Yardbarker
x
Fantasy NASCAR Picks: Sleepers and Fades for Michigan
ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fantasy NASCAR Picks: Sleepers and Fades for Michigan

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Thomas Carelli  |  Last updated Jun 4, 2026 12:40 PM ET
Google Add us as a preferred source on Google

The NASCARCup Series is past the midway mark of the regular season. Some drivers sit in comfort in the driver standings, including Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin. Others must now step up in a big way to get past average and clinch a postseason spot, including Joey Logano and Alex Bowman, who sit outside of the playoff bubble.

The series heads to Michigan International Speedway this weekend for a 1.5-mile oval race. The track's nature is familiar, closely resembling Kansas Speedway and other 1.5-mile ovals such as Las Vegas, Homestead, and Texas.

The Toyotas have clearly been dominant in their intermediate packages this season. They have won 5 of 8 intermediate track races, featuring all of the wins coming from Tyler Reddick (3) and Denny Hamlin (2).

Despite Toyota's dominance, Michigan shall leave it open to the best historical racers at the track, as well as those who trended up in recent weeks. Here are the best Fantasy NASCAR picks of the weekend.

Top Picks

Tyler Reddick Drives Ahead of Competition at Michigan. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota

Reddick has won 5 times in 2026 and continues to run each week very strongly. He has back-to-back top-6 finishes and a top-8 result in all but two races; three, including the All-Star Race at Dover. He or Hamlin should be the favorite at every intermediate track. Yet, Christopher Bell is priced higher than Reddick, making for good value as the 3rd-highest-priced option at Michigan.

Denny Hamlin, No 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Hamlin is the best driver in NASCAR at this very moment. He won last Sunday's race at Nashville and also the All-Star Race two weeks prior. Sandwiched between, Hamlin finishes 3rd in the Coca-Cola 600, and before the All-Star Race, he finishes 2nd at Texas. He may be the most expensive option in Fantasy NASCAR this week, but he is well worth the price as your 'splash' of the week.

Mid-Tier Picks

Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford

Buescher has been top-10 in medium green flag lap time at Michigan over his last 3 starts. He is also quietly running strong as 8th in the driver standings. His pit crew ranks well above average, and with a strong qualifying session, Buescher will for sure be a dark-horse threat to win the FireKeepers Casino 400.

Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota

Much like Buescher, Wallace has run very strongly at Michigan, finishing in the top 10 in median green-flag lap times in each of the last 4 races and in the top 5 in 3 of the 4. Toyota's, as noted, have been very strong all year long, and Wallace will surely have a top-10 car, if not top-5.

Longshot Picks

Erik Jones, No. 43 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota

Jones is the hottest running 'longshot' in NASCAR. He has top-10 speed amid an 11th-place finish at Nashville. In the Coca-Cola 600, Jones finished in 13th, despite a 21st-place start. He finishes 3rd in the All-Star Race.

In partnership now with Joe Gibbs Racing , LEGACY MOTOR CLUB has the information to have top-half speed in the NASCAR Cup Series. It seems that Jones is ahead of John Hunter Nemechek as the team's No. 1 driver. Given Jones' experience and recent speed, he absolutely can finish very strongly at Michigan.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA.