RADIO
Ryan Blaney Will Start in Pole Position for Atlanta
Ryan Blaney of Team Penske scored the pole position for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in qualifying. This is Blaney's second pole at Atlanta after he scored one previously in February 2025. In nine Cup races at the site since 2022, Blaney has had seven top-10 finishes and led in eight different events. After 19 races completed for the 2026 season, Blaney has one win, 14 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 11.1. In 27 races since 2022 at drafting tracks, Blaney has 13 top-10 finishes, including two wins. Although Blaney has no upside for Place Differential since he starts first, he is in prime position to lead laps and has been one of the top drivers at finishing drafting tracks well. Even though he is a DFS risk, Blaney is a solid driver to consider for tournament lineups only.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Kyle Larson Presents Plenty of Risk for Atlanta DFS Lineups
Kyle Larson will start third for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. This matches the best starting position of Larson's Cup career at Atlanta. In nine Cup races at the site since 2022, Larson has only one top-5 finish, but he did lead 48 laps in the previous race at the Atlanta track earlier in the season before being involved in an accident. Through 19 races this season, Larson has 11 top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.0. In 27 races at drafting tracks since 2022, Larson has five top-10 finishes, with his last one being in the August 2025 Daytona race. Larson is known for his struggles with drafting tracks, and he has a high starting position, giving him plenty of DFS risk based on his starting position. Outside of tournament lineups, Larson is not recommended for most DFS lineups as a result.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
What Should Fantasy Managers Do With Chase Elliott at Atlanta?
Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will start seventh for this week's Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway, the Quaker State 400. With his second top-10 start at the site of the year, Elliott has scored consecutive top-10 starting spots at Atlanta in his Cup career for the first time since 2022. In eight races at Atlanta since 2022, Elliott has two wins and four top-10 finishes. He never placed outside of the top 20 in that span at Atlanta. After 19 races this season, Elliott has two wins, eight top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 13.2. In 26 races at drafting tracks since 2022, Elliott has 13 top-10 finishes, including three victories. Even if Elliott is one of the best statistical drivers at Atlanta and other drafting tracks, his high starting position makes him difficult to recommend for DFS outside of tournament lineups due to his Place Differential risk. However, if there is any driver to recommend for tournament DFS lineups who can stay in the top 10, Elliott is one of the top drivers to maintain a top finish.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
William Byron has Plenty of Upside for Atlanta DFS Lineups
William Byron of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the 26th position for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Byron is the only driver from Hendrick to qualify outside the top 10 in this week's race. In nine races at Atlanta since 2022, Byron has two wins and three top-10 finishes. Through 19 races so far this year, Byron has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 15.8. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver has 10 top-10 finishes in his last 19 starts at drafting tracks. Byron has plenty of upside while being aligned with one of the top teams in the field. Fantasy players should target Byron as a driver worth rostering in all formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Could Joey Logano Score a Top Finish at Atlanta?
Team Penske's Joey Logano will start on the outside of the front row in second for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. It is Logano's fifth front-row start at the site since the track's reconfiguration in 2022. In nine previous races at Atlanta since 2022, Logano has two wins and three top-10 finishes. He also led in each of the last seven races at the site. In 19 races completed this season, Logano has five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 20.3. Since 2023, Logano has led in every single race at a drafting track with two wins in that span. Despite Logano's incredible ability to get to the lead in drafting track races, he has been inconsistent in finishing races at the track type and has almost no upside for Place Differential due to starting in the front. While Logano may have the speed to compete for the win, he is also a huge risk for DFS and is only playable in tournament lineups.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Chase Briscoe Worth Rostering for DFS at Atlanta?
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing will start 20th for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway this week. This will be the fourth time in Briscoe's Cup career that he will start a race at Atlanta from 20th or worse. In the last nine races at Atlanta, Briscoe has three top-20 finishes, with a runner-up finish at the site earlier in the season. With 19 races completed this year so far, Briscoe has one win, nine top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.2. In his last nine Cup races at drafting tracks, Briscoe has one win and three top-5 finishes. Although his track history has been mixed at Atlanta and other tracks, Briscoe does have enough upside starting through the middle of the pack to justify being rostered in all DFS formats.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Carson Hocevar a Great DFS Option to Consider for Atlanta Lineups
Carson Hocevar of Spire Motorsports will start in the 14th position for this week's race at EchoPark Speedway, the Quaker State 400. This is a new career-best starting position in a Cup Series race at the Atlanta track. In five Cup starts at Atlanta, Hocevar has three top-10 finishes, and he also scored positive Place Differential in all of his appearances at the site. After 19 races so far this season, Hocevar has one win, seven top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 15.0. In his last eight races at drafting tracks, Hocevar has six top-10 finishes, including his win at Talladega earlier in the season. Hocevar has decent upside with his top-15 starting position, and with his excellent track history at drafting tracks, he is a driver fantasy players should target heavily in DFS lineups this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Brad Keselowski Will Start in the Top 10 at Atlanta
Brad Keselowski of RFK Racing will start in 10th for the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Keselowski is the only driver from RFK to qualify inside the top 10 in this week's race. In nine Cup races since 2022 at Atlanta, Keselowski has three top-10 finishes, including two second-place finishes. Through 19 races so far this season, Keselowski has four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 19.3. In his last six races at drafting tracks in the Cup Series, Keselowski has three top-10 finishes. The No. 6 Ford driver does not carry a lot of upside for this week's race based on his starting position. Keselowski's track history and overall performance at drafting tracks still make him worth consideration for tournament DFS lineups despite his Place Differential risk.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Is Chris Buescher A Sneaky DFS Option for Atlanta Lineups?
Chris Buescher of RFK Racing qualified in the 13th position for this week's Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway, the Quaker State 400. This is the same exact starting position that Buescher had in last year's Cup race at Atlanta in the Summer. In nine Cup races at the site since 2022, Buescher had five top-15 finishes, including 15th earlier in the season. With 19 races completed so far this year, Buescher has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.4. In the last six races at drafting tracks in the Cup series, Buescher has had five top-15 finishes, including a runner-up finish at Talladega earlier in the season. Buescher's overall track history and recent results at drafting tracks make him a sneaky DFS option with top-10 potential. Fantasy players could utilize the No. 17 Ford driver in all formats this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Bubba Wallace has Solid Upside for Atlanta DFS Lineups
23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace will start in the 22nd position after qualifying for this week's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Wallace obtained the highest starting position of the three drivers from 23XI in this week's race. In nine prior races at Atlanta since 2022, Wallace has had five top-20 finishes, including three top-10 finishes. After 19 races completed this season, Wallace has nine top-10 finishes with an average finish of 16.4. In his last 15 races at drafting tracks, Wallace has nine top-10 finishes, including the last race at Atlanta earlier in the year, when he placed eighth and led 46 laps. With his starting position in the back half of the field, Wallace has solid upside and is a great choice for DFS in all formats this week.
Source: DriverAverages.com
Source: DriverAverages.com
Chase Briscoe Earns his First Cup Victory of 2026 at Chicagoland
Chase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing won the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Briscoe began the race from seventh place and ran a great race where he was a top contender throughout the entire event. He earned points through both stages as he placed fifth at the end of the first stage and was second behind William Byron at the end of the second stage. Briscoe led laps in both the second stage and the final stage, with most of his 51 total laps led coming in the final stage. Byron was Briscoe's main competitor in the final stage, but Briscoe timed his final pit stop a lap before Byron's on lap 215 and came out ahead with the lead. From there, Briscoe was never passed again and held off his teammate Christopher Bell for the win after Bell mounted a charge and was catching him in the final laps. The victory was Briscoe's first Cup win of the 2026 season and his first in the Cup Series at Chicagoland. Briscoe's victory moves him up to eighth in the regular-season standings after 19 races this year.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Christopher Bell Finishes as the Runner-Up for the Fourth Time This Year
Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell came close to winning the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, but was one position short. Starting from the sixth position, Bell quickly moved to the top five in the first stage, but then faded after a few cautions to end the stage in 12th with no stage points. In the second stage, Bell moved back up into the top 10 and eventually earned stage points as he placed sixth at the end of the stage. In the final stage, Bell became a contender for the win as he moved up through the top five and then started gaining ground on the front after his last pit stop. Bell went ahead and passed Denny Hamlin and William Byron as he had the fastest car in the closing laps to chase down Chase Briscoe. Ultimately, Bell had to contend with lap traffic, and although he positioned himself to make a move on Briscoe by the final lap, he could not get by him and settled for his fourth runner-up finish of the year. After Chicagoland, Bell now moves to 10th in the regular-season standings with seven races to go before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Denny Hamlin Extends his Championship Lead With Third-Place Finish
Denny Hamlin was considered one of the top favorites to win the Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, and he left the race with a third-place finish and an increased lead in the regular-season standings. Hamlin started the race from pole position and led most of his 30 total laps in the first stage, but he lost ground after being shuffled back on restarts following a few cautions and ended the stage in eighth, collecting three stage points. The No. 11 Toyota driver had his car improved during the second stage and ran as high as second, but still fell behind William Byron and Chase Briscoe for the stage win. Hamlin ended the stage in third, earning eight more stage points. In the final stage, Hamlin continued to run inside the top five through most of the stage and then ran other drivers down in the closing laps. Hamlin passed Alex Bowman and William Byron to make it to his eventual finishing position of third. After the 19th race of the season was completed, Hamlin now holds a 44-point lead over Tyler Reddick for the regular-season championship.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
William Byron Finishes Fourth as the Top Chevrolet Driver at Chicagoland
Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron finished as the top Chevrolet driver during Sunday's Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Byron started the race from 10th, but ended up becoming the most dominant driver of the race, leading 94 laps and sweeping the first two stages. He obtained the maximum number of stage points and continued to lead the race even through the third stage until the last round of green flag pit stops. Byron ended up pitting one lap after Chase Briscoe, which led to Briscoe passing Byron upon the completion of Byron's last stop. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver continued to run behind Briscoe until he was passed by Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin in the closing laps, leaving him to finish in fourth. It is Byron's first top-5 finish of his Cup career at Chicagoland, and his 94 laps led are the highest in a single race this season. With Chicagoland completed, Byron is now 12th in the regular-season standings with seven races to go before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Bubba Wallace Leads Laps and Finishes Sixth at Chicagoland
Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing finished in the sixth position during Sunday's Eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. The No. 23 Toyota driver began the race from eighth position, but ran well throughout the race. He ended up finishing third at the end of the first stage, earning eight stage points. Although he missed out on further stage points in the second stage as he placed 11th at the end of it, Wallace led 35 laps during the stage. Wallace continued to run inside the top 10 through most of the final stage, outside of pit stops and recovered positions, in order to place sixth by the end. This was Wallace's best career finish at Chicagoland as well as his first top-10 finish at the site. After Chicagoland, Wallace is now 13th in the regular-season standings with seven races left before The Chase begins.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
