Phoenix Straight Talk Wireless 500 Fantasy NASCAR Top Tier Elite Picks

Ryan Blaney
Phoenix Fantasy Outlook – Ryan Blaney’s a super-elite performer at Phoenix who’ll be tough to beat in the desert. Blaney snuck in a win last fall, and he’s consistently been a top threat, finishing in the top 5 in 7 of the last 8 races. Last year at shorter-flat tracks, Blaney was the driver to beat and for the season, Blaney won the last two races, had the best Track Type Total Speed Ranking and for the season minus Phoenix #1 where his engine blew up his average finish was 2.6.
Phoenix Track History – Ryan Blaney has performed at a super-elite level at Phoenix and in the Next Gen, Blaney ranks #1 for Average Finish (5.8), Driver Rating and Total Speed Rankings. In terms of the results column, in 7 of the last 8 races he’s finished in the top five with the only outlier being the product of an engine failure last spring where he was once again top five good. Last fall, Blaney had a rocket and then snuck in a win at the end. In the race, Blaney finished 2nd in Stage #1, finished 2nd in Stage #2, earned the 2nd best Driver Rating, had the 3rd best average running position (3.8), led 20 laps and then of course finished 1st when the checkered flag waved. I’ll quickly note, before overtime came out and he opted for 2-tires, Blaney was running in 3rd. In terms of speed stats, Blaney ranked #1 for Speed Late In A Run and had the 2nd best Total Speed Ranking. Last spring, Blaney looked great but finished an asterisk mark 28th. In the race, Blaney finished 5th in Stage #1, finished 4th in Stage #2 but then early in the last Stage he started to develop engine issues and then eventually on lap 289 while running in 8th, his engine blew up. In terms of Total Speed Rankings, Blaney ranked 3rd. In fall 2024, Blaney was stout and finished 2nd. In the race, Blaney started 17th, finished 6th in Stage #1, won Stage #2, led 12 laps, had a 4.1 average running position, earned the 3rd best Driver Rating and then finished 2nd. Over the five races prior to that, Blaney had results of 5th, 2nd, 2nd, 2nd and 4th.

Denny Hamlin
Phoenix Fantasy Outlook – At Phoenix, look for Denny Hamlin to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win. The #11 was the class of the field last fall and whenever the series visits a shorter-flat track, Hamlin should prominently be on your short list of favorites. At Phoenix in the Next Gen, Hamlin has the 4th best Next Gen Driver Rating, the 5th best average finish (10.3) and the 5th best Next Gen Speed Ranking. Last year at shorter-flat tracks, Hamlin had the 4th best Track Type Total Speed Ranking and a 6.2 average finish minus a rough afternoon at Iowa.
Phoenix Track History – Denny Hamlin is a 2-time winner at Phoenix and in the Next Gen, Hamlin ranks 5th in terms of Speed Rankings and his Next Gen Average Finish also ranks 5th (10.3), but I’ll note that underrates him. In 2025, Hamlin was good enough to pull out the broom but was denied late in both races. Last fall, Hamlin was the class of the field, but a late caution brought out overtime while leading with a +3 second lead. Then Hamlin opted for 4-tires during the caution which dropped him back to 10th to begin the GWC. In the race, Hamlin won the pole, finished 3rd in Stage #1, won Stage #2, had a race best 2.3 average running position, earned the best Driver Rating, led 208 laps but then finished 6th as a product of overtime. In terms of speed stats, Hamlin had the best Total Speed Ranking and ranked 3rd in terms of speed late in a run. Last spring, Hamlin nearly raced his way to victory lane but on the final lap in the final turn, Bell passed him which led to his runner-up. In the race, Hamlin started 10th, finished 8th in Stage #1, finished 6th in Stage #2, earned the 3rd best Driver Rating and had the 4th best average running position (7.3). In terms of speed stats, Hamlin ranked 3rd for Speed Late In A Run and had the 5th best Total Speed Ranking. In fall 2024, Hamlin finished 11th but that result doesn’t reflect his performance. For whatever reason, Hamlin just wasn’t at his best to close out. In the race, Hamlin finished 8th in Stage #1, finished 5th in Stage #2, had the 10th best Total Speed Ranking and had a 10.0 average running position. In spring 2024, Hamlin was a standout performer but finished an asterisk mark 11th. In the race, Hamlin won the pole, finished 3rd in Stage #1, finished 3rd in Stage #2, had a 6.0 average running position, earned the 5th best Driver Rating, was tied for leading the most laps (68) but finished 11th. In the last Stage while battling for the lead, Hamlin spun out which led to his misleading finish.

Christopher Bell
Phoenix Fantasy Outlook – Christopher Bell is a shorter-flat track ace who’ll be a favorite at Phoenix. Bell currently has back-to-back Phoenix Spring wins and since fall 2022 minus fall 2023, Bell has a 5.6 average finish. Overall in the Next Gen, Bell has the 2nd best Next Gen Speed Ranking and the 5th best Driver Rating. Last year at shorter-flat tracks, Bell won at Phoenix #1, had the 3rd best Track Type Total Speed Ranking and his average finish was 10.5. At Phoenix, look for Bell to be a top five contender who’ll be a factor to win.
Phoenix Track History – At Phoenix, Christopher Bell has been elite. Bell currently has back-to-back spring wins and in 4 of the last 6 races, he’s finished in the top 6 with his incident free average finish over that stretch being 4.8. Last fall, Bell was strong but just never truly a factor. In the race, Bell started 20th, finished 11th in Stage #1, finished 5th in Stage #2, was running in 8th before the GWC caution and then finished 11th overall. Additionally in the race, Bell earned the 7th best Driver Rating and had an 8.2 average running position. In terms of speed stats, Bell ranked 5th in terms of speed late in a run and had the 7th best Total Speed Ranking. Last spring, Bell had a rocket and raced his way to victory lane with a last lap pass for the win. In the race, Bell started 11th, finished 4th in Stage #1, won Stage #2, had a race best 2.6 average running position, earned the best Driver Rating and led the most laps (105). If it wasn’t for option tire funny business, he would’ve been even more dominant. In terms of speed analytics, Bell ranked #1 for Total Speed Rankings and Speed Late In A Run. In fall 2024, Bell looked great, but I also think he kind of eased up at the end, letting the title contenders battle it out. In the race, Bell finished 3rd in Stage #1, finished 2nd in Stage #2, had a race best 2.8 average running position, led the most laps (143), had the 2nd best Total Speed Ranking, earned the 2nd best Driver Rating and then finished 5th overall. In spring 2024, the #20 was fast, and maneuverable. In the race, Bell started 13th, won Stage #2, had a slow pit stop to begin the final Stage dropping him from 1st to 10th, but then down the stretch to close out, the #20 hit the afterburners and Bell drove up thru the pack and wouldn’t be denied the win. In the race, Bell led 50 laps, earned the best Driver Rating and had the 3rd best Total Speed Ranking.

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