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Chris Buescher is winless over 45 career races on 1-mile intermediate track events like Sunday's 2025 Shriners Children's 500, but to be a valuable driver in the Phoenix NASCAR Fantasy rankings isn't always about finishing first. Since February 2022, Buescher has been the best in the NASCAR driver pool at avoiding disastrous results on these tracks, finishing no worse than 21st in 14 races. No other driver has finished top-21 every time, while his 13 top-20 finishes are tied for the most during that span. How should this alter forming a 2025 Shriners Children's 500 Fantasy strategy when the green flag drops at 3:30 p.m. ET? William Byron will be on the pole.

Whereas Buescher may have a higher floor for Phoenix NASCAR Fantasy picks, Brad Keselowski has been more of a boom-or-bust driver at Phoenix Raceway over his career. He has nine top-five results with four finishes of 29th or worse at NASCAR at Phoenix events, so should you include Keselowski in 2025 Shriners Children's 500 Fantasy lineups? Before locking in your NASCAR Fantasy picks for the 2025 Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix Raceway, be sure to check out the optimal NASCAR at Phoenix Fantasy strategy and advice from SportsLine's Mike McClure. 

McClure has won over $2 million in his career as a daily Fantasy pro, and his NASCAR DFS driver pool, projections and advice can help you score a big win on Sunday on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.

McClure's model began the 2025 season by calling Chase Elliott's win in the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray for a +300 payout. Then at Daytona, it was also high on William Byron despite +2000 odds. In 2024, it nailed Kyle Larson to win in Las Vegas for a 21-5 betting payout and predicted Denny Hamlin's wins in Bristol at 5-1 and Richmond at 17-4.

It also impressively nailed five of Larson's wins during his historic season in 2021. All told, the model has nailed a whopping 19 winners since 2021, including nine in 2023 and three in the first seven races last season. Anyone who followed its lead on betting apps and sportsbooks on those NASCAR picks could have seen huge returns. 

Now, he's turned his attention to Sunday's 2025 Shriners Children's 500. He's only sharing his picks and NASCAR Fantasy rankings here.

Top 2025 Shriners Children's NASCAR Fantasy picks

One of McClure's top 2025 Shriners Children's 500 Fantasy picks is Ross Chastain, even though he's a longshot at 24-1. Chastain had a rough start as a young driver at Phoenix Raceway, finishing 19th or worse in each of his first six races there. But in eight events since, Chastain has finished in the top 20 seven times, including three top-three results. Chastain won at Phoenix Raceway in 2023, one year after finishing second in the final NASCAR Cup Series standings.

Chastain is tied for the second-best average finish (10.3) at 1-mile intermediate track races like the Shriners Children's 500 over the last 36 months. He has nine top-10 finishes over 15 races, which is tied for the fourth-most over that span, and he's avoided disaster as one of only two drivers to run multiple 1-mile intermediate races and never finish outside the top 25 during that span. See which other drivers to back here. 

Another curveball: Joey Logano, one of the top betting favorites and last year's NASCAR Cup Series champion, barely cracks the top 10 of McClure's Fantasy NASCAR rankings. Logano has been at his best and at his worst at 1-mile intermediate tracks over the last three years. He has three victories with four finishes 29th or worse during that span.

Logano has finished outside the top 15 in four of his last six 1-mile intermediate track races. He's off to a slow start this year with finishes outside the top 10 in each of his first three NASCAR Cup Series events. Some may think he's "due" for a better result, but McClure is staying away based on his recent volatile finishes at similar tracks to Phoenix Raceway. See which other drivers to avoid here.

How to make 2025 NASCAR at Phoenix Fantasy rankings

McClure is also targeting an undervalued driver set to return plenty of value for his NASCAR Fantasy picks. This driver is in a prime position to make a run at the checkered flag for the ultimate Shriners Children's 500 sleeper. You can see who it is, and every other pick, right here.

So what are the top NASCAR Fantasy picks for the 2025 NASCAR at Phoenix race, and which value driver is a must-roster? Visit SportsLine now to see DFS millionaire Mike McClure's complete Shriners Children's 500 Fantasy rankings, for a chance to cash in big on NASCAR Fantasy.