NASCAR will hit double-digit races on the season when it takes the green flag for this Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. The nature of the track doubles the odds of this week’s race favorite, being Joey Logano, early on at +900 (9/1). The expectations are for mayhem and adrenaline spewing, as the track has produced no multiple-time winner from 2022 to now.
Talladega’s Spring Race marks the third event of 2026 at a superspeedway (Daytona, Atlanta). Tyler Reddick has swept those races and looks to continue his streak by winning his 6th race of the year this weekend. Uniquely, Reddick is only +1800 (18/1) to win this week, or the 8th-favorite.
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When playing Fantasy NASCAR in either season-long or DFS form, the following shall be a guiding force. These are the best favorites, mid-shots, and longshots to play at Talladega.
Top Picks
Brad Keselowski greets fans during driver intros before the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
The RFK Racing team expects to flash great speed with a superspeedway package that did quite well earlier this season. At Daytona and Atlanta, Keselowski started 9th and 5th, and finished 5th and 17th, respectively. In the 8-race NextGen era at Talladega, Keselowski has 8 starts, 6 races finishing running, and 4 of those in the top-10; 3 in the top-5.
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Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Whatever issues Chevrolet is having, it seems to be a non-issue at superspeedways. Elliott started 4th in both the races at Daytona and Talladega, finishing 4th and 11th, plus a win in the Daytona Duel No. 2. Since 2022, Elliott has 1 win at Talladega, plus 4 top-10 finishes. He may have the highest floor of any driver if unwrecked in a ‘big one.’
Mid-Tier Picks
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Before you pause this, let’s understand that in DFS formats, Hamlin is priced at the 15th-highest driver in the field. Superspeedways shift the field expectations over average, and for some reason, Hamlin falls short. His car has been, perhaps, the best all year long in pure speed, outside of Reddick. Despite poor performances at Daytona and Atlanta, this team shall have this car much improved. Hamlin has 2 wins in 40 starts at Talladega, plus 17 top-10’s (42.5%).
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Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Briscoe flies under the radar with one of the fastest cars to date in the series. Briscoe has endured woes early this season but has recently fought back with back-to-back top-5 finishes. Briscoe is the defending champion at Talladega, having won last fall. His average NextGen start is 13.8, and finish is 15.3 at Talladega.
Longshot Picks
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Hocevar is priced quite cheaply, thus making him a prime long shot to take. Hocevar’s average start at Talladega is 34th, yet he averages a top-16 finish. This team expects to start much better this weekend with their 13th-fastest car in the series. Hocevar has 3 top-5 finishes in 2025, 2 at Talladega in his 5-race career, and a 4th-place finish at Atlanta earlier this season.
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Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
The Spire Motorsports Chevrolets have flashed great speed, relatively speaking. All 3 cars are in the top 19 of the standings, with 2 in the playoff race. Suarez is averaging a 9th-place finish at superspeedways in 2026, and a 16.4-place finish average at Talladega since 2022, including 4 top-10’s in 8 races.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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