Jun 7, 2026, 12:41 PM ET

Daniel Suarez will start 11th after qualifying for the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. This is the highest starting position for Suarez at the site in a Cup race since 2019. In 13 Cup races in his career at Michigan, Suarez has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.2. Through the first 14 races this season, Suarez has one win, four top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.3. In practice for this week's race, Suarez ranked 13th in five consecutive lap averages and fifth in overall lap averages. With his starting position being close to the top 10, Suarez does not carry much upside for DFS. However, the No. 7 Chevrolet driver does showcase enough speed and favorable history to justify starting in tournaments, especially as he could be a sneaky top-10 option.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Jun 7, 2026, 9:26 AM ET

Denny Hamlin won the pole for this weekend's FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway, but due to damage to his car's underbody during practice, Hamlin will have to start the race from the rear of the field on Sunday. This puts DFS players in a very interesting spot. Hamlin is the defending winner at Michigan and has finished sixth or better in seven of the last eight races at this track. Additionally, the No. 11 Toyota has been the fastest car on intermediate tracks this season, so there's no doubt that Hamlin could win this race this weekend. But with him having to go to the rear at the start, that limits Denny's dominator upside, which is a big deal considering he is the highest-priced driver on the slate. More DFS players than usual are going to stay away from Hamlin on Sunday, so this may be the time to go overweight on him in tournaments. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Beyond The Flag

Jun 7, 2026, 9:23 AM ET

Chase Elliott used to be the man at Michigan International Speedway. In his first three starts in the Irish Hills, the Hendrick Motorsports driver finished second each time, and over his first 11 starts overall, he walked away with a finish of ninth or better 10 times. Since then, though? It's been a tough road for Chase Elliott, though. Ever since the Next Gen car was introduced in 2022, Elliott hasn't finished better than 11th at Michigan, and that includes two 15th-place finishes here over the last two seasons. However, he led 19 and 29 laps in those two races, so it's not like Chase isn't getting to the front. The No. 9 Chevrolet has shown good speed on intermediate tracks this year and is a very affordable DFS option at just $9,300 on DraftKings. Elliott is a solid tournament DFS play this weekend. --Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

Jun 7, 2026, 9:21 AM ET

Chris Buescher has something figured out at Michigan International Speedway. Over the last three races at the two-mile track, the Roush-Fenway Keselowski Racing driver has the best average finish (3.0) and the best average driver rating (111.0) of any driver in the series. His No. 17 Ford has shown good speed on the intermediate tracks in 2026 as well, so it's safe to assume that Buescher should have solid pace here on Sunday. As far as DFS goes, Buescher qualified 14th for the FireKeepers Casino 400, so he has nice Place Differential upside as well as race-winning potential. You couldn't ask for more out of a driver priced $8,900 on DraftKings. In practice on Saturday, Buescher ranked seventh-fastest in terms of 10-lap average, which is a good sign for that team heading into race day.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Jayski

Jun 7, 2026, 9:16 AM ET

Last year at Michigan International Speedway, Carson Hocevar looked well on his way to grabbing his first Cup Series win, but the universe had other plans. A flat tire doomed the No. 77 Chevrolet and Hocevar was relegated to a 29th-place finish on the day. Still, though, the Spire Motorsports car had enough speed to win in the Irish Hills. Flash forward to this weekend, and it looks like the team brought a similar hot rod. Hocevar qualified second for Sunday afternoon's FireKeepers Casino 400, and he seemed very pleased with his car after practice as well. As far as DFS goes, Hocevar comes in at a very affordable $8,700 on DraftKings, and he has some dominator potential as well. With the speed this No. 77 Chevrolet showed in the Michigan race last year, it's definitely worth rolling the dice Hocevar again this weekend--just don't go too crazy.--Jordan McAbee
Source: AP News

Jun 7, 2026, 9:11 AM ET

After yet another bad finish at Nashville last weekend, Ross Chastain's terrible bad luck season shows no signs of letting up. The Trackhouse Racing driver now has an average finish of 22.4 through the first 14 races of 2026, with only two top-15 results during that span. And this week at Michigan, DFS players will be looking at Chastain yet again, as the No. 1 Chevrolet was just 32nd-fastest in qualifying, giving the "Melon Man" very high Place Differential upside in daily fantasy contests. On top of that, Ross has been fast here at Michigan as of late, and he finished sixth in this race last year after starting back in 20th. Chastain was sixth-fastest in practice this weekend as well. On paper, Ross is a good DFS pick for the FireKeepers Casino 400, but the question is, can you trust him?--Jordan McAbee
Source: Speedway Digest

Jun 7, 2026, 9:08 AM ET

Michigan International Speedway is Brad Keselowski's home track, and although he has never gotten a win in the Irish Hills, his track record is quite impressive. Brad is currently on a three-race streak of top-10 finishes at the two-mile oval, and has finished inside the top 10 in 16 of his 28 career starts (57.1%). This weekend, Brad will have some work to do in the FireKeepers Casino 400, though, as he will roll off the starting grid from 26th-place when the race goes green. However, that shouldn't be too big of a deal, as Keselowski started 27th in this race last year and made his way up to 10th by the time of the checkered flag. In DFS, Keselowski makes for a great pick due to his high Place Differential upside and relatively cheap salary ($7,900 on DraftKings).--Jordan McAbee
Source: Jayski

Jun 1, 2026, 12:52 PM ET

Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing won for the first time at Nashville Superspeedway in the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday Night in the Cracker Barrel 400. It did not come easily, however, as Hamlin jumped the initial restart and had to do a pit road pass-through penalty, sending him to the back of the pack from the start. It would not be until lap 103 in the second stage that Hamlin would regain a position in the top 10. Even then, Hamlin quietly made effective use of pit strategies and had a fast enough car to make it back to fifth by the end of the second stage. In the final stage, he finally recovered to the lead after staying off pit road during the stage break and led the race until being passed by his teammate, Christopher Bell, on lap 245. Hamlin then went to pit road early before Bell on lap 257, hoping to use fresher tires to beat Bell, but was not fast enough to beat him without a caution that came up on lap 293, leading to the race's final restart on lap 297. Hamlin faced off with Bell and their other teammate, Chase Briscoe, in the closing laps, but it was on the final lap that Hamlin cleared both Bell and Briscoe to get his second victory of the 2026 season. This win kept Hamlin second in the regular season standings behind Tyler Reddick, but cut the gap between them to 97 points with 14 races completed. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Jun 1, 2026, 12:48 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell had the fastest car of the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, but could not translate the speed into a victory on Sunday night. Bell started the race from fourth and ran inside the top five through most of the first stage. The No. 20 Toyota driver fought with Tyler Reddick, Shane Van Gisbergen, and Kyle Larson for the lead at various points in the stage, but was unable to make it to the front. Bell ended the first stage in 20th after he was shuffled to the back of the pack after pit stops on lap 72 and could not make up ground from drivers who took no or two tires on pit road. In the second stage, Bell worked his way up through the pack over time on track and through pit stops, but only made it up to eighth, earning three stage points. The first half of the final stage saw Bell chase down his teammates, Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, for the lead. He was able to successfully get by both of them by lap 245 and even maintained the lead through pit stops until the race's final restart on lap 297. Bell raced side-by-side with Hamlin and Briscoe all the way to the final lap, but Hamlin cleared Bell to win the race, leaving Bell as the runner-up for the second week in a row. With his best career finish at Nashville, Bell moves to seventh in the regular season standings after 14 races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Jun 1, 2026, 12:45 PM ET

Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing was one of the main contenders for the win in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday night. Briscoe started the race from 31st position after qualifying was canceled on Saturday and spent the first stage trying to move up through the pack. Thanks to the top-notch speed of his car and some pit strategies, Briscoe went from 31st all the way to eighth by the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Briscoe finally advanced to the lead past Kyle Larson on lap 127 until he went for a green flag pit stop for tires and fuel on lap 140. Due to a caution a couple of laps later, however, Briscoe got shuffled back in the pack as he fell off the lead lap. After taking the wave around, he spent the rest of the stage recovering positions, but only made it up to ninth by the end of the stage. In the final stage, Briscoe made it back to the top five and spent the first half of the stage chasing down his teammate Denny Hamlin for the lead. Briscoe was unable to pass Hamlin, and his other teammate, Christopher Bell, also passed them both. Briscoe then passed Hamlin for second, but then went to pit road on lap 259 after Hamlin pitted two laps prior. Despite running ahead of Hamlin after pit stops, Briscoe then went to chase Bell until the race's final restart on lap 297. On the final lap, Briscoe attempted to go three-wide with Bell and Hamlin for the win, but was unable to move his car past his teammates and settled for third. This was a new career-best finish for Briscoe at Nashville, and he is now 14th in the regular season standings after 14 races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Jun 1, 2026, 12:45 PM ET

Team Penske's Ryan Blaney ended with a solid finish of eighth at the end of the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Blaney started seventh in the race and quietly ran inside the top 10 through the entire first stage. On lap 72, the No. 12 Ford driver made a call to get two tires instead of four for a caution to gain track position. The call worked as Blaney then competed for the stage win alongside A.J. Allmendinger and Kyle Larson, but fell behind both of them to end the stage in third and score eight stage points. In the second stage, Blaney started from second, but lost a few positions to be in the back half of the top five until a caution on lap 146 shuffled him back to the lead. Blaney lost the lead again after pitting during a lap 173 caution and put himself further back in the pack. The No. 12 Ford driver tried regaining positions, but only made it up to 14th and failed to earn further stage points at the end of the second stage. In the final stage, Blaney quietly rode around the top 15 until he went to pit road on lap 217 during another caution. From here, Blaney attempted to save fuel and make it to the end without pitting, which worked until lap 274, when he went to pit for tires and fuel. After one last pit stop on lap 292, Blaney charged from the back to the front and made it up to his eventual finishing position of eighth. This was Blaney's fourth career top-10 finish at Nashville, and it helped move him to third in the regular season standings after 14 races.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Jun 1, 2026, 12:41 PM ET

Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports had a disappointing finish of 23rd in the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on Sunday night despite running well for most of the event. Larson began the race from the fifth position and had one of the fastest cars in the field in the first stage, as he went from fifth to the lead by halfway through the stage. Larson kept leading the race until a lap 72 caution that caused him to get four tires and fall a few positions behind the pack. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver recovered to finish second at the end of the first stage behind A.J. Allmendinger and earn nine stage points. In the second stage, Larson continued to lead until he was passed by Chase Briscoe on lap 127, then he went to pit road on lap 139. A couple of laps later, another caution occurred for Austin Dillon spinning, which put Larson behind other drivers, as some did not pit during green flag pit stops. Larson spent the rest of the stage regaining positions, but only made it up to 15th, and he failed to score further stage points. In the final stage, Larson reached back out to the top 10, where he ran for most of the stage and was about to reach the top five until he had a flat tire that caused him to spin on lap 299. The flat tire turned a potential top-10 run into a lackluster finish outside of the top 20, causing Larson's perfect streak of top-10 finishes at Nashville to end. After the 14th race of the season at Nashville, Larson is now sixth in the regular season standings.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

May 31, 2026, 5:05 PM ET

Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing is starting outside of the front row in second for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway after qualifying was canceled due to rain. In five previous starts at Nashville, Reddick has two top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6. With 13 races completed so far in the Cup Series this year, Reddick has five wins, 10 top-10 finishes, and a series-leading average finish of 5.4. In practice for this week's race, Reddick displayed top-5 speeds in all categories, including second in 15 and 20 consecutive lap averages. Based on equipment, practice speeds, and season-wide performance, Reddick is one of the top favorites to compete for the win this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

May 31, 2026, 4:58 PM ET

Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports will start in fifth for the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Larson is starting in that position after qualifying for the race was rained out on Saturday, while starting positions were awarded based on the NASCAR rulebook's metric. In five Cup starts at Nashville, Larson has one win, a series-leading average finish of 5.2, and is the only driver in the field to finish in the top 10 in all five races at the site. After 13 races so far this season, Larson has seven top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.3. In practice for this week's race, Larson displayed top-10 speeds in almost all categories, including sixth in 10 consecutive lap averages. Larson's consistency at Nashville, as well as his practice speeds and equipment, do make him a favorable DFS option, especially in tournaments as an alternative play to some of the other top drivers.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

May 31, 2026, 4:35 PM ET

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the fourth position for this week's NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, the Cracker Barrel 400. In five Cup starts at Nashville, Bell has four top-10 finishes. In the one start where he did not finish in the top 10, he did lead 131 laps and then failed to finish due to a late accident. Through 13 Cup races so far this season, Bell has five top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.6. In practice for this week's race, Bell ranked fourth in 10 consecutive lap averages, third in 15 consecutive lap averages, and fifth in 20 consecutive lap averages. Considering his practice speeds, equipment, and overall track history, Bell is one of the top favorites to compete for the win this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com