How to Plan the Ultimate Fantasy Football Draft Party

With Autumn’s cool air and colorful trees comes another reason to love Fall: Football. Yes, it’s that time again. This season kicks off on September 8th, making National Fantasy Football Draft Day Saturday, August 27. Time to get moving on planning a party worthy of your player selection skills.  

While you can’t fully control your team’s season record, you can control creating a draft party that you and your friends will be talking about all season long. At Peerspace, we help you find and book unique spaces for events and help handle all logistics of party planning from catering to A/V. So, we know a thing or two about what makes a get together headache-free and lots of fun.

Before you get underway making plans for your draft, we are sharing our list of “penalties” to avoid. Committing these fantasy draft party planning crimes will leave you fourth and 10 in no time.

Select a date for your fantasy draft party early. Make sure to send evites and calendar reminders to all participants before their Labor Day plans and back-to-school duties interfere.

Be open, honest and fair in determining and communicating the rules of your league clearly to all members. Make sure to get a consensus from the group so there are no issues during the season about what is or is not allowed. Nothing says “party pooper” more than arguing over rules during your league’s kickoff event.

Do not hold off on paying your commissioner, or whoever was deemed responsible for collecting league payments. Pay them before your draft party so you can focus on the important stuff like beer and running backs, not on paying your friend back. Since chips and salsa aren’t free, make sure to chip in on paying for the party itself.

Do not host your draft party in a space that doesn’t “welcome” you. Crossing into congested bar territory will leave you wishing you were back home. Bunkering down in a friend’s basement will leave you feeling slightly sad. And let’s not forget that squatting on the arm of your friend’s Lazyboy in his stuffy living room is not exactly an enjoyable experience. It is also important to remember to select a place that won’t leave your spouse, housemates and neighbors feeling like you are encroaching on their space. Opt for a less traditional location that will provide you with plenty of space, all the amenities you will need, and a vibrant aesthetic that will get you ready for gametime.

Creative work/play space in Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.

Leaving one person in charge of all aspects of planning the draft party isn’t fair so spread the responsibility amongst the group. Most likely this person is your league founder or commissioner and is already underway making sure all the logistics for the actual draft are in place. They should be able to delegate the responsibilities of decorations, food, and beverages to other members in the league and should be able to trust they will do their fair share.

Jazz up your party with some custom decorations. Have favorite players? Print images of them on coasters. Want to reminisce about some funny or memorable plays from seasons past? Create a slideshow and have it displaying on a wall alongside your draft board.

Cash is still king. Remember that a handsome cash prize for the winner is still the best way to make a group stay invested and active throughout the season. Having some smaller prizes for runners up is a nice touch as well.

And finally, don’t forget about the essentials. You will need a whiteboard, cork board, or chalkboard to use as your draft board. Wi-fi is a necessity so you can access updates. And nachos. There must be nachos.

Venues in your team’s town are a click away: San Francisco, New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago.