And just like that, the boring part of the offseason is finally over!

I hope you enjoyed your winter, because it's time to lock the f*ck in. We're only weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft and there's not much time left to prepare. Will Fernando Mendoza be drafted 1.01? Will a blockbuster trade happen in the first round??

If you're new to the NFL Draft or you just want to bring a loved one into the world of football, we've got you covered.

Here's a few NFL Draft Do's and Don’ts to get your toes wet.

NFL Draft Do’s and Don’ts To Revive Fun In Your League

DO: Dust Off the League Chat

Enough time has passed since your fantasy championships. It’s officially safe to come out of hiding and start talking ball again! (Unless, like me, you’ve never stopped).

Some of your leaguemates won’t be tapped into the latest NFL Draft news. Test the waters with a simple: "Did you guys see what went down with the Ravens and Maxx Crosby? Backing out of a trade like that!? Sounds like something Justin would do."

And depending on your kindness level, you can even key them into this year’s most anticipated draft picks.

Premium

Go FantasyLife+

Your league is unique. Your advice should be too. Get personalized tools, rankings, and projections tailored to your fantasy football league settings.

Learn More

DO: Take A Peek Fantasy Life's Draft Guide

You don’t need to know everything about every player. Save your bandwidth to focus on the important things in life like watching A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms or spending time with your family or whatever.

We have you completely covered on all things 2026 NFL Draft related.

You can even steal some of our Big Board one-liners to use at the bar. You'll sound just like a “film junky degenerate with the chops for small talk and next-level rookie brain.”

DON'T: Get Married to Predictions

Everyone will have something to say about each team's draft picks. But there are way too many variables at play to fall in love with any predicted outcome.

Sure, it's f*cking great to read about your favorite team's "Grade A Draft." And sure, it's even greater to read about your rival team's "Hellish Grade F Dumpster Fire Draft Pick." But don't get married to the predicted outcomes.

No one saw the 2025 Chiefs and their "A-" draft additions going 6-11 last season. And absolutely no one at the end of April saw Seattle winning Super Bowl LX.

But it happened.

DO: Remember Shedeur Sanders

Remember Shedeur Sanders was a lock for a top-10 pick in the 2025 draft? And remember when no one picked him on Day 1? And remember how Tyler Shough was drafted 40th overall, A FULL 104 PICKS BEFORE SANDERS?!

The lesson:

We don't know what's going on unless teams want us to know. And during the draft, everyone is keeping sh*t close to their chest.

So no, you may not understand every move being made. Some of the picks might seem downright insane. But we have to remember that there are factors outside of our control and play.

While any draft pick can blow up in a franchise's face and become a bust, we have to at least trust the process a little bit. Remember Shedeur Sanders and respect the picks.

DO: Expect New Memes

Everyone knows Goodell will be booed on stage. That's just good ol' draft etiquette!

But every year, there’s undoubtedly a viral moment that will catch fire during the draft. And 2026 will be no different.

Remember when CeeDee Lamb’s girl tried to look at his second phone? Or when Bill Belichick's dog was drafting during the 2020 draft?

Something will catch fire. It always does.

And the best part is, we won't know it until it happens.

DON'T: Disrespect the Clock

This isn't a speed sport. Teams are going to take their time and it's important to respect the full clock.

Those slowly-moving minutes ticking down on our TV screens are only one part of the story. Behind the scenes, phone calls that us peasants aren't privy to are frantically taking place.

Just when you think you can change the channel or run to the store because "these damn teams are taking way too much time"—TRADE ALERT. If you're not focused, you'll miss the next big move and have to resort to reading about it online.

Always be ready. And always respect the chaos happening behind the clock.

DO: Flood the Group Chat with Reaction Pieces

It doesn’t matter if you agree with an article's headline or not, this is all about SPIN. Sharing draft reaction pieces now might benefit you come August.

Here's how: Strategically share posts that might plant seeds of doubt in your leaguemates' minds. Let's say you wanted to draft Ashton Jeanty last year. Your goal would have been to share memes about the Raiders' crappy o-line to add fuel to the fire about any doubts your league might have harbored in Jeanty.

I'm not proud of it. But this is a strategy born out of necessity.

If reaction pieces offer an avenue for pushing down a player's ADP just a little bit during your home draft, isn't it worth it?

DON'T: Call It Quits

When your home team inevitably screws something up on draft day (they will), you have to give the front office some grace. Toss out a few expletives, crush an empty beer can on your head and call it a day.

Don't give up on your team's season before it's already started just because of a few off-the-mark draft picks.

After all, this isn't a game. It’s a job. And there are lots of employees fighting to stay in their jobs with each pick.

And at the end of the day, we all want the same thing: Wins. Glorious, dopamine-filled winning seasons. So let's just hope our GMs can make that happen. And if they don't … There's always next year?

Join Our Newsletter

Trusted by 400,000+ fantasy football players. Get access to Fantasy Life's free award winning newsletter and tools, all in one step.

Email Address

Subscribe

By registering or logging in, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.