FlurrySports gives their NASCAR fantasy picks and other DFS lineup advice for the Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR race this weekend, including Shane van Gisbergen.
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The NASCAR Cup Series makes its second road course stop of the 2026 season this weekend, heading to Watkins Glen International for the Go Bowling at The Glen. With a unique surface that rewards precision and car control over raw horsepower, the fantasy landscape looks considerably different than a typical oval week.
Road course racing creates some of the most exploitable mismatches in NASCAR fantasy. The specialists rise, the oval kings fall, and the head-to-head matchups become less about raw speed and more about surface-specific track record. Use that to your advantage this week.
Let’s dive into a full NASCAR Fantasy preview for the Go Bowling at The Glen, including recommended lineup picks, featured head-to-head matchups, and more.
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NASCAR Fantasy Scoring Overview
NASCAR Fantasy scoring mirrors the Cup Series points system, with drivers earning points based on finishing position, stage results, and race performance — plus bonuses for stage finishes and fastest laps.
Each driver can only be used ten times across the 36-race season, making deployment strategy a key factor. Eleven races in, roughly 31% of your allotted uses are gone. Thus, if you’ve been leaning heavily on top options early, now is a good time to evaluate how your remaining uses are distributed heading into the back half.
For those competing in other NASCAR DFS formats, scoring structures vary by platform. Positions gained, laps led, and similar accumulation categories are common — read the fine print before setting your lineup.
Go Bowling at The Glen NASCAR Fantasy Picks
Lineup Locks
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 97 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen has an excellent shot to breathe some life into the Trackhouse Racing organization this weekend. The defending Watkins Glen winner has won six of the 13 road and street course races he has entered in the Cup Series. His 344 laps led over that same span is more than double that of any other driver — several of whom have made more starts than him.
Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford
He may not fit the billing of a traditional road course specialist, but Chris Buescher is quietly one of the better road racers in the Cup Series. Since the start of the 2023 season, he has accumulated a dozen top-10 finishes across 18 road race starts. He went to victory lane at Watkins Glen two years ago, finished third here last year, and has now strung together four consecutive top-10s at this track. Lock him in.
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Recent weeks have seen Christopher Bell be dealt one tough break after another. Fortunately, he now gets a crack at a track where he has finished top-10 in four of five Cup Series starts, including a runner-up showing at WGI just last year. Across 18 road race starts since 2023, Bell has amassed nine top-five finishes and 12 top-10s.
Drivers to Avoid
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
When a driver is openly joking on his own podcast that he would be thrilled to finish 15th this weekend, that’s usually a pretty good indicator to steer clear in NASCAR fantasy. Denny Hamlin is one of the best to ever do it, but road racing simply isn’t his forte. Three of his last four starts at Watkins Glen have resulted in a finish of 20th or worse.
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 RFK Racing Ford
Much like Hamlin, road racing is not a strength of Brad Keselowski’s game. It has been several years since he put together a strong run at Watkins Glen, and his best finish over the last five starts here is a modest 15th. RFK Racing has been one of the more consistent organizations this season, but Keselowski is best saved for future weeks.
Sleepers to Consider
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
The road racing credentials of AJ Allmendinger seem to be getting overlooked more and more as other drivers improve. Watkins Glen hasn’t gone his way the last two years, but he finished second and fourth here in 2022 and 2023 respectively — the kind of track record that warrants serious consideration.
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
It has been a rough 2026 campaign for Michael McDowell, who has struggled to find consistency since joining Spire Motorsports. A road course could be exactly the reset he needs. McDowell owns a pair of top-10s in his last four Watkins Glen starts, and his road racing résumé is legitimate — one win and seven top-five finishes across 18 starts since 2023.
NASCAR Fantasy Driver Matchups and Predictions
The following are the four featured NASCAR Fantasy head-to-head matchups for this week, along with our predictions.
Chase Elliott vs. Kyle Larson
Both Hendrick Motorsports drivers are two-time winners at Watkins Glen and more than capable of contending this weekend. Chase Elliott may no longer be stacking road course victories the way he once did, but he remains the more consistent and trustworthy option when pitted head-to-head against Kyle Larson.
Prediction: Chase Elliott
Ty Gibbs vs. Michael McDowell
Ty Gibbs is a capable road racer, but Watkins Glen has not been kind to him. Outside of a fifth-place finish in 2023, he has come home 22nd or worse in his other three Cup Series starts here — a trend that extended back into his O’Reilly Auto Parts Series days as well. Michael McDowell remains a reliable road racing option and gets the nod.
Prediction: Michael McDowell
Shane van Gisbergen vs. Chase Briscoe
To his credit, Chase Briscoe has posted three top-10 finishes in five Cup Series starts at Watkins Glen, including a career-best fifth last year. None of that matters much when his head-to-head opponent is SVG.
Prediction: Shane van Gisbergen
Kyle Busch vs. John Hunter Nemechek
Of course NASCAR fantasy has these two matched up after last week’s drama at Texas. From a road racing standpoint, it isn’t much of a contest. Busch won twice at WGI back in the day and has quietly posted top-five finishes in six of 18 road course starts since 2023. Nemechek has managed just one top-10 in 12 starts over that same span.
Prediction: Kyle Busch
NASCAR Fantasy 36 for 36 Selection
Each week, we close the NASCAR Fantasy column with a 36 for 36 selection. Managers pick one driver per race throughout the season, with each driver only usable once — think NFL survivor contest meets NASCAR fantasy scoring, minus the eliminations.
Opportunities to deploy Connor Zilisch in this format are limited this year given Trackhouse Racing’s struggles and the natural learning curve that comes with being a Cup Series rookie. But if there was ever a week to use him, this is it.
Zilisch will be making his first Cup Series start at Watkins Glen, but he won both of his previous O’Reilly Series starts at the track outright. He also gets the added benefit of extra seat time heading into Sunday, competing in both the Truck Series and O’Reilly races at The Glen this weekend.
36 for 36 Pick: Connor Zilisch
