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NASCAR Fantasy Rankings: Top DraftKings Picks for the 2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500

NASCAR Fantasy Rankings: Top DraftKings Picks for the 2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500

DraftKings Fantasy Advice DFS NASCAR

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By: Pearce Dietrich

The real 2026 NASCAR season begins this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. This isn’t a superspeedway or a road course. Phoenix is an oval ā€” or close to it. It’s a short track ā€” or close to it. Either way, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to NASCAR roots on Sunday.

For NASCAR insight and quick DFS help, follow Pearce Dietrich (@Race4thePrize) on X.

Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $400K Burnout [$100K to 1st] (Cup)

Top DraftKings Picks for the 2026 Straight Talk Wireless 500

  1. Christopher Bell ($10,200) ā€” Some drivers are built for Phoenix. Bell has always excelled at short tracks. He’s won the last two Phoenix spring races. In terms of pure speed, Bell’s 0.985 POMS (Percentage of Max Speed) is the best in the Cup Series from 2024 to 2025.
  2. Ryan Blaney ($11,200) ā€” Phoenix might be Blaney’s best track. He finally got a win at Phoenix in the 2025 Championship race. His average finish of sixth in the eight Gen-7 races is the best in the Cup Series.
  3. Kyle Larson ($10,500) ā€” Unlike Ryan Blaney, Larson has never won a Gen-7 race at Phoenix. He won the 2021 Championship Race in the old package. He finished well in the 2025 Championship. Race wins are great, but they do not mean everything in DFS.
  4. Denny Hamlin ($11,000) ā€” Short tracks are his forte. Every track is his forte. Hamlin led 208 laps in the 2025 Championship race, but a late-race caution changed everything. Hamlin didn’t win the championship, but he won DFS NASCAR players a lot of money.
  5. Tyler Reddick ($10,000) ā€” Can Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team win four in a row? If three in a row is possible, then why not four? If the internet conspiracy theory ā€” NASCAR is allowing the 23XI Toyotas to run extra horsepower ā€” is true, then yes. If track history matters, then no.
  6. William Byron ($10,200) ā€” Chill Bill flies under the radar. His stats do not. Byron won the 2023 spring Phoenix race. He’s earned a top-10 finish in five of the eight Gen-7 Phoenix races and led over 50 laps in four races.
  7. Joey Logano ($9,200) ā€” Is Logano aging out? This week is the barometer. Superspeedway and road course results are not strong indicators. Some drivers get better with age, but they’re few. Most fade away. Logano has been a top five driver at Phoenix in the Gen-7 car, but the competition is fierce.
  8. Chase Elliott ($9,000) ā€” The most popular driver in NASCAR is not the best driver. Elliott knows his way around Phoenix. He’s a good short-track driver, but there are better short-track drivers with better cars. He’s a place differential driver, but a threat to lead a significant number of laps.
  9. Chase Briscoe ($9,500) ā€” The JGR Toyotas are strong at Phoenix. James Small is an elite crew chief who knows Phoenix. The problem is that other drivers, teams and crew chiefs are better. Briscoe can lead, but can he finish?
  10. Austin Cindric ($6,900) ā€” The son of the former Team Penske president will never get full respect. Cindric’s Xfinity Series Championship doesn’t prove anything. Cindric, with the help of Team Penske speed, has held his own at Phoenix. His POMS ranks in the top 10 at Phoenix over the last two seasons.
  11. Chris Buescher ($8,500) ā€” Here’s the deal with the RFK Fords: They play games. Phoenix is ripe for games. Track position is everything at this hard-to-pass short track. Buescher is not elite in the desert, but pit strategy can vault him into the top 10.
  12. Josh Berry ($7,800) ā€” It’s hard to trust the Wood Brothers. They’re a small team with a Team Penske alliance that has been dependable. Berry is not hard to trust. He’s the best driver in the No. 21 Ford since Ryan Blaney. The legendary short-track driver (late models) earned a top-10 finish in both 2025 Phoenix races.
  13. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ($5,400) ā€” You never feel comfortable with a “Wrecky Spinhouse” pick. Yet it’s DFS ā€” it’s not supposed to be comfortable. If it is, then it’s the wrong pick. Stenhouse is risky, but he’s been surprisingly good at Phoenix. He’s earned a top-25 finish in five of the last six Phoenix races. That works at his price.
  14. Austin Dillon ($6,600) ā€” RCR is not dead. Their Chevys are not elite, but the Childress Chevys are not small-team rides. Dillon isn’t a great Cup Series driver, but he and his team have been above average at the short, flat tracks. That works at this price.
  15. Kyle Busch ($8,000) ā€” Does Rowdy still have it? This week is a big test. The superspeedway races and road courses don’t matter. Busch earned a top-10 finish in both 2025 Phoenix races. He could be a sneaky mid-tier DFS NASCAR pick.

Pearce Dietrich

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.