The most dedicated fantasy managers will say they think about fantasy football rankings all year long, but the reality is that fantasy football draft season starts kicking off as early as the week following the July 4 holiday weekend but really kicks into high gear in August.
There are many ways all fantasy football managers (beginners as well as seasoned veterans) can effectively utilize this time by using the best draft assistant fantasy football tools to prepare for their all-important fantasy drafts. We'll cover those below as well as providing more detailed information about the key dates on the 2025 fantasy football schedule.
And if you want to have more success and get access to all the tools and advice you need for the upcoming season, you can subscribe to RotoWire and check out one of the best fantasy football apps available.
When Does Fantasy Football Start?
The earliest fantasy football drafts usually start right after the July 4 holiday weekend. That is when many fantasy managers start diving into their fantasy football draft kit. The pace of draft schedules picks up steadily until the Hall of Fame game. Once that game kicks off, the fantasy football draft season rockets at a non-stop pace that doesn't slow up until after Labor Day weekend.
Some leagues like to start their drafts before training camps. Other leagues want to wait until as close to the start of the NFL season as possible so that they can adjust their draft strategies based on the latest fantasy football news. The first week of the fantasy football regular season starts with Week 1 NFL games, although you can play daily DFS during the preseason.
Key Dates for the 2025 Fantasy Football Season
Leading fantasy league providers will typically open up league registration sometime in May or June. The Hall of Fame Game is considered the tipping point for fantasy draft season. Each weekend of the Week 1-3 preseason games is also a go-to for fantasy league drafts. This time of year is also when savvy fantasy managers put together their fantasy football cheat sheet to get fully prepped for their drafts.
- NFL Training Camps: Begin as early as July 12
- NFL Hall of Fame Game: July 31
- Last NFL Preseason Game: Aug. 23
- NFL 2025 Opening Night: Sept. 4
- NFL Week 15 (when most playoffs begin): Dec. 11
When Is the Best Time to Draft Your Fantasy Team?
The best time to draft your fantasy team often depends on the schedules of the managers involved in that league. This is part of why the Labor Day weekend break is the busiest of the fantasy football draft weekends. Each weekend following the Hall of Fame Game is also very popular, as it lets fantasy managers use custom fantasy football rankings to close out their summers on a high note.
Drafting before the Hall of Fame Game or earlier in the preseason can give fantasy managers a reason to pay closer attention to the positional battles occurring during these exhibition games. The downside there is preseason injuries can hurt your team before it even plays a single game. The upside to drafting late is the avoidance of injuries, but it does take away from you grabbing a sleeper before others take notice.
Fantasy Football Strategy Tips for Beginners
If you are new to fantasy football, keep in mind that you can close a big part of that experience gap by using a Mock Draft Simulator. This will allow you to practice your drafting skills until they become second nature.
Be sure to know your league's scoring format and roster/starter rules before going through these practice drafts. If you are drafting in an auction league, you will also want to generate fantasy football auction values before mock drafting.
Final Thoughts: Preseason Is Preparation Season
Many fantasy managers just wing it when it comes to fantasy drafts and most of the time pay the price for that lack of preparation via a losing record. That's why we recommend grabbing Rotowire's ultimate NFL fantasy football draft kit. This invaluable resource will help you test draft strategies, go through mock drafts, create customized rankings and so much more. It's like having the answers to a test that can help you win a fantasy football championship.
