The draft
How the yearly draft works after free agency, including common order and lottery standards.
The draft follows free agency and opens the competitive year. Players signed in free agency are already on rosters. Remaining contract length ticks down, and owners draft available players - including rookies - until open spots are filled.
Format
Most Keeper GM leagues use a serpentine (snake) draft: pick order reverses each round. Round count is commonly tied to roster size. Owners typically only pick when they still have an open roster spot; otherwise they are passed for that round.
Draft order
A common standard mixes lottery and reverse standings:
Non-playoff teams from the prior year enter a lottery for the earliest picks. Playoff teams then select in reverse order of their prior-year finish.
Your league can use a full lottery, pure reverse standings, or another order system. Whatever you choose, publish it before the draft.
Lottery (recommended standard)
When using a lottery, worse regular-season finishes usually receive more lottery weight. Draws establish the top of the draft order; duplicate draws for the same franchise are typically discarded and redrawn.
Traded draft picks are generally made in the original slot's position, even if another franchise owns the pick.