In this Fantasy Rodeo bareback riding preview, sponsored by Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, we break down what is the most unpredictable and competitive event roughstock event at the NFR, and exactly how to attack it for fantasy success.

Unlike other events, nearly all 15 qualifiers are real  threats to win the Go-Round every night, which makes roster construction critical under the $600,000 cap.

To stay competitive, your full fantasy roster needs to generate $1.5–$2 million at the NFR, and your first pick in the bareback riding will dictate everything that follows. We recommend building your team in tiers: three athletes from the top group, three from the middle, and two value plays from the bottom across all seven events.

In bareback riding,  Jess Pope, Rocker Steiner, Bradlee Miller, Cole Franks and Dean Thompson stand out as the best overall picks.

Meanwhile, some high-risk, high-reward names like Sam Peterson, Wacey Schalla, and Jacek Frost could be the difference-makers if they get hot.