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Sean Engel's NASCAR Cup Series DFS picks for the Pennzoil 400. Check out his DFS sleepers and top plays on DraftKings and FanDuel for the Pennzoil 400 (2025).
The NASCAR Cup Series will have its first race of the season at one of the most common track types, a 1.5-mile Intermediate track at the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The major storyline of this week's race is Christopher Bell once again after he won during last week's race at Phoenix. It now marks three races won in a row during a single season for Bell, becoming the first driver to accomplish the feat since Kyle Larson in 2021. This week, Bell will attempt to win his fourth consecutive race of the season, something that has not been done since Jimmie Johnson during the 2007 Cup season.
Longer green flag runs characterize recent races at Las Vegas, with dominators leading large portions of the event at a time. There are also very few incidents and driver issues that occur at Vegas compared to other tracks. Overall, these circumstances affect the core DFS strategy for Las Vegas as fantasy players must focus on rostering the right potential dominators, the right drivers who can gain Placce Differential, and the right racers to collect a quality finish based on their salary.
Below are my NASCAR DFS lineup picks for the Pennzoil 400 on DraftKings and FanDuel this week. This slate locks on 3/16/2025 at 3:30 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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Tyler Reddick
Starts 14th - DK: $10.2K, FD: $13K
Toyota has been shut out from winning in the Cup Series since the Next-Gen car's introduction in 2022 at Las Vegas. Tyler Reddick was one of the closest to come to winning at the site for the manufacturer in last year's March race at the site, placing second in a close duel with Kyle Larson.
Vegas has been a solid track for Reddick in the Cup Series, with four top-10 finishes in six races at the site since 2022. The No. 45 Toyota driver led in four of the last five Cup events at Vegas and has an average finish of 12.2.
There are a couple of notable top drivers who have qualified outside of the top 10 this week for Vegas, including Reddick. Reddick was one of the fastest overall drivers in practice, displaying top-3 speeds in the 15, 20, and 25 consecutive lap average categories. This matters because it shows that Reddick has a car best suited for longer runs, and Vegas will have plenty of green flag runs.
Tyler Reddick says practice is all about getting a read on his car's balance.
"I expect the speed to be what we want," he tells @WendyVenturini. "Just get a feel for the car and see what options I have for the race."
— PRN (@PRNlive) March 15, 2025
Considering his upside from his starting position, practice speeds, and recent track history at Vegas, Reddick should be one of the top drivers to lock into lineups this week.
William Byron
Starts 8th - DK: $10K, FD: $12.5K
Hendrick Motorsports has been the best team at Las Vegas in the Next-Gen car, having won four of the six races at the site since 2022, including each of the three March races. Kyle Larson (DK: $10,500 | FD: $14,000) deserves to be considered as one of the top favorites by contributing twice to that total, but his teammate, William Byron, is no slouch either.
In six races since 2022 at Las Vegas, Byron has one win (March 2023), five top-10 finishes, 201 laps led, and an average finish of 6.7 (which is the second-best of all active drivers). Byron is also the current Cup Series points leader with one win and three top-10 finishes. Byron is one of only four drivers in the field this season with three top-10s through the first four races.
William Byron recent finishes:
6th
2nd
27th
1st
3rd
6th
6th
4th
3rd
3rd
2nd pic.twitter.com/d8BnuSVrj0— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) March 15, 2025
In practice, Byron ranked first in overall lap average while displaying top-3 speeds in all other categories. Although he does not offer as much upside as his teammate Larson, he does come at a cheaper overall salary. Expect Byron to be one fo the best drivers to compete for the top spot in this week's race at Las Vegas.
Ross Chastain
Starts 19th - DK: $8.3K, FD: $9.5K
No driver has been more consistent at finishing well at Las Vegas than Ross Chastian. In six races since 2022, Chastain has five top-10 finishes and has never finished worse than 12th, culminating in a series-leading average finish of 5.5.
The 2025 season so far seems like it may not look the greatest for Chastain at first glance, with only one top-10 finish in the first four races this year. However, a deeper look shows Chastian has never finished worse than 12th and scored positive PD in the past three races this season.
He’s fast. Really fast. @RossChastain puts the No. 1 in P1 for practice. pic.twitter.com/K0NPCsPM7x
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 15, 2025
Chastain was the fastest driver in all categories except for overall lap averages in practice. He will also start around the middle of the pack and carry some upside for Sunday's race. Overall, DFS players have a lot of favorable reasons to roster Chastain into lineups for Las Vegas this week.
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Bubba Wallace
Starts 20th - DK: $7.8K, FD: $8.2K
Tyler Reddick's 23XI Racing teammate, Bubba Wallace, will be one to watch for this week's race. Wallace is currently 12th in regular-season points and only has two top-20 finishes so far this year through four races. He has been involved in wrecks in two of the first four Cup races so far this year, as well.
Wallace's stats at Las Vegas are worth noting this week. In the last six races at the Nevada track, Wallace has three top-15 finishes, which all came from the last four Cup events there. The No. 23 Toyota driver also gained positive PD in two of the last four Vegas races.
Wallace was one of the faster drivers in practice, ranking second in single lap times, third in 10 consecutive lap averages, and sixth in 15 consecutive lap averages. Due to his upside from his starting position, practice speeds, and recent Vegas history, Wallace is a driver worth consideration for all DFS formats.
Noah Gragson
Starts 21st - DK: $6.9K, FD: $6K
When a driver reaches their "home track," there is an incentive for them to perform on a higher level than average. Three drivers in the Cup Series field, Kyle Busch (DK: $8.8K | FD: $10.5K), Riley Herbst (DK: $5.4K | FD: $3K), and Noah Gragson, consider Las Vegas to be their home track. All of them are worth consideration for all formats, but Gragson is the one to spotlight most for DFS.
Hometown hero @NoahGragson has yet to win at Las Vegas, but never finished lower than sixth there in Xfinity — which is where he placed in the last spring #NASCAR Cup race.
What he feels needs to be done in order to finally find victory lane in Sin City: pic.twitter.com/4OXtCKsnDf
— SpeedFreaks (@SpeedFreaks) March 15, 2025
Gragson was highly successful in the Xfinity Series at Las Vegas, placing sixth or better in seven races, including three runner-up finishes. In the Cup Series at the Nevada track, Gragson has three top-20 finishes while scoring positive PD.
For this week's practice, Gragson displayed top-15 speeds in all categories while qualifying in the back half of the pack. As a result, Gragson has solid upside with equipment capable of placing in the top 15.
Fantasy players should not overlook Gragson this week, especially with this race meaning a lot to him in his hometown of Las Vegas.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Starts 31st - DK: $5.7K, FD: $4K
Fantasy players who are looking for deep value sleeper options for Las Vegas this week have a few interesting options. Ricky Stenhouse Jr is one of the standouts, however, when dipping below the $6K range for Sunday's race.
In six races at Las Vegas since 2022, Stenhouse has only one top-20 finish, which was earned in the March race at the site last year, and he has two finishes with positive PD. Stenhouse may not have the most remarkable history at Las Vegas overall, with eight top-20 finishes in 19 total starts in his Cup Career, but that should make him an underutilized option, particularly in tournaments.
Stenhouse, however, is quietly having a decent season by his standards. After four races this season, he sits 15th in the regular season standings with four finishes of 21st or better. Most impressively for Stenhouse is that he has yet to finish a race with negative PD this year.
The No. 47 Chevrolet showcased top-20 speeds in the longer run during practice, and he ranked 17th in overall lap averages. With incredibly high upside, his 2025 season-wide performance, and a car capable of competing for a top-20 finish, Stenhouse is a sleeper to consider in all formats.
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