Pro Reveal Mode
Kentucky Derby Draft
Two stages. First the lottery sets selection order. Then your league picks slots live, one team at a time. #1 picks any slot. #2 picks from what is left.
How a Kentucky Derby Draft Works
Stage 1
Run the lottery
Pick your weighting (NBA-style, linear, custom) and reveal date. The lottery generates a sealed selection order. This is the order in which teams will pick their slot — not the draft order itself.
Stage 2
Pick your slot
Selection #1 picks any draft slot from 1 through N. Selection #2 picks from what is left. Repeat until the last team takes the leftover slot. The board updates live for everyone watching the reveal link.
Why Leagues Use the Kentucky Derby Format
A regular lottery is binary. Whoever wins gets the first pick. But the first pick is not always the best pick. In deep snake drafts, the back end of round 1 paired with the top of round 2 can outperform pick #1 alone. A manager who reads the draft well might rather have slot #5 than slot #1.
The Kentucky Derby format separates winning the lottery from choosing your draft position. Winning the lottery means you choose first — but you still have to pick. That makes draft night feel less like a quiet email chain and more like a live sports announcement, where every team has a strategic decision to make.
Used in NFBC, NFFC, and high-stakes home leagues for years. Now you can run it for any 4 to 32 team league with one shareable link.
Built for Live Draft Night
Sealed Lottery
Selection order locked until the reveal date. Standard card-flip animation reveals it pick by pick.
Live Slot Board
Tap a slot to claim it. The board shows who is on the clock, which slots are taken, and which are still open.
Spectator-Friendly
Share one link with the league. Everyone watches the picks roll in live, no accounts required.
Refresh-Safe
Every pick is saved instantly. Reload the page mid-draft and the board picks up exactly where it left off.
Kentucky Derby Draft FAQ
What is a Kentucky Derby Draft?
A Kentucky Derby Draft (KDS or KDD) is a two-stage format. Stage 1 runs a weighted lottery to determine selection order. Stage 2 lets the team holding selection #1 pick any draft slot. Selection #2 picks from the remaining slots, and so on. The last team gets the leftover slot.
How is this different from a regular weighted lottery?
A regular lottery sets the draft order directly. A Kentucky Derby Draft separates selection order from draft slot. Winning the lottery means you choose your slot first — you can take pick #1, or you can take a middle slot if your league does a snake draft and you prefer the wrap-around.
Why would my league want this?
Some managers prefer a middle pick over first overall in deep snake drafts. Letting teams choose adds strategy, makes draft night feel like a real announcement, and replaces the quiet email chain with a live event everyone can watch.
Can my whole league watch the slot picks live?
Yes. Share the reveal link. The slot board updates in real time as the commissioner records each pick. Spectators see who is on the clock, which slots are taken, and which are still open.
Is the Kentucky Derby Draft free?
It is part of the Pro reveal modes. Pro starts at $9.99 and unlocks live slot picks, custom reveal modes (race, ball draw, roulette), Pro Draft Mode (lottery + standings), and the rest of the commissioner toolkit.
More Draft Tools
Ready for a Live Draft Night?
Set up the lottery in under 2 minutes. Pick your reveal date. Then go live.