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Dave's NASCAR DFS Picks (Xfinity Series) for the United Rentals 250 at Talladega (2025). Read his daily fantasy NASCAR advice and Xfinity DFS sleepers.
We’re back with another round of Xfinity Series action. This weekend, the series returns to the notorious Talladega Superspeedway. Legend has it that Talladega was constructed on cursed land, and that is the reason why we’ve seen so many spectacular wrecks and incredible finishes over the years. Of course, all of that probably has more to do with the pack-style of racing we see at Talladega, more so than any rumors or superstitions.
The racing is close and the action is intense. All it takes is one tiny mistake to set off the infamous “Big One”, which is a wreck capable of wiping out more than half the field. While many drivers hate it, the style of racing we see at Talladega can make it fun for fans because anyone in the field is capable of winning this race. That can make things hard from a DFS perspective, but we will still try our best to identify some solid plays. We’ll use the results from the previous races at drafting tracks this year to try and predict what to expect this weekend. But let’s be honest, this race is a total crapshoot, and you could make an argument for most of the drivers in the field.
Will drafting ace Austin Hill score another victory at Talladega? Or will this be one of those races where we see a surprise Talladega winner? Let's break down some NASCAR Xfinity DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 250 at Talladega 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 10/18/25 at 4:08 p.m. EDT.
Happy New Year! Save 30% on any Premium Pass using discount code NEW. Win more with our DFS, Betting and Season-Long Pass, get expert tools and advice from proven winners! GAIN ACCESS*Please note: Xfinity Series qualifying takes place on 10/18 at 11:30 AM EST. Check back after qualifying for any updates.*
Xfinity DFS Preview - DraftKings
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Top NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Plays
Austin Hill ($11K)
Starts 5th
Hill’s history at drafting tracks is well-documented. He currently holds the record for most wins on drafting tracks in the Xfinity Series. Hill scored a victory at Atlanta back in February and won the series’ most recent Talladega race back in April.
OFFICIAL: @_AustinHill was the leader at the time of the caution.
He wins at @TALLADEGA. pic.twitter.com/b0tLScVCtu
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) April 26, 2025
Hill was eliminated from the playoffs following the Round of 12, so he and his team are searching for momentum to close the 2025 season. This weekend presents a great opportunity for Hill to do just that. He is an elite driver at the superspeedways and will be in contention for another victory this weekend.
Although he is expensive, the Richard Childress Racing driver is a solid play for DFS gamers, and they should have no concerns about including him in their lineups. His history at drafting tracks makes him worth the price tag here.
Jesse Love ($10.7K)
Starts 1st
Love picked up a victory in the season-opening race at Daytona back in February.
Jesse Love wins at Daytona, his 2nd career win.
Richard Childress Racing has now won the season-opening race the last 4 seasons. This is the team's 10th Xfinity Series win at Daytona, tying Dale Earnhardt Inc for the most all-time. pic.twitter.com/SXqYn8smm2
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) February 16, 2025
He has three top fives and four top 10s at the drafting tracks this year. Love also has two top fives, three top 10s, with an average finish of 3.3 in his three career starts at Talladega. He also won at Talladega in the 2024 spring race.
FIRST CAREER WIN. Repost to congratulate Jesse Love on his NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at Talladega! 🏆🏁 https://t.co/BhL3DZxuvx pic.twitter.com/FUeaPLByvl
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 20, 2024
Like his teammate Austin Hill, Love has been very good at the drafting tracks throughout his career, and both of his Xfinity Series wins have come at superspeedways. Look for him to post another solid finish this weekend and be in contention for the win.
Aric Almirola ($10K)
Starts 9th
Almirola was victorious at Las Vegas last weekend. That win was his third of the season. He has another great opportunity ahead of him here, as Almirola is one of the better drafting racers in the field.
He picked up a win at Daytona back in 2016 and also scored a victory at Talladega back in 2017. Almirola is a great play and is more than capable of winning his second consecutive Xfinity Series race this weekend.
NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Fades
Justin Allgaier ($10.5K)
Starts 8th
Allgaier has three top-five finishes at drafting tracks so far this year. His best finish at a drafting track this year was a runner-up finish at Atlanta back in February. He has eight top 10s and five top five finishes in 19 career Talladega starts. His only career win at a drafting track came at Daytona back in the summer of 2023.
He has had an okay career at superspeedways and is live for a win here. But this price is a bit expensive for a driver with one drafting track victory. We’ll list him as a fade for now, but that could change if he starts further back in the field.
Connor Zilisch ($9.5K)
Starts 7th
Zilisch was credited with a victory back at Daytona in the summer. However, he was replaced early in that race by Parker Kligerman, who went on to score the race win.
WHAT A RACE!!!!!
CW Sports' own @pkligerman fills in for the recovering @ConnorZilisch and wins it in a dramatic overtime finish! pic.twitter.com/JPgd0Cv0Uy
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) August 23, 2025
Zilisch also finished fourth at Atlanta back in June, but that is his only other top 10 finish at a drafting track in 2025. We are getting a nice discount on Zilisch in this race, but there are just way too many unknowns to throw him in lineups here. This feels like the right time to fade the sensational rookie.
We might revisit if he qualifies toward the rear, but it feels like there are better ways to build your lineups this weekend.
Mid-Tier NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Options
Sammy Smith ($9.3K)
Starts 11th
Smith was runner-up at Daytona in August and finished fourth at Atlanta in February. He is also the defending champion of this weekend’s race at Talladega.
Nick Sanchez ($8.8K)
Starts 20th
Sanchez picked up his first career Xfinity Series victory at Atlanta back in June. He also finished fifth at Atlanta back in February. He looks like a competent drafter and will be live for a strong finish at Talladega.
Carson Kvapil ($8.6K)
Starts 4th
Kvapil has been good at the drafting tracks in 2025. He finished fourth at Daytona in February, second at Atlanta in June, and 10th at Daytona in August.
Kvapil is an intriguing play here, and he is one of many darkhorses who can score a surprise victory at this track.
Harrison Burton ($7.5K)
Starts 30th
Burton has finished inside the top 10 in three drafting races this year. He finished 6th at Daytona in February, 10th at Atlanta in February, and eighth at Talladega in the spring.
Burton has not won at a drafting track in his Xfinity Series career, but he will be a strong play this weekend. Especially if he starts toward the rear and offers upside as a place differential play.
NASCAR Xfinity Series DFS Value Options
Daniel Dye ($6.8K)
Starts 15th
Dye has top 10s in three of the five drafting races this year. I like targeting him in lineups here and believe he is live for another top 10 finish this weekend as long as he can avoid all the wrecks.
Dean Thompson ($6.7K)
Starts 17th
Thompson scored top 10s in both Daytona races. He also scored a top 20 at Talladega back in the spring.
Brennan Poole ($6.5K)
Starts 34th
Poole finished ninth at Daytona in August. He also picked up top 20s in both Atlanta races. Poole is another solid, cheap place differential target.
Leland Honeyman Jr. ($6.1K)
Starts 29th
Honeyman has had some good runs at the drafting tracks so far in 2025. He finished eighth in the spring Atlanta race, 13th at Talladega in the spring, and 12th at Atlanta in the summer. He has scored positive place differential points in every drafting race this season. That alone makes him worthy of a place in DFS lineups.
Joey Gase ($5.1K)
Starts 36th
There are only a few times when it's actually a good idea to throw Gase into DFS lineups. This weekend is one of those times, as Gase has had some good runs at drafting tracks in his career. Target him as a dirt-cheap place differential play.
More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis
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