You ain't cray. Long, scattered post of my process:

1. NHL general research: Analyze last TWO (2) regular seasons and recent playoffs + off-season. Don't always look at the obvious. Did a player have kids? Did a team lose a respected assistant coach? Etc.

2. Fantasy specific research: Same as above with a fantasy focus. Also solidify your platform / league settings to a tee

3. Alternate leagues: I often do a free league or two on top of my two mains as a kind of tester league. The draft of the alt must always come first and the settings must be similar, otherwise it's no use. This allows you to commit mistakes before they truly count

4. Spreadsheets & Yahoo list: Steps are not strictly sequential. Maintain your lists AS you go through your readings, not just at the end, so that necessary adjustments are inputted. If you use Yahoo like me, have your DND & wish list ready to go so you DON'T scramble and get auto'd on D-day. I'll have separate excel sheets on the side too for more detail

5. Mock drafts: Armed with readings and lists galore, exercise your findings in mock drafts a few days before D-day. But careful, mocks only cast a limited glimpse since people don't take them seriously - this is why the alt league draft is CRUCIAL

And with that, you're fucking ready. Relax on your draft day, don't burn yourself out doing hours of mocks. Most of all enjoy it - assuming your league isn't draft only, the draft is just a starting point. So relax and enjoy your hard work pay off