Take Your Draft Party to the Next Level

Arguably one of the most exciting parts of fantasy football is the draft. The time-honored tradition is to get everyone together and knock the draft out in person. Distance, busy schedules, and technology have made online drafts much more convenient and prevalent, but trust me, the fun factor is just not the same. If you're up for getting the league together, here are some cool things to try. I'm also giving away a free Buffalo Wild Wings draft kit and CBS is offering Fantasy Football Nerd members a $5.00 discount and free shipping on draft kits!

First things first, let's get the obvious stuff out of the way. It should go without saying, but the most important thing to do (and the commissioner's biggest headache) is to pick the draft date. It never fails that whatever date you propose is NOT going to work for everyone. Call it the Diva Rule. Try using the free FFN Draft Date Picker. Just plug in a bunch of dates, the names of your league members, and hit go. Everyone can then electronically show you which dates work and which don't. No more writing the dates down and checking them off. Our Draft Date Picker is like aspirin for fantasy commissioners.

Next you have to pick your draft order. Many people use the inverse of last year's standings. I suggest getting creative and come up with funny ways to determine your fantasy draft order. Play beer pong to pick the order. Play a Madden Tournament. Grab a golf club and see who can drive the ball the furthest. Play Rock-Scissors-Paper, or Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock if you're a Sheldon Cooper fan (and who isn't). I've heard of egg toss tournaments where players compete by tossing an egg back and forth from increasing distances. If you drop the egg or it breaks as you catch it, you lose. Play the Stranger Dare game and use the standings from that game to pick draft order. The point here is to have some fun with the process. To make things more interesting, let the winners pick their spots. For example, if I win beer pong, don't just give me the 1st spot – let me choose.

If you lack the creativity or the time, you can always fall back on the free FFN Random Draft Order tool. You can save the randomized results and share the link with the rest of your league. It's fair and unbiased, but not quite as exciting as the other options…

Alright, so now we have a draft date and a draft order. Where to host the draft? Assuming that this is an in-person draft, you can go the traditional route and host it at someone's house. It's an annual tradition that many look forward to each year, but why not shake it up this year? Get out of the house and take the party somewhere else!

My friends at Buffalo Wild Wings can host your draft party. Their draft kit is awesome! It has everything you need PLUS bottle openers and $100 in coupons for future visits, and who would say no to free wings? Register below to win a free Buffalo Wild Wings draft kit!

You already know that one of the best places for player updates and fantasy news is CBS Sports. My friends at CBS Sports are giving Fantasy Football Nerd members $5.00 OFF and FREE Shipping on all draft kits. Time is running out so Order Today.

You can also check out Hooters or Dave & Busters. Wherever you go, the point is to get out of the house. Fantasy football drafts should be loud and B-Dubs, Hooters, and Dave & Busters aren't going to look at you funny when you cry because the guy in front of you took the player you planned on drafting. Oh yeah – there's also the issue of cleanup. You can talk trash, but there's no taking out the trash when you're at one of these places. Even better - there's no significant other telling you to “keep it down" and you don't have to get your own beer! If you've ever watched the show The League, you know that the loser of last year's league has to host the next year's fantasy draft party. Cleanup and hosting are all punishments.

If you really want to take your draft to the next level, Las Vegas has started catering to the fantasy football crowd. New York and San Francisco seem to be increasingly popular places to hold draft parties as well.

No matter where you go or how you choose to do it, make your draft an event! Make it something that everyone's talking about later and looking forward to next year.

Don't forget to sign up below to win a free Buffalo Wild Wings Draft Kit. Winner will be announced shortly!

Congratulations to Andy J. from Tulsa, OK!

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