When is the best date to schedule a fantasy football draft?

When it comes to draft season, one of the most important things that you need to figure out as league commissioner is when to schedule the draft. The date of your draft is absolutely critical to make sure you have the latest news at hand.

For example, leading into this season the news about Josh Gordon is all over the place. Will he report to camp? When will he report to camp? And will he even be eligible or face additional roadblocks?

I strongly encourage league commissioner's to have their fantasy football draft as close to NFL kickoff as possible. This is the only way to ensure you have the latest information available to make the proper picks.

Scheduling a draft too early, let's say early August or even mid-August can have a huge impact. These dates are way too early to have your draft.

There are a lot of reasons to NOT schedule a draft too early.

A lot can change in terms of depth charts or hierarchy for important positions such as running backs or wide receivers. A lot of teams have a running back by committee approach and the closer opening day comes the clearer the picture could be.

Who would have thought that DeMarco Murray would retire just before camp began?

Injuries whether directly or indirectly can ruin or have a major impact on a player. If a key offensive lineman goes down it could have a lasting impact on the entire offense, or more specifically the passing game or running game depending on who got hurt.

Furthermore, there could be major breaking news about trades, player releases, and new signings. News just broke a little while ago about Corey Coleman being traded to the Buffalo Bills.

At this point during camp we have no idea where Dez Bryant will sign but the rumors are swirling around Cleveland, especially with them trading away Coleman.

The absolutely earliest time in which you should draft in your fantasy football league would be the final week in August.

That is when camps are winding down and final rosters are close to being announced. August 30th are the final preseason games. September 1st are when all NFL teams are required to announce their 53-man rosters.

If you are ever curious about off-season dates and scheduling then head over to the official NFL schedule for the offseason and leading up to opening day.

Those of you who draft in early August have to absolutely pay close attention to news about your players leading up to opening day. You will win or lose depending on how you handle the waiver wire.

Sync your league and head over to the fantasy assistant to stay on top of waiver wire movements.

And when you finally do have your draft? Use the Draft Genius to help during draft day. Use our ADP rankings for research and our draft kit to figure out depth charts.