Fantasy Football Commissioner Pre-Draft Checklist: Everything to Confirm Before Draft Day
The pre-draft window — the two weeks before draft day — is when commissioners do their most important organizational work. Draft problems almost always trace back to something that was not confirmed beforehand.
Pre-Draft Checklist Quick Reference
| Timeline | Action | What happens if you skip |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks out | Confirm all platform settings match your league rules | Scoring or roster settings discovered wrong on draft day; changing post-draft is a mess |
| 2 weeks out | Verify all managers are registered and can log in | Draft-day lockout; manager misses picks; disputes about missed rounds |
| 1 week out | Confirm draft type and announce to all managers | Manager shows up expecting snake; you’re doing auction |
| 48–72 hrs out | Set and announce draft order | Managers can’t prepare strategy for their pick position |
| 3 days out | Send full confirmation message to all managers (date/time/format/order/platform link) | Managers show up wrong time or wrong platform |
| 3 days out | Establish absent manager policy explicitly | No clear plan when someone no-shows; disputes about autopick |
| Draft day | Open draft room 15 minutes early; confirm all managers present | Clock starts before everyone is ready; disputes about missed picks |
| Draft day | Confirm timer is set correctly | Picks expire too fast or too slow; chaotic pace |
Platform and Settings (2 Weeks Out)
Confirm platform settings are correct. Before the preseason begins, open your league settings and verify every major setting matches your league rules:
- Scoring format: PPR, half-PPR, standard — confirm the exact decimal settings for receptions
- Roster composition: number of starters at each position, flex spots, bench spots, IR spots
- Waiver wire format: FAAB or priority-based; FAAB budget amount if applicable
- Trade review window: how many days managers have to protest a trade
- Playoff format: number of teams, weeks, seeding tiebreaker
Many platforms change default settings between seasons. A setting that was correct last year may have been altered by a platform update. Read every category.
Confirm all managers are registered and linked. Every manager must be registered on the platform before the draft. Verify each manager’s account is active, their team is claimed, and their email address is correct.
The most common draft-day problem: a manager registered under an old email account they no longer check, and cannot log in on draft day. Send a test communication to all managers 2 weeks before and require confirmation that they can access their team.
Draft Settings (1 Week Out)
Confirm draft type. Snake draft (pick order reverses each round); auction (every manager bids on every player, budget management instead of pick order); slow draft (email or async — set the time limit per pick explicitly). Announce the confirmed draft type to all managers even if your league has done the same format for years.
Set and announce draft order. Establish draft order by your league’s method (random draw, reverse standings, lottery) at least 48 hours before the draft. Announce the full order to all managers. Managers with early picks need to prepare differently than managers picking late. 48–72 hours is the target minimum.
Confirm auction budget if applicable. If your league uses an auction format, confirm the budget each manager receives. Platform default may differ from your league standard.
Manager Confirmations (3 Days Out)
Send a confirmation message to all managers. Three days before the draft, send a group message that confirms:
- Draft date, time, and time zone
- Draft format
- Full draft order (first pick to last)
- Platform link or access instructions
- What to do if a manager cannot attend (autopick, proxy)
Require explicit confirmation from each manager. Follow up individually with any manager who does not confirm.
Establish a plan for absent managers. Every league has a manager who does not show up. Establish the policy before the draft: does the platform autopick for absent managers, or can a manager designate a proxy? If autopick is the policy, confirm the platform autopick settings work as expected. Platforms handle autopick differently — some use ADP, some use a saved queue, some alternate.
Draft Day (Day Of)
Start 15 minutes early. Open the draft room 15 minutes before the scheduled start. Confirm all managers are present. Do not start the clock until all managers are accounted for or a clear decision is made about absent managers.
Confirm the timer. For live drafts: 90 seconds to 2 minutes per pick is standard. For slow drafts: 24–48 hours per pick. Confirm the timer is set correctly before the first pick goes on the clock.
Pause for technical problems. If a manager reports a technical problem during the draft, pause the clock immediately. Give them 5 minutes to resolve the issue before proceeding. A manager who loses their pick to a technical problem they reported immediately has a legitimate grievance.
For the full set of rules the commissioner should have documented before the draft, see: How to Write a Fantasy Football League Constitution: What to Include and Why It Matters. For how to handle the draft order setup specifically, see: Fantasy Football Draft Order Rules: How to Set Pick Order Fairly and Avoid Arguments.
Worked Example: Missing Manager Policy
If a manager is absent when the draft starts and the league has no policy, every option feels unfair. Autopick may be necessary, pausing may frustrate the room, and letting another manager draft by proxy can create trust issues.
The fix is to decide before draft day. Write the absent-manager policy into the reminder message and apply it exactly when needed.
Common mistake: waiting until the draft clock is running to solve attendance problems. Draft-day policies need to exist before emotions are involved.