Fantasy Football Commissioner Playbook: Everything You Need Before Draft Day

Listen up, Commish.

You’ve got the group chat popping. You’ve picked the draft date (after 14 rounds of “I can’t do that weekend”). And now it’s almost time to host the greatest event in any fantasy football season: Draft Day.

But before the first pick is made and someone inevitably drafts a kicker in round 6 (looking at you, Derek), you’ve got work to do.

So we made you a checklist. Not because we don’t trust you—but because being Commissioner of a Fantasy Football League is like running a startup where no one pays, everyone complains, and you're expected to throw a party.

Let’s get it.

1. Buy a Draft Board (Or Forever Be Judged)

You cannot—cannot—run a fantasy draft without a legit draft board.
Using a whiteboard or a Google Sheet is like handing out juice boxes at a bar crawl. Upgrade.

TrophySmack Fantasy Football Draft Boards are:

• Big enough to cover a wall (and your shame)
  
• Come with color-coded player stickers
  
• Customizable for 10–16 team leagues
  
• Guaranteed to make your draft feel like the NFL Combine met WrestleMania
  

Fantasy football draft party essentials start here. Don’t let your league down.

2. Make Sure Everyone Registers in the App

You’d be shocked how many people show up, eat seven slices of pizza, and say, “Wait… what app are we using?”

Whether it’s Yahoo!, Sleeper, ESPN, NFL Fantasy, or CBS Sports, or some back-alley app your cousin made in coding bootcamp, make sure:

• Everyone is signed in
• They’ve named their team
• They’re not auto-drafting because of “bad Wi-Fi” (cowards)

A commissioner who confirms apps early is a commissioner who sleeps easy.

3. Collect Team Names & Logos Beforehand 

Yes, this is a party.
But it’s also the beginning of your league’s historical record of this season—and team names matter. (Somebody could be about to make “Run CMC” history.)

Ask for:

• Official fantasy football team names
  
• Custom logos (bonus points for trash talk in .PNG form)
  
• Any custom spelling, emojis, or inside jokes you want immortalized
  

This makes updating standings way easier and helps if you ever want to order a custom championship trophy, belt, or last-place toilet seat later in the season.

4. Collect Everyone’s Shipping Address

Let’s talk logistics.

If you’re ordering custom trophies or championship belts from TrophySmack (which, let’s be honest—you are), then you might need to ship:

• A glorious belt to the champ
  
• A loser award to the person who drafted three tight ends
  
• Side-bet trophies for mini-league battles
  

Grab shipping addresses now while people are sober and cooperative.

5. Plan for Food, Drinks, & Smack Talk

Fantasy football draft parties are half strategy, half social event, and 100% roast battle. So make it count.

• Food? Pizza, wings, whatever fuels the chaos.
• Drinks? Beers, cocktails, or whatever helps your RB2 pick look like a genius move.
• Smack talk? Required. TrophySmack even has you covered if you want to crown the league’s loudest mouth.

Set the vibe, and your league will still be talking about this draft day in Week 12.

6. Be the Commish You’d Want to Play For

You already do the most—setting the rules, managing payouts, calming down that one guy who still wants PPR bonuses for return yards.

But Draft Day is your moment. Your Super Bowl before the actual Super Bowl. Identify your legacy and lean in. 

Print the cheat sheets. Set the draft order (bonus points for a weird ritual).  Hand out swag.  And run a league people want to come back to next year.

Bonus: Make the Draft Party Legendary

Let’s be honest—no one remembers who drafted first.

But they will remember the giant draft board, the custom belt you held up like The Rock, and the loser trophy that made everyone cry-laugh.

So make Draft Day a spectacle. Because fantasy football isn’t just about winning—it’s about how hard you celebrate.

Shop Draft Boards, Trophies, Belts & Rings at TrophySmack🏆