Fantasy Football 101: How to Host Baller Live Drafts

Fantasy football draft parties are the Super Bowl of friend gatherings — a mix of competition, laughs, and, of course, mouthwatering food. Whether you’re a veteran commissioner or a rookie throwing your first draft, I’ve got the playbook for planning a Baller fantasy football draft party. 

The Important Stuff

Set up a Group Text/Slack/Discord

Communication is the best part of a fantasy league. Talking about the draft, the league, trades, and weekly matchups is what makes fantasy fun, so I like to set up a place for league-mates to engage in these discussions. It can be something as simple as a group text. Getting the conversations flowing pre-draft can help establish better relationships among league-mates. The best part of fantasy football for me is the camaraderie, so make sure everyone is plugged in.

Choose a Time and Place

Choose a date that suits most of your league members. The weekend right before the NFL season kicks off is often a top pick, with Saturday afternoons or Sunday evenings being ideal. Just be sure to avoid major holidays. Location is key — you need a space large enough to accommodate your league-mates and any guests they bring along, like spouses or children. My home league hosts our draft party at my parents’ house since they have plenty of room. If you don’t have access to a space like that, consider options like a sports bar, restaurant, local brewery, or neighborhood clubhouse as great alternatives for holding your draft. Make sure the space has plenty of seating and places for people to use laptops or to cross-off spreadsheets. Arrange seating so everyone can see the draft board and interact easily. One key thing — make sure wherever you are holding the draft has good Wi-Fi!

Leagues Dues

Collect all payments before the draft starts if your league has an entry fee. There is nothing worse than someone drafting a team and never giving you their league fee.

Explain the Rules/Vote

Make sure the rules are clear to everyone in the league. If it’s a complex league or many things have changed from one year to the next, you can provide printed copies of the rules to your league-mates. This ensures everyone is on the same page before the start of the draft. Some rules to consider are time limits for picks, roster and scoring construction, waivers, trades, IR spots, and prize structures. For a more detailed rundown, check out Mat Irby’s article, Fantasy Football 101: How to Play Fantasy Football.

Set The Mood

Decorations

You want this to feel like a tailgate party! There are many creative ways to incorporate cheap but fun ideas into decor that can really set your space apart. One thing I love to do is cover the tables with cheap tablecloths. Green is a favorite to replicate a football field. You can even get football field-themed tablecloths. I also love to use football-shaped platters for food. Some other fun tips are yellow napkins in a pail labeled “Penalty Flags,” pennants of different NFL teams, streamers, and balloons. This is supposed to feel like a tailgate! There is no need for fancy flowers or good dinnerware. I always encourage everyone to wear jerseys from their favorite NFL teams. It makes for an awesome group photo and adds an extra layer of fun, especially when it comes to talking trash with league-mates who root for rival teams.

Virtual Draft Board

Virtual Draft Boards are nice because you can see the picks in real time without anyone having to move. It is perfect for smaller locations or restaurants. A virtual draft board is also ideal if someone from the league is absent and needs to draft remotely. Make sure it’s set up on a screen visible to everyone in the room.

Paper Draft Board

This is the old-school (and, for me, more fun) drafting method. A paper draft board is a physical board where stickers representing players’ names are placed.  The fun part about this is that it makes drafting more of an activity. There’s something satisfying about watching people fumble through sheets of players and seeing the board fill up in real time, and it’s a focal point for the draft party. We love pulling out old draft boards from years past and reliving our picks from that time.

Other Supplies

Make sure pens or markers are available at each table for people to use during the draft. Some leagues like to provide the league-mates who don’t bring their cheatsheets with printed ones, but in my home league, if you forget your sheets, you’re up the creek without a paddle. We even sort the Sleeper ADP alphabetically, so there’s no Sleeper ADP.

Display the Crown Jewel

Make sure the league trophy or belt is displayed for everyone to marvel at. If your league’s been around for a while, that trophy or belt has some stories behind it. Maybe the champ brings it to the draft every year, or it gets passed around like a sacred relic. Having it on display at the draft party keeps those traditions alive and adds to the legacy of your league. Still need to get a trophy or are looking to upgrade? If you’ve purchased the UDK, you have a special promo code to get $10 off trophies, rings, and championship gear at FantasyChamps.com.

The Fun Stuff

Food and Drinks

What is a draft party without the apps and drinks? I’m all about putting together a great spread for the draft, loaded with different dips and appetizers. It lets everyone grab what they like and keeps the vibe casual, with folks walking around and nibbling instead of being tied to a full plate. We’ve even started a league tradition where everyone brings their own appetizer to share. Some of my favorites are buffalo wings, chips and dips, charcuterie, potato skins, and sliders. I get a real kick when someone asks me for my bean dip recipe — it’s like a little victory.

Speaking of dips, Mike’s got a favorite dip recipe that’s been the talk of the show that I plan on trying this year:

Dip recipe: .5 lb browned sausage. 1 can rotel. 1 block philly cream cheese. Throw in a slow cooker. Enjoy!

— Mike Wright (@FFHitman) August 27, 2019

I love setting up my food and drink station like a concession stand, complete with a chalkboard menu listing all the tasty options. To add a personal touch, I gift everyone in the league custom koozies — they’re perfect for keeping drinks cold and make great souvenirs.

If you really want to go all out, grilled or smoked options are always a crowd-pleaser. Fire up the Traeger and serve your guests the most mouthwatering ribs or brisket they’ve ever had. Not much of a cook? No worries — pizza and wings from your favorite spot or a few large subs always do the trick. And don’t forget the veggie tray! You’ve got to balance out all those carbs and meat with a crisp carrot or two, right? Drinks — well, that’s self-explanatory. I also make sure to have bottled water available for those needing to hydrate. Another pro tip: set up a cooler with ice for everyone to dump their brews in. It clears up space in the fridge and can be pulled right up to where you are drafting. 

See behind the scenes of our League of Record draft!! #FantasyFootball

Shoutout to our friends at @TraegerGrills for catering https://t.co/EibDx48XS5

— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) September 18, 2021

Music

Create a playlist with upbeat music to keep the energy high. I like to include a few sports-themed favorites like Shout, Renegade, Autumn Wind, and We Will Rock You. You don’t want the music blasting; you want a nice background and ambiance to get people vibing.

Draft Order

Sure, you could just hit the “randomize” button on your league’s platform, but where’s the fun in that? Determining the draft order can be one of the most exciting parts of the draft. It’s a chance to add a bit of drama and anticipation to the event, and it’s always fun to see how the order will shake out. My league switches it up every year. Here are some entertaining and unique ways to decide your fantasy draft order:

1. 100 Yard Dash — https://100yardrush.com/. Very self-explanatory. Plug in everyone’s name and watch them race to the finish. Make sure to stream this for everyone to see.
2. Video Game Tourney — done before draft day — a little Madden or Mario Kart tournament, perhaps?
3. Draft Pong — Set up cups of water numbered 1-12 (or whatever your league size is) with a sharpie on the bottom. Take turns tossing a ping pong ball toward the cups across the table. When you land a ball in a cup, you take the cup away and reveal your draft number.
4. Relay/Obstacle Course — Why not have a fun race to determine who gets to draft where? Set up different stations throughout the backyard where league-mates must complete specific challenges to advance to the next station. The order of completion determines the draft order. Some fun station ideas are target practice, cone drills, field goal kicks, and the 40-yard dash. 
5. Music Shuffle — Have everyone write down a song of their choice and add them to a playlist. Then, put the playlist on shuffle. Start the playlist, and when someone’s song plays, they announce where they want to draft. 
6. Draft Pick Hunt — Start by having someone hide eggs strategically around the yard. When you give the signal — “3, 2, 1, go!” — everyone races out to hunt for an egg. Once you find one, crack it open to reveal your draft position. Last year, my league added a twist to this by writing everyone’s names on dive pool toys with a Sharpie. We tossed them into the pool, and one by one, my daughter dove in to retrieve a name. The person whose name was called got to choose their draft spot, and we continued until everyone picked.

The Main Event

Once the draft order has been decided and everyone has had a chance to indulge in appetizers and drinks, it’s time to get serious. It’s draft time! I have three crucial tips for those who haven’t experienced a live draft before or those who need a refresher:

1. Don’t Talk About Picks That Haven’t Happened Yet — Please don’t be that person. Dropping a player’s name might give another manager an idea that they may not have considered. Keep your thoughts to yourself until the player is selected — then, you can share your opinions freely.
2. Respect the Draft Clock — When it’s your turn, be ready to make your pick. Don’t slow things down by overthinking every option. Make sure you build a queue of players before it’s your turn so you have readily available options.
3. Talk Trash but Keep It Friendly — Trash talk is a staple of fantasy football, but there’s a fine line between playful banter and being overly harsh. Keep the trash talk lighthearted and fun, and make sure everyone knows it’s all in good spirits. The goal is to build camaraderie, not to create tension or hurt feelings.

Conclusion

The draft party is the kickoff to an exciting fantasy football season, and although it requires a bit of effort, it is totally worth it, but you have to remember not to stress. Encourage trash talk, laughter, and good-natured competition. Announce your draft pick, NFL draft style. You know the draft’s getting serious when everyone shares that look after someone grabs a kicker way too early — part shock, part judgment. Let out the emotions when your guy gets sniped right before your pick. Live in the moment and enjoy the draft. Your vibes will set the tone. So, gather your league members, fire up the grill, and get ready for a draft that will be talked about all season long!