Should Fantasy Managers Roster Chase Elliott at Phoenix? 1mLink copied!

Oct 18, 2026, 1:28 PM ET

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start in the 23rd position for this week's Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Wallace's starting position matches his exact starting position from this NASCAR Cup Series event one year ago in November 2025. In 17 Cup starts at Phoenix, Wallace has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. He also placed 16th or better in five of the last seven Cup races at the site. In 32 races so far this year, Wallace has 15 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.0. Wallace displayed top-5 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap averages in practice and carries plenty of upside from his starting position. Fantasy players should expect Wallace to be a top-10 contender who is worth heavy consideration for all formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 18, 2026, 1:23 PM ET

Ross Chastain qualified 11th for the Freeway Insurance 500 at Phoenix Raceway. This will be the second time in what will be the last six races that Chastain will start inside the top 15 in a NASCAR Cup Series race. In 16 Cup starts at Phoenix, Chastain has one win, four top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.8. March 2024 marked the last time that Chastain scored a top-10 finish at the site. Through 32 races so far this year, Chastain has six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 19.4. In practice, Chastain ranked as high as 15th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although he almost qualified inside the top 10, Chastain's speed at shorter ovals has been hit or miss this season, and he has been inconsistent in finishing results. Chastain's Phoenix history is favorable enough to consider him as a tournament option for DFS, but may pose too much of a Place Differential risk to consider in cash games.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 18, 2026, 12:55 PM ET

When it comes to his Championship chances, Ryan Blaney isn't in must-win territory at Phoenix this weekend, but it's close. That's why the Team Penske driver had to breathe a sigh of relief after qualifying on the pole for Sunday's Freeway Insurance 500 with a lap of 26.250 seconds (137.143 mph). Additionally, Blaney posted the fastest lap during practice earlier in the day, and the No. 12 Ford was one of the strongest cars on the long run during the session, ranking third-best in 20-lap average and second-best in 30-lap average. Blaney has won back-to-back races here at Phoenix Raceway and has finished first or second in six of the last eight. He's a premier DFS play on Sunday with massive dominator potential and race-winning upside. Even at his huge $11.5K salary on DraftKings, Blaney is a great daily fantasy pick this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

Oct 18, 2026, 12:52 PM ET

We all know how good Christopher Bell is at Phoenix Raceway. He's won two of the last five races at this track and has second- and fifth-place finishes to go along with those wins as well. He's also led 474 laps over that span, the most in the series. So it's definitely noteworthy when Bell says he's optimistic about his chances at winning on Sunday. "I'm pretty optimistic. This is the best we started at Phoenix in a long time. So really I'm happy," Bell said after qualifying on Saturday. During practice, the No. 20 Toyota had the best 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average, showing that it should be one of the fastest cars on race day. Even though he's one of the most expensive drivers on the DraftKings slate this weekend ($11.2K), Christopher Bell is one of the best options in the field this weekend. --Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Oct 18, 2026, 12:47 PM ET

Kyle Larson hasn't shown much weakness in the Chase thus far, but on Saturday at Phoenix Raceway, he opened the door for his competitors to make some ground. Hendrick Motorsports as a whole has struggled at the short, flat tracks this season, and that was apparent here again at Phoenix during practice and qualifying, as the No. 5 Chevrolet was just 13th-fastest on the board in practice. It got even worse during qualifying, as Larson ended up 22nd-quickest, meaning he will have to start mid-pack on Sunday. The good news for Larson is that he did finish third here at Phoenix in the spring race despite not having that good of a race car, so maybe the No. 5 team can work their magic again this weekend. In DFS, Larson ($11.0K on DraftKings) has very little dominator upside, but he could end up being an expensive tournament pivot with his Place Differential upside on Sunday. --Jordan McAbee
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 18, 2026, 12:42 PM ET

The Freeway Insurance 500 race weekend started off with a bang for Carson Hocevar this weekend, as the Spire Motorsports driver was the fastest for much of the opening practice session before spring winner Ryan Blaney ended up putting a faster lap on the board. Still, Hocevar ended up second-quickest and also had the second-best 10-lap average, so it was a bit surprising to see the No. 77 Chevrolet struggle in qualifying, with Hocevar ending up 28th in the session. To add to that, Hocevar made this comment after practice and before qualifying on Saturday: "We normally qualify really good and then we're just okay in the race. So hopefully we can really work on the longevity." In six career starts at Phoenix Raceway, "The Hurricane" has four finishes between 15th and 20th and two results of 28th or worse. Not the best track record. For DFS purposes, Hocevar looks to be a decent Place Differential pick this weekend, but his finishing upside is limited, as this just isn't a great track for him.--Jordan McAbee
Source: PitByNumbers

Oct 18, 2026, 12:38 PM ET

Fresh off yet another top-10 finish at Charlotte last weekend, Josh Berry will be looking to continue his hot streak in the second half of the year in this weekend's race at Phoenix Raceway, the Freeway Insurance 500. Flat tracks are where Berry excels at the most, as does Team Penske and Wood Brothers Racing, and the No. 21 Ford will roll off the starting grid from ninth-place on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this spring at Phoenix, Berry led 13 laps but ended up crashing out and finishing 32nd. However, his previous two starts at this track ended with seventh- and fourth-place finishes. At his $7.7K salary on DraftKings this weekend, Josh Berry is an interesting mid-tier play, as his Place Differential upside is limited, but his top-five finishing potential is there. He's not a slam-dunk DFS pick this weekend, but he's solid.--Jordan McAbee
Source: MotorBiscuit

Oct 12, 2026, 10:30 AM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Briscoe started second in the race and ran inside the top five throughout the first stage. Despite battling with other drivers, he ended the first stage in second behind Kyle Larson and scored nine stage points. Briscoe lost positions through the second stage as it progressed due to his car not having as good of speed and handling as others around him. The No. 19 Toyota driver ended the second stage in seventh, adding four more stage points. Briscoe's pit crew however, kept executing pit stops very well, and he regained positions through pit stops. He returned to the top five during the final stage with improvements to his car and during his final pit stop on lap 207, he pulled out ahead of his teammate, Christopher Bell, for the lead. Briscoe kept staying ahead of Bell throughout the rest of the stage, but was losing ground to Bell in the closing laps. On the final lap, Bell finally made a move on the final turn to attempt to pass Briscoe. The two JGR teammates made contact, but Briscoe kept his car straight and stayed ahead of Bell at the checkered flag to earn his third win of the season. After the 32nd race of the 2026 season, Briscoe moves up to fourth in the championship standings with four races left.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 12, 2026, 10:29 AM ET

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing was one of the top contenders for the win in the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bell began the race from 17th, but had one of the fastest cars right from the beginning of the race. He quickly made up positions in the first stage as went all the way up to third by the end of the stage. In the second stage, Bell worked his way up to the lead by lap 107 and went on to dominate the rest of the stage, collecting another stage victory in the process. Bell led the earlier parts of the final stage until a lap 207 pit stop under caution, when his teammate, Chase Briscoe, passed him on pit road. The two JGR teammates then battled for the win for the rest of the race with Bell chasing Briscoe. Bell could not make a move on Briscoe until the final lap, when Bell drove deep into the final corner and made contact with Briscoe. Despite rubbing against each other, Briscoe still finished ahead of Bell in a photo finish, leaving Bell to finish second after leading 93 laps. Despite falling short of the win, Bell moves to third in the championship standings, 51 points behind Kyle Larson with four races left in the season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 12, 2026, 10:25 AM ET

Ryan Blaney of Team Penske ran well in the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. Blaney started the race from fourth and ran inside the top 10 throughout most of the race. During the race's competition caution on lap 35, he received a pit road penalty for speeding and spent the rest of the first stage trying to recover positions. Blaney did make it up to 10th and scored one stage point at the end of the first stage. In the second stage, Blaney showed plenty of speed as he drove up to second. He ended the stage in that position behind Christopher Bell and gained nine stage points. In the final stage, Blaney started off fighting for the lead against Bell and Kyle Larson, but faded away from the lead as the stage progressed. He continued to run inside the top five until the later parts of the race, when he began to pass drivers thanks to his great longer-run speed. Blaney climbed up to third, his eventual finishing position, to nab his third top-5 finish in a row. Through 32 races, Blaney is now fifth in the championship standings with four races left in the season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 12, 2026, 10:24 AM ET

Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin finished fourth despite some setbacks in the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hamlin began the race from the 12th position, but quickly made moves to advance close to the top five in the opening laps. However, on the race's first pit stop, Hamlin was boxed into his pit stall on pit road and received a pit road penalty for equipment interference. Hamlin had to work back to the front from the 30th position and spent the rest of the stage regaining positions until he ended the stage in 12th. The No. 11 Toyota driver returned to the top 10, though, and remained there through the rest of the race. Hamlin finished third behind Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney at the end of the second stage, while he slipped back to fourth by the end of the race after a quiet final stage performance. With his fourth-place finish, Hamlin is now second in the Championship standings, 49 points behind Kyle Larson.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 12, 2026, 10:23 AM ET

Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports ran well throughout the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson began the race from the pole position at the front after qualifying was canceled due to rain on Saturday. He dominated most of the first stage except for a couple of laps midway through, when Bubba Wallace took the lead from him. By lap 59, Larson regained the lead and went on to win the first stage, earning 10 stage points. Larson continued to dominate the second stage until Christopher Bell passed him on lap 107. From there, Larson stayed inside the top five before finishing fourth after Bell, Ryan Blaney, and Denny Hamlin. Larson continued to fight for a top-5 running position through most of the final stage, but Chase Briscoe got by him through pit stops, and Josh Berry passed him before the end. This allowed Larson to finish sixth, his first finish outside the top five since the start of The Chase. After Larson's sixth-place result, he maintained the championship lead in The Chase by 49 points over Hamlin with four races left in the year.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 11, 2026, 2:01 PM ET

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will start ninth for the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after starting positions were given out by the NASCAR Rulebook for this week's race. In 15 Cup starts at Charlotte, Elliott has one win, eight top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.7. Elliott has been boom-or-bust in the last five Charlotte races with two top-10 finishes and three DNFs. Over the past 31 races this year, Elliott has two wins, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.1. Outside of his DNF at Charlotte earlier in the season, Elliott has finished 11th or better in every race at 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks this year. Elliott does not offer much upside based on his starting position, but his overall consistency this season at Intermediate Oval tracks makes him a solid driver to consider for tournaments.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 11, 2026, 1:54 PM ET

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will be starting eighth in the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after practice and qualifying were canceled on Saturday. This will mark Wallace's first top-10 starting position at a Charlotte Cup race since 2023. In 10 previous Cup starts at Charlotte, Wallace has just one top-5 finish, but he did also score positive place differential in four of the last six races at the site. After 31 Cup races so far this season, Wallace has 15 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.3. Wallace has been amazing at 1.5-mile Intermediate tracks this season with six top-10 finishes in seven races at the track type. Despite not having much upside based on his starting position, his equipment and overall finishes at the track type this year make him worth heavy DFS consideration.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 11, 2026, 1:46 PM ET

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar is starting 11th for the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after starting positions were set by the NASCAR rulebook. This was due to practice and qualifying being canceled because of weather. In three Cup starts at Charlotte, Hocevar's best finish is 21st. He also scored positive or neutral Place Differential in his last two Cup races at the site. In 31 Cup starts this year so far, Hocevar has one win, 11 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.2. At 1.5-mile Intermediate oval tracks this season, Hocevar has three top-15 finishes. Although Hocevar does not have as much upside as other drivers in his salary range, he does have the equipment and is capable of competing for a top-10 finish. Expect him to score a new career-best finish in this week's race based on improved experience and equipment.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 11, 2026, 1:37 PM ET

Chris Buescher of RFK Racing will start 13th in this week's Bank of America 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after practice and qualifying were canceled due to weather. In 14 Cup starts at Charlotte, Buescher has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. Through 31 races so far this season, Buescher has 10 top-10 finishes and an overall average finish of 15.6. This includes three top-10 finishes at 1.5-mile Intermediate oval tracks like Charlotte. Considering his starting position, finishing history, and equipment, Buescher makes for a solid top-15 option for DFS lineups this week at Charlotte.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

Oct 5, 2026, 12:58 PM ET

Chase Briscoe was the dominant driver of the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Briscoe began the race from fourth position and ran behind his teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs until a lap 45 caution, when Briscoe stayed off of pit road. He gained the lead and never looked back through the rest of the first stage, winning it and gaining 10 stage points. In the second stage, Briscoe continued his dominance until green flag pit stops, when he lost the lead to other drivers who stayed off pit road. However, Briscoe's car was so fast that he passed everyone ahead of him and beat out Austin Cindric to win the second stage. Much like the second stage, Briscoe dominated the race until his green flag pit stop, but was chased by Bubba Wallace through most of the stage. Briscoe held off Wallace and maintained the lead until Kyle Larson challenged him for the win in the closing laps. The No. 19 Toyota driver stayed ahead of Larson, even after Larson hit the wall on the final lap, making a desperate move for position, and went on to claim his first Las Vegas Cup victory. After obtaining his second win of the 2026 season, Briscoe moves up to eighth in the Cup Series standings with five races left.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 5, 2026, 12:56 PM ET

Kyle Larson nearly completed an incredible comeback to win the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but was one position short. Larson started sixth but struggled with handling early, forcing an extended pit stop in the first stage. After falling a lap down but getting back to the lead lap thanks to a caution, Larson went on to finish the first stage in 24th. In the second stage, Larson continued to move up through the field, passing other drivers until he finished the stage in 10th, gaining one stage point. In the final stage, Larson and his team improved the No. 5 car enough to compete for the win, as he continued to gain positions. Larson drove up to second and battled with Chase Briscoe in the closing laps. On the final lap, Larson positioned himself to make a move past the final turn, but got loose and hit the wall while Tyler Reddick clipped him and spun from behind Larson. Despite the damage, Larson still finished second and maintained the championship lead by 40 points over Denny Hamlin. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 5, 2026, 12:54 PM ET

Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing scored a great finish in the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, but not without some struggles. Reddick began the race from fifth place and showed plenty of speed early in the first stage. He went on to place fourth at the end of the first stage and earn seven stage points. During the second stage, Reddick received a pit road penalty for having too many pit crew members of his team over the wall. Reddick spent the rest of the stage coming from the back and finished 11th. The No. 45 Toyota driver continued his ascent through the final stage, making it up to as high as third in the closing laps as he passed other drivers. On the final lap, Reddick tried to position himself to pass Kyle Larson on the final corner, but Larson smacked the wall, and Reddick could not avoid his car. Reddick spun through the infield grass into pit road, but still crossed the finish line to place third. With his best Las Vegas finish since March 2024, Reddick is now seventh in the Cup Series standings with five races left.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

Oct 5, 2026, 12:53 PM ET

Team Penske's Austin Cindric put together another strong performance for the 2026 season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the South Point 400. Cindric started Sunday's race from seventh and raced inside the top 10 throughout the entire race outside of pit stops. In the first stage, Cindric moved up a few positions and placed fifth at the end of the stage, earning six stage points. Cindric moved even closer to the front in the second stage, finishing second at the stage's conclusion behind Chase Briscoe despite initially being set back by a slower pit stop. He also led 33 laps in the second stage. In the final stage, Cindric continued to run inside the top five outside of pit stops and kept his car clean. Although he had one of the fastest overall cars, he did not have the speed or track position to compete for the win and settled for fourth, a new career-best finish at Las Vegas. Cindric's fourth-place result also marked the first time in his Cup career that he scored back-to-back top-5 finishes. The No. 2 Ford driver is now ninth in the Cup Series standings with 31 races completed this season.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com