Editor’s Note: Keep tabs on this page for lineup advice following qualifying, including changes you should consider.
Fantasy Update: Carson Hocevar and Spire Motorsports continue to deliver. The company swept the front row with Hocevar winning the Busch Light Pole Adward for Sunday’s main event at Texas Motor Speedway after winning the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday evening. The main change this week is swapping Daniel Suárez in over Brad Keselowski, who qualified 25th. Many drivers believe that the primary contenders at the first two intermediate races in 2026 will be the cars to beat again on Sunday. Admittedly, with the strength Toyota has displayed at 1.5-mile venues, my strategy could be risky this weekend, as my lineup is littered with Chevrolets.
My lineup: Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Carson Hocevar, Chase Elliott, William Byron.
Garage: Daniel Suárez.
Picking the ultimate fantasy lineup for Texas Motor Speedway is akin to playing your hand at the roulette table. In the 14 races at the reconfigured 1.5-mile track, pure chaos has ensued. Since 2023, all three 400-mile races have had at least 11 cautions, with the last two events having seven cautions apiece in the final stage. In the Next Gen era, Texas has averaged 14 cautions per race, more than any other active venue. What does that mean? Be wise in who you select this weekend; we are approaching the midway point of the regular season, and usage is running slim.
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: William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 8
Comment: With his recent Texas numbers, including a 2023 victory, Byron is among the few drivers you can count on to produce a solid outing this weekend. Byron has six top-10 finishes in 11 attempts in the Lone Star State, and his average finish of 11.4 ranks as his best among active 1.5-mile venues.
Driver: Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 6
Comment: It wouldn’t sit right to omit Larson as a starter, but it’s a dangerous pick. No driver has spent more laps inside the top five in the Next Gen era at Texas than Larson (629), and he’s led more than triple the number of laps as any driver in five races with Hendrick (541). The finishes have been sporadic, however, placing 21st or worse in two of the last three events.
Driver: Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Toyota has ruled the first two 1.5-mile races in 2026, but Texas isn’t an ordinary intermediate. Briscoe has a trio of top 10s in five Texas starts with an average finish of 12.6, his best among 1.5-mile tracks. You need to weigh risk versus reward this weekend, and the No. 19 team has plenty of upside.
DRIVERS TO AVOID
Driver: Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
Selections remaining: 9
Comment: Everyone enjoys a visit to their native soil, but the Texan, who hails from 50 miles northeast of the Fort Worth layout, has seen better days in cowboy country. RFK has impressed at intermediates to begin 2026, but Buescher is still searching for his first top 10 here through 16 attempts.
Driver: Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: Coming off Bowman’s best race of the season at Talladega Superspeedway, he heads to arguably his worst circuit on the schedule. He has a pair of top 10s in 16 Texas trips, finishing 29th or worse in four of the last five starts. His average finish of 25.4 is his worst among active 1.5-mile tracks.
SLEEPERS OF THE WEEK
Driver: Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: Yet to capture a checkered flag in Texas, Jones’ numbers aren’t as flashy as Darlington Raceway, taking home two Southern 500 trophies. However, Texas is Jones’ most consistent track. He has four top fives and eight top 10s in 14 starts, accumulating an average finish of 11.8, his best among active tracks.
Driver: Daniel Suárez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Selections remaining: 10
Comment: While the field has been consistently inconsistent at Texas, Suárez enters this weekend with five straight finishes of 12th or better here, four of which landed inside the top 10. This is the type of place that falls into Spire’s wheelhouse.
FEATURED MATCHUPS
Carson Hocevar vs. Ty Gibbs
Pick: Hocevar
Comment: Like Gibbs two weeks ago, Hocevar is riding high after his first Cup victory last weekend. The track’s defending polesitter said recently that Texas was a strong spot for the No. 77 team, though the numbers say otherwise. It’s hard to bet against Toyota at an intermediate, but Gibbs’ weak spot, historically, has been 1.5-mile tracks, despite scoring top 10s in both intermediate races this season.
Joey Logano vs. Chase Elliott
Pick: Elliott
Comment: Aside from winning this race in 2024, Elliott’s recent Texas record leaves a lot to be desired, with two top 10s in the last nine races. Logano enters as the defending winner, but Team Penske’s raw pace at 1.5-mile venues is concerning.
Brad Keselowski vs. Chase Briscoe
Pick: Briscoe
Comment: Don’t overlook Keselowski this weekend. He’s posted six top 10s in the last seven Texas races and also holds the most laps led (685) of active drivers without a win here. Briscoe, in my mind, enters the weekend as one of the favorites, especially if he can lay down a decent qualifying lap.
Ross Chastain vs. Daniel Suárez
Pick: Suárez
Comment: Chastain thrives off chaos, and it’s proven with runner-up efforts in two of the last three Texas races. But Trackhouse has been among the biggest mysteries to begin 2026, and their lack of speed at Kansas two weeks ago is alarming. Suárez, meanwhile, feels rejuvenated with Spire, and Texas is among his steadiest tracks.
MY LINEUP
Starting five: William Byron, Kyle Larson, Chase Briscoe, Brad Keselowski, Carson Hocevar.
Garage pick: Chase Elliott.
36 FOR 36
Pick: Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Comment: With another late-race incident that spiraled Jones’ Talladega finish, we are projecting a rebound weekend. As noted, it’s arguably his best track on the schedule, constantly hovering near the top 10. He has three finishes of 12th or better in five starts piloting the famed No. 43 machine.