Snake Draft Order Generator

Generate a fair snake (serpentine) draft order for fantasy sports, player drafts, or pick-up leagues. Every team gets an equal shot over the long run.

Setup
PICK-BY-PICK ORDER

Managing a full fantasy league or player draft?

League Pro handles rosters, standings, and scheduling for rec leagues of any size.

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Enter team names on the left and click Generate Draft Order.

What is a snake draft?

In a snake (serpentine) draft, teams pick in order 1→N in odd rounds and N→1 in even rounds. This gives every team a fair shot at top players over the full draft: the team picking last in round 1 picks first in round 2. It's the standard format for fantasy sports leagues of all kinds.

Need to run your actual rec league schedule after the draft? League Pro can take it from there.

How to use it

  1. Enter the teams or captains, one per line.
  2. Choose the number of rounds, which is the number of players each team will draft.
  3. Choose whether to keep the order you entered or randomize it.
  4. Click Generate to get the pick order by round and pick by pick. Copy or print it for draft night.

Example

With 4 teams and 3 rounds, the order is A B C D, then D C B A, then A B C D. Team A picks 1st, 8th and 9th; team D picks 4th, 5th and 12th.

When to use a snake draft

Snake drafts are the standard way to build teams from a pool of players: a rec league where captains pick from the free agents, a house league that redraws teams every season, or a fantasy league.

Running draft night

Agree a time limit per pick, such as 60 to 90 seconds, so the draft keeps moving. Keep the full player list where every captain can see it, cross names off as they go, and share the finished rosters straight afterwards. Decide beforehand whether a captain counts as their own team's first-round pick.

Snake, linear or auction?

In a linear draft the order is the same every round, which strongly favors the first pick; it is used when the order is deliberately weighted, like worst team picks first. An auction gives every team a budget and lets them bid, which is fair but slow. A snake draft is the simplest format that still feels fair to everyone in the room.

Keeping it fair

Tick "Randomize draft order" so nobody chooses their own slot. If one captain already has several strong players committed to their team, move that team to the end of the first round.

Frequently asked questions

What is a snake draft?

A draft where the pick order reverses every round. The team that picks last in round one picks first in round two, which evens out the advantage of an early pick.

Is a snake draft fair?

It is much fairer than a fixed order, where the same team picks first every round. The first pick still has a small edge, which is why many leagues draw the order at random.

How many teams and rounds can it handle?

Up to 20 teams and 30 rounds, which covers a 600-pick draft.

How many rounds do I need?

Divide the number of players by the number of teams and round up. 60 players across 6 teams is 10 rounds.