Host a Killer Fantasy Football Draft

Every year, my husband’s family hosts the big family fantasy football draft. It is incredibly competitive but so much fun! His aunt and uncles host the event at their vacation home, and in-person attendance is mandatory. No virtual drafting! My husband also participates in a work fantasy football league. They draft online, but we always invite the league to come draft together at our house and have a party. We have so much fun with both drafts, so I thought I’d share how we make them special.

When planning food for the draft, I knew we couldn’t have a fancy sit-down dinner because everyone needed room on the table for their laptops. The food needed to be more of a grab-and-go style so people could fill their plate quickly before their next draft pick. I also didn’t want to make something that required a fork and knife since they are on their laptops. They need 1 hand free.

I decided to make a burger bar- we grilled lots of burgers and set out every topping imaginable so everyone could build their ideal burger. We had 2 types of buns, whole wheat and white seeded buns. Wheat buns make burgers a whole food, right? Next year I think I may get brioche buns and maybe a few pretzel buns. Yum. Anyway, I caramelized some onions ahead of time, cooked a ton of bacon, chopped all the veggies, made some guac, and put the cheeses on platters. Then I made fun chalk board signs with descriptions for popular types of burgers. Here are some examples. Feel free to write out any favorite combinations your family likes or from your favorite restaurant.

You get the idea. The possibilities are endless. I also made a batch of brownies for dessert and cut them into football shapes. Then I just added a bit of white icing. They were cute and easy to grab! I made a lemon pie too, because why not? Not on theme but still good 🙂

We also like to decorate for the drafts. This includes some football-themed paper goods, tablecloths, and a draft board. You can find these online. They are fun to have hung up so everyone can look at each team’s players after the draft and give first impressions. Filling in the draft board is a fun job for a spectator at the draft, like a significant other or relative that is there for the party but doesn’t need to draft themselves.

Even if your draft is online, I recommend getting together for the event. Computers are great, but nothing beats being face to face.