Fantasy Football Snake Draft Strategies to Build a League Winner in 2026

Examining the most common strategies, what they require and whether or not they would work for you.

Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba figures to be a first-round pick in most 2026 fantasy football drafts. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Fantasy 101: Fab's favorite scoring system | Why to play in a PPR league | How to use ADP to your advantage | Beginner's guide to winning | Fantasy Dictionary

Fantasy football drafts have evolved 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. That cycle continues for the entirety of the draft.

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, then the last pick in Round 3, the first pick in Round 4, and so on (you get it).

Now that you know how a snake draft works, here are some of the more popular approaches … and I’ll start off with the way I attack all of my fantasy football drafts, regardless of where I’m going to pick.

Fab's Draft Strategy

I'm 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 still requires those last 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 then turn my focus to running backs over 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 heading into Rounds 6-8.

Once I get into the eighth or ninth round, I’m going to start looking at quarterbacks … and there will still 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 8, don’t be afraid to grab one 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 last.  I could see drafting Brandon Aubrey earlier, as he’s an elite kicker, but for the most part, you’ll be waiting until the last two rounds.

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

Productive QBs such as Dak Prescott (ADP: 83) can be had after the run on RBs, WRs and TEs in the first 6-7 rounds. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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, it's the “Zero RB” approach. 

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

A Zero RB drafter will target potential values at the position, such as Jaylen Warren or Rachaad White. Backups who play behind injury-prone starters like RJ Harvey or Jordan Mason are also popular targets. This, of course, requires more luck than actual skill as a drafter.

That, in part, is why I’m not a big fan of the Zero RB strategy. I wouldn't have a problem drafting three wideouts in the first three rounds, but I’m not waiting any longer than the fourth to take a back.

Hero RB Strategy

Much like the show “Frasier” was a spinoff of my all-time favorite show, “Cheers,” this strategy is a spinoff of the Zero RB Strategy.  Instead of avoiding all running backs in the first five rounds, this strategy suggests taking one (and only one) in the first or second round (an anchor or single RB) then avoiding the position for the next four-plus rounds. That is the only real difference between the Hero RB and the Zero RB Strategy … you draft one back instead of none.

I might use this strategy myself in some drafts, but I’d have to be near the turn at either the front or back of the draft order in each round. If I have the second overall pick and can land Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs, I’m obviously taking him. I’ll then likely draft three straight wideouts, but I’d struggle to pass on a running back in the fifth round in favor of a quarterback or tight end. 

Robust RB Strategy

I was one of the first fantasy analysts to use this strategy back in the 1990s, 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 to the lucky team that landed him. 

That meant loading up on running backs.

Here's what this strategy advises managers to do: draft runners early and often. That means you’re likely picking at least three 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 in the modern NFL.

I don’t disagree. In fact, I would probably use this strategy before I 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 a lot harder to find.

Zero WR Strategy

This isn’t a widely used draft strategy, but I’ll mention it for those who might be interested. 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 then, you can turn your focus on wide receivers. 

Like the Robust RB Strategy, this approach is built on the fact that wideout is a deep position, so there will be better options at that position than the others after Round 5. As someone who likes to build a balanced roster, this isn’t a strategy I’ve ever used or would ever use in a draft, to be honest. That’s especially true in PPR leagues, where points for catches are so important.

Superflex Strategy

Supeflex leagues allow fantasy managers to start two quarterbacks … one in the quarterback spot and a second in a superflex spot. That can be filled by any offensive skill position (running back, wide receiver or tight end), but it makes sense to slot in a field general since they score the most points. In fact, nearly half (9) of the top 20 players from a season ago played quarterback. Six were running backs, four were wide receivers and one (Trey McBride) was a tight end.

As a result, drafting back-to-back quarterbacks in the first two rounds makes a lot of sense. At that point, you would turn your attention to running backs and wide receivers, of which there will be plenty of depth due to the early-round focus being shifted to drafting field generals.

That doesn’t mean you can’t still focus on running backs and wide receivers in the first three to four rounds, but the quarterback options going into the fifth and sixth rounds will be much less attractive than in a traditional league. At that point, your best options will be upside signal-callers such as Malik Willis, Daniel Jones and Cam Ward. Clearly that philosophy will come with some risk.

As a result, making sure to have two quarterbacks after your first four picks, at a minimum, is a smart outlook. Trust me, there will be plenty of good backs, wideouts and tight ends on the board after the third and fourth rounds, and you’ll have built around two solid quarterbacks.

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