Team DNegs Shines Even with a "Zero" on the Roster
This year, a record 24 teams joined the league, creating a prize pool of $600,000. Negreanu and his victorious Team DNegs left no room for doubt, scoring an impressive 1,337 points, and winning by more than 250 points over the second-place Team Banana. Negreanu claimed the official prize of $250,000 for first place, but it's believed that side bets have significantly increased his actual winnings.
The star player of the winning team was Josh Arieh, contributing 356 points to the team. Daniel Negreanu also drafted himself, a decision that paid off as he added 294 points. The core of the successful team also included Nick Pupillo (210 points), Bryn Kenney (193 points), and Dong Chen (150 points).
Interestingly, the team won despite one of its members, Ben Lamb, not participating in this year's WSOP, contributing zero points.
Final Standings of the 25K Fantasy 2026 (Top 5 Teams):
|
Place |
Team / Owner |
Points |
Prize |
|
1. |
Team DNegs / Daniel Negreanu |
1,337 |
$250,000 |
|
2. |
Team Banana / David Baker |
1,069 |
$125,000 |
|
3. |
Team Spitework / Wantman |
1,066 |
$100,000 |
|
4. |
Team Glue Factory / Sepiol |
1,013 |
$75,000 |
|
5. |
Team Lang Gang / Mike + Josh |
1,000 |
$50,000 |
Naoya Kihara Sets a Historic Record
If we were to name this year's absolute MVP, it would undoubtedly be Naoya Kihara from Japan. His 2026 performance was unprecedented, as he became the first player in the league's history to surpass the 500-point mark.
Throughout the summer, Kihara claimed two gold bracelets (in Events #17 and #23) and recorded an impressive 18 cash finishes, a third of which were at final tables.
What makes his achievement even more astonishing is his draft price. David “ODB” Baker secured him for his Team Banana at a minimal cost of $1, making Kihara the most cost-effective pick historically in terms of price/performance.
Top 10 Performers of the 25K Fantasy 2026:
|
Rank |
Player |
Team |
Points |
Draft Price |
ITM |
|
1. |
Naoya Kihara |
Banana |
510 |
$1 |
18 |
|
2. |
Alex Foxen |
Lady Gaga |
441 |
$79 |
14 |
|
3. |
Sean Winter |
Glaser |
404 |
$13 |
9 |
|
4. |
Calvin Anderson |
Glue Factory |
385 |
$25 |
8 |
|
5. |
Nick Schulman |
Verderamo |
366 |
$89 |
9 |
|
6. |
Josh Arieh |
DNegs |
356 |
$55 |
15 |
|
7. |
Martin Zamani |
Gators |
337 |
$3 |
11 |
|
8. |
Shaun Deeb |
Trump Power |
331 |
$133 |
6 |
|
9. |
Chris Brewer |
Blez/NGNF |
316 |
$61 |
12 |
|
10. |
Justin Liberto |
Blez/NGNF |
312 |
$70 |
12 |
It's also worth noting the "zero club," comprised of players for whom teams paid significant sums but who didn't score a single point. The biggest letdown was Scott Bohlman, with a draft price of $35, yet not a single point for Team Browndog.
Besides him and the previously mentioned Ben Lamb, the investment also didn't pay off for players like Isaac Haxton, Hugh Seed, Jared Bleznick, and Benjamin Tollerone.
Source: WSOP, 25KFantasy
