Daily NASCAR DFS Picks: Gateway

Another round of NASCAR Cup Series competition comes to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway this weekend. This time, it’s the Chase for the Championship back in town as the postseason returns to the speedway for a second straight year.

This mixture of long straightaways and tight corners on this 1.25-mile Midwestern oval has created similar racing to what we might see at North Wilkesboro Speedway or New Hampshire Motor Speedway. There’s also a little Richmond Raceway mixed in to a place that has both superspeedway and short track elements connected to its design.

With those types of historical connections, it’s no wonder Joey Logano is the favorite this fall: he’s won at two of those three tracks I mentioned and did so in suffocating fashion. I’d also look in the direction of the rest of Team Penske this weekend. Both Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney are former winners here and they’re coming off pretty impressive Chase-opening runs at Darlington Raceway.

As far as who I’d stay away from this weekend, it’s a short list, but Carson Hocevar sits at the top of it. I just don’t like him and the Spire Motorsports boys at all this weekend. While Hocevar gotten progressively better since his first start, and even notched a top 10 here in 2025, he was awful at Richmond and New Hampshire.

Plus, Brad Keselowski comes to WWTR hunting for payback, and he’s gonna have his day if he can.

Fantasy Forecast

Joey Logano $10,200

The overwhelming gambling favorite this weekend has to be Logano.

Why? Folks, I don’t know if you’re aware, but uh, we’re in an even-numbered year. And that means that a run for a title goes through him. Sure, it’s a different format than we’ve seen for the past decade-plus, and it’s a different story entirely when it comes to consistency for the No. 22 Ford in 2026. They’ve had a rollercoaster year to this point.

But the Team Penske operation has definitely hit on something with this track type that is hard to beat. Starting on the pole tomorrow is just another feather in Logano’s cap, too.

Look for the No. 22 Ford Mustang to be the car to beat again this weekend, just like it was a couple of years ago.

Josh Berry $7,900

Lord knows this team is absolutely scorched Earth hot right now. This track fits right into the wheelhouse for Berry, seeking his seventh straight top-10 finish since announcing he would not return to the Wood Brothers next year. Berry only had two top 10s this entire season before starting this streak.

What worries me is if we’ve seen the ceiling of this partnership and that Berry begins a lame-duck letdown this weekend. I mean, surely this team is a ticking time bomb, right? No amount of late-season success will change the fact both sides have decided to look elsewhere for 2027.

But until then, I have to rely on what I do know: how good Berry was at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (third, 73 laps led). We will see him towards the front again tomorrow.

Ty Gibbs $9,200

I’m still at the forefront of the “Gibbs is a title contender” brigade. The grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs won the first races of his career this season and is putting together the type of consistency that can add up to a championship run.

After a podium finish at Darlington, Gibbs continues to carry this ever-important momentum out west. What’s more, he was very good at the two sister tracks mentioned above.

I really do love what this team has been bringing to the table this season and I think Gibbs is gonna prove himself again with another top-two surprise.

Chase Elliott $8,500

Here’s where I’m at with Hendrick Motorsports:

I don’t trust them. Every time I do trust this historically great company this year, they’ve let me down time and time again.

But to be honest, had this group not shot themselves in the foot yet again in Darlington, they might’ve had a top 10 night amongst all their Chase drivers.

HMS were really good at Wilkesboro and Richmond, too, but were absolutely atrocious at New Hampshire. So, it’s still way up in the air for me in terms of performance.

The top 10 start for Elliott makes me feel much better about his chances, though, and he’s typically been the one diamond in the rough here. If you’re going to rely on someone from this team, go with the No. 9.

Ryan Preece $7,000

It has been so cool to see Preece really turn the wick up and not only win his way into the Chase, but thrive at the first race in it, too, posting his third straight top-10 finish heading into the track this weekend.

I think we can expect the good vibes to continue this week, too. He was really good at New Hampshire and honestly I thought he would win there before ultimately slotting in ninth.

I am worried about Preece’s career stats here; he has never finished better than 13th on this track. But not enough to keep him off my list.

Ross Chastain $7,100

It’s been absolutely fascinating how bad Trackhouse has been this season.

In fact, the emphatic thumbs down from Chastain to teammate Shane van Gisbergen at the conclusion of the race in Darlington may have been a strong indication of how the drivers feel about it, too.

But I have to believe Chastain rallied the troops back at the shop this week after a blunder of a bad one in South Carolina. Either way, he fits right into the budget and is a solid option if he manages to run top 20.

Top Bets of the Week

Logano +650 to win

I think it’s so obvious that Logano is going to win this race, I don’t even think you need a dark horse pick. Just the amount of pure dominant speed he has shown all weekend to this point is the clear indication that you need to pull the trigger.

If you insist on not picking him…

Dark Horse of the Week: Berry +2300

Berry may well win a race on his way out the door for the Wood Brothers, and I think this track is his best shot to do it. After all, every single one of the official Team Penske drivers have won here. The fact the teams are aligned with each other has to only benefit the No. 21 team with information and handling support.

This is the lightest dark horse I’ve had in quite a while, folks…