The NASCARCup Series is at the Tricky Triangle this weekend, racing the 2.5-mile high-speed track at Pocono Raceway. Much like last week’s race at Michigan International Speedway, this weekend’s race will demand aerodynamic dominance and plenty of clean air, both of which are best achieved with good track position. That will make qualifying and pit strategy paramount to a winning day.
The strategy for Fantasy NASCAR this week will take into account all of the above key factors. Denny Hamlin leads into the weekend as the strong favorite, while others chase him. As for who we like this week? See below.
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Top Picks
Denny Hamlin Does a Burn Out after Pocono Win (2022). (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)(Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
He may be the most highly owned asset, but Hamlin is a must-roster driver at Pocono Raceway. He has more wins here than at any other track in his career (7). Last week at Michigan, Hamlin dominated in optimal lap times. He has won 3 of the last 4 races in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Before a high-speed crash with Christopher Bell, which took social media by storm, Elliott was racing for the lead at Michigan. As a team, Hendrick Motorsports cars looked strong at Michigan. Outside of Alex Bowman, all 3 cars had qualified in the top-10. Pocono demands a similar package of low downforce, so any speed at Michigan is expected to translate to eastern Pennsylvania this weekend.
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Historically, Pocono has been a strong track for Elliott, as highlighted in the graphic below. Elliott won at Pocono in 2023 and has an average finish of 6.25 in the NextGen Era.
Mid-Tier Picks
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
The starting position is of paramount importance at a track such as Pocono. The track is very hard to pass, much due to the low banking in all turns of the Tricky Triangle. Clean air is needed, and any car running in the top 5 will run much quicker than a car in 10th and beyond, regardless of car setup.
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If we trust any mid-tier driver to qualify with supreme speed, it might be Wallace. The entire Toyota team has been dominant in speed, and while Tyler Reddick has owned 23XI’s successes in 2026, Wallace’s car setup will be the same. Despite an average start of 20th in the NextGen era, Wallace has managed an average finish of 16th. A start in the top-10 would make it very likely that Wallace results there.
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Hocevar started in 2nd place at Michigan despite qualifying early, per the metric score requirements. That says a lot about the speed Spire Motorsports flashed. In fact, Daniel Suarez, also of Spire Motorsports, qualified 11th and finished 6th at Michigan.
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Assuming the team maintains the same speed, Hocevar is fully capable of a top-5 finish despite being priced outside the top-10 drivers in Fantasy NASCAR.
Longshot Picks
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet
Longshots are rarely live at Pocono Raceway. It is a simple fact that it is hard to pass, cautions are less prevalent, and the cream ultimately rises to the top here. When trying for a long shot, the hope is for a top-10 finish. The best way to find that longshot is to estimate potential speed above expectations. In layman’s terms: who has the highest upside?
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Zane Smith has been a pleasant surprise in recent weeks for Front Row Motorsports. He struggled at Michigan due to a wreck. Yet, a 16th-place starting position was better than expected, to be frank. Smith is not a top-16 driver/car combination by most people’s standards.
At Nashville two weeks ago, Smith finished in 9th place, and amid a fuel-saving battle, he actually won the race. The week prior? Smith finishes in 10th at the Coca-Cola 600.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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