Denny Hamlin Wins Pole, Now Needs a Clutch Race at Martinsville on Sunday 0mLink copied!

Oct 31, 2026, 9:54 PM ET

After his huge win at Talladega last weekend, Kyle Larson now looks well on his way to his second straight NASCAR Cup Series Championship, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver has a 73-point advantage over the rest of the Chase drivers with two races left to go in the season. It will likely take an epic failure for Larson to not win the title this year, and he gave himself even more of a boost this weekend by qualifying third for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Track position is very important at a short track like Martinsville, so qualifying third is a major advantage for Larson this weekend. With that being said, he's likely not going to be a great daily fantasy pick. Larson really just has to cruise and not make any mistakes, and this No. 5 team struggled here at Martinsville in the spring, scoring just 30 points after a ninth-place finish. During practice, Larson came on the radio to let his team know that his car "sucks," but he did note later in the session that their adjustments were making the No. 5 Chevrolet better.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Yahoo! Sports

Oct 31, 2026, 9:49 PM ET

Some drivers just struggle at specific tracks. For Tyler Reddick, that track is Martinsville Speedway. The 23XI Racing driver has made 13 career starts here in the Cup Series and has posted just two top-10 finishes: a seventh here back in 2024, and an eighth here in 2021. His career average finish at this track is 19.1, which is middle-of-the-road in terms of Cup Series drivers. For a driver of Reddick's caliber, that's certainly disappointing. This weekend, Reddick qualified in 12th for Sunday's Xfinity 500, and while he may have an outside shot at a top-10 result, it's certainly not expected. The No. 45 Toyota struggled to find speed during practice this weekend, as Reddick was just 30th-fastest on the overall speed chart on Saturday. It's probably best to stay away from him in daily fantasy this weekend. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Jayski

Oct 31, 2026, 9:47 PM ET

Keep an eye on Austin Cindric this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. There's no doubt that Team Penske knows how to bring fast race cars to this track, and Cindric joined in on the speed earlier this season, starting sixth and finishing eighth in the first stop at "The Paperclip" in 2026. He also finished fifth and sixth in the two Stages. This weekend, Cindric is off to an even better start, as he qualified fourth for Sunday afternoon's Xfinity 500. The No. 2 Ford was also strong on the speed chart in practice, posting the best 30-lap average in the field. Cindric has three top-10 finishes in the last six Martinsville races and looks poised to make it four of seven here this weekend. In DFS, he's a risky play since he's starting on the second row, but as an outside dominator, Cindric ($8.2K on DraftKings) could be a valuable mid-range tournament play if his practice speed comes true in the race. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Speedway Media

Oct 31, 2026, 9:41 PM ET

It was an up-and-down day on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway for Carson Hocevar, as the Spire Motorsports driver had a strong practice session to start out, ranking seventh-fastest on the speed chart with a lap of 19.775 seconds. He also looked very strong on the long run in practice, ranking third or better in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average. Even Hocevar himself remarked after practice, "That's probably the best I've ever felt here." And then qualifying happened. On his hot lap, Hocevar ended up hitting the curb and got out of the groove, ending up just 25th-fastest on the speed chart. In other words, he'll have some work to do on race day, and he's a prime Place Differential pick in DFS--as long as he can stay on the lead lap. One downside to Hocevar this weekend is that in six career Cup Series starts at the track, he's never finished better than 17th.--Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Oct 31, 2026, 9:37 PM ET

After practice and qualifying at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon, one thing was clear: Ryan Preece has a good race car this weekend. The No. 60 Ford was the fastest car in the lone practice session of the weekend, and in terms of long-run speed, Preece ranked sixth-best in 30-lap average as well. He also qualified sixth for the Xfinity 500 on Sunday. When talking about adjustments and how track conditions were on Saturday, Preece remarked, "I'm really proud of the adjustments we made to make our car better in the long run. It looks like guys are struggling, and I hope I don't eat my words, but we're really good." At Martinsville specifically, Preece has top-10 finishes in three of the last five races, and hasn't finished worsew than 14th here since 2023. He's a tournament-style play in DFS this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Oct 26, 2026, 12:32 PM ET

Before Sunday's YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Kyle Larson had never won a race at a drafting track. In the Cup Series event, Larson started from 10th, but ran very well throughout. In the first stage, Larson climbed from 10th to fourth, finishing behind three RFK Racing drivers who used an unusual pit strategy to get far ahead of the pack. Larson lost ground during the stage break between the first and second stage as he was one of only a few drivers to head to pit road for fuel. In the second stage, Larson recovered positions and competed for the lead until a lap 132 wreck that Larson avoided. From there, he stayed off pit road and fell short of the stage win, finishing second behind Joey Logano. In the final stage, Larson kept moving between the front and back of the lead pack at times, but regained the lead on lap 155 before fading back around laps 174 to 176. A few laps later, with more drivers pushing him, Larson made it back to the top five and avoided a massive crash on lap 183. With Larson now in second, he set himself up to contend for the win, with Austin Hill pushing him. On the final lap, Hill dived under Larson and moved him up the track, causing him to fade to 11th. However, thanks to Ross Chastain pushing him, Larson mounted a huge run off the final corner and passed every car in front of him to take a clutch victory at the finish line over William Byron and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Larson's first Talladega win left him with the championship lead in the standings, now 73 points ahead of second place with two races left and a chance to clinch the title next week at Martinsville. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 26, 2026, 12:31 PM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron kept his car in contention throughout the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Byron started the race from 17th and, through most of the race, worked with his teammate, Kyle Larson. Together, Byron and Larson moved up through the pack and by the end of the first stage, Byron finished fifth and earned six stage points. In the second stage, Byron dropped back through most of the race and avoided the big wreck on lap 132. After the wreck, Byron stayed off pit road while others went on it, gaining track position. Byron used this track position to finish fifth at the end of the second stage and earn six more stage points. In the final stage, Byron continued to support Larson, and the two drivers eventually finished first and second, with Larson leading. They avoided another big crash on lap 183 and set themselves up for the final restart. Byron restarted on the second row and stayed inside the top five until the final lap, while Larson dropped back to 11th. Coming off the final turns, Byron was behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the win, and he had enough speed to move past Stenhouse by the checkered flag. Larson, however, mounted a very fast charge from 11th and was able to beat Byron and Stenhouse at the finish line, leaving Byron to finish in second. With his best finish of the season, Byron moves to 11th in the championship standings with two races left to go.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 26, 2026, 12:28 PM ET

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ended Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway, the YellaWood 500, with another strong finish in third position. Stenhouse began the race from the 24th position and spent the whole race working his way to the front of the pack. The No. 47 Chevrolet driver failed to earn stage points as he was 27th at the end of the first stage and 21st at the end of the second. In the final stage, Stenhouse made moves and went to the front. He went on to lead nine laps while trading the lead back and forth with Joey Logano until Logano was involved in a multi-car wreck on lap 183. Stenhouse avoided the wreck and was in a prime position to compete for the win. On the race's final restart, Stenhouse went for the win and positioned himself ahead coming out of the final corner. However, William Byron and Kyle Larson both had more speed and momentum coming off the corner and passed Stenhouse by the finish line. Stenhouse finished third, his best Talladega result since his last win at the site in October 2024. After 34 races, Stenhouse is now 28th in the season standings with two races left.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 26, 2026, 12:27 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin finished eighth at the end of the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. Hamlin was not much of a contender throughout most of the race despite starting the race from the ninth position. The No. 11 Toyota driver failed to earn stage points, as he placed 15th at the end of the first stage and 17th at the end of the second. At one point on lap 132, Hamlin was involved in one of the biggest accidents of the day and sustained damage to his car, but he was able to continue. In the final stage, Hamlin made moves to race into the top 10 and, in the closing laps, was in position to compete for the win. However, on the final lap, Hamlin dropped out of the top five and faded to his eventual finishing position of eighth. This marked Hamlin's best Talladega finish since October 2023. Hamlin now sits second in the championship standings, 73 points back from the lead with only two races to go.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 26, 2026, 12:25 PM ET

Joey Logano ended the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway with a disappointing finish of 34th. Logano started 16th, but was a front-runner and competed for the win for most of the race. Although he swapped positions throughout the top 10, he finished the first stage in ninth and earned two stage points. The second stage saw Logano charge to the front and take the lead. He went on to lead multiple laps and eventually win the second stage. In the final stage, Logano lost ground at first, but then made it back to the front and continued to compete for the lead. The No. 22 Ford driver traded the lead with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. several times, but could not fully pull ahead as he was being blocked by Ross Chastain, who was a lap down. On lap 183, Logano got bumped by Carson Hocevar, lost control of his car, and flipped upside down through the track. Logano was unable to continue the race as his car was fully wrecked and he needed help from the safety team to exit the car. He was credited with a finish of 34th and is now fifth in the championship standings, 100 points behind first with two races left in the season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 25, 2026, 12:41 PM ET

Joey Logano of Team Penske qualified 16th for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This matches his starting position in this event one year ago. In 35 Cup races at Talladega, Logano has three wins, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 20.0. He has also led multiple laps in each of the last seven Cup races at the site. In 33 races so far this season, Logano has three wins, 15 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.3. At drafting tracks this year, Logano has four top-20 finishes, including two top-10s, in five Cup races. Logano has some of the best equipment in the field and typically finds his way to the front at drafting track races. Considering how his starting position also provides him with some upside, Logano is a great choice to consider for all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 12:34 PM ET

Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing will start in the 33rd position for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This will be the lowest starting position of Reddick's Cup career at Talladega so far. In 13 Cup races at the site, Reddick has one win, 10 top-20 finishes, and an average finish of 17.5. With 33 races completed so far this season, Reddick has six wins, 20 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.7. On drafting tracks this year, Reddick has four top-10 finishes and has never finished lower than 14th in five races at the track type. Reddick's starting position provides incredibly high upside for this week's race, making him a must-start option for all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 12:24 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin will start ninth for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This means that Hamlin will have scored top-10 starting positions in qualifying for both Talladega races for the first time since 2023. In 41 Cup starts at Talladega, Hamlin has two wins, 17 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.8. Through the first 33 races this season, Hamlin has four wins, 21 top-10 finishes, and a series-leading average finish of 9.1. At drafting tracks this year, Hamlin has four top-15 finishes in five races. Hamlin's high starting position does not provide him with much upside, but his overall top-15 consistency at drafting tracks does make him a decent tournament option to consider. Fantasy players, however, may want to look for other options with more upside and better track history than Hamlin in other formats.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 12:18 PM ET

The Championship Points Leader, Kyle Larson, is starting in 10th for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. With his starting position this week, Larson will now have back-to-back top-10 starting positions in consecutive Talladega Cup races for the first time since 2023. In 23 Cup races at Talladega, Larson has five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 22.0. After 33 races this season, Larson has two wins, 19 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.1. Larson only has one top-20 finish this year at drafting tracks, with the rest of his results at the track type being outside the top 30. With his starting position having low upside and his history of unfavorable results at drafting tracks, Larson is not recommended for most DFS formats outside of tournaments. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 12:11 PM ET

William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports is starting in the 17th position after qualifying for this week's race at Talladega Superspeedway, the YellaWood 500. This will be Byron's lowest starting position in a Cup race at Talladega since April 2023. In 17 Cup starts at Talladega, Byron has seven top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.6. With 33 races completed so far this season, Byron has 15 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.4. At drafting tracks this season, Byron has two top-20 finishes and two DNFs. Byron has decent upside from his starting position for this week's race, with equipment capable of competing for a top-10 finish. Fantasy players can consider Byron a playable option in all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 11:59 AM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will start 18th after qualifying for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This will be the fifth year in a row that Elliott failed to qualify inside the top 10 at the Fall Talladega Cup race. In 21 Cup starts at Talladega, Elliott has two wins, 10 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.8, which is third-best of all drivers in the field this week. Through 33 races this year, Elliott has two wins, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.6. Elliott also has four finishes of 13th or better at drafting tracks this season, including a finish of fourth at Talladega in the Spring. The No. 9 Chevrolet driver has favorable upside and is one of the more consistent drivers in finishing well at Talladega. Fantasy players can consider rostering Elliott in all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 11:53 AM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs qualified eighth for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday. It will be the fifth time in his Cup career that Gibbs will start inside the top 10. In eight prior Talladega Cup starts, Gibbs has one top-10 finish and an average finish of 23.9. After 33 races so far this season, Gibbs has two wins, 19 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.8. Gibbs only has one top-10 finish and three DNFs at the drafting tracks. Because he starts near the front, Gibbs has little upside, making him risky to use in DFS for Talladega this week. Although he has the equipment to compete for a top-10 finish, fantasy players are better off considering other drivers with more upside than Gibbs, whose history at drafting tracks is inconsistent. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 11:45 AM ET

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing is starting in 25th for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This will be the lowest starting position for Wallace since the October 2024 race at Talladega. In 17 Cup starts at Talladega, Wallace has one win, four top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 19.6. Wallace also placed in the top 10 in three of the last four Talladega races. In 33 Cup races completed this season, Wallace has 15 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.0. This also includes three top-20 finishes at drafting tracks this year. With his starting position in the middle of the pack, Wallace has plenty of upside and some of the best equipment in the field. Expect Wallace to be one of the more favorable DFS options to consider for this week's race.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 11:37 AM ET

Shane Van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing will start in the fourth position for the YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. This marks the first time that Van Gisbergen will start inside the top five in a Cup race at the site. In five races at Talladega, SVG has three top-20 finishes with a best finish of 11th and an average finish of 20.6. After 33 races so far this year, Van Gisbergen has two wins, nine top-10 finishes, with two of them being at drafting tracks, and an average finish of 18.6. SVG is not an ideal driver to consider for DFS lineups due to his high starting position. He carries a high risk of losing Place Differential and has low upside, especially when drafting tracks aren't where he performs best. Fantasy players should consider other alternative drivers with more upside and cap flexibility than Van Gisbergen at Talladega this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 25, 2026, 11:33 AM ET

Ryan Blaney is one of the most feared superspeedway racers in the Cup Series, as the No. 12 Ford always seems to find its way to the front at this track type. And this weekend at Talladega, Blaney had a pretty disappointing qualifying effort, ending up just 27th-fastest on the board. And with Place Differential upside being so important for DFS players at a track like Talladega, does that make Blaney a must-play this weekend? Not so fast. There's no doubt that the upside is there for a driver like Ryan Blaney this weekend, especially when you consider that he went on a three-race streak of first- or second-place finishes here in 2022 and 2023. However, int he five races since then, the No. 12 Ford hasn't finished better than 20th, and in three of the last four, this team has wrecked out and ended up in 37th-place or worse. The Place Differential upside for Blaney at Talladega this weekend is definitely there, but a contrarian play would definitely be to go underweight on the Team Penske driver in tournaments.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Sports Illustrated