A new week, a new us with the chance to play and win big in Fantasy NASCAR. Whether done on NASCAR.com or in DFS formats, today’s analysis applies. The NASCAR Cup Series takes to the 1.5-mile oval at Kansas Speedway, and like any other track, certain drivers favor this oval more than others. Thus, they are viable assets for the AdventHealth 400 this upcoming Sunday.
Top Picks
Chase Elliott celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series at Kansas Speedway. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Elliott offers a chance to escape the high pricing and ownership of Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Christopher Bell. On pure speed, Elliott has been among the best cars in the Cup Series, including having won at Martinsville. Elliott has 5 top-10 finishes since 2022, including a race win at an average finishing position of 10.1. On FanDuel, Elliott is only the 9th-highest priced driver.
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Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Blaney is a controversial pick given his recent pit crew problems. However, Blaney remains 2nd place in the driver standings, and as Hamlin stated on his podcast, Blaney is the “man to beat.” On pure speed, there may be no better car over the past month than Blaney’s No. 12 Ford. Blaney is the 8th-best average finisher at Kansas since 2022 (11.5) with 3 top-10 finishes.
Mid-Tier Picks
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
The Toyotas remain as the best OEM in NASCAR, having sent Ty Gibbs to victory lane and now having won 6 of the 8 races in 2026. Wallace has 1 win at Kansas, including 4 top-10 finishes since 2022, and 3 in the top-5 of the eight races. Wallace has the 9th most points scored at Kansas since 2022, and assuming these subpar performances, again, of Ross Chastain and Alex Bowman, Wallace surged to be a top-7 expected points scorer this Sunday.
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Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Logano is a gamble worth making. His qualifying sessions have been very volatile in 2026, with 4 top-9 starts and the other 4 in 20th or worse. If Logano earns a top-10 start, he should be a threat to be up front. Logano has 3 top-10 finishes at Kansas since 2022, and in his entire career, he has won 3 times there in 33 starts. He knows the line to run; it will just be about car setup.
Longshot Picks
Corey Heim, No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota
Heim is not a low-series driver jumping in here. He is a proven winner who does it as much as any Cup driver would in the lower series. Heim seemingly wins about 50% of the Truck Series races he partakes in. 23XI Racing should be fielding a very strong open car for Heim this weekend, as they have provided to their full-time cars. The Toyotas are very strong, and Heim shall be able to handle the heat at Kansas and have top-10 potential, if not even top-5.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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