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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Cook Out 400. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Cook Out 400 (2025).
It's short track racing time! The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Martinsville Speedway for this week's Cook Out 400. Martinsville is a 0.526-mile short track known as the shortest of all tracks in the Cup Series. This track is nicknamed "The Paperclip" due to the track's layout and shape resembling a paperclip. There will be 400 laps for this week's race, which will be the highest yet of any Cup event this season.
Last week at Homestead, Kyle Larson went ahead and locked in his first victory of the season in the Cup Series. Larson actually went ahead and won two out of the three races last weekend, as he also won the Truck Series race. Outside of Christopher Bell, each of the four Cup winners this season has yet to win multiple races. Each of the three other winners this year, Larson, William Byron, and Josh Berry, all present viable options to win this week's race at Martinsville, but there are going to be 35 other drivers that will fight out for the victory.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Cook Out 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 3/29/2025 at 3:00 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.
Ryan Blaney
Starts 32nd - DK: $11.2K, FD: $14K
Martinsville is a tricky track for drivers to make passes for position. There are usually only a few lanes available for drivers to make moves without having to get into others. The track's short length also makes it easy for racers to fall off the lead lap if their cars aren't fast enough, meaning drivers that start from the rear, like Ryan Blaney, are usually at a sizable disadvantage.
Unlike most drivers who usually start towards the back at Martinsville, Blaney has been fantastic at the site. He is one of only two drivers in the field to place inside the top 10 at the end of every race at Martinsville since 2022, and he has never finished lower than 11th in each of the last 12 Cup events at the site. The No. 12 Ford driver also won two of the last three Cup races at Martinsville.
Blaney also looked great in practice on the longer runs, ranking first in 30 consecutive lap averages and ranking among the top 10 fastest in 15-30 consecutive lap averages. Having a car that is fast on the longer runs is crucial for success at Martinsville, and historically, Team Penske's cars have been great on longer runs in recent years.
Ryan Blaney on having engine issues at Phoenix and Homestead, how Roush Yates Engines (RYE) and Penske believe they are separate issues and whether he has to change anything behind the wheel: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/wsui2bnMxJ
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 29, 2025
Considering his incredibly high upside, practice speeds, and recent Martinsville history, Blaney is one of the very best overall DFS options for this week's race.
Chase Elliott
Starts 2nd - DK: $9.9K, FD: $12K
If any team is going to win at Martinsville, they're going to have to go through Hendrick Motorsports to do it. The four car Chevrolet team has won each of the last three spring Martinsville races with Kyle Larson (DK: $11K | FD: $13.5K) and William Byron (DK: $10.4K | FD: $13K), who are both viable DFS options this week, but Chase Elliott deserves a spotlight as well.
Elliott has one win and 12 top-10 finishes through 19 starts at Martinsville in the Cup Series. He also scored top-3 finishes and led multiple laps in the 2024 Martinsville races. Since 2022, nobody led more laps at Martinsville than Elliott and he has five top-10 finishes in six races in that span.
In practice, Elliott ranked 12th or better in all categories except for overall lap averages. He was especially proficient on the longer green flag runs, ranking ninth in 25 and 30 consecutive lap averages. Elliott also ranked as the fastest Hendrick driver in some of the longer run practice categories.
A solid qualifying effort for @chaseelliott.
The No. 9 starts second tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/gAv5r2EW4v
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 29, 2025
As Elliott starts in the second position, he is in the best position of any of the Hendrick drivers to dominate and lead laps early. Elliott was better in practice on the longer run than polesitter Christopher Bell and is likely to take the lead from him. With his salary being more favorable than most top-priced options, Elliott is worth rostering in all formats, but especially in tournaments this week.
Josh Berry
Starts 14th - DK: $8.1K, FD: $8.5K
Drivers who come from a short track racing background driving vehicles like Legends cars, modifieds, or from the CARS tour tend to excel at tracks like Martinsville. Josh Berry is a former CARS tour driver who raced in Legends cars to begin his racing career, so he has the background needed to succeed at Martinsville.
VIDEO: Josh Berry pre-race press conference from Martinsville Speedway
🎥 #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/PbxSQSGhES
— Speedway Digest (@speedwaydigest) March 29, 2025
Berry has not showcased that so far in his Cup career, with a best finish of 16th in two Cup starts at Martinsville. However, Berry did not have the best equipment of his career so far in the Cup Series until now with Wood Brothers Racing. He did showcase what he can do in the Xfinity Series with good equipment as he has one win and three top-5 finishes in six starts at Martinsville.
In practice, Berry ranked among the top 15 fastest drivers in 15-30 consecutive lap averages, ranking as high as 10th in 30 consecutive lap averages. He will also start inside the top 15 for this week's race. It will not provide as much upside as some drivers, but he is worth consideration for all DFS formats as a driver who has equipment and experience necessary to compete for a top-10 finish.
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Ryan Preece
Starts 21st - DK: $7.5K, FD: $8.2K
As mentioned earlier, drivers with a modified racing background tend to perform well at Martinsville, and we have another driver from that background who is a modified racing champion, Ryan Preece.
Thought Ryan Preece said some pretty smart and informed things about the Next Gen car on short tracks yesterday and how he thinks it's only going to get better
- Mentioned how it's helped the outside line be more of a factor
- Likes what Goodyear is doing with the tire, doesn't… pic.twitter.com/vZ8aCVLdNZ— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) March 27, 2025
In 11 races at Martinsville in the Cup Series, Preece has seven top-20 finishes, including three of the last four, which were all scored as a driver from Stewart-Haas Racing. He led 135 laps in the spring 2023 event at the site, having the dominant car until a late pit road penalty made him unable to win.
In practice, Preece ranked 14th in overall lap averages while ranking among the top 20 fastest in the 10, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. He will start in the middle of the field this week, providing solid upside.
Considering how Preece is in better equipment than past years at Martinsville and that this is one of his favorite tracks, expect him to be worth rostering for this week's race.
Carson Hocevar
Starts 29th - DK: $6.6K, FD: $6.5K
Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports is a driver who fantasy players should not overlook for this week's race at Martinsville. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver has one top-20 finish in three starts at the site in his Cup career (17th), but he did earn positive place differential in all three Cup events. In the Truck Series at Martinsville, he had three top-20 finishes while leading three times in four starts.
Although he has been mired with unfortunate circumstances and bad luck this season as crashes, equipment issues, and problems impacted him in four of the six races this season, he does have two finishes of 13th or better this season. He also earned positive PD in the two races where he didn't have setbacks, Atlanta and COTA.
In practice, Hocevar ranked 11th or better in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories, showcasing that he has a speedy car that will earn him positions for as long as he stays out of trouble. Hocevar has incredibly high upside from his starting position and a salary on both sites, making him easy to add to rosters in all DFS formats.
Cole Custer
Starts 22nd - DK: $6.3K, FD: $3.5K
One of the more favorable value options for this week's race at Martinsville is Cole Custer. Martinsville has been a solid track for the No. 41 Haas Factory team driver since the Xfinity Series. In the Xfinity Series, Custer has three top-10 finishes but has notably led in all four of his starts at the site.
In the Cup Series, Custer has three top-20 finishes with a best finish of 13th in six starts at the Virginia short track. He also earned positive PD three times in his Cup career at Martinsville.
In practice, Custer was one of the fastest of the value drivers, showcasing top-5 speeds in the 10, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. This means that Custer has a respectable upside with a car capable of competing for a top-10 finish.
Martinsville takes everything you know to get up front and win@HaasFactoryTeam @FordPerformance @MartinsvilleSwy @NASCAR @NASCARONFOX @Haas_Automation pic.twitter.com/JnqlRcSRyG
— Cole Custer (@ColeCuster) March 29, 2025
Despite never having placed better than 21st this season through six races, Custer does have three finishes with positive PD. This track represents one of Custer's best opportunities to score a solid finish, and fantasy players should keep him in mind for lineups this week.
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