Pearce Dietrich gives his updated picks and rankings of top drivers for the 2026 Daytona 500 at Daytona after qualifying.

The NASCAR Super Bowl opens the season. The Daytona 500 is not just a crown jewel race, it’s the race. It’s not just a race, it’s a wild super-speedway race. Any driver can win. Any DraftKings player can win.

With qualifiers out of the way, we’re taking another look at the top picks for the Daytona 500.

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Set your DraftKings fantasy NASCAR lineups here: NAS $1.5M America’s Race [$500K to 1st] (Daytona)

Top DraftKings Picks for the 2026 Daytona 500

1. Chris Buescher ($8,400) — It’s not complicated. This is super-speedway DFS NASCAR. It’s never changed since DraftKings launched their Fantasy NASCAR product in 2015. Rule No. 1 is “stack in the back.” Buescher is starting dead last and is a former Daytona winner.

2. William Byron ($10,000) — Speaking of former winners, the winner of the last two Daytona 500s is starting 39th. No driver has ever won three in a row. Byron has a tough hill to climb, but a top-10 finish will likely result in a spot in the optimal lineup.

3. Ross Chastain ($8,100) — Chastain starts 38th and is no stranger to victory lane at the super speedways. He’s won a super-speedway race in each of the three NASCAR national series.

4. Austin Cindric ($9,000) — Another former Daytona 500 winner is starting in the back due to the Daytona Duels. The Team Penske Fords have a trophy case filled with the iconic Daytona 500 trophy.

5. Jimmie Johnson ($5,800) — The owner/driver of Legacy Motor Club might not be able to cut it at an intermediate track, but the plate tracks are different. His small team has a shot in a pack race. The seven-time Cup Series champ and former Daytona winner started in the back and nearly won the 2025 Daytona 500.

6. AJ Allmendinger ($6,100) — During the Dinger’s struggles, he was always competitive at the plate tracks. Drafting creates a level playing field. Survival is key. During his O’Reilly Series renaissance, Allmendinger was arguably the best plate racer driving for Kaulig Racing.

7. Ty Dillon ($5,000) — It’s simple. Dillon is cheap and has a knack for finishing. The combination of top-15 finishing position points and around 20 place differential points make Dillon one of the best value picks on the board.

8. Bubba Wallace ($9,100) — The story is the same. Bubba is a good super-speedway racer (Talladega winner) and he’s starting 27th. That’s plenty deep enough. If he doesn’t wreck, he should be optimal.

9. Denny Hamlin ($9,500) — Is 22nd far enough back? Everyone draws the line differently. Some restrict their pool as narrowly as possible. Even with a line in the sand at 25th, Hamlin should be the exception. He can win. That’s 20 place differential points and 45 finishing position points. That’s optimal.

10. Cody Ware ($4,700) — With most players clicking on the plethora of big names in the back, Ware becomes a viable pivot. He sounds unlikely, but it’s not about Ware. It’s about where the race runs. Daytona wipes out half of the field. If Ware avoids the big one or multiple big ones, he can default to a top-15 finish.

11. Erik Jones ($7,300) — There are too many great picks in the back. Jones is in a great spot (starting 24th), but not as good of a spot. Jones is a former Daytona winner. Legacy Motor Club’s lead driver is a great way to diversify ownership in the $500,000 DraftKings Daytona 500 contest.

12. Justin Allgaier ($6,400) — Will the field trust Allgaier? He doesn’t have the Cup Series pedigree, but he’s raced in plenty of O’Reilly Series super-speedway races. His car owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr, does have the pedigree. This team wants to win, but falling short is fine with a starting position of 40th and a salary south of $7,000.

13. Tyler Reddick ($7,500) — Stats don’t really matter. It’s not a mistake to dismiss good and bad results as pure luck. This is a chaotic race. Anyone can wreck. The chalk drivers starting deep in the field can wreck. It’s a coin flip. If Reddick doesn’t wreck, he can score north of 60 fantasy points.

14. Alex Bowman ($8,500) — No one picks drivers starting in the front. Everyone stacks the back. The middle of the pack is leverage. Bowman, quietly, has been one of the most consistent super-speedway drivers in the series. He’s a leverage play at Daytona.

15. B.J. McLeod ($4,800) — It’s hard to get different stacking in the back. McLeod offers the possibility, but it comes at a risk. His car could easily DNF. This pick requires chaos. Both chaos and a DNF are likely. McLeod fluked his way into the race, so luck is clearly on his side.