Reality TV fantasy leagues: how they work and which shows to play
How reality TV fantasy leagues work, every format (locked picks, drafts, weekly lineups), and the 15 shows on Pick the Cast. Survivor is live now.
By the Pick the Cast team · Updated
A reality TV fantasy league works like fantasy football, with castaways, houseguests and queens instead of quarterbacks. Each player picks contestants, the contestants earn points for what they do on the show, and whoever’s picks score the most by the finale wins. No athletic knowledge needed; just opinions, which reality TV fans have plenty of.
The common formats
- Locked picks. Everyone chooses a few contestants before a deadline and keeps them all season. Two people can pick the same contestant. It’s the simplest format and the hardest to argue about.
- Snake draft. Players take turns choosing, reversing the order each round, so every contestant belongs to one team. Great for shows with big casts and big personalities.
- Weekly lineup. Players set a fresh lineup every week. More to do, and it suits shows that release several episodes at once.
- Confidence pools and brackets. Rank the whole cast at the start and score how close you got. Popular for dating shows.
- Weekly predictions. Guess who goes home or who wins each episode. A good add-on for any of the above.
Pick the Cast chooses one format per show, matched to how that show works: who gets eliminated, how often, and what a contestant can actually do to earn points.
Shows you can play
Survivor is live now. Every other show below is coming soon: its page has the proposed rules and scoring, and a waitlist so you hear the moment it opens.
| Show | Each player picks | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Survivor Play now · CBS |
Two castaways | Locked picks |
| Big Brother Coming soon · CBS |
Three houseguests | Locked picks |
| The Traitors Coming soon · Peacock |
Three players | Snake draft |
| The Challenge Coming soon · Paramount+ |
Three challengers | Locked picks |
| The Amazing Race Coming soon · CBS |
Two teams | Locked picks |
| Love Island USA Coming soon · Peacock |
Three islanders | Locked picks |
| The Mole Coming soon · Netflix |
Three players | Locked picks |
| The Circle Coming soon · Hulu |
Three players | Weekly lineup |
| Squid Game: The Challenge Coming soon · Netflix |
Four players | Locked picks |
| Claim to Fame Coming soon · ABC |
Two relatives | Locked picks |
| Top Chef Coming soon · Bravo |
Three chefs | Locked picks |
| RuPaul's Drag Race Coming soon · MTV |
Three queens | Locked picks |
| Hell’s Kitchen Coming soon · FOX |
Two chefs | Locked picks |
| Dancing with the Stars Coming soon · ABC |
Two couples | Locked picks |
| The Bachelor Coming soon · ABC |
Three contestants | Locked picks |
Free, and no betting
Some reality TV games charge a subscription, and prediction markets now take real-money bets on who wins. Pick the Cast is neither: it’s free, there’s no entry fee, no prize and no betting. Fantasy for reality TV is about bragging rights and a reason to text your friends every Wednesday night.
How to start
- Choose a show that’s open for play, and start a party (our word for a league).
- Share the invite link or six-letter code with your friends, or make the party public.
- Everyone picks before the deadline; picks stay hidden until then.
- Watch, and check the standings after each episode.
For the full walkthrough, read how to run a Survivor fantasy league, or see how Pick the Cast works.