With the opening round of the 2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship Series out of the way, it’s time to reflect on the results and consider the future. The race leaves many questions unanswered and raises new ones. When you look at the top 10 riders, there are no surprises. However, the order is vexing. This is going to be one tough season in RMFantasySX, so let’s get to my 2026 San Diego Supercross Fantasy picks and tips.

1. Many riders on new bikes did impressively well. Eli Tomac and Jorge Prado made the podium after switching to KTM in the off-season, and Jason Anderson’s debut on a Suzuki landed him in the top five. Dylan Ferrandis grabbed a P9 in Ducati’s first SX race, and Austin Forkner landed in P15 in Triumph’s 450SX debut.

2. On the flip side, two riders did not meet expectations with their new bikes. Chase Sexton struggled to finish in P8 his first time out on a Kawasaki, while RJ Hampshire’s 450SX debut on a Husqvarna resulted in P18. Both riders were victims of crashes. However, Sexton was never higher than P7, and Hampshire was in P12 early when he went down.

3. Crashes at A1 have taken two riders from the field for the foreseeable future. Beta’s Benny Bloss hurt his wrist on press day, while Justin Barcia was involved in a horrific crash on the first lap of the Main Event, leaving him in the hospital with a back injury. Fortunately, both riders are expected to fully recover. Malcolm Stewart, who was part of the Barcia crash, suffered a dislocated shoulder, but is expected to ride at San Diego.

4. It’s hard to argue against Eli Tomac at San Diego’s Snapdragon Stadium. When you win your first 450SX race on a new bike, things are going well. Tomac is looking good, and with Jett Lawrence sidelined, he has a legitimate title shot to ride for. Tomac wants to win another title before he qualifies for AARP membership, and he’s off to a strong start.

   

5. Ken Roczen, another member of the 30+ club, hung tight with Tomac for the entire A1 Main Event. Although Roczen was never able to mount a serious challenge to Tomac, Roczen beat third-place Jorge Prado by over 25 seconds—a blowout. That makes Roczen a threat to win and a solid P2 finisher.

6. Jorge Prado’s return to KTM was a smashing success. Even Prado didn’t expect to find himself on the podium, but there he was. Prado started in P2 and was only passed by Roczen, making it a strong podium ride. As with Tomac and Roczen, until Prado shows otherwise, he’s a strong podium pick.

7. Although A1 had been an Achilles’ heel for Hunter Lawrence, he fixed that last week with a P4 finish. Lawrence was P3 after a lap, but was passed by Roczen and Jason Anderson on lap 2. Lawrence trailed Anderson for almost the entire race, with Lawrence finally getting by Anderson two laps from the finish. Lawrence’s late surge brought Prado into sight, but not close enough to make a bid for the podium. Hunter looked good, though his inability to turn a P2 start into a podium is a concern. For the time being, I’ve got him in P4 again.

8. Justin Cooper’s ride was overlooked at A1, and it was a strong one. Cooper finished the opening lap in P12. He was in the top 10 a lap later. Cooper began a passing mission on lap 13, when he went by Chase Sexton, Dylan Ferrandis on the next lap, and Cooper Webb the lap after that. At the end, Cooper was just eight seconds and change away from the podium. I have him for P5.

9. Jason Anderson was an impressive P5 at A1. He ran in P4 for most of the race, and looked comfortable in his Suzuki 450SX debut. While Anderson has traditionally been a strong rider at the start of the season, this was still something of a surprise. At the end, Cooper was just a half-second from knocking Anderson out of the top 5, and that’s with Cooper starting in P12 and Anderson in P4. That’s why I have Cooper over Anderson for San Diego.

   

10. The top 5 I offered left out some top-notch talent—Chase Sexton and Cooper Webb. They are our last two 450SX titleholders. Both are threats to win the title this year, along with any race. However, Webb never looked good on his way to P7, and Sexton was either falling or going off track in the A1 Main Event. Neither rider was in the A1 top 5 at any point. Both will be back, but the question is, how long will it take? They’re high-value riders if you want to take a chance.

11. The battle for the P7 Wild Card will be between Cooper Webb, Chase Sexton, and Dylan Ferrandis. None of the three riders cracked the top 5. Interestingly, the top 5 riders after lap 1 of A1 were the top 5 finishers. There are good arguments for each rider.

12. Cooper Webb starts slow and gets chugging. After his off-season performances and the fact that he wasn’t changing teams, I expected more from Webb last week. However, building momentum is clearly his way of doing things. With just one race to look at, it’s hard to tell how fast that progression will be—methodical or rapid.

13. It’s impossible to know which Chase Sexton will show up at San Diego. The troubling aspect is that he never cracked the top 5, and he had all sorts of problems. Picking Sexton for any spot always requires a leap of faith.

14. Dylan Ferrandis now has one 450SX race on the Ducati under his belt, so we could see improvement. However, Ferrandis finished four seconds behind Sexton and 14 seconds behind Webb. That’s significant, though he was in P6 for five laps, as was Webb.

15. My pick for P7 is Webb. Webb is a consistent guy, and he could certainly move up. I think Sexton is either boom or bust at this point. I’m waiting on him. Ferrandis would have to have a great ride to move up on Webb and Sexton, unless they both have problems. If they do, he will be ready to take advantage. This is what makes racing great and fantasy supercross maddening.

Check out our 2026 Supercross Television Schedule

2026 San Diego Supercross Fantasy Picks

1. Eli Tomac
2. Ken Roczen
3. Jorge Prado
4. Hunter Lawrence
5. Justin Cooper

P7 Wild Card: Cooper Webb

2026 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Standings (after 1 of 17 rounds)

1. Eli Tomac, KTM, 25 points (1 Win, 1 Podium, 1 Top 5)
2. Ken Roczen, Suzuki, 22, (1P, 1 T5)
3. Hunter Lawrence, Honda, 18 (1 T5)
4. Jorge Prado, KTM (1P, 1 T5)
5. Jason Anderson, Suzuki (1 T5)
6. Justin Cooper, Yamaha, 16
7. Cooper Webb, Yamaha, 15
8. Chase Sexton, Kawasaki, 14
9. Dylan Ferrandis, Ducati, 13
10. Aaron Plessinger, KTM, 12
11. Christian Craig, Honda, 11
12. Colt Nichols, Suzuki, 10
13. Joey Savatgy, Honda, 9
14. Justin Hill, KTM, 8
15. Austin Forkner, Triumph, 7
16. Mitchell Oldenburg, Beta, 6
17. Shane McElrath, Honda, 5
18. RJ Hampshire, Husqvarna, 4
19. Vince Friese, Kawasaki, 3
20. Mitchell Harrison, Kawasaki, 2
21. Justin Barcia, Ducati, 1