The Short Answer: Before the season begins, you and your leaguemates take turns selecting teams until everyone has a 10-team roster. It's a snake draft — the order reverses each round.
What Is the Draft?
The draft is how you build your roster.
Instead of everyone picking from the same pool of players (like traditional fantasy), you're selecting entire clubs. Once a team is drafted, no one else can have them.
You'll draft from all 98 teams across Europe's Big 5 leagues:
| League | Country | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Premier League | England | 20 |
| La Liga | Spain | 20 |
| Bundesliga | Germany | 18 |
| Serie A | Italy | 20 |
| Ligue 1 | France | 20 |
By the end of the draft, you'll have 10 teams. That's your roster for the entire season.
How the Draft Works
Snake Draft Format
Fantasy Fútbol uses a snake draft, which means the order reverses every round.
Example with 4 managers:
| Round | Pick 1 | Pick 2 | Pick 3 | Pick 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | Manager A | Manager B | Manager C | Manager D |
| Round 2 | Manager D | Manager C | Manager B | Manager A |
| Round 3 | Manager A | Manager B | Manager C | Manager D |
| Round 4 | Manager D | Manager C | Manager B | Manager A |
This continues for 10 rounds until everyone has 10 teams.
Why snake? It's fairer. The manager picking last in Round 1 gets the first pick in Round 2, balancing out the advantage of picking early.
10 Rounds, 10 Teams
Every manager drafts exactly 10 teams:
- 5 will be your Starting 5 each month (earning points)
- 5 will be your Bench each month (not earning points)
You'll rotate teams between starter and bench roles throughout the season based on fixtures.
Before the Draft
Draft Order
The League Admin sets the draft order before the draft begins. Your league can decide how to determine order: random draw, competition, reverse order of last season's standings, or whatever you agree on.
Draft Date and Time
The League Admin schedules when the draft happens. Everyone must be available. The draft happens in real-time — when it's your turn, you pick.
You'll receive a notification when the draft is scheduled and a reminder before it starts.
Do Your Homework
Before the draft, you should know:
- Which teams are good — Last season's standings are a decent proxy
- Which teams are in European competition — More matches = more scoring opportunities
- Which teams have favorable early-season fixtures — Especially for your first month's Starting 5
- Which teams you actually want — Have a rough list, ranked
During the Draft
The Draft Screen
When the draft begins, you'll see:
- Draft Order Tracker — Shows who's currently picking, who's next, and who's after that
- Round Progress — Which round you're in (1-10) and overall progress
- Available Teams — Every team not yet drafted, with their country and last season's rank
- Draft Button — How you select a team when it's your turn
When It's Your Turn
Your draft button turns green and becomes active.
- Find the team you want in the list
- Tap the green "Draft" button next to their name
- Confirm your selection in the popup
- Done — that team is now on your roster
When It's Not Your Turn
Your draft buttons are disabled (greyed out).
You can still browse available teams, watch which teams get drafted, plan your next pick, and check the Rosters tab to see what everyone has.
Draft Strategy
The Elite Tier (Picks 1-10ish)
The first round is where the giants go:
- Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool (England)
- Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen (Germany)
- Inter Milan, Napoli (Italy)
- PSG (France)
These teams win a lot, score a lot, and play in the Champions League. They're safe, high-floor picks.
First-round strategy: Don't get cute. Take the best team available.
The Value Tier (Picks 11-40ish)
You're looking for:
- Teams in European competition (Champions League, Europa League, Conference League)
- Teams that overperform their "name"
- Teams with favorable fixture runs in the early months
Mid-round strategy: European football is king. A 6th-place team in the Champions League is often more valuable than a 4th-place team with no Europe.
The Deep Cuts (Picks 41+)
You're looking for:
- Solid mid-table teams with easy schedules
- Teams still alive in domestic cups
- Upside picks — teams that could break out
Late-round strategy: Fill holes. If you're heavy on English teams, grab a Spanish or German side. Diversification protects you from individual league chaos.
Don't Draft
- Relegation candidates — They lose a lot and concede a lot. Negative points add up.
- All your teams from one league — If the Premier League has a weird week, your whole roster suffers.
What If I Miss My Pick?
Don't miss your pick.
In the MVP, if you're not present when your turn comes, your leaguemates will be waiting. The draft doesn't auto-pick for you — it just waits.
Future feature: We plan to add an auto-draft option and a pick timer. For now, attendance is mandatory.
After the Draft
Once the final pick is made, the draft is complete.
- You'll see a confirmation screen celebrating the completed draft
- You'll be taken to the League Home page
- Your roster is set — those 10 teams are yours for the season
- Your first task: Go to "My Team" and select which 5 teams will be your starters for the first month
Example Draft
League: 4 managers — Luke, Sam, Cody, Emilio
| Round | Pick | Manager | Team Selected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Luke | Manchester City |
| 1 | 2 | Sam | Real Madrid |
| 1 | 3 | Cody | Arsenal |
| 1 | 4 | Emilio | Barcelona |
| 2 | 5 | Emilio | Bayern Munich |
| 2 | 6 | Cody | Liverpool |
| 2 | 7 | Sam | Inter Milan |
| 2 | 8 | Luke | PSG |
| 3 | 9 | Luke | Atletico Madrid |
| 3 | 10 | Sam | Napoli |
| 3 | 11 | Cody | Borussia Dortmund |
| 3 | 12 | Emilio | Juventus |
Notice how the snake works: Emilio picked 4th in Round 1 but 1st in Round 2.
Draft Day Checklist
Before the draft:
- Know when the draft is scheduled
- Clear your calendar — be fully present
- Research teams and make a rough rankings list
- Know which teams are in European competition
During the draft:
- Have your next pick ready before your turn
- Watch what others are drafting — adjust your strategy
- Diversify across leagues
After the draft:
- Review your 10-team roster
- Set your Starting 5 for the first month
- Check your teams' upcoming fixtures
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the draft take?
A 4-person league (40 total picks) might take 30-45 minutes. A 12-person league (120 total picks) could take 90 minutes or more.
What if I accidentally draft the wrong team?
There's a confirmation popup before each pick. Once confirmed, the pick is final — no take-backs.
What's the best draft position?
There's no objectively "best" position. Picking first gets you the #1 team, but you wait longest between picks. Different positions reward different strategies.
See Also
- How Points Are Scored — What your drafted teams will earn you
- Starting 5 vs. Bench — Choosing which teams earn points each month
- Competition Types — Understanding leagues, cups, and European tournaments