The 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season just ended, but if you are a Fantasy NASCAR diehard like myself, then it is never too soon to start looking ahead to 2020. Silly season has already delivered plenty of surprises, and while drivers like Matt DiBenedetto and Chris Buescher are switching teams this offseason, we also have the “Big Three” of Christopher Bell, Cole Custer and Tyler Reddick all making the jump from the XFINITY Series to the Cup Series at the same time. There are still a few seats to be finalized, so these rankings may shuffle a bit before Speedweeks at Daytona rolls around. Until then, check out a first look at my Top 30 drivers for 2020.
| Driver | 2019 Rating | 2019 Avg. Finish | Fantasy Spin |
| Kyle Busch | 108.4 | 8.9 | Averaging 6.5 wins, 19.5 Top 5s, 27.5 Top 10s and an 8.6 average finish the last two years |
| Martin Truex Jr. | 103.4 | 9.8 | Led the series in wins for the second time in the last three seasons in 2019 |
| Kevin Harvick | 105.2 | 10.1 | Multiple wins, double-digit Top 5s and 20-plus Top 10s are his floor |
| Chase Elliott | 92.2 | 15.2 | Poised for a big 2020 after another three-win campaign and a career-best 601 laps led last year |
| Joey Logano | 98.4 | 10.8 | Struggled a bit down the stretch, but he still ranked in the Top 5 in average finish and Top 10s |
| Denny Hamlin | 98.0 | 9.5 | Put a winless 2018 behind him with the best overall season of his career |
| Kyle Larson | 90.4 | 15.1 | A strong second half bodes well for a big rebound campaign in 2020 |
| Brad Keselowski | 94.8 | 12.9 | Pencil in three wins, 12 Top 5s and 20 Top 10s for one of the most versatile drivers in the series |
| Erik Jones | 85.1 | 15.3 | Needs to be more consistent, but he offers weekly Top 5 upside and is still just 23 years old |
| Ryan Blaney | 93.8 | 13.8 | His 11 Top 5s, 18 Top 10s and 13.7 average finish last year were all career highs |
| William Byron | 85.0 | 14.9 | The sky is the limit after massive leap between his rookie and sophomore seasons |
| Kurt Busch | 87.9 | 13.1 | Don’t expect Top 5 upside, but he will be around the Top 10 almost every week |
| Clint Bowyer | 86.6 | 15.2 | Up and down at the bigger ovals, but he’s a great option at road courses and short tracks |
| Alex Bowman | 82.0 | 14.4 | Still trying to put it all together, but he showed Top 5 potential at the 1.5-mile tracks |
| Aric Almirola | 83.3 | 15.4 | Limited upside but a dependable Top 15 performer |
| Matt DiBenedetto | 69.9 | 18.3 | The breakout star of 2019 is headed for a career year with Wood Brothers Racing |
| Christopher Bell | N/A | N/A | JGR’s next star makes the jump to Cup after dominating at the XFINITY level |
| Jimmie Johnson | 78.7 | 17.4 | Hard to expect much from his swan song after a career-worst 17.4 average finish |
| Cole Custer | N/A | N/A | Elite equipment awaits the rookie as he begins his Cup career at Stewart-Haas |
| Chris Buescher | 67.4 | 17.9 | Moves to Roush Fenway Racing after producing steady Top 20 results in 2019 |
| Ryan Newman | 71.7 | 14.6 | The veteran won’t wow you, but he is one of the best at grinding out solid finishes |
| Tyler Reddick | 70.0 | 18.0 | Jumps to the Cup level with RCR after back-to-back XFINITY titles |
| Austin Dillon | 70.0 | 19.5 | Career underachiever at the Cup level, but his equipment allows for mid-pack results |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | 70.1 | 20.5 | Landed a ride with JTG Daugherty, but his crash rate makes him tough to trust |
| Ryan Preece | 54.6 | 23.1 | Made small gains late in 2019, but Preece’s ceiling is limited by equipment |
| Ty Dillon | 57.2 | 20.6 | Was able to flirt with Top 20s on a routine basis in the second half of 2019 |
| Corey LaJoie | 44.6 | 25.9 | Alliance with Stewart-Haas gives LaJoie serious sleeper potential if he returns to the No. 32 |
| John H. Nemechek | 51.8 | 23.7 | Could be a decent DFS punt option with a full-time ride at Front Row |
| Bubba Wallace | 53.6 | 24.0 | Tough to be more than a Top 25 driver in his current equipment |
| Michael McDowell | 53.1 | 24.6 | Sleeper potential at the superspeedways and road courses |
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