Creed ($8.8K)
Starts 14th
Creed finished 17th at Indianapolis last week, but should bounce back with a better finish this weekend. He finished fifth in this race a year ago and posted an average running position of 4.56 (third best in the field). Creed also finished second at Martinsville back in March. Look for him to score a top 10 finish here with the possibility for more.
Ryan Sieg ($8K)
Starts Seventh
Sieg scored his third top-five finish of the season with a fifth-place finish last week. He might keep the momentum rolling at Iowa as he makes a late charge for the Xfinity Series playoffs. Sieg finished 12th here in 2024 and has a pair of top 10s in both short-track races this year. He qualified well and was fast in practice, which makes Sieg a good play this weekend.
NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Value Options
Daniel Dye ($7K)
Starts 10th
Dye is fresh off an eighth-place finish at Indianapolis. We recommended him as a value play last week, and we are going back to the well.
He finished 10th at Iowa last year and finished third in green flag passes in the process. Dye has been solid at the short tracks so far in 2025. He posted respectable finishes at Bristol (13th) and Martinsville (seventh) earlier this year. Look for another good performance this weekend.
Dean Thompson ($6.8K)
Starts 20th
Thompson has been sneaky good on short tracks so far this year. He posted top 10 finishes at Bristol and Martinsville. While it's not technically a short track, Thompson also finished well at Rockingham Speedway and posted an 11th-place finish.
Thompson is a great value play this weekend and is live for another top 10. Target him and pair him with some of the higher-priced options on the slate. Thompson is a great place differential target as well.
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
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