ZANE SMITH (FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS) FORD
2025 FANTASY LIVE POINTS: 28TH
2026 FANTASY NASCAR RANK: 29TH
* The 2026 ranking are based on the driver’s projected points scored for the 2026 season and NOT his predicted finish in the Cup Series standings. The rankings are based on the driver’s performance last year, momentum heading into the 2026 season and the strength of the driver’s team.
2025 RECAP: The second season in the Cup Series was nearly the same as the first for Zane Smith. He scored the 29th most Fantasy Live Points and finished 30th in the NASCAR Cup Series Point Standings in 2024. Smith scored 28th most Fantasy Live Points and finished 28th in the NASCAR Cup Series Points Standings last year. Smith only has three finishes in the top-five in his 81 races in the Cup Series (3%). His best race last year was at Bristol. Smith started 24th, led five laps and finished third. It was another inconsistent year for Smith in the Cup Series. He really did not have much fantasy value in season-long games, but he was worth a chance as a punt play in DFS Contests; if you were lucky.
2026 PREVIEW: There is no question about the talent Zane Smith has in a stockcar. He finished second in the Truck Series Championships in 2020 and 2021. He won the Truck Series Championship in 2022. A year in the Xfinity Series probably would have made his move to the Cup Series a bit smoother, but Front Row Motorsports did not want to take any chances of losing Smith to a larger team. Smith is going to figure out how to run up front in the Cup Series. He has too much talent to fail forever. Could this be the season when he figures it out? I could be way too low with this ranking, or I could be spot on. I am hoping Smith proves me wrong because he is an easy driver to cheer for.
Everything will be the same for Zane Smith at Front Row Motorsports in 2026. Ryan Bergenty will return as the crew chief and Todd Gilliland and Noah Gragson will return as his teammates.
It has been a wild off-season for Front Row Motorsports. They were part of the lawsuit against NASCAR. The No. 38 Team will now have a charter and more time to focus on racing and less time working on a court case. Zane Smith and Front Row Motorsports still lack the speed of the top teams. Smith will not have much value in the Fantasy Live game, but he can be used in DFS Contest if he starts in the back and has a good chance to score some place differential points. Just make sure his price is under $7K when you select Smith for your DFS lineups.
BEST TRACKS FOR ZANE SMITH: The sample size is pretty small to figure out what are the best tracks for Zane Smith. His best track by far has been Michigan. Smith started 27th and finished seventh at Michigan in 2024. He came back last year and qualified 10th and finished 7th again. It may be a good idea to use Smith as your One & Done pick in the Irish Hills of Michigan and he will have some value in Fantasy Live and your DFS Contests too.
The other tracks were Zane Smith has had some success include Nashville (he finished 2nd and 13th in his two races in Music City) and at Watkins Glen (he finished 5th and 17th in his two races on this road course). Smith will be worth a spot in your DFS Lineups at these race tracks in 2026.
One & Done Tracks for Zane Smith: 1) Michigan, 2) Nashville, 3) Watkins Glen, 4) North Wilksboro, 5) Daytona
* These Rankings are based off of the driver’s average DraftKings Points at each track in 2025
Be sure to check out all of the Driver Preview articles that will be released later this week. I will have the drivers ranked 21st – 35th for FREE. The top-20 will be behind the pay wall, so the members can get an advantage over their competitors.
* Team Information from Jaysky.com
** If you need any further advice with your team, look for me on X (Twitter) @MrFantasyNASCAR
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