Ryan Blaney Places Fifth at Kansas After Starting in the Back 0mLink copied!

Sep 27, 2026, 2:27 PM ET

William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports will start eighth for this week's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain on Saturday. In 17 Cup starts at Kansas, Byron has 10 top-10 finishes, including the last two Cup events there, with an overall average finish of 13.8. Through the first 29 races this season, Byron has 13 top-10 finishes, including every single race at a 1.5-mile Intermediate Oval track, with an average finish of 16.2. Although Byron doesn't offer high upside from his starting position, his overall consistency at this track type and at Kansas in the past makes him worth consideration for all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 27, 2026, 2:19 PM ET

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar is starting in fourth for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. This will be the highest starting position of Hocevar's Cup career in a Kansas race. In six prior Cup starts at the site, Hocevar's best finish is 13th with an average finish of 24.0. After 29 races completed this year, Hocevar has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.8. Hocevar does not have a favorable track history at Kansas and has a high starting position, putting him at risk of losing Place Differential. Because of his history at Kansas and low upside, Hocevar is recommended only for tournament lineups, but even then, other racers offer more upside in his salary range.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 27, 2026, 2:11 PM ET

Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start 12th for the Hollywood Casino 400 after practice and qualifying were canceled due to rain. In 21 Cup starts at Kansas, Buescher has six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.6. Buescher has also placed in the top 15 in each of the last five Kansas Cup races. In 29 races completed this season, Buescher has 10 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.4. Kansas has been one of Buescher's better tracks over the past couple of seasons. Considering his equipment and track history in relation to his starting position, he is a solid driver to consider for all DFS formats with a chance of placing in the top 10.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 27, 2026, 1:48 PM ET

Team Penske's Austin Cindric will be starting 11th in this week's race at Kansas Speedway, the Hollywood Casino 400, after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather. In 10 Cup starts at Kansas, Cindric's best finish at the site is 11th, with an average finish of 23.1. Through 29 races so far this season, Cindric has seven top-10 finishes and an average finish of 16.6. Cindric's starting position just outside of the top 10 does not provide much upside in comparison to other drivers around his salary range. Considering his track history at Kansas, Cindric is difficult to recommend for most lineups in this week's race. Fantasy players looking to use the No. 2 Ford driver this week should mainly consider him as a contrarian option for tournaments.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 27, 2026, 1:28 PM ET

Ryan Preece will start in the ninth position for the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. It will be the first time that Preece will start inside the top 10 in a Cup Series race at the site. In 13 previous races at Kansas, Preece has only one top-10 finish, but has finished 11th or better in two of the last three races at the site. After 29 races completed this season, Preece has nine top-10 finishes and one win with an average finish of 16.1. With his starting position being close to the front, Preece does not carry as much upside as some drivers around his salary range. However, his equipment has been fast enough through several races this season and in past Kansas races that he is worth consideration in all formats, especially tournaments.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 27, 2026, 12:08 PM ET

The new points leader of the NASCAR Cup Series, Kyle Larson, is poised to have another solid run at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Thanks to qualifying being cancelled, Larson will start from second place for the Hollywood Casino 400, and he's the favorite to be the early dominator in the race. Larson has been great at Kansas Speedway as of late, with first- or second-place finishes in six of the last 10 races at the track. Earlier this spring, Larson led 78 laps en route to a second-place result. As far as DFS goes, Larson ($11.0K) is a great pick this weekend because of his dominator and race-winning upside. Although he's the highest-priced driver on the slate, there are still plenty of routes for the Hendrick driver to make it into the optimal lineup.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Speedway Digest

Sep 27, 2026, 12:04 PM ET

Look for Christopher Bell to be strong at Kansas Speedway this weekend. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has finished eighth or better in five of the last six races at this track and has also led 43 or more laps in three of the last four. This weekend, the No. 20 Toyota will roll off the starting grid from third-place, as the starting lineup was set by the metric. That starting position makes Bell a very interesting DFS tournament option, as he has little Place Differential upside, but very good dominator potential. The No. 20 Toyota has had some of the best speed at Kansas and similar tracks as of late, ranking second-best behind his teammate, Denny Hamlin, in Average Speed Index at this track type. Finish-wise, Bell has finishes of second at Chicagoland, second at Charlotte, and fourth at Las Vegas to his credit this season.--Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

Sep 27, 2026, 12:01 PM ET

Ryan Blaney's Championship hopes took a massive hit at Bristol last weekend, as the Team Penske driver had one of the best cars all night but was wrecked out and ended up finishing 33rd. If he was going to stay in the title hunt, Blaney needed a great run at Bristol. Now the Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway, and although Blaney does have two top-five finishes here over the last four races, that type of finish is by no means a guarantee. It's not a secret that the Team Penske Fords struggle a bit on the intermediate ovals, as Blaney hasn't cracked the top five on them all season. He finished seventh at Chicagoland, eighth at Michigan, seventh at Charlotte, and 10th at Texas. And while those aren't terrible finishes, they're not great by any means. Blaney ($9.8K on DraftKings) starts back in 25th for this weekend's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, and while that definitely makes him a solid Place Differential pick, you have to question whether or not that salary is worth it for a driver that may be fringe top 10 at best. --Jordan McAbee
Source: ESPN

Sep 27, 2026, 11:55 AM ET

It has been a rough couple of weeks for Chase Briscoe, who came into the Chase as a potential sleeper for the Championship. He finished 27th at Bristol last weekend after a late-race mechanical failure, and that followed a 32nd-place finish after wrecking at Gateway. The No. 19 team desperately needs a good run this weekend at Kansas, and the good news is, this could be just the track for them to get it. Chase has finished top-five in each of the last three Kansas races, including a career-best third-place run here back in the spring. Additionally, at similar tracks this season, Briscoe won at Chicagoland and came home eighth at Texas back in March. This weekend, he will start back in 23rd place for the Hollywood Casino 400, which gives the Joe Gibbs Racing driver massive Place Differential upside in DFS. At $9.6K on DraftKings, Briscoe is an excellent Place Differential daily fantasy pick to complement dominators in your lineup.--Jordan McAbee
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 27, 2026, 1:45 AM ET

It has been a while since Chase Elliott has been a contender on race day. In fact, since his win at Texas back in May, Chase has mustered just two top-10 finishes over the last 18 races, and over the last five he has ended up 23rd or worse four times. Not great for an elite driver like Elliott at an elite organization like Hendrick Motorsports. But can the No. 9 team turn it around at Kansas Speedway this weekend? Chase is the defending winner of this race at Kansas, as he won the fall event last year after starting fourth and leading 24 laps. He has some more work to do to get to the front this weekend, though, as the No. 9 Chevrolet will roll off the starting grid from 18th-place for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400. There's hope, though, as Elliott ranks fourth-fastest in Average Speed Index at Kansas and similar tracks as of late. As far as DFS goes, Chase Elliott ($9.0K on DraftKings) is a solid Place Differential pick on Sunday who could surprise some people with a good run--something we haven't seen out of him in a while.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Hendrick Motorsports

Sep 27, 2026, 1:41 AM ET

Qualifying got rained out at Kansas Speedway this weekend, which means the starting lineup was set by the metric. That also means that Alex Bowman will roll off the grid from 33rd-place for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400. That's obviously not a great start for the No. 48 team this race weekend, but it is great news for DFS players. The intermediate tracks (like Kansas) are where Bowman has excelled this season, and his 33rd-place starting spot gives him massive Place Differential upside on Sunday. Additionally, he's pretty affordable on DraftKings at his $7.3K salary. Bowman struggled here at Kansas in the spring (18th-place finish) but he wound up fifth at Chicagoland, third at Texas, and seventh at Las Vegas this season. On 1.5-mile tracks specifically, Bowman sports an average finish of 10.8, which is fourth-best among active drivers. He's not a must-play in DFS this weekend, but he's one of the best values on slate for sure. --Jordan McAbee
Source: Speedway Media

Sep 20, 2026, 9:39 PM ET

Joey Logano of Team Penske won the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after missing out on winning last week's race at World Wide Technology Raceway. Logano began the race from second place, but slipped back to third after being passed by William Byron in the opening laps. The No. 22 Ford driver remained in third until a competition caution on lap 40, when he stayed out of pit road while others went in and he inherited the lead. Logano went on to lead the rest of the laps in the first stage, and despite a challenge from Kyle Larson, Logano held on for the stage win. In the second stage, Logano went to pit road during the stage break and restarted the stage from just outside the top 15. The Penske driver then steadily moved through the field to make it back up to third by the end of the stage and earn eight more stage points. In the final stage, Logano remained inside the top five, outside of pit stops, through most of the stage. Logano tried to make gains to the front, but only made it as high as fourth until lap 494, when Ty Gibbs, Carson Hocevar, and Larson all started making contact with each other for the race win. This left a lane open for Logano to take advantage of with momentum, and he passed all three drivers without issue. After leading the final few laps of the race, Logano took his third victory of 2026 and moved to third in the championship standings. Through 29 races, Logano is now 16 points behind Larson for the championship title with seven races left in The Chase.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 20, 2026, 9:38 PM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson finished as the runner-up in Saturday Night's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after a strong performance. Larson started the race from the pole and led the opening 40 laps until a competition caution sent most drivers to pit road, including Larson. After falling behind in the pack since a couple of drivers stayed out during this caution, Larson spent the rest of the stage regaining positions. The No. 5 Chevrolet driver made it up to second by the end of the first stage, falling short of passing Joey Logano for the stage win. In the second stage, Larson was up-and-down, falling behind during pit stops but making up positions on track throughout the stage. By the end of the second stage, he placed ninth and gained two more stage points. In the final stage, Larson stayed inside the top 10 and slowly moved to the front as the stage progressed. The Hendrick driver chose to stay out on older tires after a lap 432 caution to keep track position and continued to battle inside the top five through the rest of the race. Larson had a chance to steal the win on lap 494 after Ty Gibbs and Carson Hocevar made contact with each other, but was unable to pass both of them without contact. Joey Logano passed Larson for the win after Larson passed Gibbs, then beat Hocevar at the checkered flag for second place. Despite missing the Bristol win, Larson's second-place run let him take the championship lead after 29 races, sitting one point ahead of Denny Hamlin.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 20, 2026, 9:34 PM ET

Carson Hocevar was one of the main contenders for the win in the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hocevar began the race from fifth position, but did not fight for the lead during the first two stages. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver finished eighth at the end of stage one, and then placed seventh at the end of stage two. In the final stage, Hocevar made his way up to the top five and kept off of pit road until a lap 397 caution. As a result, Hocevar inherited the lead as all other drivers were a lap down except Ryan Blaney, who fell behind Hocevar after a commitment line violation penalty. Hocevar led until lap 432, when Ty Gibbs took the lead from him. Gibbs and Hocevar traded the lead back and forth several times until the end of the race, but in the process, Hocevar also bumped Blaney up the track and crashed him. On lap 494, Hocevar and Gibbs made contact, causing the two of them to fall back to Kyle Larson, who also made contact with them for the win. Joey Logano, however, got by all three drivers and went on to win, while Hocevar settled for third as he fell behind Larson. After the race, Blaney confronted Hocevar, and the two drivers got into a physical post-race altercation involving several pit crew members and each other. With 29 races completed this season, Hocevar is now ranked eighth in the regular season standings.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 20, 2026, 9:34 PM ET

Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing was one of the top performers of the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, but ended up falling short of the win. Gibbs began the race from the 13th position, but quickly showcased plenty of speed in his car. In the first stage, he climbed from 13th to fifth and earned six stage points at the end of the stage. The second stage saw Gibbs ascend to second after heading to pit road during the stage break and restarting further back in the field. Gibbs collected nine more stage points at the end of stage two after placing second by the end of the stage. In the final stage, Gibbs continued to run behind Ryan Blaney until lap 324, when he passed Blaney during green-flag conditions. Gibbs lost the lead after heading to pit road on lap 387, but regained it from Carson Hocevar on lap 431. After several cautions and restarts, Hocevar and Gibbs made contact on lap 494, causing Gibbs to lose the lead for good after losing momentum to eventual winner Joey Logano, who passed them both for the win. Gibbs went on to finish fifth and moved to fifth in the Cup Series standings after 29 races this season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 20, 2026, 9:34 PM ET

Ryan Blaney of Team Penske ended Saturday's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in 33rd despite being the most dominant driver of the day and leading 202 laps. Blaney began the race deep in the field from 29th, but made it to the front early on after staying out during the competition caution on lap 40. He stayed inside the top 10 through most of the first stage and finished sixth. In the second stage, Blaney took charge of the lead and dominated the entire stage, leading nearly every lap and scoring the stage victory. In the final stage, Blaney led until midway through, when Ty Gibbs passed him in green-flag conditions. Blaney regained the lead on lap 397, but he also received a penalty for a commitment line violation, causing him to lose the lead. The No. 12 Ford fell behind on track until a lap 435 caution allowed Blaney to regain track position. Blaney continued to run behind Gibbs and competed with Carson Hocevar and Kyle Larson for second. Lap 458, however, ended Blaney's race when Hocevar got into the back of Blaney's car, sending him up the track into the wall and ending his day with a 33rd-place finish. Blaney confronted Hocevar after the race, leading to a bigger physical altercation involving the two drivers and pit crew members. After 29 races this season, Blaney is now sixth in the Cup Series standings.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Sep 19, 2026, 6:33 PM ET

Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the fourth position for this week's race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. In 38 Cup starts at Bristol, Hamlin has four wins, 21 top-10 finishes, and 1,202 laps led, which is the second-most of all active drivers in the field this week. With 28 races completed so far this season, Hamlin has four wins, 18 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 8.6. Bristol is one of Hamlin's better tracks throughout his Cup career, and he has been the most consistent driver of the season. Hamlin is one of the top drivers to anchor DFS lineups this week, as he is always a threat to win at Bristol, especially with strong equipment from Joe Gibbs Racing.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 19, 2026, 6:17 PM ET

Christopher Bell was given a starting position of 12th for this week's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 10 Cup races at Bristol, Bell has one win, seven top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.4. Bell also placed in the top 10 in six of the last seven Cup races at the site. After 28 races completed this season, Bell has one win, 14 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.1. The No. 20 Toyota driver is one of the best drivers in the field statistically at Bristol, especially in recent years. Bell has solid upside and strong equipment, making him an excellent DFS option for all formats and a potential contender for the win.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 19, 2026, 6:09 PM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe is starting 26th for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after practice and qualifying were canceled by rain on Friday. In eight Cup races at Bristol, Briscoe has seven finishes of 14th or better, including four straight top-10 finishes going into this week's race. Through 28 races this season, Briscoe has one win, 14 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.9. Bristol is one of Briscoe's better tracks statistically. With top-tier equipment and plenty of upside, fantasy managers should strongly consider him in all DFS formats.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Sep 19, 2026, 5:59 PM ET

Joey Logano of Team Penske will start in second place for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather. In 32 Cup starts at Bristol, Logano has two wins, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.3. The No. 22 Ford driver also placed in the top 10 in his last two starts at the site. In 28 races this season, Logano has two wins, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.4. He also placed 14th or better in eight of the last nine Cup events this season. While Logano's overall history at Bristol is mixed, he has been running well in recent races. Logano's low upside based on his starting position makes him one to avoid for cash games, but he makes for a sneaky tournament option who may carry low rostership.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com