Pick Your Fantasy Football Draft Order: 40-Yard Dash?

Group texts are buzzing. League dues are being paid. Draft dates are being set.

We are soooo f*cking back, baby!

The only thing left to decide is how to determine your draft order. As with any list of ideas, this isn't exhaustive. You can alter them any way you see fit. But there are three main types of draft order determiners:

Randomization. This style is great if you want to leave your draft order up to chance. Let the fantasy gods decide.
Timed Events. You'll need a stop watch.
Competition. This style is a great way to involve the entire league. Compete for your draft spot!

Fantasy Football Draft Pick Determination Options

Tried and True

Some of us simply draft in the reverse order of our league’s standings each year. Y’know, the loser gets the first draft pick while us winners get the money, the glory and the last pick of the draft. It’s not sexy, but it gets the job done. Because it’s predictable, you’ll always know how to prepare for next year with full knowledge of your draft spot months in advance.

Matthew Berry's Draft Day Manifesto

Races

Randomization

You can bet on real horse races or you can do the quick and easy virtual kind. If you’re not the gambling type, you can use an online software to randomize your order. This one uses football players, because #onbrand. But fair warning: These automated runners have left me yelling profanities at my phone more than once. Why can't these f*ckers just take the lead and stay in the lead??

Speed Dial

Timed Events

For this one, everyone gets a chance to call one person from their phone on speaker. As soon as they hit “call,” the timer starts. The quickest to get their call answered gets the first pick. I hope your family and friends love you!

Bottoms Up!

Competition/Timed Events

It’s a little more fun to let your entire league participate in their draft order with a friendly beer-chugging competition. Plus, it’s an excuse for everyone to get together and have a few drinks. Set the parameters of the chug: beer type, amount, glassware, etc. Then, film and time your chugs. The fastest to empty their cup gets the first pick!

There can only be UNO!

Competition

Who doesn’t love a friendly, friendship-ending game competition of UNO!? Play as many rounds as you need, but each winner gets to pick their draft spot. Oh, you should probably decide beforehand how you want +4 cards to be played. Can they be stacked on top of each other? Your league, your rules.

Among Us

Randomization/Game Night

My league loves an excuse for a game night. The best part? You don’t have to be in the same room, you just need an internet connection. Everyone logs into Among Us to play multiple rounds. Let the game decide your draft order by the order it picks everyone to be the Imposter.

Golf Tournament

Competition

If you’re not into a four-hour commitment on the greens, take it over to virtual golf, Top Golf or putt-putt golf and duke it out. Your scores determine your draft order, so no free “mulligan” this time, buddy. Anyone playing with me be warned I got a hole-in-one in 2012.

Parlay Party

Competition / Gambling

Everyone gets to build a parlay (or several parlays) on one of the next sporting events. The kicker: You have to use the same total wager. Whoever finishes with the largest winnings gets the first pick. If there’s a tie (several who lost it all), it goes by biggest odds to win. So your buddy who lost his $5 on a +10000 wager picks before the guy who blew his $5 on a +110.

Tequila Roulette

Randomization/Timed Events

You’ll need a neutral third party to blindly pour 11 shots of water and one single shot of tequila. No players know which glass contains the shot of tequila. Everyone drinks simultaneously, and whichever leaguemate gets the tequila gets the first pick. Reset the tray with one fewer glass each round until everyone's draft spot is determined. It's a wild way to pre-game if you want to find out your draft order five minutes before you’re on the clock.

40-yard Dash to the Draft