February 23, 2026

23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace had another strong performance end with promise of what could've been in Sunday's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway. The No. 23 Toyota driver started from the ninth position and quietly made his way through to the front of the pack. At the end of the first stage, he competed with Austin Cindric for the stage win and fell short behind Cindric, finishing second at the stage end and earning nine stage points. In the second stage, Wallace made a pit stop that sent him further back in the field, but he quickly made it back up to the front with his teammate, Tyler Reddick. Although he traded the lead a few times with different drivers, Wallace ended the second stage on top, winning it over William Byron after a crash between Kyle Larson and Shane Van Gisbergen ended the stage. In the final stage, Wallace continued to show plenty of speed, despite falling out of the top 10 due to pitting, he came back up and competed for the win on the last restart. On that last restart, Wallace went to block Carson Hocevar, but was shuffled to the top by Hocevar, causing Wallace to fall back. The 23XI driver did catch up to eighth position and finished there, nabbing his second consecutive top-10 finish of the year and the third of his Cup career at EchoPark Speedway.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

February 23, 2026

Spire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar finished in fourth in Sunday's Autotrader 400 after an eventful performance at EchoPark Speedway. Hocevar began the race from the 15th position and was working his way to the top 10 until he brushed the wall on lap 32. The No. 77 Chevrolet driver then went to pit road and fell two laps down. Hocevar got one of his laps back through the stage caution at the end of stage one, where he finished 38th. In the second stage, Hocevar got his second lap back and then spent the rest of the stage working back to the top 10. He made it back to the top 10 despite another brush with the wall on lap 153 and went on to finish the second stage in sixth, obtaining five stage points. Despite a couple of pit stops off sequence for the No. 77 Chevrolet driver, he positioned himself for the win by the final restart. After making a few aggressive moves on the final restart that also prevented other drivers from winning like Bubba Wallace, he got shuffled back a few positions and then made it back up to fourth at the checkered flag. This was Hocevar's second top-5 finish at the Atlanta track and his first of the 2026 season. --Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

February 23, 2026

Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing had an up-and-down performance throughout the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway. In the first stage, he started from the 21st position, but did not move up much, finishing the stage in 14th. Chastain reached the top 10 during the second stage and even competed for the lead a few times, but he was shuffled out of the top 10 at the end of the stage, placing 11th. Although he earned no stage points, Chastain remained competitive in the final stage, as he returned to the top five in the late part of the race. He would eventually help to push Carson Hocevar on the final restart to compete for the win, but Hocevar fell back behind Chastain during the final lap. Chastain, however, did not have enough speed to move past Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe, leaving him to settle for third place, his best finish at EchoPark Speedway since 2022.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

February 23, 2026

Joe Gibbs Racing's Chase Briscoe finished as the runner-up in Sunday's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway. Briscoe started from the back of the pack in the 34th position and spent the first stage trying to work through the field. At the end of the first stage, Briscoe finished 20th and did not earn any stage points. In the middle portion of the second stage, Briscoe cracked the top five thanks to pit strategy and continuing to make moves through the pack. Briscoe eventually traded the lead with Bubba Wallace a few times during the end of the stage, but settled for third behind Wallace and William Byron, earning eight stage points. In the final stage, Briscoe remained competitive and led the early section. He failed to return to the lead for the rest of the race after lap 200, but he played a role in the finish as he pushed Tyler Reddick to the win on the final restart past Carson Hocevar. Briscoe could not pass Reddick for the win, but set a new career-best finish at EchoPark Speedway in the process with his second-place finish.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

February 23, 2026

Tyler Reddick won Sunday's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway in dramatic fashion. The No. 45 23XI Racing driver began the race from first after qualifying was cancelled due to the weather on Saturday. Throughout the first stage, Reddick traded the lead with several drivers, but ultimately fell out of the lead by the end of the stage. He finished stage one in sixth place and earned five stage points. In the second stage, Reddick made use of pit strategy to maintain a top-10 running position and soon returned to the front of the pack to fight for the lead. Late in the second stage, he fell behind, but thanks to a stage-ending caution between Kyle Larson and Shane Van Gisbergen, he caught back up to fourth at the end of the stage, nabbing seven more stage points. In the final stage, Reddick kept his car clean until he was involved in a late multi-car accident on lap 224. The No. 45 team repaired the damage, put on new tires, and Reddick was able to continue. Reddick worked back to the front by the end of the stage and lined up behind his teammate Bubba Wallace for the last two restarts. Although Reddick pushed Wallace to the lead on the final two restarts, Wallace got shuffled back, and Reddick continued onto the lead with a push from Chase Briscoe. Reddick then held off the field to earn his second win of the season, his first at EchoPark Speedway, and became the first driver since Matt Kenseth in 2009 to open the season by winning back-to-back races in the Cup Series.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: NASCAR.com

February 22, 2026

Joey Logano will likely be a popular daily fantasy pick at EchoPark Speedway for Sunday afternoon's Autotrader 400, but you have to question whether or not that is worth the risk. When it comes to races at this track and DFS strategy, it's best to focus on Place Differential, and Logano offers virtually no upside in that statistical category. However, Joey is one of the strongest drivers at EchoPark Speedway and has won two of the last six races here. He has also led a combined 321 laps over the last six events at this track. However, dominator FPTS are not as important to grab for DFS players at this track as they are at others. It's more likely that Logano goes over-valued by the daily fantasy players this weekend, and strategy-wise, it could be a better option to look for a different play on Sunday.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Racing-Reference

February 22, 2026

The 2026 Daytona 500 Champion, Tyler Reddick, will start from the pole position for this weekend's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway after weather washed out qualifying on Saturday morning. Although races at EchoPark Speedway tend to be quite unpredictable, having the track position and good pit stall selection definitely won't hurt Reddick's chances on Sunday afternoon. Reddick finished a career-best fourth here at EchoPark last summer, and has two top-10 results over his last three starts at this speedway. With that being said, Reddick is also a super-risky DFS play on Sunday, as those fantasy lineups should be focused on Place Differential (with this type of racing at EchoPark) and Reddick does not have any upside there. It's probably best to stay away from him in daily fantasy this weekend.--Jordan McAbee
Source: NASCAR

February 22, 2026

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the fourth position for this week's race at EchoPark Speedway, the Autotrader 400. This will be Elliott's first time starting inside the top five at the Atlanta track since 2022. In seven races completed at the site since 2022, Elliott has two wins and has placed in the top 20 every time. He also leads all drivers at Atlanta with a 9.1 average finish and is the track's most recent winner. In last week's Daytona 500, Elliott led two laps and looked like he could have won before fading back and finishing the race in fourth position. The No. 9 Chevrolet driver does not carry much upside from his starting position, but this is one of his top tracks, and it is a hometown race. Elliott is not recommended for cash lineups due to very low upside, but for tournaments, he can be a sneaky option that is capable of competing for the win.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

Team Penske's Ryan Blaney will start in the 22nd position for the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway. This will be the first time that Blaney will start outside of the top 10 at the Atlanta track since its 2022 reconfiguration. In eight races at the site since 2022, Blaney has six top-10 finishes, which is the most of all drivers in that span. He is also tied for the most top-5 finishes at the track since 2022 as well. Last week at the Daytona 500, Blaney finished 27th after leading two laps and was involved in an accident at the end of the race. Blaney is one of the best drivers at drafting tracks and is always a top threat to win. Considering how he also has some upside from his starting position, he is one of the top drivers to roster for DFS this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start in the 13th position for Sunday's Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway after qualifying was cancelled due to weather. Since the Atlanta track was reconfigured in 2022, Byron has maintained a perfect streak of starting every race at the site in the top 20. In eight races since 2022 at Atlanta, Byron has four top-20 finishes, including two victories. Byron is one of only three drivers since 2022 to have won twice at EchoPark Speedway. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver finished 12th after starting 39th in last week's Daytona 500. Although Byron does not offer as much upside as some based on his starting position, his history shows that he is capable of scoring a top finish and competing for wins. Byron is usable in all DFS formats, but is especially preferred for tournaments as a pivot option who could pay off.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin is starting 29th for the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway after qualifying was cancelled by weather. This marks the fourth consecutive race where Hamlin will start outside of the top 25 at the Atlanta track since 2022. In the eight previous races at Atlanta, Hamlin has three top-15 finishes and an average finish of 19.8. Last week in the Daytona 500, Hamlin led three laps and placed 31st after a crash left him with damage, eventually leading him to finish two laps down. Hamlin has plenty of upside from his starting position for this week's race since he starts towards the back. Although Hamlin does not have the strongest finishing history, he is usable and worth consideration for all lineup formats based on his large potential ceiling.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

RFK Racing's Brad Keselowski will start in fifth for Sunday's race at EchoPark Speedway, the Autotrader 400. This will be Keselowski's fourth top-10 start at the Atlanta track since 2022. In his last eight races at Atlanta, the No. 6 Ford driver has six top-20 finishes with only three inside the top 10, and an average finish of 16.4. Keselowski was also the runner-up in the last Atlanta race, where he also led 46 laps. In last week's Daytona race, the Daytona 500, Keselowski finished in fifth position. Keselowski offers little upside for DFS based on his starting position this week, making him difficult to recommend outside of tournament lineups. Although he will likely have a fast car and has some potential to compete for the win, Keselowski is a risk to roster in DFS on Sunday.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start in the ninth position for this week's race at EchoPark Speedway, the Autotrader 400. This will be the first time that Wallace will start in the top 10 at the Atlanta track since it was reconfigured in 2022. In eight races since 2022 at Atlanta, Wallace has four top-15 finishes, including two inside the top 10, and an average finish of 18.0. Last week at the Daytona 500, Wallace won the second stage and led the most laps (40) before finishing in 10th place. The No. 23 Toyota driver does not carry much upside for this week's race, and despite his favorable history of finishes at drafting tracks, he is only recommended for use in tournament lineups in DFS.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

Team Penske driver Austin Cindric is starting in 30th place for the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway after qualifying was cancelled due to the weather. This will be the first time in his Cup career that Cindric will start a race at the Atlanta track outside of the top 20. In eight previous races at the site, Cindric has five finishes of 12th or better with an average finish of 17.3 and led in seven different events. Last week at Daytona for the Daytona 500, Cindric led five laps and finished 34th, seven laps down after he was damaged in a crash. With Cindric starting towards the back of the pack, he has plenty of upside, and Penske tends to be one of the fastest teams on drafting tracks. Look for Cindric to be one of the higher-end scorers for DFS this week, making him a great option for all formats.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info

February 22, 2026

Trackhouse Racing's Ross Chastain will start in the 21st position for the Autotrader 400 at EchoPark Speedway after qualifying was cancelled due to weather. This will be the seventh consecutive race at the site where Chastain will start outside of the top 10 since 2022. In the last eight Atlanta races, Chastain has six finishes of 13th or better with an average finish of 14.1. Four of those finishes were top-10 finishes for Chastain in that span. He also participated in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Atlanta, where he finished in sixth position after leading at the white flag. The No. 1 Chevrolet driver also finished 20th and led 12 laps last week in the Daytona 500. For this week's race at Atlanta, Chastain has solid upside and favorable track history. Fantasy players should highly consider Chastain for all formats, especially as he can be a sneaky option who can pay off well for DFS.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: racing-reference.info