Fantasy Update: Ryan Blaney crashes in Las Vegas practice, Toyotas bring the heat

The last three Cup Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway have been dominated by Hendrick Motorsports. Kyle Larson and William Byron have combined to sweep the last nine stages at the 1.5-mile track. While those two drivers are surely threats for the win, Toyota picked up the pace this weekend. Christopher Bell won the pole and Tyler Reddick looks to have the car to beat. All four of those drivers should be available in your lineup. RELATED: Set your Fantasy Live lineups | Weekend schedule Dustin Albino’s race-day lineup: Starter 1: Tyler Reddick Starter 2: Kyle Larson Starter 3: Christopher Bell Starter 4: William Byron Starter 5: Ross Chastain Garage pick: Denny Hamlin NEXT IN LINE: Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch RISING: The only driver that has moved into my lineup as a garage pick is Hamlin. Entering the weekend, I was on the brink of slotting Hamlin in, knowing what the No. 11 team is capable of at the tracks that make up the Round of 8. Hamlin had a decent practice session, ranking seventh on 10-lap averages and qualifying fourth. This is almost the worst-case scenario in figuring out whether Truex should be in your lineup or not. The Toyotas are fast this weekend and Truex was the best non-playoff driver in practice, slotting in second in single-lap speed and had the best 10-lap average of all drivers. The 2017 Cup champion has 13 top-10 finishes in the last 14 Vegas races, including a pair of victories. The playoff drivers came to play, so I’m keeping the No. 19 car off my lineup, but Truex has moved up the pecking order. FALLING: After completing just one lap that wasn’t up to full swing in practice, Ryan Blaney had a puncture in his left-rear tire that caused the No. 12 Ford to spin into the outside wall. The team immediately unloaded the backup car and Blaney will have to start from the rear of the field on Sunday. Team Penske struggled across the board, with Joey Logano being the team’s best in class at 30th. The No. 22 team did muscle its way to a top-10 qualifying position. In order to continue padding his record-winning streak to 20 straight seasons, Busch is running out of races to complete that mission. With a pair of intermediate tracks on the horizon, he thought this weekend or Homestead next week would be his best chance. However, Busch was middle-of-the-road in both practice and qualifying and will start Sunday’s race from 20th position. FEATURED MATCHUPS: Kyle Larson vs. Christopher Bell: Historically, this would seem as though it isn’t as tough as it is. Bell won his third pole of the season and his third pole at Las Vegas. Larson dipped to fifth in qualifying but paced better than Bell in practice. After scoring the pole, Bell said he was comfortable with his No. 20 Toyota in practice and feels like it’s capable of contending for the win. I’m sticking with Larson, though, but it will come down to execution. Denny Hamlin vs. William Byron: Another tough one between Hamlin and Byron where it could be considered a true tossup. Hamlin has been vocal about it taking him well into the race at Vegas to find a rhythm. Byron has been a contender in multiple Las Vegas races, including a triumph in the 2023 spring race. I’m going to stick with my gut and keep Byron because the No. 24 team has been on a roll over the last month. Tyler Reddick vs. Ryan Blaney: Reddick has been the fastest guy in Nevada this weekend, pacing the field in practice and following that up in the opening round of qualifying with the fastest lap of the day. With Blaney’s practice incident, the No. 12 team will be coming, trying to find valuable track position. Reddick has the speed capable of winning and it’s unknown what Blaney will have to work with on Sunday before the green flag. The safe choice is the No. 45 Toyota. Chase Elliott vs. Joey Logano: Seeing Logano buried in 30th on single-lap speed in practice is a tad concerning. Elliott was a touch better in 20th, but qualified worse than the No. 22 car. Vegas has been a venue where the No. 9 team has lacked pace, with six of his last eight finishes being outside the top 10. Sticking with Logano, though not confident in that choice.