3 Fun Methods To Determine Fantasy Football Draft Orders

These are three creative methods for determining draft order among fantasy football leagues.

Eli Otero III peaks his head out from his room to tell his father about his place his football fantasy league Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, at their home in Valparaiso, Ind. The entire basement of their home is decorated with various Indianapolis Colts memorabilia collected by the family over the years. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fantasy football season is just around the corner and managers throughout leagues will look to secure optimal draft positioning. Receiving the top pick could help land one of the NFL’s best players, anchoring fantasy lineups at the top end. Other managers prefer to select near the bottom of the first round, looking to double-dip on talented players in snake draft formats. In some cases, leagues will get creative to determine fantasy draft order, while others may stick with simple methods. 

Let’s look at three exciting methods to determine fantasy draft orders, adding an additional layer of excitement to leagues throughout fantasy football: 

Fantasy Football Draft Lottery

May 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Mark Tatum the NBA Deputy Commissioner and Washington Wizard (left) guard John Wall pose for photos after Wizards won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Kicking off our list is the classic draft lottery. The NBA popularized the draft lottery in sports, holding the inaugural event in 1985. The method is simple: the worst teams in the league hold the greatest odds at securing a favorable pick near the top of the draft order. For fantasy football managers, the three worst teams from the previous season will receive five ping pong balls in a lottery drum. The next four teams will receive two ping-pong balls, while the top three teams from the previous season will receive just one. The lottery starts from the bottom pick - using a 10-man format for our example - and works up to the No. 1 overall pick, likely going to a non-playoff team from the year prior. 

40-Yard Dash Times

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Mississippi State wideout Brenen Thompson (WO39) runs in the 40-yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Our next method is one of the most popular methods to determine draft order among fantasy sports leagues. The 40-yard dash, invented by legendary Cleveland Browns head coach Paul Brown to determine a prospect’s explosiveness and top-end speed in a short distance, determines the top pick among fantasy drafts through the best time of a respective league. Fantasy managers will take turns clocking their 40-yard dash times, with the fastest securing the No. 1 overall pick come draft time. 

Passing Yard Measurements

Feb 28, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson (QB16) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rounding out our list is a creative method to lock in draft orders for fantasy football. Passing yard measurements are used among teams throughout the NFL to determine a quarterback’s throwing power. In the case of fantasy leagues, managers will select a paint color and paint the nose of a football before measuring. Fantasy owners will line up at the same starting point and throw their respective footballs simultaneously. Upon landing, the paint will create a marker to determine the measurement of the longest throw. The manager with the furthest throw secures the No. 1 pick, going down the list based on the distance of paint markings from the ball.