The NASCAR Cup Series season is creeping closer! It’s less than 50 days until the 2026 Daytona 500, and just over a month until the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. As we prepare for the 2026 NASCAR season, let’s take a look at NASCAR fantasy’s version of a survivor pool. The 36 for 36 one-and-done pool. We’ll go through the first 18 races here, and all 36 races in part 2 and map out a preseason plan for each race.
We’ll use NASCAR’s official fantasy site, fantasygames.nascar.com, for this, so the rules for your pool may vary. Unlike your traditional NFL survivor pool, you don’t get eliminated from this game. Instead, the score is kept across all 36 races; each driver earns the same points for your fantasy team as they do in the race, based on finishing position, stage points, and anything else NASCAR awards points for. The catch, each of the 36 full-time drivers can only be used one time all season. So pick your spot wisely! Some pools allow open drivers, like Jimmie Johnson or Justin Allgaier, who are entered for the Daytona 500 to be used (NASCAR’s 36 for 36 does not). If your pool allows this, I’d highly suggest using the open drivers to keep your options open later.
Only points-paying events count, so you will not make selections for the Clash, Duel races, or All-Star Race. For a more in-depth conversation between myself and Rod Villagomez on each race and the reasoning for each selection, be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the NASCAR Gambling Podcast One and Done Picks 2026. Available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever good podcasts are found.
*Average finishes will refer to the NextGen era 2022-present unless otherwise noted.
2026 NASCAR Fantasy: 36 For 36, One and Done Pool Survivor Map: First 18 Races
Daytona 500 – Ty Dillon
Top Alternate Options
John Hunter Nemechek
Cody Ware
Daytona is a track you don’t want to use a superstar at due to the nature of its racing. Ty Dillon has been good here with a 19.3 average finish here. Most importantly, only one time since 2022 has he had a DNF. Get to the end and get us out of here with some points.
EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) – Daniel Suarez
Top Alternates
AJ Allmendinger
Carson Hocevar
Daniel Suarez has loved this track since the reconfiguration. He checks in with a 13.9 average finish. In five of the eight races in the drafting track, Suarez has finished sixth place or better, including a win and two second-place finishes.
COTA – Alex Bowman
Top Alternates
Shane Van Gisbergen
Tyler Reddick
It would be tempting to use SVG here, but the best course of action is to save him for the new Naval Base Course at Coronado. In all five starts here, Bowman has a 4.5 average finish and has never finished worse than ninth place. Three of those being top 5’s.
Phoenix – Christopher Bell
Top Alternates
Ryan Blaney
Joey Logano
Christopher Bell loves this spring race. He’s won the last two spring races in a row and leads over 240 laps in the last three races at this track.
Las Vegas – Ross Chastain
Top Alternates
Kyle Larson
William Byron
Chastain boasts the best average finish (7.6) of active drivers at Las Vegas in the NextGen era. In five of the eight races, he’s finished inside the top five. This will be a popular Kyle Larson race, being the first 1.5-mile track, so Chastain is a great option to differentiate yourself.
Darlington – Riley Herbst
Top Alternates
Tyler Reddick
Denny Hamlin
When we talked about this on the podcast, we went with Tyler Reddick here. We accidentally used him at Homestead to end the season again, and that’s the spot where I like him better. So Riley Herbst by default ends up in this one. Look, we have to use all 36 at some point.
Martinsville – Ryan Preece
Top Alternates
Ryan Blaney
Kyle Larson
This is Ryan Preece’s specialty. The short, flat modified drivers dream. His 11.8 average finish reflects that. In his first year with RFK, he scored seventh and sixth place finishes, respectively. Preece led 135 laps from the pole here in 2023 before a speeding penalty ruined his day.
Bristol – Ty Gibbs
Top Alternates
Christopher Bell
Denny Hamlin
Ty Gibbs has a 12.8 average finish, and I’m calling my shot that this could be the sight of his first career win. Last spring, Gibbs finished third here, his second top five at the track.
Kansas – Denny Hamlin
Top Alternates
Kyle Larson
Alex Bowman
Denny Hamlin has been good at a lot of places, but Kansas is near the top of that list. If you toss out a mechanical problem last year that resulted in a 36th-place finish, Hamlin has a 3.5 average finish here, which is elite.
2026 NASCAR Fantasy: 36 For 36, One and Done Pool Survivor Map: First 18 Races
Talladega – Todd Gilliland
Top Alternates
Cole Custer
Erik Jones
This is another track to save the stars. Gilliland is a driver you could use a few places, but he’s been great at Talladega. He’s not DNF’d here in his last seven starts. Delivering an 11.1 average finish over those races. Survive and be there at the end.
Texas – Brad Keselowski
Top Alternates
William Byron
Joey Logano
Texas is a track they come to just once a year, but Brad Keselowski has shone in that one race each year with an average finish of 11.3. If you take out a bad 28th place last year in a down season, that brings his NextGen average to 5.6.
Watkin Glen – Chris Buescher
Top Alternates
Shane Van Gisbergen
Christopher Bell
Chris Buescher is really good at Watkins Glen. He outdueled SVG there in 2024 for the win and finished third last season.
Charlotte – William Byron
Top Alternates
Christopher Bell
Kyle Busch
For the Coke 600, it’s important to grab a stud. There are three points paying stages in this race. Byron has finished top four in four of the last five here and led over 400 laps over the last three seasons.
Nashville – Carson Hocevar
Top Alternates
Denny Hamlin
Kyle Larson
In the Music City, we’re rolling with Carson Hocevar. The young gun impressed in his second season last year, and he’s been good here. He finished 16th in a crazy fuel mileage race two years ago, but had a strong second-place run last year.
Michigan – Zane Smith
Top Alternates
Denny Hamlin
Chris Buescher
Zane Smith has been sneaky good at intermediate tracks, a top-10 betting favorite on the NGP. He’s finished seventh place in both Cup Series starts at Michigan.
Pocono – Chase Elliott
Top Alternates
Christopher Bell
Denny Hamlin
Where to use Chase Elliott is a tricky question. He’s good just about everywhere, but Pocono is a track he’s consistently really good at. He checks in with a 6.3 average finish, including a win in the NextGen era.
San Diego – Shane Van Gisbergen
Top Alternates
Connor Zilisch
Michael McDowell
It’s pretty simple, we’ve saved him for this one because he’ll have an even bigger advantage here than the road courses, where he’s already the best driver.
Sonoma – Michael McDowell
Top Alternates
Shane Van Gisbergen
Chris Buescher
McDowell is a solid road course guy, but this is his best one. His 4.0 average finish is the best of anyone who’s started every NextGen race here. He’s finished top four in three of the last four races here.
More Racing Content
Be sure to tune into the NASCAR GAMBLING PODCAST for more bets for the NASCAR Cup, O’Reilly, and Truck Series, along with F1 and IndyCar bets, Underdog picks, DFS, and more! Join the Discord here.
