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Fantasy Football MVP Cam Newton
Fantasy Football MVP Cam Newton
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

18 Chicago Bars To Hold Fantasy Football Drafts, Mapped

Don't fumble the opportunity for a fun and a successful draft day

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Fantasy Football MVP Cam Newton
| Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Fantasy football has come a long way since a bunch of geeks combed newspaper box scores on Mondays to see if their kicker scored enough extra points to win a game. It's now a multi-billion dollar business that attracts much more than die-hard football fans.

The heart of every successful season is a quality draft, and picking a fun place for draft day could be more important than making sure no Chicago Bears are on your team's roster. Check out this list of bars that are ready for some football. Tell us where your league holds their draft in the comments.

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Are you feeling fancy? Journey to Lincoln Park where Balena is offering their private wine cellar. The room includes flat screen TVs, high-speed WiFi and full AV capabilities. Groups can reserve the room for two hours and receive a deluxe beer package and a choice of select appetizers, gourmet pizzas and dessert. It's $50 per person with a 10-person minimum and 35-person maximum.

Beermiscuous

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Beermiscous may not have food, but league members can bring outside food in and enjoy the tremendous draft, can and bottle selection.

Marc Much

Bull & Bear

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This River North spot can be tolerable before the sun sets, offering a bevy of options for your league.

Cactus Bar & Grill

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Cactus goes all out for fantasy. There's 20 percent off the party's tab and draft materials including countdown timers.

Fat Cat Bar & Grill

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The Fat Cat's got plenty of private space and WiFi so fans can make sure they acquire that franchise running back and sample some delicious corn dogs.

Flagship Tavern & Grill

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For drafts, Flagship offers $15, 5-beer buckets of Miller Lite and Coors Light, and a $5 rotating shot special. There's also 15 percent off all food orders.

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Goose Island Brewpub

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Snag some space in the downstairs cove and if you're lucky, your rival will drink too much Bourbon County and draft Cutler.

Through Sept. 30, Green Street Local is offering fantasy-friendly packages of $24 for three hours of draft beer or $39 wings, choice of pizza, nachos and beer.

Hopsmith Tavern

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Over near Rush and Division, Hopsmith offers an assortment of packages.

Jake Melnick's Corner Tap

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Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap offers a three-hour draft party for $30 per guest. The package includes free WiFi, all-you-can drink select beer and wine for up to three hours and power strips and outlets. Food packages are available.

Lucky Strike Chicago

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This Streeterville space is quiet, now that FTW has grabbed much of the attention inside the same building that houses the AMC River East Theater. But quiet is great when you want to finish your draft in a speedy manner.

Roots Handmade Pizza

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Roots regularly offers leagues specials during their draft, and pizza combined with football provide a pretty decent combo.

The Fifty/50

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Before the bar's revamp, Fifty/50 encouraged drafts. When it opened, it was one of the few sports bars on Division Street in Wicker Park, so that's a reason it became popular.

Theory offers their VIP room for reservations or draftees could push together few tables and construct a championship in the main room.

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Timothy O'Toole's Chicago

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A favorite Streeterville sports bar with WiFi and other sports amenities. Check out the specials here.

Vice District Brewing

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They don't consider themselves a sports bar, but with free WiFi and proximity to Soldier Field, football fans are welcome at Vice District. They also encourage food deliveries.

WestEnd

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This West Loop gem always is accommodating to drafts with a solid beer list and food specials.

WhirlyBall

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WhirlyBall groups can reserve one of WhirlyBall’s private event spaces, equipped with flatscreen TVs and high-speed WiFi, for up to two hours at no cost. In addition to the space, guests can enjoy food and drink offerings including a two-hour unlimited beer package featuring Imported and Domestic bottles and cans, draft beer of the month and soft drinks, and a food package including pizza and wings or sliders and tacos. It's an eight-person minimum for $37 per person.

Balena

Are you feeling fancy? Journey to Lincoln Park where Balena is offering their private wine cellar. The room includes flat screen TVs, high-speed WiFi and full AV capabilities. Groups can reserve the room for two hours and receive a deluxe beer package and a choice of select appetizers, gourmet pizzas and dessert. It's $50 per person with a 10-person minimum and 35-person maximum.

Beermiscuous

Beermiscous may not have food, but league members can bring outside food in and enjoy the tremendous draft, can and bottle selection.

Marc Much

Bull & Bear

This River North spot can be tolerable before the sun sets, offering a bevy of options for your league.

Cactus Bar & Grill

Cactus goes all out for fantasy. There's 20 percent off the party's tab and draft materials including countdown timers.

Fat Cat Bar & Grill

The Fat Cat's got plenty of private space and WiFi so fans can make sure they acquire that franchise running back and sample some delicious corn dogs.

Flagship Tavern & Grill

For drafts, Flagship offers $15, 5-beer buckets of Miller Lite and Coors Light, and a $5 rotating shot special. There's also 15 percent off all food orders.

Facebook

Goose Island Brewpub

Snag some space in the downstairs cove and if you're lucky, your rival will drink too much Bourbon County and draft Cutler.

Green Street Local

Through Sept. 30, Green Street Local is offering fantasy-friendly packages of $24 for three hours of draft beer or $39 wings, choice of pizza, nachos and beer.

Hopsmith Tavern

Over near Rush and Division, Hopsmith offers an assortment of packages.

Jake Melnick's Corner Tap

Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap offers a three-hour draft party for $30 per guest. The package includes free WiFi, all-you-can drink select beer and wine for up to three hours and power strips and outlets. Food packages are available.

Lucky Strike Chicago

This Streeterville space is quiet, now that FTW has grabbed much of the attention inside the same building that houses the AMC River East Theater. But quiet is great when you want to finish your draft in a speedy manner.

Roots Handmade Pizza

Roots regularly offers leagues specials during their draft, and pizza combined with football provide a pretty decent combo.

The Fifty/50

Before the bar's revamp, Fifty/50 encouraged drafts. When it opened, it was one of the few sports bars on Division Street in Wicker Park, so that's a reason it became popular.

Theory

Theory offers their VIP room for reservations or draftees could push together few tables and construct a championship in the main room.

Website

Timothy O'Toole's Chicago

A favorite Streeterville sports bar with WiFi and other sports amenities. Check out the specials here.

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Vice District Brewing

They don't consider themselves a sports bar, but with free WiFi and proximity to Soldier Field, football fans are welcome at Vice District. They also encourage food deliveries.

WestEnd

This West Loop gem always is accommodating to drafts with a solid beer list and food specials.

WhirlyBall

WhirlyBall groups can reserve one of WhirlyBall’s private event spaces, equipped with flatscreen TVs and high-speed WiFi, for up to two hours at no cost. In addition to the space, guests can enjoy food and drink offerings including a two-hour unlimited beer package featuring Imported and Domestic bottles and cans, draft beer of the month and soft drinks, and a food package including pizza and wings or sliders and tacos. It's an eight-person minimum for $37 per person.

Related Maps