Daytona 500
Location: Daytona, Fla.
Course: Daytona International Speedway
Format: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Laps: 200
NASCAR Daytona 500 Race Preview
The build up to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is over and the green flag is set to wave on the season’s biggest race: the Daytona 500. William Byron captured the prestigious win the past two times, and would be the first to win three times in a row if he were to do so again on Sunday. Â He will face stiff competition from everywhere, though.
Following the first on-track sessions, any manufacturer appears capable of winning on Sunday. Chevrolet captured pole position with Kyle Busch and Toyota will start alongside on the front row with Chase Briscoe. Duel race winners were Joey Logano in a Ford and Chase Elliott in a Chevrolet. Fans also shouldn’t look past Daytona’s most recent winner Ryan Blaney, who took the checkered flag at the track last fall and pushed his teammate to Thursday night’s victory, either. In summary, Sunday’s race could be anyone’s and that gives fantasy players and wagerers alike a great opportunity to take advantage of favorable prices and odds. Â
Unlike past years, with a reversion to the “Chase” championship format for the 2026 season, a victory on Sunday does not automatically come with a shot at the championship. However, increased points for wins and the ultimate prize of being called a Daytona 500 champion remain on the line along with a massive prize purse. Momentum is a key factor to success in this sport, and capturing the early advantage this week could set the scene for he early stages of the championship battle.
Key Stats at Daytona International SpeedwayNumber of races: 157Winners from pole: 27Winners from top-5 starters: 77Winners from top-10 starters: 116Winners from 21st or lower starters: 14Fastest race: 183.295 mphPrevious 10 Daytona Winners
2025 fall – Ryan Blaney
2025 spring – William Byron
2024 fall – Harrison Burton
2024 spring – William Byron
2023 fall – Chris Buescher
2023 spring – Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2022 fall – Austin Dillon
2022 spring – Austin Cindric
2021 fall – Ryan Blaney
2021 spring – Michael McDowell
The world-famous Daytona International Speedway hosts the biggest race of the NASCAR Cup Series each spring: the Daytona 500. The race features 200 intense laps around the high-banked, 2.5-mile tri-oval, where racing in a pack is the fastest way to the finish. Over the past several days, drivers and teams have worked to optimize their cars’ handling, refine race strategy, and ensure they are full prepared for Sunday’s 500 miles knowing that they’ll have to partner with others to get to the front.
Daytona is known as a drafting track, but handling and tire wear are important factors, unlike Talladega. As fuel runs progress, tire grip decreases, making passing even more challenging. When cars begin to slide more within the pack, the risk of accidents rises. Avoiding these dangerous situations and preserving your car until the end is essential for a chance at victory.
Additionally, reaching the finish line requires multiple trips down pit road as well as teamwork with other drivers, testing both strategy and patience. Recently, Fords have been consistently strong at the front of these races, but Chevrolet-powered drivers have won the last three Daytona 500s. The last time a Toyota claimed victory at Daytona was in 2019, when Denny Hamlin visited Victory Lane.
RotoWire NASCAR DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Daytona 500Â
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values Â
William Byron – $10,000
Kyle Larson – $9,800
Ryan Blaney – 9,700
Denny Hamlin – $9,500
DraftKings Tier 2 Values Â
 Bubba Wallace – $9,100
Austin Cindric – $9,000
Brad Keselowski – $8,600
Alex Bowman – $8,500
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Chris Buescher – $8,400
Christopher Bell – $8,200
Ryan Preece – $8,000
Chase Briscoe – $7,900
DraftKings Long-Shot Values
Carson Hocevar – $7,700
Erik Jones – $7,300
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – $7,200
Daniel Suarez – $6,700
NASCAR DFS Picks for the Daytona 500
Joey Logano – $9,400
Bubba Wallace – $9,100
Austin Cindric – $9,000
Chase Briscoe – $7,900
Erik Jones – $7,300
Daniel Suarez – $6,700
Leading the top choices to win Sunday’s Daytona 500, fantasy players need not look beyond the Team Penske Fords and Joey Logano (DK $9,400, FD $14,000). Either Logano or teammate Ryan Blaney make confident choices for this race, but I am going with Logano this week since Blaney won the last visit to Daytona last fall and winning consecutive races at the same track in this competitive series is a tall ask. For his part, Logano has been impressive at Daytona recently, including winning Thursday night’s Duel. He led at least 27 laps in his last four Daytona visits and hasn’t failed to lead a lap at any race at the track since crashing out in the fall race of 2018. What Logano needs is just a little luck. He has the speed but needs to get to the finish. He was involved in crashes in each of the last four Daytona races.
Another driver known for getting the job done at superspeedways is Bubba Wallace (DK $9,100, FD $10,000). The 23XI Racing driver has been in contention for the win on the last lap several times and just needs to find the right move to get to the line ahead of the rest. He crashed out of both races at the track last season but finished fifth and sixth in the two visits in 2024. An aggressive move late in Thursday’s qualifying race out him too far out in front which resulted in a crash. Fantasy players can be assured that he will learn from that mistake.
Austin Cindric (DK $9,000, FD $12,500) adds another Team Penske contender to this lineup. The 2022 Daytona 500 champion stands poised for a breakout season after winning one race and finishing 14th in the standings last season, and superspeedways are a type of track he can get that momentum going. Cindric led 59 laps in last year’s Daytona 500 and claimed an eighth-place finish. His average start at the circuit is 11.2 and he has three top-10s from nine series starts..
Toyota’s Chase Briscoe (DK $7,900, FD $8,000) impressed in this race last year considering it was his first with Joe Gibbs Racing. Add on the strong manner in which he closed out his 2025 campaign and you can see Briscoe is a driver that should be on the rise. At Daytona, he has two poles, two top-fives, and three top-10s from 10 series starts, and he led laps in his last three Daytona starts. Toyota has been improving at the superspeedways, and Briscoe is a driver that can take advantage of that progress.
One of the longer-shot options fantasy players should keep in mind this week is Erik Jones (DK $7,300, FD $5,200). This veteran’s Daytona consistency is impressive. Despite being with one of the smaller teams on the grid, Jones has managed to finish in the top 20 in all of the last five Daytona races and finished fifth from the 26th starting spot last fall. Jones knows how to survive until the finish at this track, which is half the battle for drivers looking for a good finish.
The final longshot to consider is Daniel Suarez (DK $6,700, FD $5,800). This week’s race will be his first with Spire Motorsports, but Suarez has proven himself to be very capable at superspeedways. He finished second in the fall Daytona race last season and won at Atlanta in 2024. Add Spire’s superspeedway know how to Suarez’s ability behind the wheel and fantasy players have a really nice option further down the pricelist this weekend.
NASCAR Cup Series Best Bets for the Daytona 500
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 5:30 PM ET Friday
Race Winner – Ryan Blaney +1000, Joey Logano +1000
Top-Five Finish – Chris Buescher +260
Top-10 Finish – John Hunter Nemechek +320
Winning Manufacturer – Ford +190
Competitiveness across teams and manufacturers appears to be greater than ever for this week’s Daytona 500, which makes picking a specific winner a daunting challenge. Thursday night’s Duel races proved that any make or driver could potentially win on Sunday, but one thing stood out to me and that was the continued strength of Ford at superspeedways. Team Penske and RFK Racing both appeared equally capable of winning in the first Duel, and Ford locked out three of the top four finishing positions despite the end-of-race chaos. While Chevrolet impressively claimed the top four finishing spots in the second Duel, there were only four total Fords in the field and Austin Cindric was still making a late charge toward the front despite having no real partnership to help. In Sunday’s race, with a full contingent working together, Ford should be expected to be at the front again. For that reason, favorites Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano should remain the favorites to win. Both drivers offer the same odds at the moment  and wagerers should feel comfortable choosing either. Those looking for more generous odds can also look at any of the RFK Racing drivers.
Continuing the theme of Ford, Chris Buescher is one to look at for a top-five finish. He was in position for that or better in his qualifying race before a late crash took him out of contention. When linked together, the RFK teammates appeared to be capable of controlling for long stretches of green-flag racing, which should excite bettors. Buescher will be looking for some redemption on Sunday, and he appears to have a potential top-five or better finish within his reach.
One wager with longer odds (that isn’t a Ford) is John Hunter Nemechek for a top-10 finish. Nemechek showed superspeedway improvement Thursday night by demonstrating patience under pressure, which bodes well for his chances of getting a top finish on Sunday. He started ninth, led three laps, and finished fifth in his Duel, and a similar performance from him Sunday afternoon should see him battling among the top 10 throughout the 500 miles.
Finally, it surprises me to see Ford as second favorite to Chevrolet to win on Sunday. Yes, Chevrolet has won the last three Daytona 500s, but Ford has been the stronger manufacturer throughout. With the apparent increased competitiveness from the RFK Racing teammates, Ford looks even better this week, too. Daytona may be a race anyone in the field can win, but the early edge looks to be slightly in the Ford camp this week.
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The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it’s possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. C.J. Radune plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: cjradune, RaceDayScore: cjradune.