What is a good time to begin?

[packfan12]

As the years go on so have many fantasy buy in costs. From the $5 buy ins when I was 13 to the new hike I made this year to $150 (19 atm). Now I know some leagues are way higher stakes, but for me (edit: inappropriate language) just real. In light of this new level of srs biz, I plan to put in a lot more time in research, this is where I have a few questions. When is it too early? I was avoiding research in July because I felt the depth charts and rosters for every team was in too much disarray to be trusted. Also are fantasy magazine really worth the costs? Is information not as good on sites such as fftoolbox?

[stomperrob]

I still play in free leagues, but that's just a personal preference. It's never too early to start preparing - many do not like magazines as they tend to be outta date by the time they come out - however, many of the better mags offer online updates those who but the mag. There are tons of free sites, and ya can't do much better than the Cafe, that offer solid advice.

[mzu]

Anytime in August is a good, before that doesn't really do you any good. Rosters can change quite a bit from July to first preseason game. I usually start doing some mock drafts during the 2nd week of August then my real drafts in the 3rd and 4th weeks.

[Pack Fan in HTown]

I generally stay away from the magazines now. They don't provide much good info come draft day. The websites such as yahoo, espn, kffl and many others keep a much more current list. I like to start now and I have been playing since 2004. It's good to start mock drafting and such so that you can prepare as much as possible for any hiccups to your planned draft strategy. Plus you can watch the rise and fall of players that are having good camps or tumultuous offseasons ( see dez Bryant and Kenny britt).
Hope this helps!