March 22, 2026
Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 22nd position for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This is the lowest starting position for Bell in the Cup Series at Darlington since joining JGR in 2021. In 13 Cup races at the South Carolina track, the No. 20 Toyota driver has nine top-20 finishes, including four inside the top 10, and an average finish of 15.3. Through five races so far this season, Bell has an average finish of 13.0 with three top-5 finishes and is currently sixth in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race, Bell ranked 27th in overall lap averages and as high as 24th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Bell's practice speeds were slow, but his Darlington track history has been decent. Since he drives for one of the top Cup Series teams in terms of equipment, Bell should not be fully underestimated for this week's race, but he is more favored in cash games than tournaments for DFS due to his upside from starting in the middle of the pack.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 22, 2026
Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the third position for Darlington Raceway's Goodyear 400 after qualifying. This will be Elliott's first top-5 starting position in a Darlington Cup race since 2021. In 18 Cup races at the site, Elliott has eight top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.9. He also scored Positive Place Differential in each of the last six Darlington Cup races. After five races this year, Elliott sits fifth in the regular-season standings with an average finish of 9.4 and three top-10 finishes. In practice for this week's Cup race, Elliott ranked 19th in overall lap averages while ranking 26th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Although his practice speeds were underwhelming, his overall positive track history still makes Elliott a driver who should not be overlooked for this week's race. However, the limited upside from his high starting position makes him playable only in tournament DFS contests.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 22, 2026
Joey Logano of Team Penske will start 29th in the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway after setting a slower lap during qualifying. This is the lowest starting position for Logano in a Cup race at Darlington since his first race at the site with Penske in 2013. In 24 races at Darlington in his Cup career, Logano has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.6. Through the first five races this season, Logano has four top-20 finishes and scored positive Place Differential three times. In practice for Sunday's race at Darlington, Logano ranked 35th in overall lap averages, 28th in 10 consecutive lap averages, and 29th in 15 consecutive lap averages. Despite a favorable track history at Darlington, Logano's practice speeds were among the slowest in the field this week and did not improve during qualifying. It is because of his car's speed and slow start to the year that Logano is not recommended in general for DFS this week. The No. 22 Ford driver is only playable in cash lineups due to his potential ceiling from starting in the rear of the field.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 22, 2026
Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start 25th after qualifying for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This will be the fourth time that Chastain will start outside of the top 20 at the site since 2023. In 13 cup starts at Darlington, Chastain has seven finishes, including each of the last five, inside the top 15 with an overall average finish of 17.0. With five Cup races completed so far this season, Chastain has three top-20 finishes, including one inside the top five, and an average finish of 20.6 while ranking 20th in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race at Darlington, Chastain ranked 36th in overall lap averages while displaying top-20 speeds in the 25 and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Despite his underwhelming start to the 2026 season, Darlington is a solid track historically for Chastain. Considering his starting position, which offers respectable upside, he is a driver who can be considered for all DFS formats, especially cash games.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 22, 2026
Kyle Busch of Richard Childress Racing is starting this Sunday's race at Darlington Raceway, the Goodyear 400, from the eighth position. This matches his starting position from this race one year ago, which was his best since joining RCR in 2023. In 28 races at Darlington, Busch has one win, 17 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.1, which ranks sixth among active drivers. After five Cup races so far this season, Busch has three top-20 finishes, an average finish of 21.2, and sits 22nd in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's race, Busch ranked 22nd in overall lap averages but ranked fourth in 10 consecutive lap averages, third in 15 consecutive lap averages, and sixth in 20 consecutive lap averages. Although Busch qualified inside the top 10, he does not carry much PD upside based on his starting position. However, his practice speeds being faster on longer runs and his solid Darlington track history do make Busch a driver to consider for tournaments, as someone with low rostership who should aim to maintain a top-10 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 22, 2026
Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing will start in fifth position for Sunday's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. It will be the first time since Atlanta in February that Keselowski will start inside the top 10 this season. In 24 starts at Darlington, the No. 6 Ford driver has two wins, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.1, which ranks third-best among active drivers. After five races so far this season, Keselowski has five top-20 finishes with two inside the top 10. He is also 12th in the regular-season standings so far. In practice for this week's race at Darlington, Keselowski ranked third in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories, including fourth in 25 consecutive lap averages. Due to his high starting position, Keselowski does not carry much upside. However, his great track history at Darlington and fast practice speeds make him a solid contrarian tournament option for DFS.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 22, 2026
Spire Motorsports driver Daniel Suarez will start in the 11th position for this week's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. This will be the best starting position for the No. 7 Chevrolet driver since May 2023 at the South Carolina track. In 16 Cup starts at Darlington, Suarez has six top-20 finishes, with only one inside the top 10, and an average finish of 23.1. Through five races so far this season, Suarez has three top-20 finishes with an average finish of 18.2 and is currently tied for 16th in the regular-season points standings. In practice for this week's race, Suarez ranked 29th in overall lap averages, displaying top-10 speeds in the 10, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Despite solid practice speeds on the longer run, Suarez's overall track history at Darlington and low upside make him a DFS risk this week. These factors make Suarez only playable in tournament lineups in DFS this week overall.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 16, 2026
Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing won the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday with the best car in the field. Hamlin started the race from second, but quickly took the lead from Christopher Bell after two laps. The No. 11 Toyota driver led most of the first stage, but in the final couple of laps, his car experienced enough tire wear that he lost grip, causing him to be slow enough for Bell and Kyle Larson to pass him. Hamlin obtained eight stage points as a result of finishing third at the end of the first stage. During the pit stop between the first and second stage, Hamlin sped on pit road, sending him to the back of the pack on a penalty. Hamlin spent the rest of the second stage trying to recover from the penalty, and he did, making it up to fifth by the end of the stage and collecting six more stage points. In the final stage, Hamlin continued his ascent to the front and passed William Byron for the lead on lap 185. Outside of a caution that caused him to restart second, Hamlin dominated the rest of the stage to earn his third Las Vegas victory, holding off Chase Elliott at the end before his car's tires completely wore out. With his first victory of the 2026 season, Hamlin now moves to fourth in the regular-season standings.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
March 16, 2026
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott finished Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the runner-up. Elliott began the race mid-way through the pack in the 15th position, but progressively worked to the front over time. In the first stage, he made it up from 15th all the way to the eighth position, ending the first stage with three stage points. In the second stage, Elliott started making it to the top five, peaking at third, but by the end of the stage, he faded back to ninth and earned two more stage points. In the final stage, Elliott returned to the top five and stayed there as his car improved on handling and speed to compete for the win. Elliott made it up to second and, in the closing laps, was chasing Denny Hamlin for the win, but the race ended before Elliott could fully catch up and make a move for the win. This was Elliott's first top-5 finish in the Next-Gen car at Las Vegas, and he is now fifth in the regular-season standings after five races.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
March 16, 2026
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports finished in third place for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver first started the race from ninth, but quietly gained a few positions in the first stage. By the end of the stage, he made it to sixth and earned five stage points. In the second stage, Byron made it to the top five and helped his teammate Kyle Larson obtain the lead. He eventually got by Christopher Bell and then, in the closing laps of the second stage, passed Larson and went on to win the second stage. In the final stage, Byron began by fighting with Larson for the lead and eventually getting ahead of him for a couple of laps, until Denny Hamlin made it to the front and passed Byron. From there, Byron never saw the lead again, but ran most of the race inside the top five and kept his car clean until he eventually finished third behind Hamlin and his other teammate, Chase Elliott. This was Byron's best Las Vegas Cup finish since his win at the site in March 2023, and he is now seventh in the regular-season standings after five races.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
March 16, 2026
Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell was highly competitive and was one of the top drivers in Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but did not get the victory. Bell started the race at the front in the pole position, but quickly lost the lead to his teammate Denny Hamlin after the opening two laps. He then lost further positions to his other teammate, Ty Gibbs, and Kyle Larson before the first round of green flag pit stops. From there, the No. 20 team improved the car, and Bell returned to the lead and never looked back for the rest of the stage, winning and nabbing 10 stage points. In the second stage, Bell ran inside the top five throughout most of the stage. Although he challenged Larson and William Byron for the lead at a few points, Bell could not keep up and ended the stage in third. In the final stage, Bell continued to run in the top five, and although there were a few points where he was competing for the lead, he could not keep up with Hamlin, Chase Elliott, and William Byron, settling for fourth place by the end of the race. This was Bell's third consecutive top-5 result of the season and now sits sixth in regular-season points after five races.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
March 16, 2026
Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports finished in the seventh position for Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Larson began the race from the fifth position with one of the fastest cars early on. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver went from fifth to finishing second at the end of the first stage behind Christopher Bell, scoring nine stage points. In the second stage, Larson made his way to the lead thanks to a push from his teammate William Byron. Larson eventually went on to lead 62 laps, the second-most of all drivers for the day, but lost out on the lead to Byron at the end of stage two. Nine more stage points were scored for Larson. Although Larson started the final stage in the lead thanks to winning the race off of pit road during the stage break, he quickly lost the lead again to Byron after a restart. Larson kept his car clean for the rest of the race, but it lacked the handling to keep up with the top competitors. The Hendrick driver placed seventh, earning his seventh consecutive top-10 finish at Las Vegas. Larson now sits eighth in the regular-season points standings after five races this year.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
March 15, 2026
After last week's disappointing second-place finish at Phoenix (after dominating for most of the race), Christopher Bell has picked up where he left off and the No. 20 team has brought another hot rod to the track this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In practice on Saturday, Christopher Bell was the quickest, and then he went out and posted the fastest lap time in qualifying as well. That means Bell and the No. 20 Toyota will lead the field to the green for this year's Pennzoil 400. The last time Bell started on the pole at this race track, he led 155 laps en route to a second-place finish. Most likely, the main dominator for Sunday's Pennzoil 400 is going to be either Christopher Bell or his teammate, Denny Hamlin. They're both solid DFS picks for this race.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
March 15, 2026
Don't be surprised if Denny Hamlin contends for another win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is a two-time winner in Sin City, and is also the most recent winner, as the No. 11 Toyota went to victory lane last October despite only leading nine laps after starting on the pole. Hamlin's other Las Vegas win came back in the 2021 fall race. In addition to those two wins, Hamlin's track record at Vegas is solid, with results of 11th or better in nine of the last 11 races, five of which were also top-five finishes. The No. 11 Toyoya was also a standout in practice on Saturday, posting the fastest 10-lap average while ranking second-best in 30-lap average. Barring any major issues during the race on Sunday afternoon, you can expect Denny Hamlin to contend for the race win at Las Vegas yet again.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: NASCAR.com
March 15, 2026
One of the surprises in qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend was Chase Briscoe, who was one of the best at getting a good starting spot in the Cup Series last season. However, Briscoe disappointed a bit this weekend, and he will start back in 18th for Sunday afternoon's Pennzoil 400. What made it even more surprising is that Briscoe's teammates (Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Ty Gibbs) qualified first, second, and third for this race. However, as the old mantra says, it's not where you start, it's where you finish, and Briscoe should be just fine on race day. He finished fourth here at Las Vegas last fall, and over the last four high-speed 1.5-mile tracks overall, he has ended up inside the top five each time. At just $9,200 on DraftKings and with the Place Differential upside he has, Chase Briscoe is a great DFS play on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: On3
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