2025 SMX Playoff 1 Fantasy Picks and Tips: 8 Fast Facts for ZMax

September 3, 2025

Supercross is over. Motocross is done and dusted. It’s now time for the 2025 SuperMotocross Playoffs and Final. It’s a three-round series to decide the 2025 SMX World Championship. It starts with 20 seeded riders—the top total point scorers in the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series and the AMA Pro Motocross National Series. Wild Card entries vie for a few open spots at the gate.

SMX Playoff 1 is at ZMax Dragway at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Just as in RMFantasySX and RMFantasyMX, our job is to pick the top five riders in order, plus a Wild Card—P10 this round. So, let’s get to our 2025 SMX Playoff 1 fantasy picks and tips for RMFantasySMX players.

Although we’re starting from scratch, there’s a clear favorite—Jett Lawrence. Jett is faster than anyone else on a supercross or motocross track, and that is reason enough for him to be the favorite for SMX Playoff 1.

Chase Sexton is the only rider who has the speed to hang with Jett Lawrence. Sexton can be unpredictable, and that makes him a somewhat risky pick. Regardless, Sexton is coming into SMX Playoff 1 with 16 points, which puts him six points behind Jett and nine points back of top seed Justin Cooper. Sexton will want to start chipping away at that deficit immediately.

Although Hunter Lawrence looked better in Pro Motocross than Supercross, he’s still your best bet to fill out the SMX Playoff 1 podium. If Jett and Sexton get bad starts, Hunter can pull off an upset. However, if all three riders get away cleanly in both races—there are two per round for overall points—Hunter is likely to take P3.

2025 Daytona Supercross Fantasy Picks and Tips: Justin Cooper. — Justin Cooper.

Top seed Justin Cooper comes into the SMX Playoffs with decent momentum. While not a podium regular in either SX or MX, Cooper has established himself as a solid top-five finisher. I’m willing to show his top seeding some respect, so P4 it is for Cooper.

R.J. Hampshire on a Husqvarna — R.J. Hampshire.

Another rider coming into the SMX Playoffs is RJ Hampshire. A strong rider at the end of the Pro Motocross season, Hampshire has legit 250SX credentials. However, it is his first time on an SX-style track on a 450. How much that will matter remains to be seen. Regardless, I have Hampshire for P5 at ZMax Dragway.

2025 Glendale Supercross Fantasy Picks and Tips: Eli Tomac — Eli Tomac.

If you don’t like Justin Cooper or R.J. Hampshire, there are three other solid top-five contenders. Ken Roczen, Eli Tomac, and Cooper Webb are excellent choices, and I wouldn’t blame you for picking any of them. Keep in mind that these three riders are all older than Hampshire and Cooper, so you get to decide if you want the old guard or the new brigade.

The Wild Card is P10, and that gives you plenty of options. You’re looking at Justin Barcia, Dylan Ferrandis, Aaron Plessinger, and Malcolm Stewart when considering the Wild Card. This is truly a toss-up. Whoever you pick, of course, that means rooting for him to come in P10, which would probably disappoint any of the four. Plessinger is the unknown of the group, as he is returning from health issues, and the other three looked pretty good at the end of the Pro Motocross season. I’m putting Plessinger down as the Wild Card.

The East Coast opening round is an early one for viewers, especially on the West Coast. Race Day Live starts at 9:30 a.m. EDT (6:30 a.m. PDT) on Peacock. The Pre-Race show streams on Peacock at 2:30 p.m. Racing begins at 3 p.m. EDT on Peacock, NBC, and Telemundo Deportes. If you are satisfied with audio-only, the racing is also on SiriusXM. If you prefer, you can take a look at our 2025 SuperMotocross Television Schedule.