Fantasy players who win titles this season will look back on the summertime as the first step to their championships. They'll evaluate the best talent, make strategical decisions and develop the best plan that will get their team off on the right foot. Then they'll add in strong team management and a little (actually a lot of) luck, and it will fall into place for them. And it all starts now.

Well, not "now" now. It actually starts in August. Don't do any of that today. You'd be wasting your time. Too many things will change over the next several weeks to render your research meaningless. But there are things you can do to help your fantasy prospects this season. They just have nothing to do with winning or losing.

July is the time for summer cleaning. It's like spring cleaning, except it's in the...well, you get it. I'm saying that you can tidy up your fantasy plans in July and start the season out in an organized way that will provide the most fun possible. Because really, you don't play for money. You play for fun. Winning a prize is nice, but if you calculate the dollars you might earn per hour spent on the game, you could make more doing almost anything else. And 75 percent (or more) of the teams in your league will lose money. So it has to be about fun and enjoying yourself.

While the following things might not seem as important as evaluating the same wide receivers over and over and over, they're the best things you can do in July to make sure you minimize potential headaches and maximize your fun.

Get your leagues in order. How many leagues are in your plans this year? Take a little time to evaluate what leagues you're already in, and see if you want to keep all of them. You might find that one or more just aren't as much fun as they used to be. If you're not getting much out of a league, feel free to leave it. Not in September, and not in late August. Tell them now so they have plenty of time to replace you, and you don't end up feeling obligated to stick around another season.

And if you have a league you really like, have the commissioner take roll call and make sure everyone is on board for 2022. For some people, your favorite league might have become stale and they're thinking about leaving. Better to know now and have plenty of time to find a replacement. Everyone involved in the league should be enthusiastic and motivated for the upcoming season.

Finally, if you're looking for a new league or two, July is the perfect time to see what's out there. You don't want to be desperate to take any opening right before week 1, so give yourself enough time to see what leagues might have a spot, and which ones look like the best fit for you.

Get your budget in order. It's no secret that families are facing higher prices, and that might mean fewer resources for hobbies and casual entertainment. It's also no secret that some fantasy leagues can get very expensive, with high up-front costs and pricey free agent transactions.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. Play however you want. Just make sure that you're in a position to afford all the leagues you want to join, and can spend the necessary money to get the free agents you need to win. You want to pay all of your entry fees on time and have the funds to be competitive throughout the year. If your budget is tighter this year, you might want to adjust your participation accordingly, or find leagues with less at stake.

There's no shame in acknowledging you only have so much to spend, and making decisions based on that reality. But there's plenty of shame in over-committing yourself, making the commissioner chase you down for your entry fee, or not being competitive because the in-game transactions are too much for you. Don't be that person. Play aggressively, but play within your budget.

Try something different. Have you ever wanted to participate in an auction? Or try playing with IDP? How about starting a dynasty, or joining a league with 16 teams, or one with just eight? There's more to fantasy football than a 12-team league with four playoff spots, and maybe PPR if you're feeling crazy. You want to play in a total points keeper league that starts two quarterbacks, a flex and no kicker? It's out there. How about 20-player rosters, double-headers every week and a weekly prize for top score? You can find it. However you might want to play, there's a league with your name on it.

But to find them, and develop a strategy for competing in a new format, you need time. Not days or a couple of weeks. You want several weeks to get it right, and you can't do that in late August. If you wait until the last minute, you might have to accept a format you don't love, and people you don't know. Then you'll have to either hope for the best and try to fake your way through it, or go another year without trying something new. Either way, it's your loss.

I know these aren’t the things people normally take the time to plan out, but they will serve you a lot better than making lists that will be useless a few weeks from now. There will be plenty of time for draft prep. Now is the time to focus on the experience.

What kinds of preparations do you make in July? Are you trying anything different to enhance your fantasy experience? Share your thoughts below.