Chicagoland eero 400 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Rankings / Post Practice Predictions
On Sunday, NASCAR will be returning to Chicagoland for the first time since 2019 for the eero 400. Chicagoland is an aged 1.5-mile oval that has a ton of character. The surface is still the original from 2001, and it’s said to have some big bumps. I view the most similar overall track to be Kansas. In terms of correlation, I would look at the four high-speed 1.5’s visited this year plus Darlington. Here’s a look at 2026 average finishes from those races and 2026 Track Type Speed Rankings.
On Friday, practice was held for Chicagoland. Teams had 50 minutes and three sets of tires, and keep in mind teams have different agendas. Make sure you check out our Chicagoland Practice Notes, Chicagoland 5,10,15,20 and 25 Lap Average Speed Cheat Sheet and Chicagoland Practice Speeds and 10-Lap Averages.
Here’s the Chicagoland Starting Lineup/ Qualifying Results.
Chicagoland Full Field Fantasy Rankings
1) Denny Hamlin
Start 1st / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – High
Chicagoland Outlook – At Chicagoland in the eero 400, there’s no question Denny Hamlin will be tough to beat. Hamlin’s been the premiere performer at high-speed intermediate tracks in 2026, he’s an elite driver at high-tire wear tracks and he’s also a former Chicagoland winner. There’s nothing to not like about him. This year at high-speed 1.5’s plus Darlington, which is a grouping I like for correlation, Hamlin’s been a contender to win 4 of the 5 races, has 1-win, a series best 4.2 average finish and has the best Speed Ranking (2.8). At high-tire wear tracks going back to 2024 (Homestead and Darlington), Hamlin has a series best 5.4 average finish and ranks 3rd in terms of Track Type Total Speed Rankings. At Chicagoland, Hamlin raced his way to victory lane in 2015 and over the last six races, he’s 5 for 6 at finishing in the top 7 and has a 6.5 average finish. Earlier this year, Hamlin took part in testing at Chicagoland, so he’ll have a better notebook than most. In practice, Hamlin ranked 7th for 10-lap averages and 5th for 20-lap averages.
DraftKings $11,000/ FanDuel $14,000
Further Recommended Reading = Chicagoland Finish Projections, DraftKings Chicagoland Scoring Projections, FanDuel Chicagoland Scoring Projections, Chicagoland Quick Rankings
2) Tyler Reddick
Start 13th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Chicagoland Outlook – Tyler Reddick should prominently be on your fantasy NASCAR radar at Chicagoland. This year at high-speed 1.5’s + Darlington, Reddick has 2-wins, ranks 2nd for average finish (4.6) and ranks 2nd for Speed. I’ll also note, those two wins have come at Kansas and Darlington, and that’s a great duo of tracks that have correlation. At high-wear tracks going back to 2024, Reddick has the best Speed Ranking and the 2nd best average finish (8.3). In practice, Reddick was happy with his car and was a stopwatch standout, ranking #1 for 10,15,20 and 25-lap averages.
DraftKings $10,700/ FanDuel $13,500
3) Kyle Larson
Start 2nd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Medium-High
Chicagoland Outlook – Kyle Larson will be tough to beat at Chicagoland. Larson tested here, he’s thrived at high tire-wear tracks (Homestead and Darlington), he’s been strong at high-speed 1.5’s and he’s already had success at Chicagoland, having back-to-back runner ups (2019 and 2018) and a 6.2 average finish. This year at high speed 1.5’s + Darlington, Larson has a 6.0 average finish minus Texas. At Kansas which I view to be the singular best comp track, Larson finished 2nd and ranked 3rd for Speed. At high-wear intermediates going back to 2024, Larson ranks 5th for Speed. In practice, Larson looked good and ranked 11th for 10-lap averages. Over his opening run, he was #1 for 5,10 and 15-lap averages.
DraftKings $10,500/ FanDuel $13,000
