Alright, folks, let’s talk fantasy football drafts. Specifically, how long these things actually take. I’ve been in a bunch of leagues over the years, and I’ve seen it all – from lightning-fast drafts to ones that felt like they’d never end. So, I decided to actually track my draft this year to give you all some real data.
Getting Started: The Setup
First, I gathered my league info. We’re a 12-team league, standard scoring, snake draft (meaning the draft order reverses each round). We use an online platform, so no messing around with paper and pens.
The Main Event: Clocking the Draft
I grabbed my laptop, some snacks (essential!), and settled in. I made sure to have a timer handy on my phone. As soon as the first pick was announced, I hit start.
- Rounds 1-3: These went by pretty quick. Everyone’s making their “must-have” picks, no big surprises. We’re averaging maybe a minute per pick here.
- Rounds 4-8: This is where things started to slow down a bit. People are thinking harder, maybe doing some last-minute research. We’re seeing some 90-second, even 2-minute picks.
- Rounds 9-16: Okay, now we’re in the “who’s left?” zone. The big names are gone, and everyone’s scrolling through depth charts and sleeper lists. Some picks took a good 2-3 minutes, especially when someone got sniped right before their turn. You could almost hear the groans through the computer!
The Finish Line: Wrapping It Up
Finally, after what felt like forever (but was actually measurable!), the last pick was in. I stopped the timer and did the math.
So, here’s the breakdown. We have the timer at each pick and a normal draft that is 16 rounds.
Our draft, with all the delays and pondering, took just about 2 hours and 15 minutes. That’s with a roughly 90 seconds timer for each pick, and add in a little extra time for, you know, life happening. I think you can reasonably estimate that your average 12-team, 16-round draft is gonna land somewhere in that 2 to 2.5-hour range. Of course every league is a little different, but it is a pretty good rule of thumb.
