When the Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway, fantasy players can really have their pick of the litter. The best superspeedway competitors often find their way to the front, but it doesn‘t mean they are guaranteed to finish there. It allows you to think outside the box and put drivers in your lineup who might not be there on a frequent basis. It also saves some of the frontrunners for other venues you know they will be strong at.
Returning to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can come play along. It‘s a season-long points battle introduced in 2024 where strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2026 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.
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RELATED: NASCAR Fantasy Live hub | Play 36 for 36
MUST START
Driver: Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Selections remaining: 7
Comment: Reddick has been off to a scorching start in 2026, becoming just the fourth driver to win five of the opening nine races in a single season. He kickstarted the campaign with consecutive drafting-track triumphs, and he could become the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1990 to win three straight drafting races.
Driver: Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Selections remaining: 8
Comment: With six Talladega victories, Keselowski is the best driver of his generation to compete at the 2.66-mile venue. Since his last victory here five years ago, the 2012 champion has three runner-up finishes in the last nine races.
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Driver: Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Selections remaining: 7
Comment: Wallace nearly secured his second Talladega victory last fall, leading at the white flag. He enters the weekend with three straight top-10 finishes here. He leads the series with nine top-10 finishes at drafting tracks since the start of 2024.
Brad Keselowski on the grid during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on April 18, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas.
DRIVERS TO AVOID
Driver: Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: Don‘t kick a man when he‘s down, but Talladega has been a tough place for Busch historically. One of his three victories with RCR came here in 2023. But in the other five visits to Alabama driving the No. 8 car, he‘s placed 19th or worse each time.
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Driver: Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Among some of Buescher‘s competitors, he is regarded as one of the best superspeedway drivers currently in the field. However, his Talladega numbers leave a lot to be desired. He has a trio of top-10 finishes in 21 attempts, with just one finish better than 17th (third) in eight Next Gen starts.
Kyle Busch during practice for the NASCAR Cup race on April 11, 2026, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee.
SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Driver: Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: With four top-10 finishes in eight Talladega starts, Gilliland has been sneaky good here since debuting in Cup. He nearly captured the checkered flag last fall, finishing runner-up to Chase Briscoe. His 13.1 average finish ranks second best of any track on the circuit (Indianapolis Motor Speedway).
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Driver: Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: Keeping it in the Front Row family, Smith has been “Steady Eddie” recently at drafting tracks. The No. 38 car won the first stage of the season in the Daytona 500 and crossed the finish line in sixth. Overall, he has four top-10 finishes in the last five drafting races.
Todd Gilliland signs autographs for NASCAR fans before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2026 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Daniel Suárez vs. Ryan Preece
Pick: Preece
Comment: Suárez‘s recent resume of four finishes of 10th or better in the last seven Talladega races is noteworthy. However, the Ford camp tends to have a plan and stick with it at superspeedways. Preece nearly won this race last year but was later disqualified in post-race inspection.
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Tyler Reddick vs. Ryan Blaney
Pick: Reddick
Comment: Three Talladega victories for Blaney is hard to bet against, but it seems foolish to disregard any matchup Reddick is part of. He tallied the most points at superspeedways in 2025, and he has a 40-point buffer through two races in 2026.
Austin Cindric vs. Joey Logano
Pick: Cindric
Comment: Logano has led laps in 20 straight drafting-style races, the longest streak of all time. But the finishes are not up to par, with one top 10 in the last 13 Talladega races (eight straight outside the top 15). Cindric won here last April and is arguably the best superspeedway competitor of the Next Gen era.
Bubba Wallace vs. Chris Buescher
Pick: Wallace
Comment: From above, you can tell where I‘m leaning here. Wallace has top 10s in five of the last seven superspeedway events to Buescher‘s three top 10s in the last five tries. The No. 17 car was swept up in accidents during both Talladega races in 2025 while Wallace had top 10s in each.
MY LINEUP
Starting five: Tyler Reddick, Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Garage pick: Todd Gilliland
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36 FOR 36
Pick: Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Comment: Races at superspeedways are a prime opportunity to take a driver off the beaten path. Through 14 Talladega starts, Dillon has an average finish of 16.9, his best among all tracks. He finished a career-best third here in 2020 with Germain Racing.
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