We are back for the first official NASCAR DFS slate of the 2025 season. While The Clash isn’t an official race, it does signal that the new season is upon us and there’s an opportunity to make some money on DraftKings. Let’s take a look at the top NASCAR DFS picks and drivers for Sunday afternoon’s Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium!

 

 

 

Now as you can see, there’s been a bit of a roster shakeup at FantasyAlarm regarding our NASCAR DFS coverage. Matt Selz has moved on from providing NASCAR DFS coverage as he pursues some professional goals. Obviously filling his shoes is a tough task as he’s a three-time FSWA NASCAR Writer of the Year award recipient. 

But I’ll have you covered every week for the NASCAR Cup Series slate with a full Playbook and NASCAR DFS Projections for every Cup Series race starting with the Daytona 500 in two weeks. Ed Raus is also going to provide his NASCAR Cup Series Best Bets in addition to his top NASCAR DFS picks with the Hot Pass video.

Bowman Gray Stadium Trends

After three years of running The Clash at the Los Angeles Coliseum, NASCAR returns closer to home at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. NASCAR has done well to return to its roots in recent years. The All-Star Race has been hosted at North Wilkesboro Speedway the last couple years. We’ll even see the Craftsman Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series return to Rockingham Speedway during the third weekend of April.

Bowman Gray certainly has its own reputation. But it’s an historic track for racing and the MadHouse Mecca article from NASCAR’s website earlier this week is a good read if you have the time. Fortunately for our Bowman Gray DFS research, we’ve seen The Clash run on a similar track from 2022-2024 in The Coliseum. Bowman Gray is a 0.25-mile short track. 

Because of its size and lack of runoff, we will only have 23 cars for The Clash on Sunday night. Practice and qualifying for the heat races will be Saturday around 6:00pm ET. The actual heat races will be at 8:30pm ET. On Sunday, we’ll see the Last Chance Qualifier Race at 6:00pm ET and then the actual 200-lap race will be Sunday evening at 8:00pm ET.

 

 

 

NASCAR DraftKings Scoring Trends

Regarding Bowman Gray DFS, this is a short track, similar to the last three Clash races. But we don’t have a full field. Normally we’d see 36+ cars on track. For this 23-car field we won’t see that as much. DraftKings’ scoring has not changed from last year. 

Drivers will receive 0.25 points per lap led, 0.45 points per fastest lap, +/- 1 point for every spot gained or lost from their starting position, and additional points are awarded based on finishing position. Because we only have 23 cars in this field, the car that starts dead last is guaranteed 19 fantasy points because they can’t possibly lose any points even if they start and finish 23rd.

Obviously with 200 laps, we will need dominator points in our lineups. On paper there are 140 dominator points available at the absolute most. Of course, we won’t get to that number. This race in 2022, again at the L.A. Coliseum, saw three drivers lead 35+ laps. In 2023, four drivers led 25+ laps. 

And last year, this race was largely dominator by Ty Gibbs (led 84 laps but finished 18th after starting P3) and Denny Hamlin (led 58 laps from the pole and won). It’s also worth mentioning, The Clash in Los Angeles was only 150 laps whereas this race will be 200.

Position differential and finishing position are crucial elements to factor in as well. We should expect some movers, but because we only have 23 cars on a very short track, we shouldn’t see a ton of big movers. 

What I mean by that is, in the three years this race was held on a comparable track in Los Angeles, only four drivers gained 12+ spots of position differential. There are some within each race that gained between 5-10 spots, but we need to understand the PD ceiling is capped in this race.

And some final thoughts we need to consider, in three iterations of The Clash at The Coliseum, the winning driver started in the first two rows. Adding to that, on short tracks we tend to see multiple drivers lose the lead lap easily. In 2024, 11 of the 23 drivers finished on the lead lap. In 2023, 22 of 27 drivers finished on the lead lap. And in 2022, 14 of 23 drivers finished on the lead lap.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Optimizer & Lineup Picks This Week

The first three for NASCAR DFS picks of the 2025 season are The Clash, Daytona, and Atlanta. So, it’s not a great way to kick off a new year. One race is an exhibition race with a smaller field. Then in two weeks we have Daytona which is a high variance race where you’re mostly throwing darts hoping to nail the optimal lineup. Atlanta is a bit more predictable, however, it does now feature more drafting on an intermediate and isn’t a slam dunk for DFS compared to tracks we’ll see in March.

In terms of contest selection, DraftKings offers up the $200K Piston for $10 per entry. $50,000 goes to the winner which isn’t terrible, but the remaining payout structure is terrible. If you crack the top 10 in that contest, you’re only getting $500 which is just 1% of what the winner receives. Even if you crack the top 500 out of 23,500+ entries you’re only tripling your money.

There are some three-entry, and single-entry contests for this race that really pique my interest. Depending on the entry fee and the prize pool, the winner of said contests is generally getting 10% of the prize pool with 10th place earning about 10% of what the winner is receiving. For example, the $12 single-entry contest has a $10,000 prize pool with 980 total entries. The winner will earn $1,000 and 10th place receives $125. 

So, the payout structure in these specific contests is much more balanced. I’ll only be building three lineups of NASCAR DFS picks for this exhibition race, and I’ll be playing these contests while getting exposure to the $4, 20-max Chrome Horn contest as well to chase a larger payout.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks & Strategy: 2025 Cook Out Clash

Top Cook Out Clash DFS Picks

Kyle Larson – DraftKings $10,500

Larson is the most expensive driver in the field, and for a good reason. He’s probably the best overall driver in the series. Sure, he hasn’t won a Cup Series championship since 2021, but from top-to-bottom he’s among the best in the field regardless of equipment or the track they’re racing on.

Funny enough, he actually finished fifth in all three Clash races at the L.A. Coliseum. So that provides a good floor already and despite there only being 200 laps, we saw races last year where Larson was priced at $11,500. To that point, we are getting a bit of a discount.

As far as short track success went in 2024, Larson finished third at Richmond-1 (144 laps led), second at Martinsville-1 (86 laps led), and third at Martinsville-2 (71 laps led). In terms of drivers that can collect dominator points and finish well, Larson is close to the top of the list. Update: Larson won the last chance qualifier so he will start very deep in the field. His car took a lot of damage in that race so I wouldn't assume he's a lock for position differential. However, his car moved through the field with ease after starting P10 in the LCQ and he has a good floor starting P21.

Denny Hamlin – DraftKings: $10,100

Hamlin started on the pole for last year’s Clash on a similar track and he got the win. However, he didn’t flat out dominate from the pole. Ty Gibbs, who started P3, led 84 laps but finished 18th. But a win is a win, and we know that Hamlin/Joe Gibbs Racing, thrive on the shorter flat tracks.

Despite some controversy last year, he did win Richmond-1 with 17 laps led and he was the runner-up at Richmond-2 with 124 laps led. He also finished second at the All-Star race in North Wilkesboro and he grabbed a top five in the Martinsville playoff race after starting P37. Update: He starts right behind Chase Elliott on the inside lane and might make quick work of Chris Buescher and get up to second early on. His great on short tracks and has a car that can possibly contend with Chase Elliott.

Ryan Blaney - DraftKings: $9,900

Blaney doesn't need to race in the last-chance qualifier later this evening. He can take a provisional spot based on points so he should qualify for the field and start very deep. Because of that he'll offer plenty of position differential so he'll pair nicely with Chase Elliott who is priced beneath him but has a great chance to collect dominator points.

Joey Logano – DraftKings: $9,800

It was a relatively ho-hum end to the 2024 NASCAR season when Joey Logano was named the Cup Series champion for the third time in his career, including the second time in the NextGen era. Credit to Team Penske, their cars run hot at the right time of the year and as an organization they’ve won the last three Cup Series championships.

Logano also has a sneaky tendency of showing up on “new” tracks and performing well, and quite often getting the win. The first Clash at the Coliseum race? Logano led 35 laps and won. The first Bristol Dirt race back in 2021? Logano got the win, but that was a race where NASCAR had to adjust its rules to single-file restarts late in the race. 

But in 2022, Logano won NASCAR’s first race at Gateway. And while it wasn’t the first All-Star race, in the second All-Star race at North Wilkesboro he did get the win with 199 laps led out of 200.

Chase Briscoe – DraftKings: $9,400

This is going to be a very exciting year for Chase Briscoe. With Stewart-Haas Racing closing its doors at the end of the 2024 season, we’re losing what was once considered one of the “Big Four” teams. So that’s an opportunity for other teams to elevate themselves.

Despite the shortcomings and lack of resources at SHR during its waning years, Briscoe did manage to get a pair of wins in the Cup Series and he’s a proven winner in the Xfinity Series. Moreover, he now drives for Joe Gibbs Racing as he takes over the 19-car for Martin Truex Jr. Truex, with the same organization, won the 2023 Clash at The Coliseum.

On shorter, flat tracks in the NextGen car, Briscoe does have a win at Phoenix (Spring 2022) and carries average finishes inside the top 10 at Martinsville and New Hampshire. I’m very interested to see what he can do this season.

Chase Elliott - DraftKings: $9,200

Chase Elliott starts on the pole and it might be very tough to pass him on this track. It's unlikely he leads every lap. However, he'll have the lower line to start and should collect laps led and fastest laps early on. As we've seen in three previous versions of The Clash on quarter-mile tracks, the winner has come from the first two rows and the polesitter won last year. We also only have one competition caution midway through the race and only green flag laps count. That bodes well for Elliott who will control the restarts until he loses the lead.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks: Mid-Tier Drivers

Kyle Busch – DraftKings: $8,800

2024 was a lost year for Kyle Busch. After winning three races with Richard Childress Racing in 2023, Busch went winless last year, and he seems rather unhappy overall with the organization and where they allocate resources.

But a new year brings new opportunities, and say what you want about the guy, but he actually did pretty well in the last three Clash races that were on a quarter-mile track inside a football stadium. In 2022, he was the runner-up after starting on the pole and he led 64 laps with Joe Gibbs Racing. 

Following that year, he joined RCR. In 2023, he started P6 and finished third. Last year, he started P5 and finished second. So, while he’s frustrating at times, he’s done very well in the last three versions of The Clash that were on ultra-short tracks.

Chris Buescher – DraftKings: $8,000

We will absolutely adjust some plays and upgrade/downgrade certain drivers depending on their starting spot. But Preece has really excelled with this organization in the NextGen era. He has five wins over the last three years and arguably should’ve had more if it wasn’t for some bad luck in 2024.

But Buescher still had some solid runs on flat tracks last year. He was the runner-up at Phoenix-1 and was top 10 at Phoenix-2 (the championship race). He was also top five in the All-Star Race and New Hampshire, and we shouldn’t forget his fantastic win at Watkins Glen.

My one reservation with this suggestion is that Buescher didn’t race in any of the three Clash races in Los Angeles. I had to review the results of those three races multiple times to confirm that’s accurate so it’s surprising he didn’t qualify for any. So, I have concerns about how he will fare on a quarter-mile track but like I just mentioned, we’ll adjust and provide updates in Discord once the field is set, and we know the starting order. Update: Buescher is a tournament-only play as he starts P2 and will be on the outside. There's a chance he gets passed early on by Denny Hamlin, who won The Clash last yea. But that likely lowers his ownership and gives us some leverage if he can hang on to P2 early on.

Josh Berry - DraftKings: $7,500

Berry qualified for The Clash based on the LCQ as he finished as the runner-up similar to Kyle Larson. The damage his car took in the LCQ may have been more severe than Larson's, however. But earlier in the LCQ he was on the radio and seemed happy with the car and navigated his way through the field. His team even acknowledged that he had the best car in the LCQ next to Kyle Larson. So be mindful of your exposure because the car did take a beating in the race earlier this evening.

Ryan Preece – DraftKings: $7,400

We pivot from one RFK Racing driver to another. With Stewart-Haas Racing closing its doors, Ryan Preece was another driver in need of a ride, and he jumps into what should be a decent car with RFK.

Preece at least carries more experience on the quarter-mile tracks in the NextGen car than Buescher. Buescher is the better driver overall, however. But in 2023 and 2024 with SHR, Preece finished 7th and 11th respectively in each race. 

Preece also has plenty of experience on short, flat tracks in general given his work through the ranks on New England short tracks. He was a driver that gambled on himself and was fortunate to land a ride at SHR the last two years. He’s been given another great opportunity with RFK and at this price tag, a good finish with some position differential could be enough to put him in the optimal lineup Sunday night. Update: Preece has a starting spot that shouldn't draw a ton of attention and he was also able to move up three spots during his heat. I'm only doing three lineups for this race but looking forward to using him as a leverage play.

Austin Cindric - DraftKings: $7,100

I really like Cindric from a tournament perspective. He starts P16 and very few are going to want to play him. With that said he's still in a Penske car and he'll likely have teammate, Ryan Blaney, coming up through the field behind him and he can hitch himself to Blaney as he moves up. Cindric flashed top five speed in practice across several long-run metrics.

 

 

 

NASCAR DFS Picks: Value Drivers

Carson Hocevar - DraftKings: $6,500

I'm adding Carson Hocevar as an option simply because we only have four drivers under $7,000 that actually made the main event race and the next driver projects to be very popular.

Hocevar isn't in the greatest equipment, but he's an aggressive driver (almost to a fault). He starts P15 and is leverage off the chalkier drivers starting much further back.

Todd Gilliland – DraftKings: $5,800

Gilliland is basically the face of Front Row Motorsports with McDowell’s departure to Spire. Gilliland is good but the team really needs to see him step up. Fortunately, he does have some upside because he performed well on short, flat tracks a year ago.

He did grab top 20 finishes at both Phoenix races, Martinsville-1, New Hampshire, and Richmond-2. The problem with a race featuring just 23 drivers is that a top 20 finish doesn’t carry a ton of weight. But Gilliland did prove to be a decent qualified last year which made him a good tournament play. If he qualifies inside the top 15, he still offers PD upside and could steal a top 10 if it proves difficult to pass. Update: He starts very deep in the field but actually had good long-run speed in practice. He will be popular and trendy. Remember, this is a smaller field and most DFS providers are providing free content for this race. He's largely mentioned by every site so if playing Tournaments, he's not a bad driver to be underweight on.