Anduril 250 DFS overview — the most unique race of 2026
NASCAR does something it has never done before this weekend. The Cup Series, O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and Craftsman Truck Series all descend on Naval Base Coronado in Southern California for the inaugural Anduril 250 — a 75-lap, 255-mile race on a 3.4-mile temporary street circuit built entirely inside an active military base. The temporary Qualcomm Circuit features narrow passages, sharp 90-degree turns, and rough asphalt that was never originally designed for stock cars. This is as close to uncharted territory as NASCAR DFS gets in 2026.
From a DFS perspective, the complete lack of track history is both a challenge and an opportunity. Nobody has years of notes here — which means the field is reset and road course track records at comparable venues become the only reliable data source. Shane van Gisbergen enters the weekend as the clear favorite after winning six of the last seven road and street course races in the Cup Series. The DFS board is built around whether you believe in SVG’s dominance or want to take shots at the field around him.
One massive note on qualifying: the full starting grid was reshuffled by five lineup changes after qualifying, with the open cars — Magnussen (P1), Jimmie Johnson (P2), and Corey Heim (P3) — starting at the front under NASCAR’s open car qualifying rules. SVG will start 15th after the lineup changes, which actually creates genuine PD upside on top of his race-winning ceiling — the best of both worlds in DFS.
This race is being treated as a road course specialist event — SVG, Reddick, Zilisch, Elliott, McDowell, and Allmendinger are your primary targets. Oval specialists like Hamlin (+4500), Kyle Busch, and Ryan Blaney carry massive fade tags this week regardless of their season-long DK salary justification. The 16-turn street circuit rewards drivers who excel at technical circuits with heavy braking zones — not the high-speed oval racers who dominate Superspeedways and intermediates.
Starting grid — key DFS positions
| Start | Driver | Team / Car | DK Salary | Odds | FTA Tag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Kevin Magnussen | #91 Trackhouse Chev (Open) | $7,200 | +8000 | PD DART |
| P2 | Jimmie Johnson | #84 Legacy Motor Club (Open) | $6,800 | +6000 | WATCH |
| P3 | Corey Heim | #67 23XI Racing Toyota (Open) | $7,000 | +5000 | GPP DART |
| P6 | Josh Berry | #21 Wood Brothers Ford | $7,800 | +3500 | VALUE |
| P9 | Brad Keselowski | #6 RFK Racing Ford | $6,600 | +4500 | VALUE |
| P13 | Connor Zilisch | #88 Trackhouse Chev | $10,200 | +650 | GPP PLAY |
| P15 | Shane Van Gisbergen | #97 Trackhouse Chev | $11,500 | -165 | CASH LOCK |
| P16 | Tyler Reddick | #45 23XI Racing Toyota | $10,200 | +900 | CASH PLAY |
| Mid | Michael McDowell | #34 Front Row Ford | $8,800 | +1400 | VALUE |
| Mid | AJ Allmendinger | #16 Kaulig Chev | $8,500 | +2200 | VALUE |
| Mid | Chase Elliott | #9 Hendrick Chev | $9,000 | +2800 | GPP PLAY |
| Back | Denny Hamlin | #11 Joe Gibbs Toyota | $9,800 | +4500 | FADE |
Shane Van Gisbergen — the only cash game lock
Shane van Gisbergen enters the weekend as the clear favorite after winning six of the last seven road and street course races in the Cup Series. With the Naval Base Coronado circuit technically classifying as a street course, this only further tilts the odds in SVG’s favor. The most important DFS detail is his starting position — P15 after the lineup shuffle means SVG carries legitimate place differential upside on top of his near-certain laps led. He could score 80+ DK points if he wins from P15 without even needing a first-round KO bonus equivalent. Lock him in every cash lineup without hesitation.
The odds of SVG crashing are about 25% — which is the only legitimate fade argument. In a brand new street circuit with narrow passages and blind corners, attrition could be higher than a typical road course. That 25% crash risk is exactly why you split your GPP lineups — SVG in some, not all.
Tyler Reddick — best GPP pivot off SVG
Reddick is one of just two drivers to win a road race since the start of last season and was also 2nd and 3rd in the last two Chicago Street races. He enters the weekend leading the Cup series in wins (5), Top 5’s (10), Top 10’s (12), average finish (7.2), and is second in average DraftKings scoring (50.7). If SVG makes a mistake, gets trapped in traffic, or loses track position on pit strategy, Reddick is one of the few drivers with enough road-course speed to take advantage. At $10,200 he is the best non-SVG cash and GPP play on the board.
Connor Zilisch — the high-ceiling GPP play
The best bet on the board is Connor Zilisch top 5 at +150. The reason to look at Zilisch over van Gisbergen outright is simple math — the -160 price on SVG is a reflection of his dominance, and while that dominance is real, NASCAR is unpredictable enough that laying that much juice is tough to justify on a brand-new circuit. Zilisch at +150 to finish top 5 captures his clear road course ability, his momentum from Watkins Glen, and the fact that Trackhouse as an organization is dialing in street course setups better than anyone in the paddock. Starting P13 he carries PD upside AND ceiling. Best single GPP play on the board.
Value plays — road course specialists
McDowell has proven to be an excellent option for fantasy players at road courses. Both of his top-five finishes this season have come on road courses, and he has finished in the top five at just about every road course he has raced on. He won on the Indianapolis Road Course in 2023 and started inside the top six in every Chicago Street Course race with a best finish of fifth in 2024. Best value at the $8,800 range.
Whenever the series makes a road course visit, AJ Allmendinger is part of the conversation. While his advantage in recent seasons has diminished, Allmendinger is still one of the best options at new places like San Diego. Both of his 2026 top-10 finishes came on road courses. Elite value at +2200 odds for a proven road specialist.
Elliott has not won on a road course since 2021, but he’s a career seven-time winner in this style of racing. 30-percent of his career Cup Series wins have come on road circuits. Despite being winless the past few seasons, the Hendrick Motorsports star has been really close behind the top contenders with five Top-5 finishes in his last 10 road racing events. Best GPP dart at the $9,000 range.
Gibbs has finished in the Top 5 in both road course races this season and is the only driver to finish in the Top 10 in all three Chicago Street races (2nd, 3rd, 9th). His street course consistency is legitimate — not a fluke. Strong mid-range play.
GPP darts — open car upside
The three open cars starting P1-P3 are a fascinating GPP angle this week. Corey Heim will pilot the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota, Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 84 LEGACY MOTOR CLUB Toyota, and Kevin Magnussen will run the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet. All three start at the front of the grid under open car rules — meaning if chaos strikes in the early laps, any of them could find themselves in position to score massive DFS points at minimum salary.
23XI equipment starting P3. Young road course talent. Best of the three open cars in terms of equipment quality and road course background. Best GPP dart at near-minimum salary.
Seven-time champion starting P2 on a street circuit. Johnson has excellent road course pedigree and strong simulator background. Only play in GPP — but the ceiling is legitimate at minimum salary.
F1 veteran who starts on pole. Magnussen has international road racing pedigree that no other Cup driver can match. Pure GPP dart — high variance but genuine upside if he can hold position early.
Fades — oval specialists to avoid
FTA recommended lineup builds
DFS strategy for the Anduril 250
This is a road course specialist week with a massive game theory question at the top: how much SVG exposure do you want? In cash games the answer is simple — lock SVG in every lineup. He starts P15, carries PD upside, wins 6 of 7 road races, and the salary is justified. There is no legitimate reason to fade SVG in a cash game.
In GPP the question becomes more interesting. SVG will be extremely highly owned — likely 50%+ in large tournaments. His ownership at that level means your GPP upside is capped even if he wins, because everyone else has him too. The three-lineup approach works best here: one cash-style lineup with SVG, one GPP lineup with SVG plus contrarian picks, and one dedicated SVG fade lineup if the contest is large enough to justify the variance.
The open car angle at P1-P3 is the most unique DFS opportunity of the 2026 season. Magnussen (F1 veteran), Jimmie Johnson (7x champion), and Corey Heim (23XI equipment) all start up front at minimum-range salaries. If any of them stay out of trouble in the first stage and take the lead, the DFS scoring potential is enormous at sub-$7,000. Sprinkle at least one open car into your GPP builds.
