With a weeknight race, we’re bringing back the Fantasy Update in place of this week’s Fantasy Fastlane for the Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts at Kansas Speedway (7:30 p.m. on NBCSN/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). In our revamped Update, I’ll provide three must-haves, three avoids and three sleepers based on a combination of Kansas stats, 1.5-mile stats for the 2020 season and recent trends. This will also include the planned lineup and, by popular demand, the bonus picks. The usual Fantasy Fastlane format will return next weekend to preview the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
RELATED: Lineup for Kansas | Odds for Kansas | Schedule for KansasThree must starts
Ryan Blaney: Blaney has been the best car by a wide margin on 1.5-mile tracks this year -- the only thing he doesn’t have yet on that track type is a win. He has averaged 46.7 points and has scored no less than 42 points in the seven races to date in 2020 on 1.5-mile venues. Those stats make me not worry about three finishes outside the top 20 in his last four Kansas starts.
Chase Elliott: The best driver at Kansas in the last four races there -- in the non-Kevin Harvick division, who we will cover later -- is Elliott. He has averaged 43.8 points in those races with a win included in three straight top-four finishes. His recent 2020 results are a slight cause for concern -- one top 10 in his last six races -- but I’m turning him loose for this one.
Martin Truex Jr.: Despite a disappointing Texas Motor Speedway result and running dry twice, the speed was there for Truex and the No. 19 camp. He is the fifth-best driver by points on 1.5-mile tracks this year with an average of 36.7 points. He also has two wins at Kansas in the last six and five races with at least 33 points there in that stretch.
Three plays to avoid
Joey Logano: Based on average finish (17.4), this is Logano’s third-worst track on the circuit and his worst intermediate. He does have two fall wins at Kansas but also has four finishes of 15th or worse in the last six here. The second starting spot for this one makes him tempting, but I’ve got my eye on New Hampshire and both Michigan International Speedway races as better plays with the 22.
Matt Kenseth: Kenseth’s career Kansas numbers are solid (two wins, 13 top 10s in 25 starts), but what makes me run far away from him are his 1.5-mile stats in 2020. He’s 28th in points earned and has no top 10s at that track type this year, which puts him behind John Hunter Nemechek, Michael McDowell and Corey LaJoie in that category.
Clint Bowyer: Kansas is Bowyer’s home track, and he did score back-to-back top 10s there last year. You know what he has yet to do in 2020? Score a top 10 at a 1.5-mile track. He has some decent mid-to-high 20s points day, but the volume of work thus far leaves a little bit to be desired for a use, especially when with eight races left in the regular season, you should be relying on the studs as much as you can.
Three sleepers to watch
Tyler Reddick: Reddick’s first Cup top 10 came at Kansas last spring. The rookie comes into this race with three straight top 10s on the 2020 season capped off by a runner-up effort Sunday at Texas. He’s also the eighth-best driver by points on 1.5-mile tracks this year -- that mark puts him ahead of Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman.
Austin Dillon: Sunday’s winner at Texas has been a sneaky 1.5-mile play all year with an average of 32.9 points per race. Those seven races have seen him score no less than 26 points and nab three top 10s in addition to his Texas win. His Kansas stats are relatively ho-hum with several top 15s over the last eight races there.
Erik Jones: Jones finished sixth at Texas last weekend and will look to carry that momentum to another track that has treated him well in recent years. The JGR driver has four straight top-seven finishes at Kansas and the fourth-most points over that stretch. He has more points in that span at Kansas than the rest of his well-accomplished JGR teammates.
What to do with Kevin Harvick
If you have two uses left, I’d sit him here. At three uses, I’d lean toward playing him. At four uses or more left, I’d absolutely play him. As far as tracks left on the regular-season schedule, I’d prioritize the first Michigan race as a must start with him. His record of late at New Hampshire and Dover International Speedway suggest those should get higher priority as well. Given the wild card nature of both Daytona International Speedway races — the road course and the oval — he’ll be on my avoid list there since he is just too valuable anywhere else. Remember even if you are low on uses, you can still stack the bonus picks with him to get points from the 4 car.Kansas lineup and bonus picks
Lineup: Kevin Harvick, Ryan Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott; Garage: Tyler Reddick. If I made any change to that six-driver lineup leading up to the race, it would be to continue riding the hot hand of Aric Almirola.
Bonus picks: I'll be taking Harvick in Stage 1 and Stage 2 with Blaney and Ford for the win. I just think Blaney is due to get one at 1.5-mile track.