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Dave's NASCAR DFS Picks (Truck Series) for the Ecosave 250 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (2025). Read his daily fantasy NASCAR advice and NASCAR Trucks DFS sleepers, values for the ROVAL.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns this weekend after an off week. The Round of 8 is set to begin at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, also known as the Roval. After the next three races, the Round of 4 will be set, and those drivers will race at Phoenix to crown a new Craftsman Truck Series champion.
NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie sensation Connor Zilisch is in the field for this weekend's Truck Series race. He is the highest-priced driver on the DFS slate and is the betting favorite to win the race. However, Truck Series regular Corey Heim is coming off his record-tying ninth victory of the season two weeks ago at New Hampshire. Heim has won both Truck Series road course races earlier this year and should be in contention for the victory again this weekend.
Will either Heim or Zilisch take home the checkered flag? Or will someone else score the upset and punch their ticket to the championship race at Phoenix? Let's dive in and look at some NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DFS lineup picks for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ecosave 250 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval on DraftKings. Also, make sure to check out our NASCAR Premium Tools for the Craftsman Truck Series, including our DFS Lineup Optimizer and powerful Research Station. Please note, this slate locks on 10/3/25 at 3:51 p.m. EDT.
*Please note, Craftsman Truck Series qualifying takes place on 10/3/25 at 12:10 PM EST. Check back after qualifying for any updates.*
Craftsman Truck Series DFS Preview - DraftKings
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Top NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DFS Plays
Connor Zilisch ($15K)
Starts 6th
Zilisch will be making his second Truck Series start of the season this weekend. The Xfinity Series rookie ran at Watkins Glen back in August. He started 14th in that race and finished 8th. Zilisch has not started a race at the Roval in any of NASCAR's top three series, but he has been elite on the road courses so far in 2025.
He's scored victories at COTA, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Portland already this year.
WHAT A FINISH!!!@ConnorZilisch captures his 8th #XfinitySeries victory of the season with a dramatic overtime win in Portland! pic.twitter.com/IIOZHy14A8
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) August 31, 2025
In seven road course starts in both the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, Zilisch has four wins, six top fives, and seven top 10s. He is the most expensive driver on the slate this weekend and for good reason. Expect him to be running toward the front and be in contention for his first career Craftsman Truck Series victory.
Corey Heim ($12.5K)
Starts 1st
Heim is coming off his ninth win of the year two weeks ago at New Hampshire.
Corey Heim wins at New Hampshire, his record-tying ninth win of the season.
The last eight races have been won by Corey Heim (5) and Layne Riggs (3), this is the first time two drivers have won eight straight races in Truck Series history. pic.twitter.com/rqYRcI5Gea
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) September 20, 2025
He enters the Round of 8 with all the momentum in the world, and he sits 69 points above the cut-line for the Round of 4. Heim's incredible season continues, and it sure looks like he will break the single-season Truck Series record for wins.
That victory might come this weekend as Heim has been very good on the road courses in 2025. Heim won the only other road course races this year at Lime Rock Park and Watkins Glen, doing so in dominant fashion. He also has victories at COTA and Mid-Ohio on his resume.
This will be his first career start at the Roval, but his track record at road courses is elite. He is rightfully one of the favorites to win this weekend's race. Given how dominant Heim has been in 2025, it's a good idea to build your DFS lineups around him.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DFS Fades
Layne Riggs ($9.5K)
Starts 2nd
Riggs finished 13th at Lime Rock Park and 10th at Watkins Glen, but scored negative place differential points in each race. He does not have a great track record at road courses, so this looks like a good week to fade him. Leave Riggs in the garage this weekend.
After Riggs qualified on the front row, he became an even less appealing option. Short of winning the race and scoring a ton of dominator points, which I don't believe will be the case, it's hard to see him being a good play at this price.
Mid-Tier NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DFS Options
Chandler Smith ($9.3K)
Starts 20th
Smith has been so-so on the road courses so far in 2025. He finished sixth at Lime Rock Park but followed that up with a 23rd-place finish at Watkins Glen. None of his seven career Truck Series wins have come on road courses. However, Smith did finish fifth in the Xfinity Series Roval race last year and also finished 12th in 2023.
I can see Smith posting a solid finish here, but this price point is a bit high. I don't feel comfortable recommending Smith as a start until I see him qualify. I would be more interested in him if he qualifies further from the front due to the potential for place differential points.
Update: After Smith qualified 20th, I am now listing him as a play. He has a decent history at the Roval in the Xfinity Series and now offers some place differential upside.
Ty Majeski ($9K)
Starts 9th
Majeski finished runner-up at Lime Rock Park and seventh at Watkins Glen after starting 33rd. He is someone I will keep an eye on in practice, as I think he could be a good contrarian play to Zilisch and Heim.
Majeski has not won on a road course yet in his Truck Series career, but he does have four top fives and seven top 10s in nine career Truck Series road course starts.
Parker Kligerman ($8.5K)
Starts 16th
Kligerman draws the start in the #75 Henderson Motorsports Chevy. He has two Xfinity Series starts at the Roval and has a pair of sixth-place finishes. Kligerman also won the Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio back in 2o22.
Starting in the middle of the pack, Kligerman becomes an appealing play as a place differential target if he finishes inside the top 10. He is a sneaky good road course racer and is a solid play this weekend.
Daniel Hemric ($8.3K)
Starts 34th
Hemric finished ninth at Lime Rock Park and second at Watkins Glen. He has five career starts at the Roval in the Xfinity Series. Hemric has two top fives and four top 10s in those five races.
Hemric broke his suspension in practice and will have to start at the rear of the field. Given his history at the Roval, Hemric becomes a must-play due to his place differential upside.
Giovanni Ruggiero ($7.9K)
Starts 7th
Ruggiero finished third at both Lime Rock Park and Watkins Glen earlier this year. Even though this is his first career Roval start, expect a solid finish.
Corey LaJoie ($7.6K)
Starts 8th
LaJoie has four top 10s in five Truck Series starts so far this year. He only has an average finish of 25.8 in six career Cup starts at the Roval, but did finish 12th in 2022 and 17th in 2023.
The level of competition Heim faces this weekend won't be on par with what he saw during those six Roval starts in the Cup Series, so I expect LaJoie to have a good showing this weekend. He is one of the best drivers in the field and is a good play at this price.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DFS Value Options
Kris Wright ($6.4K)
Starts 25th
Wright could be a nice place differential target since he qualified toward the back.
Wesley Slimp ($5.5K)
Starts 28th
Slimp finished 33rd at Lime Rock Park after mechanical issues ended his day, but he did score a 12th-place finish at Watkins Glen in August. I like him as a dirt-cheap place differential target.
Ben Maier ($5.3K)
Starts 21st
The 16-year-old kid finished a respectable 18th at Limerock Park back in June. He's another cheap place differential play if he can sneak inside the top 15 or better.
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