Let’s get the games started. Recruit you friends, neighbors and family to be part of your fantasy football league. You could play Virginia Living's Football FANatic game, where you simply pick the winners of each game and potentially win a trip to Hawaii, or you could play a more involved fantasy football game, such as those run by CBS Sports or Yahoo! It should be noted I have not personally played fantasy football as of yet but am planning a league with my neighborhood.

If you're playing one of the more involved fantasy football games then you're going to need a draft. And that means you're going to need a draft party. Choose a date and location. You are going to need computers with wi-fi, paper, pencils, a timer, a table or two for your guest to spread out their notes, maybe a printer. Ice-cold beverages and yummy snacks are must haves, along with a make-your-own hoagie/sub/grinder station that people can nibble on throughout the draft. If you want to get really fancy, rent a projector and screen so you can project the draft. Note this is not cheap: the projector will cost about $200, the screen about $10.

To kick off the season have your guests bring two of their favorite or “famous” snacks. During the lulls in the draft process hold taste tests to determine the group’s favorite snacks. These can become the group’s basic game day snacks.

To create the hoagie station go to your local grocery store or deli and get a variety of meats and cheeses, and condiments. Or get creative; basil mayonnaise, for example, would be a wonderful option with an Italian meat. Next head to the local bakery for rolls and the farmers market for tomatoes, peppers, onions and lettuce. Slice the roll and then cut them in half so you guest can a few meat, cheese and condiment combinations. Stop by the rental company and pick up a table cloth in your favorite team’s color or go with green to represent the field.

The night before the draft , cloth your hoagie station table, put your cold beverages on ice and set up your draft area/room. Right before your guest arrive layout all your ingredients on serving platters along with plates and flatware. Set up a beverage station in the draft room and in the dining area. Note: galvanized tubs from hardware stores work nicely as coolers, but they do sweat so don’t place them on wood.Final  step is to enjoy the fun and games of the draft!