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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway (2025). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue at St. Louis with this week's Enjoy Illinois 300 taking place at World Wide Technology Raceway. Also known as Gateway due to the track being located at Gateway Motorsports Park, WWTR is a unique 1.250-mile oval track where each pair of corners has different degrees of banking and lengths within each pair of corners. It is similar to Darlington in that respect, where it's difficult for a driver and team to perfectly have a car set up well to address both pairs of turns, but it is flatter than that track. It also draws some comparisons to New Hampshire and Iowa Speedway, which will use the same kind of tires as the Cup Series race from there earlier in the season.
This race will be the second race in the Round of 16 in the Cup Series playoffs. Only one driver, Chase Briscoe, has currently advanced into the next round of the playoffs, while everyone else in the playoff field still has to earn their way into the next round. Some racers like Denny Hamlin, who is currently 43 points ahead of the cutoff line, can potentially lock themselves into the next round on points if the race's circumstances go their way. Others, like Josh Berry, who is 19 points behind the 12th-place driver in the standings, need to pick up the results or risk elimination after next week's race at Bristol, the cutoff race in this round of the playoffs. It is important to keep the playoff narratives in mind since they can affect driver and team strategies for this week's race and potentially affect DFS as a result.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Enjoy Illinois 300 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 9/7/2025 at 3:00 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
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 5th - DK: $11K, FD: $14K
Gateway is a track where Ryan Blaney has been very strong in terms of performance and results since the Cup Series made its debut at the site in 2022. If circumstances were different one year ago at this track, Blaney would be talked about as the defending winner of this race, as he ran out of fuel coming to the white flag and handed the victory to his teammate, Austin Cindric.
In three Cup races at WWTR, Blaney has two top-10 finishes, but also led 12 or more laps in each Cup event at the site. He also has an average Driver Rating of 110.9 and won the second stage in the 2023 Cup race at Gateway. The No. 12 Ford driver has 14 top-10 finishes in 27 total races so far this season, including six of the last seven Cup events.
#NASCAR ... After Cup practice at WWT Raceway
Ryan Blaney had the best average over 15 and 20 consecutive laps (and 3rd best average over 25 and 30 consecutive laps)
William Byron had the best average over 25 and 30 consecutive laps
Chase Elliott had the 2nd best average over…
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) September 6, 2025
In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked 12th in overall lap averages and was the fastest in the 15 and 20 consecutive lap average categories. Blaney was one of the fastest overall drivers in practice and is likely to be highly competitive for the win right from the jump. Although he may be the most expensive driver to add to DFS rosters this week, do not underestimate the Team Penske No. 12 driver, especially considering his strong track history at Gateway.
Denny Hamlin
Starts 1st - DK: $10.7K, FD: $13K
Toyota tends to be a strong performer at flatter ovals in recent years, but that success so far has not translated at Gateway. In three Cup races, the manufacturer has failed to win at the site, but it is not from a lack of effort, especially as Hamlin has been the closest they have come to nabbing a victory at St. Louis.
In three races at WWTR, Hamlin finished as the runner-up in the last two times the Cup Series has visited the track. He has never led any laps at WWTR, but he is one of only three drivers in the field with at least two top-5s at the site. Hamlin also, at one point in 2006, led 169 laps in an Xfinity Series race at Gateway before finishing in the third position.
A strong playoffs start for @dennyhamlin and the No. 11 team. 💪 pic.twitter.com/pJQYNFSztF
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 6, 2025
In practice for this week's race, Hamlin ranked 20th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 15, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. This means that Hamlin has a car faster than most on the long runs, and through qualifying, he will start at the front thanks to winning the pole position. Expect Hamlin to lead laps right from the beginning of the race and compete for the win, especially as one of Toyota's best drivers, to finally scoop up the win at Gateway.
Joey Logano
Starts 13th - DK: $9K, FD: $12K
Team Penske has won two out of the three Cup races at Gateway since the Cup Series started racing there in 2022. Flatter ovals have generally been the team's strength, and it's almost a certainty that all three of the team's drivers have this race circled on their calendar as the race to focus on most to win in the Round of 16.
He knows a thing or two about winning in big moments. 😏
Another @WWTRaceway performance like this one could spark @joeylogano's title defense. pic.twitter.com/QialHcpqEC
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 4, 2025
Joey Logano was the inaugural winner at Gateway during the 2022 Cup Series season, leading 22 laps at the time. Logano, however, is the only driver in the entire Cup Series field to have placed in the top five in all three races at Gateway in the Cup Series. He also happened to score positive Place Differential in all three of those races as well.
In practice for this week's race, Logano ranked 17th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 15, 25, and 30 consecutive lap averages. Much like Hamlin, Logano's car will be at its best on a longer green flag run if practice is any indication. Considering how he has upside from his starting position, his amazing track history at Gateway, and his current position in the playoff standings (he is currently 13th and is the first driver out of the playoffs), this is the race where Logano is likely to be a factor for a top-notch finish.
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Brad Keselowski
Starts 23rd - DK: $7.7K, FD: $8.2K
Brad Keselowski paid off well for fantasy players who rostered him last week. He started in the 32nd position at Darlington, but was able to climb up through the field to finish in the 15th position, earning plenty of fantasy points in the process. This week for Gateway, it makes plenty of sense to run it back again with Keselowski, especially as a former Xfinity Series winner at the site.
This weekend is the first @NASCAR_Xfinity race at Gateway since the track's "final" race in 2010.
A late caution set up an exciting finish, with a four tire call and a slow stop by Justin Allgaier's crew putting Brad Keselowski in prime position to charge to the front. pic.twitter.com/y3Kv9bedNf
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) September 4, 2025
In three Cup races at Gateway, Keselowski has two top-20 finishes, including a finish of third in last year's Cup race at the site. He also led 17 laps in last year's Cup race at Gateway and has collected positive PD twice at the site in his Cup career.
In practice, Keselowski ranked first in overall lap averages and 10 consecutive lap averages. He did not run more than 10 laps consecutively in practice, but he has a solid car that takes off well earlier in a green flag run. Keselowski has solid upside from his starting position with an overall favorable history at Gateway, making him a worthy DFS option in all formats.
Ryan Preece
Starts 32nd - DK: $6.9K, FD: $6.2K
Continuing with the theme of RFK Racing drivers making for great DFS options to consider for this week's race, Ryan Preece is a driver worth spotlighting this week. Preece is by far the cheapest of the team's three drivers on both DFS sites to add to rosters this week, but should not be underestimated to get another positive result this week.
In two previous Cup races at Gateway, Preece's best finish was 17th, which he collected back in 2023 while driving for Stewart-Haas Racing. Preece also has gained positive PD in both of his two Cup starts at WWTR, where he qualified deep in the field both times, similarly to this week's race.
In practice, Preece ranked 16th in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in the 20-30 consecutive lap average categories. Preece has incredibly high upside with solid equipment to boot. It would not be a surprise to see him compete for a top-20 finish, especially since this track will use a similar tire setup to Iowa, a track where Preece scored a top-10 finish earlier in the season.
Erik Jones
Starts 16th - DK: $6.5K, FD: $6K
One team that has been quietly performing pretty well overall in the last couple of races has been Legacy Motor Club. Both of the team's two full-time drivers, Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, finished in the top five last week at Darlington for the first time this season. While Nemechek also makes for a decent value option to consider, Jones will get the bigger spotlight for this week's race in terms of DFS.
In three starts at Gateway, Jones has two top-20 finishes, including a seventh-place finish during the 2022 Cup race at the site. Jones also has two finishes with positive PD scored in his Cup career at Gateway, which has been better than Nemechek, who only has a best finish of 27th in one single start at the St. Louis track.
Erik Jones was one of three drivers at a Goodyear tire test earlier this week at WWTR Gateway. What he learned: @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/uGGy3yhFDA
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 28, 2025
In practice for this week's race, Jones ranked 28th in overall lap averages, but displayed top-15 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories. Jones may not offer as much upside as some other drivers in the value tiers this week since he starts in the top 20, but he is in better equipment and has been running better than most around the price range, making him worth consideration for all DFS formats, but especially in tournaments.
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