Head-to-head fantasy football, one on one
Short answer: head-to-head fantasy football means your team plays one opponent at a time, and whoever scores more fantasy points wins the matchup. Draft Duel makes that matchup the whole game: you and one opponent draft fresh teams in 5 minutes, and that week's real NFL games decide the winner.
Beat your rivals. Every week. In 5 minutes.
No 12-team standings, no tiebreakers across a league. Just you, one opponent and one week of games.
Head-to-head vs points leagues
Most fantasy leagues score in one of two ways.
- Head-to-head leagues. Each week you face one team on the league schedule. Win and you get a W in the standings, lose and you get an L. Your record depends on who the schedule hands you, so you can post the second-highest score in a 12-team league and still lose because your opponent posted the highest.
- Total-points and rotisserie leagues. There's no weekly opponent. You're ranked against every team in the league, by total points or by category standings, all season long.
Both have fans. Points leagues reward a steady roster over months. Head-to-head brings a rival every week, but the standings can feel like a coin flip when the schedule lines up against you.
Head-to-head has one well-known frustration: a team can score the most points over a season and still miss the playoffs after a bad run of matchups. Any single week can swing on one big game, and Draft Duel doesn't change that. What it changes is what a loss costs you. There's no season record to drag around, so the next duel starts clean.
Draft Duel is pure head-to-head: one opponent, one week, and the higher total wins. There's no league schedule shaping your record and no standings to dig out of. Every duel is decided on its own.
Why a season-long H2H matchup isn't the same
In a season-long league, your weekly matchup is locked to a draft from August and a schedule you didn't pick. The team across from you might be stacked, gutted by injuries or run by a manager who stopped setting lineups weeks ago. Either way, you didn't choose the opponent, and the result rolls into a record you carry for months.
In Draft Duel you draft fresh each week and pick who you play. Both teams start from zero that week, built in the same draft, so the matchup is about the picks you both just made. It also means you can start any week. Missed your league's draft, or fell out of the race by midseason? A duel puts you on even footing with your opponent the same week you join. If you're ready to step away from the season-long format altogether, see our season-long fantasy football alternative.
Pick your opponent
Send a friend a share link or code, jump into online matchmaking against a stranger, or play pass-and-play on one device. If it's just the two of you, our page on 1v1 fantasy football explains why a two-team league breaks and how a duel fixes it.
Same draw, same chance
Each turn a random NFL team is drawn and both managers pick from it, with first pick alternating every round. Nobody gets the first overall pick every round. Every pick has a 90-second clock, and if it runs out, the best available player who fits your roster is picked for you, so nobody can stall a draft.
That shared draw is where head-to-head skill shows up. You can't just queue the top of a rankings list. You have to make the best pick from whatever team comes up, while keeping an eye on what your opponent still needs.
How a duel is decided
- Both managers draft nine starters: QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, TE, FLEX, K and DEF.
- Starters score standard PPR fantasy points in that week's real NFL games.
- The higher total wins. No bench, no waivers, no excuses.
- Draft before the week's first kickoff to use every team. You can still draft after games start, but teams whose games have already kicked off are left out of the draw.
Want the full rules, including what happens on a bad draw? Read how Draft Duel works.
Rematches and rivalries
After the result, request a rematch in one tap. Your opponent can accept or decline, and the series between you two keeps going. Because every week is a brand-new draft, you can keep one rivalry running all season or challenge someone new whenever you want. Nothing carries over, so a bad week only costs you that week.
Settle it with a result card
Every finished duel gets a shareable result card with both teams and the final score. Post it to the group chat, or send the link to challenge someone new.
Draft Duel runs in your web browser, and you can add it to your phone's home screen with no app store download.
Draft. Duel. Done.
Your lineup
9 starters, no bench. FLEX takes any RB, WR or TE.
Frequently asked questions
What is head-to-head fantasy football?
In head-to-head fantasy football two teams face each other and the higher fantasy score wins. In Draft Duel the whole game is one head-to-head matchup for one NFL week.
Who can I play against?
A friend (send a share link or code), a stranger through online matchmaking, or someone next to you with pass-and-play on one device.
How do rematches work?
When a duel ends either player can request a rematch. The other player accepts or declines, and your head-to-head series continues.
How is it scored?
Your nine starters score standard PPR (point per reception) fantasy points in that week's real NFL games. The higher total wins the duel.
Is head-to-head better than points leagues?
It depends on what you want. Points leagues reward a steady roster over a whole season. Head-to-head gives you one rival to beat each week. Draft Duel is head-to-head without the league schedule: you pick the opponent and each duel stands on its own.
Can I play a head-to-head series against the same friend all season?
Yes. Draft a fresh team against the same friend every week, or request a rematch after each result. Each duel is decided that week, and you keep the rivalry going as long as you both want.
Do I need a league to play head-to-head fantasy football?
No. Draft Duel only needs two people. There's no league, commissioner or schedule to set up. Sign up now at draftduel.us, then challenge a friend or get matched online.