Fantasy Fastlane: Hendrick, Joe Gibbs drivers are the favorites at Pocono

The Next Gen era of racing at Pocono Raceway has been fierce over the last three seasons. Only 24 cars were running at the conclusion of last year's 400-miler, the fewest to end a Pocono event since 1993. Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports have dominated the "Tricky Triangle" in recent years, combining to win eight of the last 10 races. The race winner will likely go through those two powerhouse organizations again this weekend.

New to Fastlane this year is my weekly NASCAR 36 for 36 pick, where you can play along. It's a season-long points battle introduced last year in which strategy is the primary emphasis. With 36 chartered cars and 36 races on the 2025 schedule, players can choose each car once for the duration of the season.

MUST START:

Denny Hamlin | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 9-2

With seven victories, Hamlin is the GOAT at Pocono. Ever since sweeping the 2006 races as a rookie, the Virginia native has found a knack for the "Tricky Triangle." He is the only repeat winner in the last eight Pocono races, having been out front three times. His numbers here are exactly why you save a driver for their best venues.

MUST START:

Chase Elliott | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 12-1

The beneficiary of Hamlin's and Kyle Busch's disqualifications from 2022 was Elliott, going from third place to being declared the winner. Elliott leads the field with the most points scored at Pocono in the Next Gen era (123) and has yet to finish outside the top 20 in 2025. The next step for the No. 9 team is leading laps and being in the hunt for Victory Lane.

MUST START:

William Byron | View stats

Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 7-1

Go big or go home this weekend as Pocono normally rewards the best teams. No team has been more consistent in 2025 than Byron, who has stretched his Regular Season Championship lead buffer to more than a full race over teammate Kyle Larson. Byron has yet to celebrate in the Winner's Circle at Pocono, but his average finish of 9.4 here is the best of all time. That’s on par with the No. 24 car's average running position in 2025, which is a series-best 9.2.

MUST START:

Ryan Blaney | View stats

Team Penske, No. 12 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 7-1

One of the two outliers from JGR and HMS in the last 10 Pocono races was Blaney's dominant 2024 win. He led a race-high 44 laps en route to his second victory of the season. Pocono is one of three tracks where the 2023 Cup champion has multiple wins (Talladega and Martinsville), including his first career victory in 2017 with the Wood Brothers. Akin to his 2025 season, he’s been feast or famine at Pocono, with two finishes of 30th or worse in the last three starts.

SLEEPER PICK:

Tyler Reddick | View stats

23XI Racing, No. 45 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 10-1

Reddick isn't really much of a sleeper and could be added to must-start territory with his recent record at Pocono. He has top 10s in the last four races here, including a pair of runner-up finishes (2022, 2023). His average finish of 3.3 is the best of all drivers in the Next Gen era.

SLEEPER PICK:

Ty Gibbs | View stats

Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 54 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 20-1

It has felt like a stop-and-start campaign for Gibbs, and it now appears as though the No. 54 team is close to putting it all together again. Gibbs was Shane van Gisbergen's primary threat in Mexico City and finished third at Michigan International Speedway. Gibbs cracked the top five in speed in each of the last two Pocono races, though he had an engine failure last year and dropped to 27th.

SLEEPER PICK:

Erik Jones | View stats

Legacy Motor Club, No. 43 Toyota

Odds (DraftKings): 55-1

Pocono has been statistically one of Jones' best tracks as his five top-five finishes are tied for his most at any facility (Darlington). He also has eight top 10s here, also tied for his most at any track (Texas, Talladega and Darlington). Two of his last three Pocono starts with the No. 43 team have resulted in top 10s.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Joey Logano | View stats

Team Penske, No. 22 Ford

Odds (DraftKings): 17-1

It seems like another lifetime ago when Logano won at Pocono in his final season with JGR. (I was a junior in high school!) Sure, the three-time Cup champion has 11 top-10 finishes at the "Tricky Triangle," but his average finish of 17.5 is his worst at any non-drafting oval. Granted, three of those top 10s have come in the last five races.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Ross Chastain | View stats

Trackhouse Racing, No. 1 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 18-1

With two wins in the last month, Trackhouse is riding high. But Chastain has yet to get a grip on Pocono, with a best finish of 13th in nine starts. His 28.6 average finish here is his worst among active tracks on the Cup schedule.

STAY AWAY FROM:

Kyle Busch | View stats

Richard Childress Racing, No. 8 Chevrolet

Odds (DraftKings): 25-1

It wasn't long ago that Busch was frequently winning at Pocono, claiming the checkered flag in four of the last 14 races. His Next Gen stats at Pocono, which take into account the 2022 disqualification, include an average finish of 29.7. Small sample size, sure, but it's the worst of drivers to start all three races in that timeframe.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Chris Buescher vs. Joey Logano

While Logano hasn’t jumped off the page throughout his career at Pocono, neither has Buescher, aside from scoring an upset victory in the fog as a rookie in 2016. In 15 Pocono starts, Buescher only has a pair of top 10s and one finish better than 18th in his last six attempts. This might be the first time I've ever done this where I’m going to pick a driver to stay away from in a head-to-head matchup. That means you should probably also stay away from the No. 17 car this weekend.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. vs. Carson Hocevar

We've got beef. Stenhouse has been taken out by Hocevar in two of the last three races and voiced his displeasure following Mexico City. Pocono is up the alley of tracks Spire has shown speed at in 2025, so as long as the No. 77 car stays clean, Hocevar should take this matchup.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Chase Elliott vs. Ryan Blaney

This is where the fun begins with the first of two heavyweight matchups. Both drivers have won in the Next Gen at Pocono, with Blaney having sporadic finishes. Elliott rarely has poor finishes, whereas the No. 12 team either booms or busts. That leans me in favor of the No. 9 Chevy this weekend.

FEATURED MATCHUP:

Denny Hamlin vs. William Byron

You could argue that these are the two best drivers currently at Pocono. Hamlin's data speaks for itself; his seven victories leads all drivers. He will soon have a rock outside the garage area. Byron, meanwhile, is Steady Eddy here with just one finish worse than 14th in 11 starts. His highs aren't as high as Hamlin's, though (only three top fives). Giving the No. 11 car the advantage.

MY LINEUP: Denny Hamlin, Chase Elliott, William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson.

GARAGE: Ty Gibbs.

36 for 36: Many teams will race Pocono like a road course, electing to go for the victory rather than chasing stage points. That becomes a massive challenge when predicting any fantasy game. Ryan Preece and the No. 60 team showed last week at Mexico City that they are points racing, dropping below the playoff elimination line with Shane van Gisbergen's win. One would assume that the Derrick Finley-led team will have a similar strategy this weekend. Tune back in during the weekend to see if my pick changes.