Facts vs. Feelings: Face bye-mageddon with confidence

1 week ago 3
  • Liz LozaOct 22, 2025, 10:58 AM ET

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      Liz Loza is simply a writer for phantasy football, women's hoops and betting astatine ESPN. Liz besides appears connected "Fantasy Football Now" and contributes to the Fantasy Focus Football podcast.

Managing expectations. It's a cornerstone to modern-day living. A mantra employed by tech bros and younker shot coaches alike. A well-intentioned informing that caps anticipation successful bid to defender against disappointment. Though I'm not definite what's worse; Training one's aforesaid to settee for little oregon really being fto down?

I had a manager backmost successful my table-waiting days who would commencement each squad gathering with a reminder to pass navigator times and barroom delays to our guests. He believed this attack delivered and maintained decorum. It ensured that patrons remained contented ... portion besides keeping him from having to comp an apologetic dessert from someone's tab. He wasn't wrong. The pasta ever came retired sooner than the filet, and our diners deserved to cognize that.

Sometimes, though, we get truthful wrapped up successful what can't hap that we hide to let ourselves to ponder what could be.

That's what stuck retired to maine connected the heels of my travel to Austin, wherever I covered the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix for ESPN past weekend. I person been fortunate capable to broadcast from the Vegas and Miami Grand Prix races, but had ne'er attended the Circuit of the Americas. While this wasn't my archetypal F1 rodeo (if you will), I had a wide consciousness of however contention weekends unfold. Still, I'm comparatively caller to the athletics and to the radical who are profoundly progressive successful its interior workings. Plus, I had ne'er been to Austin before. Truly, I had nary thought what to expect.

I initially caught myself hedging, waffling astir whether a question was excessively idiosyncratic for the operator I was interviewing oregon if a instrumentality wasn't informed enough. I got tense astir whether the different journos successful the paddock would judge me, oregon if my erstwhile contention acquisition would spend maine communal respect. My encephalon was (quite aptly) connected overdrive. And then, alternatively serendipitously, a newsman from Sky Sports approached maine and sheepishly asked maine for assistance mounting his phantasy shot lineup.

The crystal was broken. The expectations were tabled. The escapade was on.

And what an escapade it was! From sitting down with four-time World Champion Max Verstappen to sweating done 3 unrecorded shows (literally and figuratively, the Texas vigor is nary joke) to seeing Garth Freaking Brooks execute connected my day to choking backmost blameworthy tears portion FaceTiming my kids from the media center. I tried my champion to measurement into each infinitesimal arsenic it arrived. Rather than staying successful my ain lane, I swerved crossed the full track, cautious not to enactment the car successful the wall, but besides unbothered by a stopwatch. As a result, the acquisition delivered large wins some professionally and personally.

That is what I americium pondering arsenic we caput into "bye-mageddon." With six teams retired of the premix and galore starters sidelined, expectations are retired the window. There is nary replacing Amon-Ra St. Brown oregon uncovering worth versus the Raiders defense. We can't dwell connected the absences. Instead, let's absorption connected discovering the astonishment stop-gaps. This is 1 sojourn successful a 17 (or 18) week journey. The forecast whitethorn not initially look promising. Yet, I warrant the crippled volition jolt an unassuming leader into the impermanent spotlight. Rather than fret astir what's missing, let's get excited astir who could amusement up.

Put These Guys Into Your Lineup

Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders: Currently fantasy's QB18 overall, Daniels has underwhelmed successful his sophomore campaign, from a fake shot perspective. Two missed games person evidently depressed his totals, but adjacent connected a per-game ground his accumulation has been much level than ceiling. While Daniels has posted astatine slightest 17 oregon much phantasy points successful each outing, he's cleared 20 phantasy points lone doubly and ranks 11th astatine the presumption successful phantasy points per crippled (19.3).

The exits of Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown were obstacles Daniels attempted to flooded aboriginal successful the season. More caller injuries to

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