I hope you never lose your sense of wonder for Draft Fantasy Football. I haven’t, for what it’s worth. And in this part of my draft preparation series, I’m going to focus on when to draft and how to leverage the timing to your fullest advantage.

This should also serve as a gentle reminder that the 2017/2018 season kicks off on August 12th, so invite your friends and get the band back together.

That is, of course, if you want the classical draft option before the season starts. Before August 12th, everyone has the same player pool to choose from, and it really is the best and fairest way to see how you stack up against your competition. I’d say the golden period for drafting lies around 1-2 weeks before the first match. There’s some luck involved, sure, but better to accept that players will come and go throughout the season than delay the inevitable.

However, if you really do want to throw a wrinkle into the classical scenario, you might consider delaying the draft a few weeks until the summer transfer window closes so the entire league has at least a nominal chance to draft all the available players at the beginning. Draft order and subsequent waiver order will mean that not everyone can get what they want, but some would consider this a more level playing field. There are possibilities for really big signings this summer. If a certain Cristiano Ronaldo does eventually resign for the Red Devils, it’ll be interesting to see when it happens.

Draft Repercussions

Sometimes first-round talent does sign late. Take the 2015/2016 season as an example: Kevin De Bruyne had been rumored as a Man City addition all summer but didn’t officially sign until a few weeks in – which was a very welcome addition for the top priority owner on the waiver wire, and much less so for the rest of us. On the flipside in 2016/2017, De Bruyne’s teammate Claudio Bravo went from prized-asset to bust when he was brought in after the season started. To name another, Shkodran Mustafi played well for Arsenal at times but ultimately didn’t make a huge impact. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.

But there are repercussions for when you draft. Last year my league decided to wait until the Paul Pogba ballyhoo was finally settled before we drafted, and he never really lived up to the hype, at least fantasy-wise. He scored below lesser names like Étienne Capoue and Robert Snodgrass, neither of whom cost £89.3 million. Most bitterly for myself, I finished  fourth globally last year and an extra gameweek’s worth of points might have really helped.

In any case, your league will have to contend with the Winter transfers, so you really can’t escape the chaotic waiver wire scrambles that ensue. My best advice is to monitor the transfer gossip and official signings so you’ve scouted the potential, but by no means should you assume that the exact fantasy piece you’ve been missing is going to fall your way.

Feel free to follow @Cjacksondraft for links and any draft fantasy football advice I can give you.

@Cjacksondraft is an avid fantasy football (soccer) fan who currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and loves his day job. Peaked during the 2003 Kentucky All “A” Regional tournament. I still like waking up early on Saturdays and Sundays to watch EPL live on the West Coast.