The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season begins Sunday with the 61st running of the Daytona 500 -- which can be streamed via fuboTV (Try for free). While the winner of The Great American Race will cement their place in racing history, the rest of the field will have the opportunity to compete for a championship as the 36-race season rolls along.

We ranked the top 20 drivers entering the season and will continue to adjust these rankings based on results each week. While the top 16 aren't our predictions to make the playoffs, our No. 1 driver is indeed our pick to win the championship. 

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse is the first driver to crack the top 20 in this year's preseason rankings. Last season, this spot fluctuated a lot, but we typically put the driver with the most to prove in this situation. Stenhouse finished last season at 18th in the standings and failed to make it into Victory Lane. On top of that, he disappointed on restrictor-plate tracks, which are the only tracks he's won at in his career. This is a prove-it year for Stenhouse.

19. Ryan Newman

We're not entirely sure what to expect out of Ryan Newman this year as he migrates over to Roush Fenway Racing, but we have seen examples of veteran drivers flourishing in the late stage of their career. The ceiling for Newman is likely a win while the bottom probably involves him as an incredibly difficult driver to pass in lapped traffic. He could be a driver bumped from these rankings if someone else starts to show up early. 

18. Kurt Busch

NASCAR has implemented some aerodynamics changes to make racing more competitive, but until we see those changes on a weekly basis, equipment still powers everything. Kurt Busch was one of the top drivers in the Cup Series last season, and consistently flew in the top 10. However, that was with Stewart-Haas Racing equipment. We are not thoroughly convinced just yet that Chip Ganassi Racing will invest all its chips into a veteran driver, especially when Kyle Larson is knocking on the door as one of the premier drivers in the sport. The older of the Busch brothers easily has the most fluctuation of anyone on this list and can shoot back into top-10 standing with a good first few weeks. 

17. Daniel Suarez

The driver that replaces Kurt Busch at Stewart-Haas Racing in the No. 41, Suarez, comes in at No. 17. Equipment wasn't a huge issue for Suarez over at Joe Gibbs Racing, where he finished an underwhelming 21st in the standings last year, but after Stewart-Haas Racing's dominant run last year you have to expect an upgrade for the 27-year-old. It remains to be seen whether this will translate to wins and if it does, you'll see Suarez climb up this list. 

16.  Alex Bowman

Bowman is kind of that man in the middle. He did make the playoffs last year on merit, but only had three top-five finishes on the season. That being said, Hendrick Motorsports is entering Year 2 with the Camaro running full-time in the Cup Series, and we saw how Chase Elliott got going towards the end of last year. Bowman could sneak a win, especially on a restrictor-plate track this season, but we don't expect him to contend for a title. 

15. William Byron 

If Daytona qualifying was any indication, Hendrick Motorsports wants Byron to take that next step in his sophomore season. He has a seven-time champion, reinvigorated crew chief in Chad Knaus joining the shop. Byron will have well-funded equipment and on top of that, he's one of the most talented young drivers out there, winning at just about every level up until this point. He showed flashes last season, but we expect him to take a major jump this year. 

14. Austin Dillon

Richard Childress Racing means business as it celebrates its 50th anniversary and it's no question that Dillon is the face of that team. More motivation means more money for a more experienced 28-year-old driver. We saw Dillon come on strong toward the end of last season, and he's really beginning to come into his own as a driver. Last year, he hovered in the 20 to 15 range, while this year we expect him to be in the 15 to 10. Expect those one win seasons to turn into two, especially with the new rules packages coming into play. 

13. Aric Alirola

Almirola was knocking on the door last season and even made it to the round of eight. We have no reason to believe he won't do the same this time around. Still, the field in front of him is just that much more talented. If there's a legitimate gripe for any driver being underrated in these power rankings, it's definitely Almirola but again, he'll need to win more than just a race to prove he's better than 13. 

12. Clint Bowyer

We already know Bowyer can wheel it. He showed it last year with his two wins, and we have every reason to believe he'll return to form this time around. Stewart-Haas Racing is sitting at the big kid table when it comes to teams now, and Bowyer is the second-best driver on that team, hands down, with Kurt Busch departing for CGR. That's why he's the second-highest SHR driver on this list.

11. Denny Hamlin

Denny haters beware. This man is on a mission. For the first time in his career, Hamlin failed to secure a trip to Victory Lane last season. He isn't one to let adversity take the best of him either. This season is an opportunity for Hamlin to secure his position as an all-time great in the sport, and he knows he needs to take that step. Remember what happened to Joey Logano in 2017 when he missed the playoffs versus what happened last season when he won the championship? We may see a similar feat from Hamlin this year. 

10. Kyle Larson

Larson is easily a top five driver, but he's not in top five equipment. Hopefully the new rules package will level the playing field, but when it comes down to an equipment edge, Larson loses the battle. That may have been the reason we saw him finish second so many times last year. 2018 certainly felt like a step back in comparison to 2017, but he can easily prove us wrong and become a top five driver rather quickly. 

9. Jimmie Johnson

We talked about Hamlin's motivation earlier, but sometimes all you need is a change of scenery. Johnson already took a breath of fresh air when he won The Clash at Daytona, and with new crew chief Kevin Mendeering by his side, we're expecting a revamped Johnson this time around. Let's also not forget there's a new sponsor in town, and for a driver that takes pride in long-term sponsorship, Johnson should be back to competing for wins each and every week. Jimmie Johnson bounces back in 2019. Book it. 

8. Erik Jones

That Jones boy may be quiet, but he's a winner. We saw it first hand when he took the checkered flag at Daytona last summer. He can race with the best of them and there's a reason he won rookie of the year at every stage of his career. Overall, he finished 15th in the standings last year but we expect multiple wins from the No. 20 this year as he jumps to being one of the elite young drivers in the sport. 

7. Ryan Blaney

We are expecting big things for Blaney this season along with Team Penske. We spoke to him personally prior to the Daytona 500 and he explained that the members in his garage know what's at stake this season. Blaney has easily become one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR, so now the pressure is on his team to deliver winning cars each week to allow him to become a face of the sport on a national scale. There's no question the money is there as is the talent, now it just needs to translate to results. 

6. Brad Keselowski

As we have learned throughout Keselowski's career, he can get hot at any time and run the table. That's just how talented he is. Skill-wise, he is one of the best in the game and one of the best to ever do it, quite frankly. If these new rules really level the playing field, Keselowski will be atop the leaderboard week in and week out. Perhaps another Championship 4 could be on the horizon for him this season.

5. Joey Logano

The defending Cup Series champ comes in fifth to open the year. This is about where he stacked up last year until the final few weeks before winning the title. We don't expect him to win as many races as Harvick or Busch did last year, but that championship garage should have no problems finding Victory Lane in 2019. 

4. Martin Truex Jr.

This is a bit of a risk, but a calculated one. Truex now moves from the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota to the No. 19 with Joe Gibbs Racing. Sure, FRR was an alliance team for JGR, but being the only car in that garage allowed for the team to pay more attention to it. Still, you'd have to imagine there will be an equipment upgrade here and Cole Pearn, one of the top crew chiefs out there, isn't going anywhere. Truex will be just fine. 

3. Kevin Harvick

Harvick tied Kyle Busch for the most wins in the Cup Series last year, but pushed the limits enough to see a couple of those wins become encumbered. His team will have to be extra careful now that post-race inspection is on site. That doesn't take anything away from Harvick, who is one of the most talented drivers out there, but we're expecting a small step back from what he achieved last year. 

2. Chase Elliott

Winner of NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, Elliott is poised to take over this year. We saw what he was capable of once he finally earned his first career win. Getting over that hump allowed the rest to keep on pouring in. Elliott is a serious title contender and in our eyes, and a lock to make it to Homestead this year as Hendrick Motorsports' top dog. 

1. Kyle Busch

Our top driver and preseason pick to win the championship is Kyle Busch. He showed time and time again last season that even when he didn't have the best car, he had the skill to win. The new rules package will really amplify Busch's skill, on top of the fact he has some of the best equipment out there. This is an opportunity for Busch to further solidify himself as one of, if not the best, drivers of all-time. Four seasons removed from his last title, Busch is due for it this time around. He may even win the Daytona 500 on top of it.