NASCAR DFS: Pennzoil 400 @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The NASCAR Cup Series rolls into Sin City this weekend for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile intermediate has long been a proving ground for speed, where the fastest cars can control long stretches of the race. With practice and qualifying still ahead, we’ll preview the track, examine the DFS landscape, and highlight several drivers who stand out as early-week core plays.

NASCAR DFS: Pennzoil 400 @ Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Track Preview & Fantasy Angle

Las Vegas is a 1.5-mile, quad-oval intermediate track with 20 degrees of banking in the turns. It is the first of two races at Vegas and the first of 11 intermediate races this season. It is also the ninth race here at Las Vegas in the NextGen era (2022-present), giving us a large sample size when looking at track history.

From a fantasy perspective, dominators are key once again this week. One driver has led 100 or more laps in five of the last six races here, and both races in 2025 saw three drivers lead 40 or more laps. While place differential can become key with unexpected qualifying results, historically speaking, Las Vegas offers the least amount of PD upside of all intermediate tracks.

Looking back at optimal lineups here, building around two to three drivers starting near the front who have dominator upside is where we should start. Then mix in value plays that show speed in practice and upside in terms of place differential.

Before we finish our models, we do need that practice and qualifying, but for now, we are going to look at some drivers who stand out in terms of track history, intermediate history, and current form.

Top Pre-Qualifying Targets for DraftKings

Kyle Larson ($11,000)

Larson checks every box this week, starting with his track history. He ties for the lead with two wins, five Top 5’s, and six Top 10’s here at Vegas in the NextGen era. During that stretch, he has also been the top dominator, leading 793 laps and an absurd 70.2 DK point average over those eight races. After a slow start, he has heated up with a 6th-place finish at COTA and a 3rd-place finish last week at Phoenix.

Christopher Bell ($10,700)

Bell is still looking for his first win here in Vegas, but he has been trending in the right direction. He comes in having finished Top 5 in four of his last six races here and also has five Top 10’s in the eight races here in the NextGen era. He didn’t dominate on intermediate tracks in 2025 but was very consistent, tying Larson with six Top 10’s across the nine races. He is also coming in hot, having led 194 laps last week en route to a runner-up finish after a 3rd place finish the week before at COTA.

Ross Chastain ($8,500)

Looking at my pre-qualifying model, Chastain comes in at #3, which screams value considering his $8,500 price tag. While he doesn’t have a win here at Vegas, he leads all drivers with a 7.6 average finish with five Top 5’s and six Top 10’s over the eight races here in the Nextgen era. He also finished 2025 with a win(Charlotte) and the 4th-best average finish(12.1) on intermediate tracks.

Ryan Preece ($7,500)

Looking at the value range this week, Ryan Preece jumps off the page. In his first season with RFK Racing in 2025, Preece finished Top-10 in both Vegas races after posting a 24.5 average over his 10 previous races at the track. It didn’t appear to be a fluke either as he tied for third with five Top 10’s in the nine intermediate races in 2025. He has one Top 10 so far this season(Atlanta) and has tallied a +28 place differential over the last three races.

A.J. Allmendinger ($6,100)

One of the surprises of the early season for me has been the consistency of Allmendinger, who is one of just four drivers with a Top 20 in all four races. He now returns to Vegas, where he has been very consistent in the NextGen car with two Top 10’s and no finish outside of 21st in five races. Like Preece, he was also consistent overall on the intermediate tracks with two Top 5’s and four Top 10’s in the nine races.