By Roy J. Akers- www.skyviewsports.net
Las Vegas, Nevada–It has been a head-spinning start for the 2025 NASCAR fantasy season as wrecks took out race favorites in Daytona and Atlanta. The resurgence of Kyle Busch has been a huge help to fans wanting another driver to slot in their weekly lineups so they do not burn up the usual 8-10 drivers who only get up to ten picks in the Cup regular season. Every week, my mantra is to choose horses for the track and from time to time, sprinkle in a hot driver, whether they do well or poorly at a given track.
Who is Hot at LVMS?
Ross Chastain races well at LVMS– Graphic from Driver Averages
The Watermelon man has six top 20’s in six races with four of his finishes coming in the top-5. Digging deeper in Chastain’s 2025 season, he is 16th in points, but has also led in multiple races. He also has one DNF this season. He is a solid pick at LVMS.
William Byron should start this week
You always hate to up a driver 10 race cap early with a lot of early season starts. At LVMS, Byron is a solid bet. The driver of the 24 won the spring race at LV two years ago and has three top- five finishes and two more in the top-ten in his last six races.
Kyle Busch is at his home track and is finding the speed he lacked in 2025.
Busch has not won in two years since winning at Talladega. He finished second at Michigan and Daytona in 2024 and has three top-ten finishes in four races this season. Busch is due for a victory and held off Christopher Bell for quite a few laps with expired tires. He has three top-five finishes in five races at LVMS.
Alex Bowman
Putting Bowman in my fantasy lineup always makes me nervous. Bowman occasionally runs near the front and then disappears for multiple CUP events. Still, he won the spring race in 2022 and has two more top-five finishes since then. Bowman is 6th in the CUP standings this year and has three top-ten finishes.
Christopher Bell must be considered
Bell has not won this race but he has three top-five finishes in his last six appearances. Despite his three victories in four races this season, he still trails Byron in the Cup points battle and sits in second place. I did not have CB in my lineup in Phoenix as I have already used him twice and need him for some tracks he is really good at.
Denny Hamlin
Hamlin has been inconsistent in 2025 but even so, he has a top-five and a top-ten this season. Hamlin has only led nine laps but has shown speed at LVMS. He is 6th in points and at this track, and has a top-five finish, three more top-tens and another top-20. Hamlin should be there at the end of the race.
Kyle Larson is a dynamo at LVMS
Larson is the only multi-winner at the track taking home three victories since the fall 2021 race with seven top ten- finishes. Larson, besides winning three times, has finished second twice. The No. 5 machine is only 11th in points in 2025 and has led only 12 laps. This week should be great in Sin City.
Say no to ..
Ryan Preece, Chase Elliott and Ty GIbbs all struggle at the track.
My Las Vegas Picks
Last week was a tough week. My fantasy card was very strong until a couple of late-race wrecks that ruined my weekend and took me from 91.8 percent to 75.8 percent. Having Byron in the garage is an ace in the hole for me.
The Race winner is…… Kyle Larson with Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell in the mix.
Have comments, we can take it. Back up your point.
Roy J. Akers is a NASCAR driver for www.skyviewsports.net
