RADIO
Chase Elliott Struggling to Find Speed at New Hampshire
It seems to be a recurring theme as of late, as Chase Elliott has once again struggled to find speed this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The No. 9 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports was able to post the eighth-fastest lap in practice on Saturday morning, but when it came to actual long-run race speed, Elliott wasn't very good. His 10-lap average ranked just 27th-best out of 36 drivers, and his 20-lap average dipped down to 29th-fastest. With that being said, Chase's falloff was impressive compared to the rest of the field, but his overall speed was what was lacking. So what does that mean this weekend? Elliott will be a prime Place Differential option for DFS players on Sunday, as he qualified way back in 29th-place. We've seen the No. 9 team use strategy to get track position recently, and there's no doubt they'll take the risk to do so again this weekend. As far as daily fantasy goes, you can't avoid Chase Elliott entirely. He's super affordable ($8.5K on DraftKings) and finished fifth here at New Hampshire last season. If he achieves track position on race day, Chase could very well make it into the optimal DraftKings lineup as well.
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Source: Hendrick Motorsports
Can Josh Berry Contend for the Win at New Hampshire?
Josh Berry has suddenly become an every-week name as of late, as the Wood Brothers Racing driver is on quite a hot streak, with three straight finishes of eighth or better (compared to his season average finish of 24.8). Can it continue this weekend, though? The signs point to yes. In addition to having one of the best cars in practice on Saturday morning--Berry ranked top five in 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-lap average--he also put the No. 21 Ford on the outside pole for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 race. The best part, though? New Hampshire is a great track for Josh Berry. He finished second here last season after posting a third-place finish here in 2024. As far as DFS goes this weekend, Josh is affordable at $8.2K on DraftKings, but obviously risky because of the second-place starting spot. Still, Berry has the potential to dominate this race, so he's still a very viable daily fantasy option this weekend.
Source: Speedway Media
Source: Speedway Media
Bubba Wallace a Prime DFS Option at New Hampshire
It's setting up to be a good DFS scoring weekend for Bubba Wallace. The 23XI Racing driver had a great practice session on Saturday morning, ranking second-fastest in both 25- and 30-lap average, but he didn't have the best qualifying run later that day and will start from back in 23rd-place for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 race. Pair that Place Differential upside with his affordable salary of $8.0K on DraftKings and we could definitely see Bubba in the optimal lineup this weekend. Wallace has had a couple of good runs here at New Hampshire in the past, specifically in 2022 and 2023, when he finished third and eighth (respectively). This season, at similar tracks, Bubba ended up sixth at Phoenix back in March (after starting 28th) and 12th at Iowa a couple of weeks ago (after starting 26th). He also finished sixth at North Wilkesboro after starting 26th.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Temper Your Expectations with Austin Cindric at New Hampshire
For the third time in four races, Austin Cindric has some work to do after qualifying this weekend. The No. 2 Ford ended up 26th-fastest on the qualifying speed chart on Saturday afternoon, which means Cindric will start from row 13 when the Dollar Tree 301 goes green. That was a disappointing run considering the No. 2 Ford was fifth-fastest in practice earlier in the day. Last weekend at Richmond, the Team Penske driver was in a similar scenario, as he charged from a 23rd-place starting spot to finish third. Cindric also started back in 35th at Indianapolis last month and ended up finishing 14th. Here at New Hampshire specifically, Cindric hasn't found a ton of succes, though, so Sunday may be a challenge. In four career starts here, Austin has never finished better than 13th, and his average result is 18.5. It's easy to be hyped on Cindric from a DFS perspective, but maybe temper your expectations as we visit a track that he hasn't found much success at ever in the Cup Series.
Source: ifantasyrace
Source: ifantasyrace
Is Erik Jones a Sleeper Option at New Hampshire?
Erik Jones need a good run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon. This No. 43 Legacy Motor Club was sitting good in the points standings after the Atlanta race and a month and a half ago, but things have unraveled badly for them since. Over the last four races, Jones hasn't posted a single top-20 finish, and over the last three, his best result has been 27th. Jones didn't shy away from the struggles recently, either, as he mentioned during an interview this weekend, "The Dollar Tree Camry has speed again. We just got to put these weekends together. We just haven't been putting together here recently." Could this be the weekend he turns it around? Erik qualified 11th for Sunday's Dollar Tree 301 and showed some respectable speed in practice on Saturday, ranking 10th-best in 15-, 20-, and 25-lap average. Jones struggled here at New Hampshire last season (finished 28th) but before that he posted results of 13th and 11th at "The Magic Mile." For DFS this weekend, Jones is a very interesting low-dollar tournament play, as he could be very valuable if he can post a top-10 finish.
Source: Pit By Numbers
Source: Pit By Numbers
Shane van Gisbergen Qualifies Fifth as Chase Looms
Shane van Gisbergen needs a good run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend to keep his Chase hopes alive, and he got off to a great start on Saturday afternoon with a fifth-place qualifying effort for the Dollar Tree 301. Van Gisbergen enters the race weekend with a 50-point cushion over Ryan Preece in the points standings, as there are two more races before the final Chase field is set. Last year at New Hampshire, SVG had a good race going until he didn't, as the Trackhouse Racing driver looked to have legitimate top-10 potential before getting damage on a restart and finishing 32nd. This weekend, van Gisbergen showed decent speed in practice, and qualifying fifth definitely helps, as good track position at a short track is definitely a positive for a driver. There were concerns that the No. 97 team would have to fix the starter in the car after practice, and subsequently start from the rear, but it doesn't appear that that is going to happen, and SVG will be able to maintain his scheduled fifth-place starting spot.
Source: Jordan Bianchi
Source: Jordan Bianchi
Kendre Miller's Role Trending Up with Saints Injuries
New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller had six carries for 22 yards in the 34-0 preseason loss to the Los Angeles Rams. While Miller struggled to gain ground, Saturday was a positive for his fantasy stock. He was the clear-cut starter with Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara (knee) both sitting out. He played 14 of 26 snaps with the starting offense, while Ty Chandler (6) and Devin Neal (4) were behind him. Neal also appeared to suffer a hamstring injury during the first half of the game. With Kamara possibly missing time early in the season with an MCL injury and now Neal hurt, Miller could begin the 2026 season as the direct handcuff to Etienne. While Kamara isn't expected to miss much time, if any, Miller is still a player to watch on the waiver wire.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jarquez Hunter Looks Good Against Saints
Los Angeles Rams running back Jarquez Hunter carried 12 times for 68 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' dominant 34-0 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints. Hunter had a heavy workload Saturday, playing 28 of 50 snaps with the starting offense, while rookie Jordan Waters played 19 of those. The 2025 fourth-round pick did not record a carry during his rookie season and appears to be in a timeshare with Waters, who was also efficient Saturday. Both backs will operate behind starters Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in 2026. Hunter carries minimal fantasy value and should not be rostered in any redraft formats this season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tai Felton Has Strong Day Against Ravens
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Tai Felton hauled in three of four targets for 66 yards in the 13-3 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Felton caught a 50-yard bomb from quarterback J.J. McCarthy down the right sideline, headlining a strong day for the second-year receiver. With the three starting receivers, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings, all sitting out, Felton was the lead receiver. He played 18 of 19 snaps, ran 11 routes, and led the starting offense in targets against the Ravens. Some have speculated that Felton could be the WR3, ahead of Jennings in the receiver rotation, and Saturday's strong outing lends credibility to those theories. While Felton is unlikely to carry an impactful fantasy role this season, he could diminish Jennings' value as the third receiver in Minnesota.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Demond Claiborne Appears Locked into RB3 Role
Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Demond Claiborne totaled eight carries for 18 yards and added seven yards through the air in the 13-3 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Claiborne has been inefficient in both preseason games, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry on 20 carries. However, the sixth-round pick played all 19 snaps with J.J. McCarthy and the second-team offense, while Zavier Scott entered the game afterward. While both veterans Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason are expected to handle the backfield early in the season, Claiborne offers more speed and explosiveness than the other two. Injuries will likely be needed for the rookie to find the field this season, but Claiborne is a player to keep an eye on.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Seth McGowan Poised to Claim RB2 Role in Indianapolis
Indianapolis Colts rookie running back Seth McGowan appears to be the favorite for the backup role behind star Jonathan Taylor. McGowan had eight carries for 27 yards and added five yards on one catch in the 34-6 preseason loss to the Atlanta Falcons. With quarterback Riley Leonard and the backups, McGowan played 27 of 27 snaps and has done a good job in training camp. With second-year back DJ Giddens (hamstring) struggling at camp and expected to miss time, McGowan appears locked into the handcuff role behind Taylor, who has missed 16 games over the last four seasons. Currently ranked as the RB63 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, McGowan could be in a great situation behind an elite offensive line if Taylor is banged up during the season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tyler Goodson Impresses Against Former Team
Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Goodson had six carries for 59 yards and a touchdown in the 34-6 preseason victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Goodson scored a 49-yard touchdown on the team's second drive, and the former Colts running back had his "return game" as teammates were penalized for storming the field after the long touchdown run. Goodson served as the team's lead back while star Bijan Robinson and backup Brian Robinson Jr. sat out. Goodson played eight of 11 offensive snaps, while 2025 third-string back Nathan Carter played just three snaps. Though it's a long shot that Goodson will have a role in the 2026 season, any injuries to the two starting backs could elevate him to a starting role this year.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
De'Von Achane Sits Out of Saturday's Preseason Contest
Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane and quarterback Malik Willis were both in street clothes for the team's second preseason game on Saturday against the New York Giants, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In the 26-3 loss to the G-Men, Jaylen Wright led Miami with six carries, but he gained just nine yards on the ground, while Ollie Gordon II had four carries for only eight yards. Cam Miller led the team in rushing with 18 yards on his two carries. The 24-year-old Achane was a first-time Pro Bowler in 2025 in his third year in the NFL, and he also recorded his first 1,000-yard rushing season. Achane had 1,350 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns on 238 carries while adding 67 receptions (85 targets) for 488 yards and another four TDs as a pass-catcher in 16 starts to finish as the RB6 in half-PPR scoring. He led the league with 5.7 yards per carry, and although volume should not be a problem in 2026, his efficiency could be in an offense expected to struggle with little aerial help for Willis. RotoBaller has Achane ranked as the No. 12 overall fantasy RB as he enters his fourth year in the NFL.
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel - David Furones
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel - David Furones
Zachariah Branch Appears Headed for Reserve Role in 2026
Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch hauled in two of three targets for 15 yards in the Falcons' 34-6 preseason win over the Indianapolis Colts. Branch played a limited role on Saturday, taking eight of 11 snaps with quarterback Cooper Rush, and saw less playing time than Dylan Drummond (11) and Chris Blair (10). The third-round pick played just one snap with the first-team offense last week against the Denver Broncos. With receivers Drake London, Jahan Dotson, and Olamide Zaccheaus all sitting out against the Colts, Branch could be in a reserve role this season. Currently ranked WR82 in RotoBaller's positional rankings, Branch is unlikely to produce early this season.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Puka Nacua Has Civil Trial Moved to March of 2028
Los Angeles Rams star wide receiver Puka Nacua had his civil trial date moved to March 2028. Nacua faces a possible suspension for allegedly biting a woman and making antisemitic statements, allegations he has denied. While the NFL will conduct its own independent investigations, Nacua's suspension could be delayed until 2027 or 2028. In 2024, Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice had his trial pushed back to the following season, suited up in Week 1, and was suspended before the 2025 season. Nacua has missed time during training camp due to groin soreness, and with the regular season just 19 days away from the Rams' game against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, he will need to get on the field soon to be ready to go.
Source: Blaine Grisak
Source: Blaine Grisak
