Fantasy Update: Hendrick, Toyota quick at Kansas

Since the Next Gen car has hit Kansas Speedway, Toyota has largely dominated. The exception was in the spring when Kyle Larson nabbed Chris Buescher in the closest finish in Cup Series history. Hendrick Motorsports returned similar speed this weekend, with all four of its cars being contenders. Alex Bowman caught my eye as the No. 48 Chevrolet was quickest on 15- and 20-lap averages. But you can’t go wrong with Joe Gibbs Racing at Kansas either, so the bulk of my lineup features those two powerhouse organizations.

RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live lineups

Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup:

Starter 1: Denny Hamlin

Starter 2: Kyle Larson

Starter 3: William Byron

Starter 4: Christopher Bell

Starter 5: Alex Bowman

Garage pick: Tyler Reddick

NEXT IN LINE: Ty Gibbs, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney

RISING: It was an adventurous practice session for Briscoe, clocking in just 23 laps. The No. 14 Ford never made a long run and was 31st quickest on single-lap speed. Throughout his career, Briscoe has been notorious for carrying the car, and that continued in qualifying as he was a final-round surprise and qualified ninth. Briscoe didn’t make my lineup, but this late-season surge from Stewart-Haas Racing has been impressive.

The Team Penske duo of Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney both churned in quality days on Saturday. Three victories boost Logano’s Kansas resume, but neither driver has been consistent at the 1.5-mile track in recent seasons. The Nos. 12 and 22 Fords both advanced to the final round of qualifying and were competitive on short and long runs in practice.

FALLING: After running 19 laps in practice, Elliott felt as though his engine was down a cylinder, and the No. 9 team swapped engines following qualifying. The good news for Elliott is he was sporty in practice before the engine woes, ranking fourth on 10-lap averages. Kansas is among Elliott’s best intermediate tracks, but he will need to overcome a track position deficit at the beginning of the race. Scoring stage points in Stage 1 could be tricky, but he’s still worth consideration for your lineup.

Wallace salvaged a 13th-place starting position, but it was a rough practice across the board for 23XI Racing. The No. 23 Toyota slotted 27th on 10-lap averages, and this came after a disappointing spring Kansas race for 23XI. Reddick was one spot worse on the long haul but made the final round of qualifying and will start fourth.

FEATURED MATCHUPS:

Kyle Larson vs. Denny Hamlin: It’s always a surprise whenever Larson fails to make the final round of qualifying, particularly at an intermediate track. The No. 5 car looked to be among the best cars in the field during race pace. As did Hamlin, making this a brutal matchup to decide. My brain tells me to stick with Larson since little changed from earlier in the week, and Hendrick Motorsports showed up as the organization to beat in practice.

Christopher Bell vs. William Byron: For the third straight Kansas race, Bell locked up the pole and will bring the field to the green flag on Sunday. He stated that he thought this No. 20 car was the best hot rod he’s ever had at Kansas. Byron led the way on 10-lap averages. It could be a tale of short versus long run, but I’m going to stay with Bell.

Chase Elliott vs. Tyler Reddick: With Elliott having to start in the rear due to an engine change, this matchup became much more intriguing. Reddick hustled his car to a top-five starting position but lacked speed on the long run. That’s where the No. 9 Chevrolet excelled. It’s a long race, and because this is a heads-up matchup, I’m flipping to Elliott, believing he will be a factor for the win.

Ryan Blaney vs. Joey Logano: These Team Penske teammates showed up on Saturday in practice and qualifying and should be worth considering for your lineup. Neither made mine, but it’s a challenge to decipher which one is better. Logano will start one row ahead of Blaney and was quicker than the No. 12 car on single-lap speed, but it was Blaney that squeaked ahead of the No. 22 Ford on long runs. Neither driver has been consistent during their career at Kansas, but Logano has been steadier. Let’s roll with the two-time Cup champion.

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Fantasy Update: Hendrick, Toyota quick as expected at Kansas