Daytona 500 Fantasy NASCAR Confidence Rankings / Post Duel Predictions
Welcome to 2026! The NASCAR season has officially arrived, and that means it’s time for the Daytona 500. In the “Great American Race,” legacies are made, dreams are shattered, and plenty of NASCAR superstars are still chasing their first elusive Daytona 500 win.
The Daytona 500 has a unique format for setting the field. The front row was set by qualifying, and the rest of the field was set by the Duel 150’s. Here’s a look at the Daytona 500 Starting Lineup.
Daytona 500 Full Field Fantasy Rankings
1) Ryan Blaney
Start 5th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – High
Daytona 500 Outlook – Ryan Blaney is a super elite superspeedway performer and in the Daytona 500, the road to victory lane might very well go thru him. At Daytona, Blaney’s a 2-time winner, he’s flirted with victory lane on numerous occasions, and he’s never lacked when it comes to performance. In the Next Gen, Blaney has the 3rd best Driver Rating and the 8th best average finish. At Daytona since 2020 minus his DNF level crashes, Blaney has 2-wins, a 5.5 average finish and he’s 7 for 8 at finishing in the top 8. Last year, Blaney had a series best 4.0 average finish and was one of just two drivers who swept the top ten (Buescher was the other). Last summer, Blaney had a “Where did he come from win” with a last lap pass. In the race, Blaney started on the pole, led 27 laps, finished 3rd in Stage #1, 7th in Stage #2 and then of course finished 1st when the checkered flag waved. In last year’s Daytona 500, Blaney was a standout performer. In the race, Blaney finished 3rd in Stage #1, won Stage #2, earned the best Driver Rating, had the 2nd best average running position, led 22 laps, was running in 4th on lap 185 but then that very lap, he was collected in the “Big One” and got a ton of damage. Somehow, Blaney still finished 7th thanks to a ton of attrition. In summer 2024, Blaney ranked among the best but finished 29th after crashing late. In the race, Blaney finished 5th in Stage #1, 2nd in Stage #2, was running in 11th on lap 150 but then on lap 151 he was collected in the “Big One.” In the 2024 Daytona 500, Blaney was one of the best but finished an asterisk mark 30th. In the race, Blaney won Stage #2, led 12 laps and was running in 6th on lap 190, but then the next lap he was collected in the “Big One.” In his Duel 150 on Thursday night, Blaney finished 2nd.
DraftKings $9,700/ FanDuel $13,500
2) Joey Logano
Start 3rd / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – High
Daytona 500 Outlook – In the Daytona 500, Joey Logano who’s fresh off a Duel 150 win will be tough to beat if he can avoid trouble which hasn’t been far. Logano’s arguably the premiere big superspeedway racer and I view him as the perfect combination of smart and aggressive. Logano won the 2015 Daytona 500, and in 6 of the last 11 in this crown jewel race he’s finished in the top 6. In the Next Gen at Daytona, Logano has the best Driver Rating and the best average running position, so he’s not lacked when it comes to “Performance” despite his lack luster 20.1 average finish. Last year, Logano could’ve went 2 for 2 at winning but had major problems in both races. Last summer, Logano was arguably the best, but he finished an asterisk mark 27th. In the race, Logano finished 6th in Stage #1, finished 3rd in Stage #2, was tied for leading the most laps (27), had the best average running position (8.6) and earned the 3rd best Driver Rating. Late in the race on lap 148 while leading, Logano was spun, dooming him to a 27th. In last year’s Daytona 500, Logano had a rocket that I would argue was the best, but multiple problems led to his asterisk mark 35th. In the race, Logano led 43 laps, won Stage #1 but then to begin Stage #2 while leading, Logano had trouble getting up to speed due to a piece of debris that went into his throttle body, and it caused a multi-car wreck. Then in the final Stage, Logano was up to 7th on lap 185, but then he had contact with Stenhouse near the front which caused a “Big One.” In summer 2024, Logano was once again arguably the best but finished an asterisk mark 31st. In the race, Logano finished 2nd in Stage #1, won Stage #2, earned the best Driver Rating, led the most laps (34), was tied for having the 2nd best average running position (7.5) but on lap 151 while running near the front, McDowell got airborne and Logano plowed into him, dooming him to his 31st. In the 2024 Daytona 500, Logano led the most laps (45), had the best average running position (9.7) and earned the 2nd best Driver Rating. On lap 190 right before he crashed (finished 32nd), Logano was running in 2nd. In 2023, Logano had results of 2nd and 5th. Last year at big superspeedways, Logano had the best Driver Rating and the best average running position but had a 29.3 average finish.
DraftKings $9,400/ FanDuel $14,000
Further Recommended Reading – Daytona Quick Rankings, Daytona Projected Finish Ranges, DraftKings Daytona Playability Value Chart, FanDuel Daytona Playability Value Chart
3) Christopher Bell
Start 12th / Projected Finish Range 1-6 / Dominator Potential – Low
Daytona 500 Outlook – Christopher Bell should prominently be on your fantasy NASCAR radar for the Daytona 500. Bell’s emerging into one of the best on this track type and he’s frequently been finishing up front, going 3 for 6 at finishing in exactly 3rd at Daytona since 2023. In two of his outliers, Bell was wrecked while running in the top five. Also since 2023, Bell has the 3rd best Driver Rating, the 5th best Average Running Position and a 7.6 average finish minus last year’s 500 where he was wrecked late while running in 2nd. Last summer, Bell finished 10th in Stage #1, finished 2nd in Stage #2, led 4 laps, earned the 8th best Driver Rating, had the 9th best Average Running Position (13.1) and then finished 13th overall. I’ll note, Bell did fall back some late and with 5 to go he was running in 7th. In last year’s Daytona 500, Bell looked great but on lap 195 while he was battling Hamlin side by side for the lead, Custer crashed him which led to Bell’s 31st. In summer 2024, Bell drove up to the front late and finished 3rd. Additionally, Bell earned the 11th best Driver Rating and had a 15.3 average running position. In the 2024 Daytona 500, Bell finished 3rd, earned the 3rd best driver rating, led 22 laps and had the 6th best average running position (13.8).
DraftKings $8,200/ FanDuel $9,000
