What is Hyperfragile RB? Everything you need to know.

What is Hyperfragile RB?

The hyperfragile RB method of drafting is one of a basket of structural methods you can employ when competing in NFL DFS best ball tournaments. Like many of the other popular best ball draft strategies (Zero RB, or Anchor RB) the hyperfragile RB method tends to be best employed in larger field, multi-round events (like Underdog’s Best Ball Mania IV) where large top prizes reward those drafting for maximum upside. 

A hyperfragile drafting method sees you draft for maximum ceiling by taking on certain amounts of risk in different areas of your lineup, specifically at the RB position. While a Zero RB draft structure forces you to gamble on the viability of later-round running backs, a hyperfragile drafting method instead emphasizes drafting RBs early on but brings in more injury liability by limiting the number of RBs you carry on your best ball roster. 

Typically, a hyperfragile draft structure would see you take three RBs in the first six to seven rounds, placing a huge emphasis on the fact that these early-round RBs will give you the best shot at landing on a legendary type of season that could carry your squad. The difference between a hyperfragile structure and other RB-centric draft methods (like Robust RB) is that the hyperfragile method also attempts to make up for that expenditure of early-round draft capital by limiting the overall amount of RBs on your roster. 

How to draft using the Hyperfragile RB strategy

A typical hyperfragile roster in a fantasy football best ball league then would often look something like this:

• 2-3 QB
• 4 RB
• 8-10 WR
• 2-3 TE

In hyperfragile lineups, you are essentially looking to spend up on RBs, but then make up for that early expenditure of draft capital by spending more draft picks down the line at other positions (mainly WR). For TE and QB, if you fail to land an elite starter you would also have room to allocate another pick to that position (e.g. take three TEs instead of two) given you are limiting your RB spots to four. 

Additionally, while a Zero RB lineup emphasizes upside at WR by taking multiple early-round WRs – but often limits the number of receivers taken, typically around seven – a hyperfragile method looks to get upside from the WR position by drafting up to 10 players at that position. The hope is that by going quantity over quality – and spreading your WR allocation over a range of potential “spike week” receivers lower down in the draft – it will make up for the lack of true elite WRs on your roster. 

These later-round “spike week” targets at WR are players that may end up as inconsistent fantasy football producers, but who also have tendencies that will allow them to potentially deliver multiple upside weeks throughout the year. 

A great example from 2022 of a solid late round, spike week target would have been Zay Jones, who ended the year as WR25 in 0.5 ppr scoring. Jones was a bigger part of the Jaguars offense than people expected and clustered his scoring going for over 70 yards and at least one TD three times in 2022-23. 

Jones would have been OK as a season-long target, but for best ball his big weeks would have helped tremendously, especially given he could have been had at the tail-end of most drafts. 

This sort of home-run approach at WR is meant to try and replicate the receiving upside of a best ball lineup that drafted multiple high-end WRs early on but doesn’t have the same kind of depth on its roster as a hyperfragile build which often as 8-9 WRs. 

In a lot of ways, then, this tenant of a hyperfragile build makes it the exact inverse of a Zero RB build, where bypassing the RB position early on for quality WRs is the approach. 

Why does Hyperfragile RB work?

The hyperfragile draft is built around the following tenants:

Draft RBs early on:

• Often using both of your first two picks on the RB position and making three RB picks within the first six rounds. 
• Reasoning:
  • This gives you a better opportunity to hit on a legendary RB season
  • Early-round RBs generally have better true ceilings than any other players in drafts, even if the position is highly volatile and injury-prone

Limit your RBs to 4 (Give or take)

• Use three of your first six picks on the position and then look to round things out with one solid later-round selection. 
• Reasoning:
• Gives you massive upside at the RB position without wasting tons of draft capital
  • Boom or bust method – ideal for popular, large field fantasy football best ball events
    • Brings in big injury risk but also recognizes that spending late-round draft capital on RBs likely won’t add a ton of value or upside to your team anyways if your top RBs don’t hit. 

If you are employing a hyperfragile method in your drafts, you can now track your RB and WR exposure at the Fantasy Life Best Ball Hub. This will allow you to keep tabs on which early round RBs you’ve been taking the most and also which late round WRs you’ve been taking shots with in your hyperfragile drafts (as outlined below).

Draft quantity over quality at WR

• Often allocating up 8-10 spots for the WR position
• Reasoning
  • Gives you a better shot at high-end WR production through a larger investment pool.
  • WR tends to be rich in potential “spike week” players later in drafts .

When to use Hyperfragile RB?

The hyperfragile method brings in a ton of volatility given how small your running back core will be (often three to four RBs if implemented correctly) but offers us maximum upside if our elite running backs stay healthy, and deliver on their potential. 

The strategy is built for upside, but also tends to work better in best ball formats, regardless. Given that the hyperfragile method means we’ll have mass amounts of somewhat inconsistent WRs on our roster, the best ball format – which counts our highest weekly scorers at each position, automatically – takes the tougher portion of using this strategy in redraft leagues (e.g. the weekly starting decisions) out of our hands. 

Hyperfragile drafting can be used across any fantasy football draft but  is best employed in larger best ball tournament formats which have very top heavy payout structures. Prize structures in events like the Best Ball Mania IV – which features a $3M first prize in 2023 – means that playing for first, or a top 1% finish at least, should be our goal. 

By drafting around a hyperfragile structure, we can force ourselves to take on more risk at RB (by using just four picks there) and stuff ourselves full with potential home run plays at WR thanks to the extra spots we’ll have available. 

How to draft using Hyperfragile RB?

As far as employing the method in drafts, remaining fluid is key. The Hyperfragile RB method tends to work best when you can snag one of the top couple of RBs in the first round but then also have another top RB fall to you – at a position that is lower than his current ADP – in the second or third round. 

Below is the winning team from the 2022 Best Ball Mania III event on Underdog Fantasy, that was drafted by Pat Kerrane of Legendary Upside. He employed a modified Hyperfragile/Double Anchor RB construct by selecting just five RBs (two of which were high-round picks) alongside eight WRs. 

As you can see from the example above, the hyperfragile method helps the upside of your team in numerous ways. It gave Kerrane multiple shots at landing a legendary RB with Barkley and Ekeler, but also allowed him space to add extra depth at QB or TE. 

In this case, he chose to max out at 8 WRs and draft an extra quarterback. Since he ended up waiting on quarterback (and got good value on those three players in the process) he was still able to get really good upside in the mid-rounds with players like Godwin, Lockett and Waddle.  

You can shoot your shot at replicating the success of Kerrane's lineup on Underdog Fantasy this season. Get a 100% deposit match of up to $100 when you sign up below and start drafting today!

Basic tenants of when to use the hyperfragile method:

• Best suited for best ball format: 
  • Added depth at WR becomes more valuable due to the format (highest scores count every week, no weekly starting lineup decisions). 
• Not as viable in redraft leagues:
  • Mainly because having so many high variance, low floor WRs on your team is suboptimal in that it makes starting decisions difficult every week. 
• For 2023, hyperfragile builds should be focused on drafting an RB early in the first or second round, one that can act as  a “pillar” sort of back for your team.  
  • Hyperfragile becomes even more effective when you can get a good value on another high-end RB in rounds two or three (e.g. draft them below their current ADP) to pair with your first high-round RB. 
• Half-point PPR or standard leagues are more ideal for hyperfragile builds, but not a must:
  • Several of the top RBs now have massive receiving and PPR upside as well – Christian McCaffrey being the best current-day example.

RBs with less receiving upside, like Jonathan Taylor, would be preferred in standard leagues.

Dec 17, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

In-season management for Hyperfragile RB

If employing a Hyperfragile RB method in a redraft league, season management should be focused on WR depth, and making sure your team is optimized around having a couple of elite RBs. Since you are emphasizing the RB position, looking for trade opportunities to upgrade your early-round RBs (if possible) should also be a focus. 

Additionally, ensure you use the waiver wire to scour for week-to-week upside plays at WR (using a quantity over quality approach). When actually making decisions on who to start at WR, use matchups and look for weaker defenses that your later-round WRs could potentially take advantage of. 

The Fantasy Life weekly, in-season projections can also be friend in this regard. 

Hyperfragile RB vs Zero RB and Anchor RB

Hyperfragile RB belongs to a basket of effective strategies that we can employ in best ball drafts. Zero RB and Anchor RB, along with Hyperfragile RB are three of the more proven draft methods with solid longer-term win rates in larger field best ball tournaments. 

In 2022, lineups that used Hyperfragile builds were more successful if they used Christian McCaffrey or Austin Ekeler in the first round, and then waited for their second RB choice and targeted names like Josh Jacobs later on. However, as we saw above, the winning lineup from last season did employ a draft strategy that had take an RB in the first and second round in Barkely and Ekeler who ended the season as RB1 and RB3 in 0.5 ppr scoring.

While there were more Zero RB and Anchor RB lineups in the top 10 of the Underdog Best Ball Mania III standings from 2022, the winning lineup (reviewed above) did employ several aspects of a hyperfragile draft structure. 

Below we look at the main differences between these three methods and how to employ them.

Hyperfragile method

• Look to use the first two or three selections on RBs
  • Aim for upside and those RBs you think are capable of delivering a legendary type of year
• Limit number of RBs taken to four max
  • Select three RBs before round six and limit yourself to just one more RB for the rest of the draft
• Use quantity approach at WR
  • Aim for high-upside and potential spike week players
• Use extra bench positions to shore up the lack of talent at QB or TE 
  • Only using four spots on the RB position gives you more flexibility

Zero RB method

• Avoid drafting RBs in the early rounds
  • Look to take advantage of the falling ADPs on some higher volume RBs after you load up on a couple of big name WRs (and potentially a quarterback) early on. 
• Look to grab high-end WRs early and often to avoid injury variance with high-end RBs
  • Limit WRs drafted to seven or eight, max
• Use quantity approach at RB
  • Focus on RBs with good PPR upside or shaky depth charts in front of them
  • Look to expend more draft capital late at the RB position than in a hyperfragile approach

Anchor RB

• Use many of the same methods that Zero RB employs but with one exception
  • Use one of your first/second/third round picks on a high-end RB you think has pillar-type upside
• Don’t take a second RB again until the mid-rounds (generally round 6 or later) 
• Focus on drafting high-end WRs/TEs/QBs in rounds 2-6 to build out high-end receiving stacks

As we can see above, the hyperfragile method of drafting sets itself apart from its peers in numerous ways. First, it limits the number of RBs you can draft but also asks you to ignore the huge injury risk associated with the position and use two of your first three draft picks on RBs. 

It also asks that you bypass WRs early on and go with a voluminous approach at that position, often maxing out at 9-10 WRs for the draft. 

For 2023, the falling ADPs on several top RBs has actually made the hyperfragile method easier to execute. RBs who are in position to get potential bell cow workloads, and have high-end athletic traits, are now readily available in most drafts in the second and third round – meaning you may not even have to burn a first round pick on an RB to execute a hyperfragile strategy. 

The downside of course is that you’ll still be chasing WRs and potentially top TEs or quarterbacks late into drafts. However, that is necessary trait of a hyperfragile build regardless of the season. 

Below we go over some narratives and nuances of executing this draft strategy for 2023. 

Hyperfragile in 2023

2023 is potentially setting up as the year of the Hyperfragile build. ADPs on the top RBs have been falling all spring and summer making it far easier to grab two top RBs with two of your first three picks. 

The quality of names that are now available into the third round also means that you’ll be able to round out hyperfragile builds with better RBs in the mid rounds – while also grabbing at least one or two stud WRs along the way. 

In our Anchor RB article, I outlined a handful of the top backs that could realistically be selected as an Anchor RB. In hyperfragile builds, we’ll ideally be selecting two or three players from this same basket of RBs who have the potential to serve up a Top 5 season at the position.

The key to employing hyperfragile builds successfully in 2023 is making sure that you pick your spots and aren’t passing up key values at WR to take on added risk at the much more volatile RB position. 

However, given the huge push to take top WRs as early as possible in 2023, the RB value available in the first three rounds has been far superior to date. 

The Ideal Hyperfragile Start

The ideal spot to pull off hyperfragile this season has often been to wait until round 2. 

Waiting until round 2 to start a hyperfragile build allows you to potentially grab a high-end WR in round one, and then take a main carry RB on the otherside of the 1/2 turn. Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley and even Bijan Robinson have been falling into the early second round a lot this summer. You can even opt to catch a falling knife like Jonathan Taylor OR take a shot on a potential breakout candidate like Tony Pollard if you’re in the back-half of round two. 

Regardless of whether you start hyperfragile builds in round one or two, you can then choose to take a second RB (or third) RB from the Boom/Bust Tier at the 2/3/4 turn:

• Derrick Henry
• Rhamondre Stevenson
• Josh Jacobs
• Breece Hall
• Travis Etienne
• Najee Harris
• Jahmyr Gibbs

In previous years, backs with these profiles have gone in the first and early-second round, but the rush to grab elite WRs have pushed them far down 2023 drafts. 

These RBs may start to creep up in ADP as the 2023 regular season gets closer but so far the avalanche of top WRs going early on in drafts has been relentless.

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The Galaxy Brain Hyperfragile Build

Starting a team with CMC (or a WR like Hill/Diggs) - Chubb - Hall would be a near-perfect start for a hyperfragile build for 2023, but as mentioned previously the current landscape does allow us to still grab two to three elite pass catchers early and then wait to select our second and third backs later on.

An example of this would be taking a player like Nick Chubb early (second round), grabbing an elite WR in rounds one, three AND four (Stefon Diggs, Christian Watson and DK Metcalf, for example), and then grabbing two high upside “dead-zone” backs at the 5/6 turn like Joe Mixon and Cam Akers.

In these galaxy brain executions, we are still executing our structural goals (3 RBs before round 6, max 4 total), but are also locking in a ceiling at the valuable WR position.

Given the way that WRs are being pushed, quality main-carry RBs like Akers are now available far later than they would be in past seasons making this a good way to gamble on a hyperfragile build (with less expensive RBs) and maintain your elite WR ceiling. 

The Players You Should Target for Your 4th RB

The hallmark of the hyperfragile strategy is the three early RBs, but we need to be hitting four total for a hyperfragile build in most circumstances. We also need to be extremely picky in what type of RBs we are selecting as our fourth and final RB.

Because we are drafting like we are right, we have to assume that the three early RBs we selected are going to be in our two RB slots and one FLEX spot most weeks.

This means we need to be selecting RBs who have massive upside. 

My favorite type of back-to-round out hyperfragile builds are the contingency-based (e.g. handcuffs) that we discussed in the Zero RB article:

• AJ Dillon - Packers (Round 9)
• Tyler Allgeier - Falcons (Round 11)
• Jaylen Warren - Steelers (Round 10)
• Antonio Gibson - Commanders (Round 8)
• Chuba Hubbard - Panthers (Round 16)

These backs all have asymmetric upside and would likely crack your starting lineup in the event of an injury in front of them.

On the flip side, we would want to avoid the pass-catching RBs who don’t offer us enough of a ceiling to displace one of our early RB selections.