Fantasy Football Snake Draft Strategies to Build A League Winner

Michael Fabiano | Aug 13, 2025

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs will be a top-five overall pick in the majority of 2025 fantasy football snake drafts. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fantasy Football drafts have grown and developed over the years, but one thing seems to have remained the same … the most popular draft format is a snake (or serpentine) draft.

That means the draft order will reverse at the end of each round, so the team with the first overall pick will have the last pick in the second round. On the flip side, the team with the No. 12 overall pick (last in Round 1) will have the first pick in the second round, and then the last pick in Round 3 and the first pick in Round 4, and so on and so forth (you get it).

Now that you know how a snake draft works, here are some of the more popular strategies, what they require and whether they would work for you. I’ll start off with the way that I attack all of my fantasy football drafts, regardless of where I’m going to pick.

Fabs’ Draft Strategy

I am a big fan of balance. I don’t want to be weak at one position and stronger at another, so I’m unlikely to go with some of the strategies I’ll discuss below.

If I’m in a 16-round draft, I want to finish with five running backs, five wide receivers, two quarterbacks, two tight ends, a kicker and a defense (assuming your league requires those two positions).

In the first three rounds, I will more than likely select two wide receivers and one running back. There’s a world where all three of my first three picks are wide receivers, but I would turn my focus to running backs in each of the next two rounds.

Regardless, I will have two running backs and three wide receivers in the first five rounds. At that point, I’ll be looking at the best player available at running back, wide receiver and tight end in Rounds 6-8.

Once I get into the ninth round, I’m going to start looking at quarterbacks … and there will be some good ones available. With that said, all drafts and drafters are different, so if you see a run starting at quarterback before Round 9, don’t be afraid to grab one a bit sooner.

At that point, assuming you have a quarterback, a tight end and any number of running backs and wide receivers, you’re looking at the best player available (sleepers, handcuffs). Finally, if it’s required, you’ll take a kicker and a defense in two of the final three rounds.  

This strategy will give you balance across the entire roster and give you a competitive team.

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Zero RB Strategy

There are some fantasy managers out there who think the running back position is so devalued that they’ll avoid them in the first five rounds altogether. Thus, the “Zero RB” title.

In those five rounds, managers will take a mix of wide receivers, a high-end tight end and/or an elite-level quarterback. After that, this strategy requires managers to take shots on any number of running backs who have a chance to see a bigger role than projected.

For example, a Zero RB drafter will target players with upside in backfield committees such as TreVeyeon Henderson or Jaylen Warren. Backups who play behind injury-prone starters like Zach Charbonnet and Isaac Guerendo are also popular targets as managers look to find a bargain. This, of course, requires more luck than actual skill as a fantasy drafter.

That, in part, is why I’m not a big fan of the Zero RB Strategy. The closest I might come is to draft three wide receivers in the first three rounds, but I’m not waiting any longer than the fourth round to take a back. Clearly, that doesn’t fit the main theme of this strategy.

Hero RB Strategy

Much like the show “Frasier” was a spinoff of my all-time favorite show, “Cheers,” this sort of strategy is a spin off the Zero RB Strategy. Instead of avoiding all running backs in the first five rounds, this strategy suggests taking one in the first or second round (also known as an anchor or single RB) and then avoiding the position in the next four-plus rounds. That is the only real difference between the Hero RB and the Zero RB Strategy, which I detailed above.

I am more likely to use this strategy, but it’s still unlikely. If I have the second overall pick and Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is on the board, I’m taking him. Chances are, I’ll draft three straight wideouts in the next three rounds, but I’d struggle to pass on a running back in the fifth round. As a result, this strategy is also one that I would probably avoid.

Robust RB Strategy

I feel like I was one of the first fantasy analysts to use or create this strategy, but I called it the “Faulk Strategy” after Rams superstar running back Marshall Faulk. He was always the first overall pick back in the day, so you were trying to catch up with the lucky team who had the top overall pick and was able to draft him. That meant loading up on running backs.

That is what this strategy advises managers to do … draft runners early and often. That means you’re likely picking at least three running backs in the first four or five rounds, and in some cases, those running backs will be picked in the first three rounds. Folks who like this strategy will tell you that you can wait on wide receivers, which is a far deeper position.

I don’t disagree. In fact, I would probably use this strategy before I ever went Zero RB. That might be the old-school fantasy football manager in me, but stud running backs still hold plenty of value … and in the day of the backfield committee, they’re also hard to find.

Zero WR Strategy

This isn’t a widely used draft strategy, but I’ll mention it for those who might be interested. Basically, the Zero WR strategy means you’ll focus on running backs (probably three), a tight end and/or a quarterback in the first five rounds. After that, you can turn your focus on wide receivers.

Like the Robust RB Strategy, this approach is built on the idea that wideout is a deep position, so there will be better options after Round 5 than runners.

As someone who likes balance, this isn’t a strategy I’ve ever used or would ever use, to be honest. That’s especially true in PPR leagues, where points for catches are so important.