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Sean's NASCAR DFS picks for DraftKings, FanDuel for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway (2025). His top NASCAR daily fantasy lineup plays and DFS sleepers.
It's time for the penultimate race of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Xfinity 500. This race will be hosted on one of NASCAR's smallest tracks, Martinsville Speedway. Nicknamed the "Paperclip" due to the track layout resembling one, Martinsville is a unique oval track known for its short corners that require heavy amounts of braking and limited passing lanes. Drivers will become more aggressive on this track due to these conditions, causing them to bump others and make contact for position. As a result, this race could have the potential for crashes that can severely shake up DFS contests and the playoffs.
Martinsville is the final race for the Round of 8 in the Cup Series playoffs. Two drivers are locked into the championship race at Phoenix: Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, who won at Las Vegas and Talladega, respectively. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell hold the final two berths on points, but a new winner from below the cut line will make it a tight battle between Larson and Bell to grab the only guaranteed spot left to fight for the title at Phoenix next week. It is essential to consider the playoff narratives, especially since they will affect driver and team strategies for this week's race and DFS.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Xfinity 500 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 10/26/2025 at 2:00 p.m. EST. If you have further questions or want to discuss racing, you can find me on X at @SeanE247.
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 31st - DK: $11.2K, FD: $14K
For some drivers still remaining in the playoffs, it is do or die for their title hopes at Martinsville. This track represents the last chance for drivers like Ryan Blaney to try to win and lock into the championship round at Phoenix, and Blaney is 47 points back from the cut line. The No. 12 Ford driver will not think of racing for points this week with a deficit that large, especially since he can only overcome it if Larson or Bell have problems in Sunday's race.
RYAN BLANEY WINS AT MARTINSVILLE! HE WILL RACE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP IN PHOENIX! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/UpdXarLdrM
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) November 3, 2024
Winning at Martinsville to make the championship race at Phoenix is something Blaney has accomplished before. In fact, Blaney won the fall Martinsville race in the last two seasons, which also allowed him to win the 2023 Cup Series championship. In 19 Cup races at Martinsville in his career, Blaney has 12 top-10 finishes and placed outside of the top 20 once. He also gained positive Place Differential in all races at the site since 2022.
In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked 31st in overall lap averages, but also showcased top-10 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories. Blaney has a deep starting position for this week's race, but both his equipment and track history point to him gathering plenty of points through upside alone. The 2023 champ may be the most expensive driver in DFS on both sites, but the circumstances line up for him to have a huge day and should not be ignored, no matter how high his rostership could be in DFS contests.
Chase Elliott
Starts 8th - DK: $10K, FD: $12K
All other drivers in the playoffs can say there is a slim chance with help to make their way to the championship in Phoenix, except for Chase Elliott. The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver is 62 points below the cut line, meaning that he can only advance by finishing in first place.
Memorable Moments of the 2020 NASCAR Season (according to @BobPockrass).
"No. 4: Chase Elliott caps 2020 with back-to-back wins at Martinsville & Phoenix to capture the 2020 Cup title, becoming the 1st Most Popular Driver to win the title since his father, Bill, did it in 1988." pic.twitter.com/VlT4XNsgM1
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) December 19, 2020
It's not the first time that Elliott has fallen into this position, as he was 42 points behind the cut line heading into Martinsville in 2020. He went on to dominate that race, leading 236 laps and claiming the victory that was a contributing factor towards winning the 2020 Cup Series championship.
Elliott has been no slouch on this track either through his Cup career. In 20 races at Martinsville, Elliott has one win, 13 top-10 finishes, and placed in the top five in each of his last three appearances. He also led multiple laps in the last four Cup events at Martinsville.
In practice for Sunday's race at Martinsville, Elliott ranked 17th in overall lap averages and first in 15, 25, and 30 consecutive lap averages. Elliott has a car that will run at its best on longer green flag runs, which Martinsville sometimes produces. Elliott will be a factor for the win in Sunday's race at Martinsville based on track history and his blistering practice speed.
William Byron
Starts 1st - DK: $9.7K, FD: $11K
Out of all drivers currently below the cut line, William Byron sits the closest to fourth, being 36 points behind his teammate Larson. Despite his points situation, where he can still point his way into the championship if Larson or Bell have a terrible day, Byron is racing with the mindset of having to win Martinsville in order to compete for his first title.
In 15 races at Martinsville, Byron has two wins, eight top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.9 in the Cup Series. Byron's two victories and four of his top-10s came within his last seven races , and he also led multiple laps in three different events in that span.
William Byron wins the pole at Martinsville with fastest speed seen there since October 2016 (19.286 seconds)
This is the first pole for Hendrick Motorsports since Kansas in May, ending their longest drought without a pole since 2006 (20 races) pic.twitter.com/OErLEJK3gj
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) October 25, 2025
In practice for Sunday's race, Byron ranked first in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in all other categories. The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver has been fast through pre-race events and in a prime position to lead laps early in this race. Look for Byron to be one of the top contenders for this week's race, especially as he flashed plenty of speed throughout the Round of 8 on different track types.
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Bubba Wallace
Starts 21st - DK: $8K, FD: $10K
23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace is experiencing arguably his best season to date in 2025. Through 34 races this year, Wallace has one win and matched his career-high totals in top-5s (six) and top-10s (14). The No. 23 Toyota driver also set a new career-high in laps led (378) this year while being 10th in season points, matching his best standings finish from 2023.
Martinsville is one of the better tracks in Wallace's Cup career statistically. In 15 starts at the site, Wallace has seven top-15 finishes, with four of them being top-10s, and he has an average finish of 16.0. Since 2022, Wallace has never placed worse than 18th in a single Martinsville race, and finished 11th or better in five of the last six events at the site.
In practice for Sunday's race, Wallace ranked sixth in overall lap averages, first in five consecutive lap averages, and displayed top-5 speeds in the 20-30 consecutive lap average categories. Wallace has solid upside based on his starting position, and his favorable track history makes him worth consideration for rostering in all DFS formats.
Ryan Preece
Starts 18th - DK: $7K, FD: $6.8K
Former Whelen Modified Series champion Ryan Preece is always one to watch at Martinsville in the Cup Series. He is enjoying his best season to date in NASCAR in his first season with RFK Racing, earning 12 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.2 through 34 races.
In 12 Martinsville races in the Cup Series, Preece has eight top-20 finishes with an average finish of 21.6. Each of Preece's last five finishes at the site were inside the top 20, including a streak of three top-15s going into this week's race.
In practice for this week's race at Martinsville, Preece ranked 27th in overall lap averages while displaying top-15 speeds in the 10 and 15 consecutive lap average categories. Considering how well Preecce has run this season with RFK, he is a driver who should not be underestimated for DFS lineups this week, especially on FanDuel, where he is a standout value play.
Shane Van Gisbergen
Starts 22nd - DK: $5.9K, FD: $3K
Road course racing ace and Trackhouse Racing rookie Shane Van Gisbergen has quietly been hot for the price in recent weeks. In the last four races this season, SVG nabbed three finishes of 11th or better, which were all on different track types, including drafting tracks, road courses, and 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks.
Van Gisbergen does not have a lot of history in the Cup Series at Martinsville, but he does have two starts at the site. The New Zealand driver's best finish in the Cup Series at Martinsville was last year's Fall race at the site, where he ended up placing 12th in Kaulig Racing equipment.
In practice for this week's race, Van Gisbergen ranked 14th in overall lap averages and displayed top-20 speeds in the 25 and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Although he does not offer as much upside as some drivers around his salary range, SVG is a driver who might fly under the radar this week, especially since he is thought of as a road course specialist. Sometimes, drivers with extensive road racing experience tend to perform well at Martinsville, meaning that SVG could be a sneaky DFS option who can pay off in all formats.
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