March 8, 2026

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports is starting 26th after qualifying for the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet qualified in the lowest starting position of his Cup career in a race at the Arizona track. In 19 races at Phoenix, Elliott has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.1, which ranks fifth-best of all drivers in the field this week. Elliott has finished in the top 10 in each of his last three Phoenix races as well. In practice for this week's race, Elliott ranked 27th in overall lap averages, 20th in 15 consecutive lap averages, and 18th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Historically, Elliott has been great at Phoenix, but his practice speeds indicated only a top-20-capable car. Despite that, Elliott does have a high DFS ceiling and should be worth consideration for all formats as a result.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

March 8, 2026

RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher will start in 17th for the Straight Talk Wireless 400 at Phoenix Raceway. Despite having a flat tire and some small damage, Buescher will start in the top 20 for the third consecutive race in a row at the Arizona track. In 20 races at Phoenix, Buescher has 13 top-20 finishes, including six consecutive top-15 finishes at the site going into this week's race. In practice for this week's race, Buescher ranked first in overall lap averages and sixth in both 10 and 15 consecutive lap averages. Buescher's practice speeds indicate that he has one of the fastest cars in the field and is highly capable of a top-10 finish. Fantasy players should not underestimate Buescher, especially considering his solid finish consistency at Phoenix.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

March 8, 2026

In the early days of the Next Gen car, Ross Chastain was one of the best at Phoenix Raceway. He posted a pair of podium finishes here in 2022, and then went on to win the Championship race here in 2023. Since then, though, Ross has taken a step back on speed, as his driver rating hasn't been better than 93.1 over the last four races. This weekend, though, it looks like Chastain could be well on his way to getting back on track at Phoenix. In addition to qualifying sixth for Sunday's Straight Talk Wireless 500, Chastain also looked phenomenal in practice, ranking third or better in 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average. At his $8.8K salary on DraftKings, Chastain makes for a very attractive tournament option / leverage pick in DFS on Sunday. --Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

March 8, 2026

Josh Berry is an ace at racing short, flat tracks, and that should be on display this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. In the two races here last season, Berry walked away with fourth- and seventh-place finishes, and when you look over at New Hampshire (a very comparable race track), he has a pair of podium finishes over the last two years there. The Team Penske affiliation also helps Josh Berry have speed with his Ford Mustang Dark Horse, particularly on the long runs. With a qualifying effort of 10th-place for this weekend's Straight Talk Wireless 500, there's no doubt that Berry should be able to contend for another top-10 finish at Phoenix on Sunday. Could we be talking a potential race win, though? It's not likely, but it wouldn't be surprising. Berry ranked seventh-best at short, flat tracks last season.--Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

March 8, 2026

Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing will start in the 37th and final position after he failed to post a lap in qualifying. The No. 6 Ford driver skipped qualifying after his car was damaged in a crash during practice and will need to go to a backup car for the first time in his career at a Phoenix race. In 33 total starts at the site, Keselowski has 15 top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish in his last appearance there, and an average finish of 13.9. In practice, Keselowski ranked 35th in overall lap averages and as high as 20th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Considering that Keselowski will be in a backup car and starting from the rear, no driver has more upside than Keselowski, making him an excellent option to consider for all DFS formats, especially in cash games.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

March 8, 2026

Tyler Reddick spun his No. 45 Toyota in practice at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday afternoon, although it's important to note that the 23XI Racing driver didn't hit anything when doing so. Reddick was able to qualifying his race car later that day and will start from eighth-place for Sunday's Straight Talk Wireless 500. All eyes will be on Reddick as he looks to become the first-ever NASCAR driver to win the first four races of the season. Can it be done? Anything is possible, but Reddick has never truly been a standout performer at Phoenix Raceway. Still, he has three top-10 finishes in the last six races here and should be able to contend for another one this weekend. Before his spin in practice, Reddick ranked 12th-fastest in terms of 20-lap average.--Jordan McAbee
Source: NASCAR

March 8, 2026

Don't be surprised if William Byron is a contender in Sunday afternoon's Straight Talk Wireless 500, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver has been a constant threat at Phoenix Raceway in the Next Gen era. Looking at the last six races on this one-mile track, Willy B has one victory, four finishes of sixth or better, and has led 52 or more laps in four of those six races. This weekend, Byron will roll off the starting grid from ninth-place, which gives him some Place Differential upside in DFS contests as well as his race-winning potential. Byron wasn't a standout in practice this weekend, but his track history has to count for something here. Make sure you don't overlook William Byron ($10.7K on DraftKings) this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Driver Averages

March 8, 2026

Don't overlook Kyle Larson in this weekend's Straight Talk Wireless 500. The Hendrick Motorsports driver qualified on the outside pole for Sunday's race, and has finished fourth or better in five of the last six races at Phoenix Raceway. Now, Larson only has one win here: a victory back in the 2021 Championship race, but the No. 5 Chevrolet has been one of the strongest at this track on an annual basis. As far as DraftKings playability goes for this race, Larson is a very interesting tournament/leverage option, as he's likely to be overlooked by DFS players. However, with his strong track record and solid starting position, there's a good chance that Larson could dominate a portion of this race this weekend--and contend for the win. Make sure you have some Yung Money exposure this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Jayski

March 8, 2026

23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace is starting 28th after qualifying for the Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway. This will be Wallace's lowest starting position in a Phoenix Cup race since November 2024. In 16 races at the Arizona track, Wallace has eight top-20 finishes, with only three top-10s. The No. 23 Toyota driver has been great to start the 2026 season, as he placed 11th or better in the first three races of the year with two top-10s. In practice for Sunday's race, Wallace ranked 34th in overall lap averages, 17th in 15 consecutive lap averages, and 16th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Due to his underwhelming qualifying effort, Wallace will start deeper in the field with plenty of upside. Considering his equipment and practice speeds, fantasy players should consider Wallace playable in all DFS formats, but especially in cash games.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

March 8, 2026

Anthony Alfredo will start 31st in this week's Straight Talk Wireless 500, taking place at Phoenix Raceway. Alfredo is filling in for Alex Bowman in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet, who will not be racing after being diagnosed with vertigo earlier in the week. This week, Alfredo is making his first Cup Series appearance at Phoenix since 2021, when he raced there with Front Row Motorsports as a rookie driver. In two Cup starts at Phoenix, Alfredo's best finish is 34th, but he also has two top-10 finishes at the site in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, including a finish of 10th earlier in the weekend. In practice for Sunday's race, Alfredo displayed top-15 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories, including fifth in 30 consecutive lap averages. Despite little Cup experience outside of drafting tracks, Alfredo will be in top-notch equipment and has already performed well in practice. Fantasy players should consider rostering Alfredo in DFS lineups this week, especially with his high upside offered by his starting position.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

March 2, 2026

Ryan Blaney was one of the top contenders for the win throughout the DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Blaney began the race from the fourth position, but progressed to the front as the first stage progressed. The No. 12 Team Penske Ford driver then obtained the lead from Chase Briscoe on lap 9 and led the rest of the first stage until his first pit stop on lap 18. Blaney ended the first stage in 14th and did not earn any stage points, but he shuffled back to the lead at the beginning of the second stage. However, Blaney was quickly passed by Tyler Reddick for the lead, and then spent most of the stage trailing in second behind Reddick. Blaney went to pit again two laps before the end of the second stage, but was far enough ahead of the rest of the field to lose only a few positions. The No. 12 Ford driver ended the second stage in seventh and gained four stage points. In the final stage, Blaney cycled back to second and was chasing Reddick through most of the stage until a restart after a lap 75 caution for Ross Chastain losing a wheel. Blaney was then passed by Shane Van Gisbergen and settled into third until the closing laps, when Blaney lost grip in his tires and kept losing positions. He eventually finished the race in eighth place, earning his best finish at COTA since 2022.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

March 2, 2026

Ty Gibbs from Joe Gibbs Racing finished in fourth place after having a quiet, but productive points day in the DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Gibbs began the race in ninth, but was gaining positions through the first stage. The No. 54 Toyota driver avoided pit road through the first stage and made it to sixth by the end of it, scoring five stage points. In the second stage, Gibbs fell back due to pitting between stages, but regained positions through the stage. Eventually, other drivers decided to head to pit road before the end of the second stage, and Gibbs stayed away from the pits once again. This time, Gibbs won the second stage and gained 10 further stage points. In the final stage, Gibbs pitted again between stages and restarted in the middle of the pack. The JGR driver spent the rest of the stage keeping his car clean and picking off drivers one at a time. Gibbs then made his final pass on Ryan Blaney on lap 87 to capture fourth and finished there a few laps later. This was Gibbs' second career top-5 finish at COTA, and he now sits 19th in the points standings after three races in the 2026 season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

March 2, 2026

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing finished third after having an up-and-down day at Circuit of the Americas during the DuraMAX Grand Prix. Bell started the race from eighth place, and early on in the first stage, he made it up to the top five. The No. 20 Toyota driver then dropped to sixth before heading to pit road with four laps before the end of the stage. This left Bell to finish in 28th at the end of the first stage after many other drivers stayed out of pit road. Through the entire second stage, Bell was stuck in traffic and could barely make moves through the pack. He ended the second stage in 15th and failed to score stage points through the entire race. At one point in the final stage, Bell traded paint a few times with Kyle Larson, but was able to continue. The No. 20 team decided to split the stage into two pit stops in order to win the race with a unique pit strategy, first enacting the plan with a lap 62 pit stop. Bell took his second pit stop during a lap 75 caution, which put him a couple of positions back, but he regained them over the course of the final run and made it up to third. The JGR driver did not have the speed to advance past third and finished there, earning his third consecutive top-5 finish at COTA.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

March 2, 2026

Shane Van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing finished in second place in the DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. The No. 97 Chevrolet driver started the race in 13th place, but quickly made progress through the field in the first stage. SVG hit the top 10 in less than a lap and made it to third in 14 laps. By the end of the first stage, SVG placed second and earned stage points behind his teammate Ross Chastain. In the second stage, Van Gisbergen started back in the middle of the pack in 16th after pitting between stages, but quickly made it back to the top 10 in a lap. SVG made it up to the top five before heading to pit road two laps before the end of the stage. After returning to the track, SVG ended the second stage in 10th and added one more stage point. In the final stage, SVG was back inside the top five and slowly progressed to the front as the stage got closer to the end. SVG passed William Byron and Ryan Blaney before closing the gap to Tyler Reddick to compete for the win. Unfortunately for Van Gisbergen, he could not muster enough speed to get past Reddick, who made no mistakes, and left the Trackhouse driver finishing as the runner-up for the first time at COTA in the Cup Series, and also ending his streak of consecutive road course races at five wins.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

March 2, 2026

23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick made NASCAR history by winning the DuraMAX Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, his third consecutive win to open the 2026 season. The No. 45 Toyota driver started the race in first after scoring the pole position in qualifying. In the first stage, Reddick focused on saving his tires and keeping the car in one piece, but this caused him to drop to the back half of the top 10. Although Reddick started to regain ground, he ended up pitting before the end of the first stage and dropped back to 18th, his final position at the end of the stage. In the second stage, Reddick shuffled back to the front after other drivers went to pit road for tires and fuel, taking the lead from Ryan Blaney. Reddick went on to dominate most of the stage until he pitted before the end of the second stage. Despite giving up the lead, Reddick maintained a large enough gap to the rest of the field outside of Ryan Blaney, who followed closely behind in the entire stage, to only fall to fifth, where he finished the stage. In the final stage, Reddick controlled the race once again from the lead after others went to pit road and never looked back. Despite Blaney and eventually Shane Van Gisbergen challenging Reddick for the win, the No. 45 driver could not be passed. No driver in modern NASCAR history has ever won the opening three races of the season until Reddick accomplished the feat this year, and also became the first driver to score two wins at COTA.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com