It’s July, and vacation is over folks. Though NFL news has been mostly lacking, it’s just 10 weeks until the first game of the season. I’ve been full-throttle reading fantasy magazines, and here is the first review of those publications, which are a key element to preparation for the season.

FANTASY SPORTS

Fantasy Sports is the venerable stalwart of the magazine market, proudly declaring itself on its cover: “The first magazine devoted exclusively to rotisserie and fantasy sports.” Fantasy Sports is a true periodical — another football issue will be published before the season begins.

Pros: Fantasy sports is thorough in its individual descriptions of players. For example, I picked a random position and random number — 18th-ranked tight end — and read about 100 words on Brett Celek. Its team-by-team depth charts are concise, with every team within about 10 pages. Oh, and it will be updated with the next issue, so you can get a jump on your research, then get an updated magazine a month later.

Cons: If you want an updated magazine, you have to buy the next issue. (If you play fantasy baseball, might I suggest a suggest a subscription?). Fantasy Sports isn’t as graphically flashy as many of the other magazines out there, and isn’t in full color for the whole magazine. Though it reads as a true fantasy insider magazine, it is a bit self-serving with its promotion of its own national drafts. No IDPs in the August issue, but don’t be shocked if the September issue (probably out soon) includes them

Bottom line: Though it may not have the bells and whistles of other fantasy magazines, Fantasy Sports is a workhorse. After a couple decades, the magazine knows what it’s doing. It’s inexpensive at $5.99, yet will deliver value on draft day.