Daytona 500

Tyler Reddick pulled off one of the most dramatic victories in Daytona 500 history, charging from fourth to first on the final lap after leader Carson Hocevar was spun just past the white flag. With teammate Riley Herbst providing a crucial push through the tri-oval, Reddick powered the No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota past Chase Elliott on the backstretch and held off the field as cars crashed and slid across the finish line behind him. The win — his first in the Great American Race — gave 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan a Daytona 500 trophy just two days before his 63rd birthday.

The race was a masterclass in superspeedway unpredictability. A record 26 different drivers led at least one lap across 66 lead changes, the second-highest total in Daytona 500 history. Despite only five cautions for 32 laps — tied for the fewest since 2005 — the race featured a massive 20-car pileup on Lap 124 when Denny Hamlin made contact with Justin Allgaier while battling for the lead, triggering The Big One that reshaped the complexion of the final 76 laps.

For fantasy players, Reddick's 48.1-point performance at an $11 salary proved that Daytona rewards patience and survival over raw speed. Zane Smith ($5, Stage 1 winner, P6) and Riley Herbst ($4, P8) delivered enormous value from the bottom of the salary pool, while expensive favorites like Kyle Busch ($18, P15) and Denny Hamlin ($16, DNF) reminded owners that superspeedway chalk rarely pays off at these price points.