Editor’s Note: Keep tabs on this page for lineup advice following qualifying, including changes you should consider.
Fantasy Update: Tyler Reddick’s hot streak to 2026 continued Saturday by winning the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Circuit of The Americas bout. Multiple drivers pointed to Ryan Blaney as the standout car, however, with the No. 12 Team Penske Ford pacing the field on five- and 10-lap averages in practice. Having used Blaney in the opening two races, I’m opting to sit him out this weekend. The primary change here is replacing Connor Zilisch with Michael McDowell, who had the quickest single-lap speed in practice and will start sixth. Zilisch will be mired back in 25th at the green flag.
My lineup: Shane van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell, Ross Chastain, Michael McDowell.
Garage: Alex Bowman.
All eyes shift to Circuit of The Americas this Sunday for the NASCAR Cup Series’ first trip to a road course in 2026 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Trackhouse Racing has two of the favorites in the field, and its most-experienced driver is a former winner at the Austin, Texas venue. Tyler Reddick, the 2023 COTA winner, is aiming to become the first driver in history to sweep the first three races of any Cup Series season.
Returning to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can come play along. It’s a season-long points battle introduced in 2024 where strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2026 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.
RELATED: NASCAR Fantasy Live hub | Play 36 for 36
MUST START
Driver: Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: Van Gisbergen is looking to make his own history this weekend, attempting to join Jeff Gordon as the only driver to ever win six consecutive road-course races. He clobbered the competition while turning left and right in 2025, scoring 73 points more than the second-highest points tallier (Christopher Bell). His average running position at road courses last year was 2.9, according to Racing Insights.
Driver: Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: COTA is among Reddick’s best tracks on the calendar, having never qualified outside the top five. His finishes haven’t been too shabby either, with four top fives in five starts, and a worse finish of ninth. His 4.6 average finish here is his best among active tracks.
Driver: Connor Zilisch, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: The biggest challenge to van Gisbergen at road courses in 2026 could quite possibly be his rookie teammate Zilisch. He stood toe-to-toe with SVG in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at road courses in 2025, coming out on top in an epic battle at Sonoma Raceway. Zilisch made his Cup debut here last year and raced through the field until he was taken out in an incident not of his own doing.
DRIVERS TO AVOID
Driver: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: With six road-course triumphs on his resume, Larson is among the all-time greats at this craft. However, the two-time champion has struggled at COTA, with only one finish better than 14th in five tries. He has also finished 32nd or worse in four of the last six road-course races.
Driver: Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Since finishing third at COTA in 2021, it’s been downhill for the three-time Cup champion at the road course. Three of the last four finishes in Austin have been 24th or worse, dipping his average finish to 19.4, tied with Talladega Superspeedway for his worst on the schedule.
SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Driver: Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: We might as well put Chastain in the mix, since we’re discussing the Trackhouse drivers’ success at road courses. Chastain won his first Cup race here in 2022, and his 5.6 average finish ranks third among all drivers.
Driver: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: With an average finish of 31.5 through the opening two races of 2025, Bowman needed a track like COTA to be on the horizon. He has never finished worse than ninth in five COTA starts, including a runner-up effort in 2022. His 5.2 average finish here is his best among all Cup circuits with multiple starts.
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Shane van Gisbergen vs. Connor Zilisch
Pick: Van Gisbergen
Comment: This will likely be an ongoing battle at road courses throughout the 2026 campaign. At COTA, though, van Gisbergen should get the advantage, given he has multiple starts in the Next Gen car. He has looked human in those starts, however, banking a best finish of sixth in two races.
Tyler Reddick vs. William Byron
Pick: Reddick
Comment: With multiple road-course wins and a worst finish of 12th at COTA, Byron is no slouch at turning left and right. Meanwhile, Reddick has been just a tick better through five COTA starts, tallying the best average finish in the series.
Kyle Busch vs. Ross Chastain
Pick: Chastain
Comment: It could be argued that Busch should be favored here. He has a pair of top fives in three trips to COTA with Richard Childress Racing, and even led a season-high 42 laps in this race last year. Chastain is dependable at COTA, with four top 10s in five visits.
Chase Briscoe vs. Ty Gibbs
Pick: Gibbs
Comment: Earning the fifth-most points on road courses in 2025, Briscoe is probably the easy pick. However, Gibbs has had some of his brightest spots in Cup at road courses and desperately needs a solid finish, having earned 17 points through two races in 2026. Gibbs has a pair of top 10s in three COTA races.
MY LINEUP
Starting five: Shane van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Connor Zilisch, Christopher Bell, Alex Bowman
Garage pick: Ross Chastain
36 FOR 36
Pick: AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Comment: COTA has been completely feast or famine for Allmendinger. He has a pair of victories in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, with another set of top-10 finishes in five Cup races. The three other results were 30th or worse. Allmendinger was in the mix last year — scoring stage points in both stages — until a flat tire derailed his finish.