July 6, 2025
Noah Gragson starts 24th at Chicago today. Although he's never been much of a factor on the Chicago street course or any kind of road course in general, he did improve from 28th to 14th in last year's Chicago Street Race, where he significantly outfinished all three of his Stewart-Haas Racing teammates. Although he has generally had a disappointing season, he did get one of his three top tens at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, his only top ten on a road course to date. Since Gragson's average finish on road courses of 22.9 and average finish this season of 23.3 are barely better than his starting position, he isn't a great option but he's a better one than most of the other really cheap selections. If you want to start Shane van Gisbergen, Gragson is worth considering to save money elsewhere, but going with a lineup centered around William Byron and Chase Elliott is probably a better idea.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
July 6, 2025
Even though Riley Herbst scored one of his best-ever finishes outside a drafting track at Austin earlier this year, it seems unlikely he'll contend when he makes his street course debut in the Cup Series this afternoon in Chicago. He didn't run well in either of his Xfinity races there and although he surprisingly did outrun both Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace for much of the last road course race at Mexico City, he blew it by spinning out and nearly took out Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. as he attempted to regain control. Herbst typically finishes outside the top twenty, so his 21st-place starting position indicates that he is likely to lose positions and will be very unlikely to score enough points for DFS consideration and the only reason to draft him is if you wanted to save money elsewhere to draft Shane van Gisbergen.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
July 6, 2025
Cody Ware starts his first race on the Chicago street course this afternoon from the 35th position. Despite Ware's experience as a former Asian Le Mans Series champion, he has been unable to translate that to any modicum of road course success in the NASCAR Cup Series. His best finish on a road course was 24th in the 2022 Indianapolis G.P., which essentially guarantees that he will not gain enough positions to be worth considering for DFS lineups, particularly in a race where major stars like Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Denny Hamlin failed to post a qualifying time. Even though he is the third-cheapest driver on DraftKings with only Josh Bilicki and Katherine Legge costing less money, the only reason to consider him would be if you wanted to save money to sign Shane van Gisbergen, but even in that case, there are better options who don't cost much more money.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
July
6,
2025
The
NASCAR
Cup
Series
is
a
road
course
this
weekend,
which
means
Shane
van
Gisbergen
should
be
at
the
top
of
your
radar
when
it
comes
to
potential
race
winners.
Just
last
month
in
Mexico
City,
SVG
put
on
an
absolutely
read more...
July 6, 2025
Even though the No. 20 Toyota wasn't able to find much speed during practice for this weekend's Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course, you can still expect Christopher Bell to be a contender in Sunday's race. This year on the road course tracks, he has posted finishes of first and second, and that was after starting 19th (at COTA, which he won) and 31st (at Mexico City). This weekend, Bell qualified 13th for the race, so at least that is a step in the right direction. Last season at the Chicago Street Course, Bell ended up finishing 37th, but he led 14 laps in that race. Additionally, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver led 37 laps here at Chicago in 2023 before ultimately finishing 18th. Even though he doesn't have the finishes to show for it, Christopher Bell is one of the best at the Chicago Street Course. He should be a contender on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
July 6, 2025
Chase Elliott will be a chalk DFS pick for this weekend's Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course. The No. 9 Chevrolet was one of the fastest cars on track during practice here on Saturday afternoon, but late in the session, Chase ended up hitting the wall quite hard and subsequently wasn't able to make an effort in qualifying. Elliott will be credited with a starting position of 39th-place on Sunday and that makes him an easy DFS play due to the super-high Place Differential upside he has. In addition to having one of the fastest cars in practice this weekend, Elliott has consistently been one of the best on road courses in the Cup Series, with four top-five results in the last six races on this track type. Chase finished third in the first-ever Chicago Street Course race (back in 2023) and wound up 21st in last year's event.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
July 6, 2025
The NASCAR Cup Series is at a road course track this weekend (the Chicago Street Course), which means Chris Buescher should have a strong showing. Nobody has a better average finish than him at this track type since the start of the 2022 season. Over the last 18 races on road courses, Buescher has finished 11th or better 16 times, with the only exceptions being the Charlotte Roval last season (he ended up 17th) as well as last year's Chicago race (he finished 20th). Looking at practice and qualifying this weekend, the No. 17 Ford was solid. Buescher posted the eighth-fastest lap during practice on Saturday afternoon and then went out and qualified eighth for Sunday's race as well. With as strong and consistent as Buescher is on this track type, he makes for a reliable DFS option this weekend ($8,600 on DraftKings) despite limited Place Differential upside.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 6, 2025
Bubba Wallace is by no means a strong road course racer, but he's certainly not as bad as he used to be. In face, over the last 10 races on this track type, Bubba hasn't finished worse than 20th, and he even grabbed a 12th-place finish at Mexico City last month despite starting back in 25th-place. This weekend, Bubba will have to do more of the same, as he spun the No. 23 Toyota out during qualifying and will have to start from back in 37th for Sunday's race. With that being said, that makes Bubba a very attractive DFS option, as his Place Differential upside is massive this weekend. Additionally, Wallace posted the fastest lap during practice on Saturday, so we know there is speed in that race car. At just $6,400 on DraftKings this weekend, Bubba Wallace is a core driver to build DFS lineups around, especially due to his huge Place Differential potential.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
July 6, 2025
Expect Michael McDowell to be a factor in the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course this weekend. The Spire Motorsports driver had a "solid" practice and qualifying at the track on Saturday and, like everyone else, will be trying to best Shane van Gisbergen for the win on Sunday. Chicago has been a very good track for McDowell thus far, as he has been able to walk away with seventh- and fifth-place finishes in two races on the street course thus far. McDowell will start from second for this weekend's Grant Park 165 race, and while this eliminates any Place Differential upside he may have, he's still an interesting DFS option at just $8,300 on DraftKings. If McDowell can lead some laps and grab a podium finish on Sunday, he could still end up making it into the optimal DFS lineup.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Michael McDowell's X Account
July 6, 2025
Will Brown will be behind the wheel of the No. 13 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in this weekend's Grant Park 165, as the Australian Supercars driver will be making his second-ever Cup Series start on Sunday. Brown held his own during practice on Saturday, posting the 12th-fastest lap and ending up faster than his Kaulig Racing teammates, AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon. Brown's first Cup Series start came at Sonoma last season, where he drove the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. He had equipment issues during that race and wound up finishing 31st, but showed promise before that. This weekend, Will Brown is a tournament option in DFS contests, as he's relatively expensive ($7,300 on DraftKings) but has the talent to challenge for a good finish--if his equipment holds up. If it does, Brown should be able to improve on his 19th-place starting spot.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Speedway Digest
July 5, 2025
One low-tier driver that could be flying under the radar for this weekend's Grant Park 165 is Justin Haley. The Spire Motorsports driver has struggled quite a bit this season, but road course venues can be a great equalizer, and Haley has been strong here at the Chicago Street Course over the last two years; in the inaugural event, he walked away with a second-place finish, and then last season, Haley was able to post a 16th-place result while driving for Rick Ware Racing--which has historically been awful (equipment-wise) at road course venues. This weekend, Haley has been unable to find much speed in Chicago despite the upgrade in equipment, as his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet is an upgrade from what he had last season. Haley ranked 37th-fastest (out of 40 cars) in practice and then wound up 28th in qualifying. Due to his Place Differential upside and strong track history, you should probably have some exposure to Justin Haley in DFS (he's only $6,800 on DraftKings), but don't go too crazy.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 5, 2025
Keep an eye on Todd Gilliland in this weekend's Grant Park 165. The Front Row Motorsports driver walked away with a seventh-place finish in this race last season and has been consistently above-average at this track type since the start of 2024. During that time frame, Gilliland has posted three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6 on the road courses. This weekend, the No. 34 Ford ranked 22nd-fastest in practice and then Gilliland went out and qualified 20th for Sunday's race. At $6,500 on DraftKings, you should consider him in tournament-style contests, as his Place Differential upside is a little bit limited after that mid-pack qualifying effort, but Gilliland will still pull off a high-value DFS score if he grabs another top-10 finish on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
July 5, 2025
Last year at the Chicago Street Course, Ricky Stenhouse Jr walked away with a sixth-place finish--marking his second-ever top-10 result in (then) 40 career attempts on road course tracks. This finish was likely due to good strategy and rain becoming a factor, but the result still counts. In this year's Grant Park 165, he'll be looking to do the same thing. Stenhouse qualified back in 32nd-place for this weekend's race, which is just one spot better than his qualifying effort for this race last year. In practice, Stenhouse lacked the same amount of speed, as he wound up 32nd-fastest there as well (out of 40 cars to complete a lap). At $5,700 on DraftKings this weekend, you need to have some Ricky Stenhouse exposure due to his high Place Differential potential, but don't go overboard. Stenhouse has finished 18th or better in three of the last five road course races, including an 18th-place result at COTA back in March.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 5, 2025
There are some race tracks where Josh Berry can be considered a legitimate sleeper. Road course tracks are not one of those, though. Berry has struggled mightily in the Cup Series at the left-and-right-turn race tracks, and doesn't look to be showing any improvement this weekend at the Chicago Street Course. After posting the 38th-fastest lap (out of 40 cars) in practice, Berry went out and qualified 29th for Sunday afternoon's Grant Park 165. While that may seem like an improvement, keep in mind that four drivers either had issues or did not attempt a lap in qualifying, otherwise Berry likely would have ended up 33rd-fastest. When it comes to DFS this weekend, Josh Berry may be an intriguing option at $5,500 on DraftKings with his decently-high Place Differential, but it's best to stay away from the guy that has struggled mightily at this track type in his career. He has just one finish better than 25th on a road course in seven total attempts in the Cup Series.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 5, 2025
The No. 66 Ford for Garage 66 has been one of the slowest cars on every track this season, but that hasn't been the case at the Chicago Street Course this weekend. Josh Bilicki is behind the wheel of this race car for Sunday's Grant Park 165 and he showed some unexpected speed during practice and qualifying on Saturday. After posting the 36th-fastest lap (out of 41 drivers) in practice, Bilicki went out and qualified 31st for Sunday's race. While that is not mind-blowing speed by any means, that is significantly better than every other effort by the Garage 66 drivers this season. Now, with that being said, Bilicki is still in a back-marker car and that can't be overlooked. He finished 28th at the Chicago Street Course in this No. 66 Ford last season and also wound up 29th at the Charlotte Roval. Without major attrition in this weekend's race, that's about the ceiling you should expect from Bilicki on Sunday as well.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
July 5, 2025
Katherine Legge will be racing in this weekend's Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course, as the British 44-year-old put down a lap of 92.368 seconds in qualifying on Saturday afternoon. That was faster than several notable drivers, including Erik Jones, Cody Ware, Ty Dillon, and Bubba Wallace. That lap was also faster than Corey Heim's attempt, who did not qualify for the race after hitting the wall during his attempt. This will be Legge's third-ever start in the Cup Series. She finished 30th at Phoenix earlier this year and wound up 32nd at Mexico City while driving this No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. It will likely take plenty of attrition for Legge to move up any from her starting spot this weekend, and therefore it's not recommended to have much exposure to her in DFS (even with the super-cheap salary of $4,500 on DraftKings).
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Chicago Tribune
July
5,
2025
Tennessee
Titans
quarterback
Cam
Ward
apparently
isn't
expecting
to
be
handed
the
reigns
heading
into
his
inaugural
campaign.
"Cam's
not
gonna
expect
it
to
just
be
given
to
him,"
said
offensive
tackle
JC
Latham
while
speaking
read more...
July 5, 2025
Detroit Tigers right-hander
Casey Mize (9-2) earned his ninth win of the year Saturday in a 1-0 shutout of the Cleveland Guardians. Mize tied a season high with seven innings of work and allowed just four hits and two walks on 102 pitches. The former No. 1 overall pick struck out four in his sixth quality start of the season. Mize is now on a six-start run in which he has yielded a meager nine earned runs across 34 2/3 innings. As a result, Mize's ERA has fallen to 2.63 with 73:21 K:BB and a 1.18 WHIP in 78 2/3 frames. He's scheduled to end a productive first half with a tough home start against the Seattle Mariners on Friday.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 5, 2025
Minnesota Twins closer
Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless pair of innings to improve to 5-3 in a 6-5 decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. It was an eventful outing for Duran, who threw 34 pitches and had to work around a double and an intentional walk in the top of the eighth to escape a jam. Duran ran into more trouble when he allowed a single and a walk in the ninth, but he also got out of that inning unscathed. The Twins went on to win on a
Brooks Lee walk-off bunt in the bottom of the ninth. Duran finished with three strikeouts and decreased his ERA to 1.56 over 40 1/3 innings. Since taking a loss on June 24, Duran has made four appearances and tossed five scoreless innings with three saves and a victory.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July
5,
2025
Boston
Red
Sox
outfielder
Ceddanne
Rafaela
was
among
the
club's
top
performers
in
a
10-3
victory
over
the
Washington
Nationals
on
Saturday.
Rafaela
went
2-for-4
with
his
10th
home
run
of
the
year,
a
double,
read more...
July 5, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals closer
Ryan Helsley finished off an 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday for his 17th save. Helsley made quick work of the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order on 11 pitches and striking out
Michael Busch to end it. Helsley, who hadn't pitched in a week, has logged five straight scoreless appearances after yielding a run in each of his previous four outings. The 30-year-old owns a solid 3.30 ERA with 35:12 K:BB in 30 innings, though he has blown five saves and posted a mediocre 1.37 WHIP.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July
5,
2025
Free-agent
wide
receiver
Chase
Claypool
(toe)
is
hoping
to
sign
with
an
NFL
team.
The
2020
No.
49
overall
pick
was
spectacular
as
a
rookie,
amassing
62
catches
for
873
yards
and
11
touchdowns.
Since
then,
read more...
July 5, 2025
Houston Astros closer
Josh Hader has now converted 25 straight saves to begin the 2025 season. Hader held the Dodgers scoreless over 1 1/3 innings and 24 pitches on Saturday to close out a 6-4 win. He entered with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and runners on first and second, and struck out
Esteury Ruiz to end the threat. Hader gave up a leadoff single to
Shohei Ohtani in the ninth, but he retired the next three batters and notched his second strikeout along the way. The 31-year-old left-hander owns spectacular numbers across the board, having pitched to a 1.80 ERA with 61:7 K:BB and a 0.73 WHIP in 40 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 5, 2025
Detroit Tigers reliever
Tommy Kahnle put the finishing touches on a 1-0 shutout over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. With
Will Vest getting the day off, Kahnle threw a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his ninth save of the year. The right-hander struck out one, walked one, and threw 17 pitches. Kahnle, the Tigers' top choice for saves after Vest, allowed five earned runs while failing to retire a batter in a loss to Washington on Wednesday. For the most part, though, he has been steady in high-leverage situations. The 35-year-old has registered a 2.97 ERA with 32:12 K:BB, a 0.96 WHIP, and 12 holds over 37 1/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 5, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list to start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. Glasnow has been out for over two months because of shoulder inflammation. He hasn't pitched for the Dodgers since April 27, a one-inning start against the Pirates. The 6-foot-8, 225-pounder struggled to a 4.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 18 innings during his first five starts this season. However, when Glasnow is on his game, he's electric. The Dodgers and fantasy managers will happily welcome him back for what they hope will be a healthy second half of the season. That's far from a guarantee, though, considering Glasnow has dealt with a laundry list of injuries during his career.
--Connor ByrneSource: Bill Plunkett - Orange County Register
July 5, 2025
Atlanta Braves first baseman
Matt Olson was a triple shy of the cycle in Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, reaching base five times in a dominant performance. Olson went 3-for-3 with a double, home run, and two walks. The big day comes on the heels of a 0-for-4 outing on Friday. The 31-year-old is now slashing .271/.372/.495 on the season, and continues to be a consistent force in an otherwise underwhelming Braves campaign. With
Ronald Acuna Jr. back in the lineup, Olson should see more RBI opportunities. He remains an elite option across all formats, offering top-tier production in every category except stolen bases.
--Shaun AlbinSource: MLB.com
July
5,
2025
The
San
Francisco
Giants
have
placed
reliever
Erik
Miller
(elbow)
on
the
15-day
injured
list
with
a
strained
left
elbow,
Susan
Slusser
of
the
San
Francisco
Chronicle
reports.
The
team
selected
fellow
southpaw
read more...
July 5, 2025
New York Yankees right-hander
Luis Gil (lat) has begun throwing live batting practice, with a minor-league rehab assignment scheduled for next week. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year has been sidelined since March 24 with a high-grade right lat strain and is eyeing a return shortly after the All-Star break. Gil played a pivotal role in the Yankees' World Series run last season. In 2024, he posted a 3.50 ERA with 171 strikeouts across 151 2/3 innings. His arsenal is headlined by a 96.6 mph fastball that sets up a sharp 87 mph slider. With
Clarke Schmidt (elbow) expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, Gil is poised to slot back into the rotation. Fantasy managers should stash Gil now as he has league-winning upside in the second half.
--Shaun AlbinSource: New York Yankees
July 5, 2025
New York Yankees left-hander
Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) has yet to resume throwing as he works his way back from the injured list. Out since June 20, there is still no clear timetable for his return. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Yarbrough is "getting over the hump" and could begin a throwing program soon. It's another blow to a Yankees rotation already hit hard by injuries. Yarbrough owns a 3.90 ERA this season, along with a solid 21.7% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate. Once healthy, Yarbrough is expected to return in a bullpen role with the possibility of spot starts. The impending return of
Luis Gil (lat) further limits Yarbrough's fantasy upside in the short term.
--Shaun AlbinSource: New York Yankees
July 5, 2025
Miami Marlins relief pitcher
Lake Bachar was called upon with a two-run lead in the ninth inning versus the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Normally, Bachar isn't used as the closer, but
Ronny Henriquez and
Calvin Faucher had already pitched in this game. Bachar didn't have any problems as he retired the first three batters he faced to earn his first save of the season. It seems like a closer by committee type of situation in Miami right now, which makes it a headache for fantasy managers. Henriquez seems like the favorite for saves, so he's going to be the pitcher to roster out of anyone in this bullpen.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
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