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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2025). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
One of NASCAR's four major crown jewel races is on this week, with the Brickyard 400 happening at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indianapolis is one of the largest tracks that the NASCAR Cup Series visits on the schedule, sitting at 2.5 miles with four turns banked at 9.2 degrees. There are not many tracks that can compare to Indy, with the closest comparable being Pocono Raceway, which also models one of its three turns off of Indy.
This race will feature the final matchup of the 2025 In-Season Tournament, as it is now down to Ty Dillon versus Ty Gibbs. The odds do favor Gibbs since he is in better equipment with Joe Gibbs Racing compared to Dillon, who is racing with Kaulig. However, there is still a chance for Gibbs to falter during the race, so it's not like Dillon has no chance to win the tourney, especially as Dillon is a former Xfinity Series winner at the Brickyard. Outside of those two, there are still many other drivers looking for a chance to win this week and kiss the bricks in celebration. Similarly to Pocono, expect this race to feature attrition, survival, challenges in passing, and plenty of pit and fuel strategy for this week's race.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Brickyard 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 7/27/2025 at 2:00 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.
Kyle Larson
Starts 13th - DK: $10.5K, FD: $13.5K
Hendrick Motorsports is the most successful team in NASCAR history at Indianapolis. The longtime Chevrolet team has won at Indy 11 times total, with five being earned by the inaugural Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon, four by seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, once in 2017 with Kasey Kahne, and once last year with 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
In seven Cup races at Indianapolis, Larson has four top-10 finishes and one victory. He also gained positive Place Differential three times and has two DNFs in his Cup career at Indy. After 21 Cup races so far this season, Larson leads all drivers with 13 top-10s, including a series-leading 10 top-5s, and a series-leading 854 laps led.
#NASCAR ... Kyle Larson, who won last year's Cup race at Indianapolis on how each of the 4 corners are different -- even though they look the same.
"Turn one, I feel like is a pretty, for your balance anyways, a tight corner. It gets really kind of slick feeling off of turn one.…
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) July 26, 2025
In practice, Larson ranked 19th in overall lap averages, third in five consecutive lap averages, and 10th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Although he does not offer as much upside as Denny Hamlin (DK: $11K | FD: $14K) or Ryan Blaney (DK: $10.7K | FD: $11.5K), two drivers who are quality DFS options to consider, Larson is a driver who should not be overlooked as a top option, especially after a respectable finish of fourth during this weekend's Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis.
Chase Elliott
Starts 30th - DK: $10K, FD: $12K
The current point standings leader for the 2025 season, Chase Elliott, is one of the top-priced options to watch for this week's race at Indianapolis. Elliott also remains the only driver in the Cup Series to place in the top 20 in all 21 Cup races this season and has an average finish of 10.0.
In seven races at Indianapolis on the oval track, Elliott has five top-15 finishes and placed 11th or better in his last three appearances at the site. Elliott finished 10th in last year's Indy race while leading one lap and finishing as the runner-up in the second stage.
In practice for this week's race, Elliott ranked 28th in overall lap averages, seventh in five consecutive lap averages, and 16th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Elliott has a deep starting position as a result of sliding towards the wall during his qualifying lap, giving him amazing upside. Considering his equipment and history at Indianapolis, Elliott is a great option for all DFS formats in this week's race.
Brad Keselowski
Starts 14th - DK: $8.4K, FD: $9K
Ford, as a manufacturer, has experienced some success at Indianapolis, notably winning three consecutive times before the Cup Series switched to the road course instead of the oval from 2021 to 2023. One Ford driver who has contributed to the manufacturer's success at Indy has been Brad Keselowski.
VIDEO: Brad Keselowski pre-race press conference from Indianapolis Motor Speedway
🎥 #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/yT2OCPhzMt
— Speedway Digest (@speedwaydigest) July 26, 2025
In 12 races at Indianapolis on the oval track, Keselowski has six top-10 finishes, including three of his last five appearances at the site. He is also the only active Ford driver to have previously won at the Brickyard, doing so in 2018 when he drove for Team Penske. Although he placed 21st in last year's Indianapolis race, he led 35 laps and nearly won on fuel strategy before a series of cautions made him run out of fuel and fall back at the end.
In practice, Keselowski ranked third in overall lap averages, 15th in five consecutive lap averages, and ninth in 10 consecutive lap averages. With Indianapolis being one of Keselowski's better tracks, solid practice speeds and equipment, expect the driver of the No. 6 Ford to compete for a top-10 finish this week.
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Ross Chastain
Starts 33rd - DK: $8.3K, FD: $7.2K
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain may not have the greatest track record of finishes at Indianapolis, but taking a deeper look at his results and stats from this season makes him a convincing case to have interest in him from a DFS perspective.
In four Indianapolis oval Cup starts, Chastain's best finish is 15th, which he scored in last year's race. The No. 1 Chevrolet driver has two top-20 finishes in his Cup career at Indy, but the most notable stat for him is that he collected positive PD in all four of his appearances at the site. Also, Chastain led at least once in each of his last three Indianapolis Cup races on the oval track.
In practice, Chastain ranked 27th in overall lap averages, 19th in five consecutive lap averages, 18th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and ninth in 15 consecutive lap averages. Chastain has plenty of upside from his starting position in this week's race. Considering his history of picking up PD at Indianapolis, it is a no-brainer to consider Chastain for all lineup formats in this week's race.
Ryan Preece
Starts 23rd - DK: $7.3K, FD: $6.5K
Another driver whose stats are not impressive at Indianapolis, but could still make a case to be a solid DFS play for this week's race is Ryan Preece. In his first season with RFK Racing, he is enjoying the best season yet of his career with 15 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 17.1. This also notably includes a finish of eighth at Pocono.
In three starts at the Brickyard, Preece's best finish is 16th, which he scored in his first Cup start at the track in 2019 after starting 23rd. The No. 60 Ford driver also has collected positive PD twice in his Cup career at Indy.
Ford drivers @RyanPreece_ and @joshberry discussed wanting to have practice yesterday and what strategy they'll employ to make it to the front at Indy. pic.twitter.com/jI37JIAJjm
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) July 27, 2025
In practice, Preece ranked 11th in overall lap averages, 23rd in five consecutive lap averages, and 12th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Preece has solid upside from his starting position, and his equipment from RFK should be fast enough to place in the top 15, making him worth consideration for all DFS formats, especially on FanDuel, where his salary makes him fall into the value range.
John Hunter Nemechek
Starts 28th - DK: $6.2K, FD: $6K
Despite not winning a race on the Indianapolis oval track since 2016, with Kyle Busch, Toyota has been showing plenty of speed in recent NASCAR Cup events on ovals. The manufacturer has won three of the last four Cup events on ovals and once again looks fast this week, sweeping the top five positions in qualifying this week.
John Hunter Nemechek is not one of those five drivers inside the top five as he will start 28th for this week's race. However, for DFS purposes, Nemechek makes for a fantastic value option for this week's race. Nemechek's best finish at Indianapolis in two starts on the oval track in the Cup Series is 15th from 2020, but he also led 16 laps and finished fifth in the second stage in last year's race at the site before getting wrecked.
In practice, Nemechek was the fastest driver in almost all categories on speed, ranking first in five, 10, 15, and overall lap averages. The No. 42 Toyota driver botched his qualifying lap, giving him a starting position with plenty of upside based on his practice speeds. Look for Nemechek to obtain plenty of points from PD as he has a car capable of competing for a top-10 finish this week.
play stupid games win stupid prizes. fast car, look forward to tomorrow. #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/WFuva9wbHe
— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) July 26, 2025
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