The snake draft may be unfamiliar to new fantasy football players.
In fantasy football, a snake draft refers to a draft in which the order is reversed after each round. For example, the last pick in the first round becomes the first pick in the second round.
10 team Snake Draft Example
| Pick 1 | Team A |
| Pick 2 | Team B |
| Pick 3 | Team C |
| Pick 4 | Team D |
| Pick 5 | Team E |
| Pick 6 | Team F |
| Pick 7 | Team G |
| Pick 8 | Team H |
| Pick 9 | Team I |
| Pick 10 | Team J |
| Pick 11 | Team J |
| Pick 12 | Team I |
| Pick 13 | Team H |
| Pick 14 | Team G |
| Pick 15 | Team F |
| Pick 16 | Team E |
| Pick 17 | Team D |
| Pick 18 | Team C |
| Pick 19 | Team B |
| Pick 20 | Team A |
In the example above, you can see that a snake draft flips the order of the draft between rounds.
A ten-team snake draft in fantasy football shows what the first two rounds would look like.
The team that picks first overall will not pick again until the twentieth round.
Also, you may have noticed that the team that picks tenth will select twice in a row with picks ten and eleven.
When choosing your spot in a snake draft, you need to consider which players you want to target early.
On occasion snake drafts are referred to as serpentine drafts, which is just another name for the same draft format.
How does a Snake draft Differ from a Regular Draft?
Standard drafts keep the same order of selection for each round, while snake drafts flip the order for each round.
The player who picked first in the first round will select first in each round in a standard draft. However, in a snake draft, the player who picked first will rotate between first and last.
Then each team will have an equal chance at drafting their fantasy team.
What is the Purpose of Snake Drafts in Fantasy Leagues?
To make the draft fair for fantasy managers, most fantasy football leagues use a snake draft.
The team that picked first in the first round should not continue to pick first every time.
Each team will pick at the same average position by switching the order each round.
Your average pick will be in the middle of the draft order if you pick first and last. If you pick second and second last, your average pick will be in the middle of the round if you pick second and second last.
Each fantasy manager will have a fair chance to draft their team this way.
Fantasy Football Snake Draft Tips
What can you do to get the most out of your snake draft now that you know what it is?
Pay attention to your draft order
If you select first or last during a snake draft, you will have two picks in a row at several points during the process.
As a result, there will be long gaps between picks.
Make sure you know when these picks are coming so you can target the right players.
As you wait for your next selection, you will be in a panic watching every team make two selections.
The draft order will greatly improve your ability to plan for the draft if you keep an eye on it.
Decide When Each Position will be Targeted
It can be very helpful to have a rough idea of when you will select each position when entering the draft.
Based on ECR and ADP, you should have a rough idea of what players will be available.
Plan out your draft so that you don’t miss any positions.
A position without many great fantasy players can become a huge hole in your team if you wait too long.
Thus, keep an eye out when you want to target quarterbacks and other positions that don’t always have a lot of depth.
To learn more about fantasy football, check out our guides to fantasy football playoffs or a fantasy commissioner’s duties.