A Fantasy Life

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The amount of time I have spent studying and researching the 2025 Fantasy Football landscape in the month of August is utterly concerning.

Non-inflated numbers look like:

• 87 hours listened of podcast (ESPN’s Fantasy Focus, The Fantasy Footballers, Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry are my top 3 favorites)

• 156 ESPN 12-team PPR mock drafts (really great tool on the ESPN app, love my mocks)

• Two magazines read cover to cover (Fantasy Life from Matthew Berry is best product)

• Wayyyyyy too many clips on the IG explore page (will give deserved flowers to @joelsmythfantasy - the best follow that no one knows about)

My family also thinks this is quite embarrassing of me (you probably do too):

BUT you know what? Is it embarrassing to win national championships??

As you can see from that circled crown emoji on the ESPN app, I won the league last year. So, shame on my sisters for not taking it seriously enough.

FWIW, I went to all three fantasy championships last season and am looking to avenge my other two championship weekend failures.

And reminder, the loser of my family league has to do a ski lap by our house in Maine in a bathing suit holding saying “Fantasy Football Loser” and it’s amazing. My oldest sister Kate lost last year and this video is a must-watch…

@dannyhealey

This is what happens when you draft Travis Kelce in Fantasy Football 🤣 Loser Punishment Ski Lap

Had my college league draft a few weekends back at my buddy’s bachelor party (2QB Superflex league). Family league drafted last night. Got my 12-team keeper league in-person draft this weekend at my friend’s lake house. So, yeah, that’s why I’ve been grinding in the lab.

Am I writing this Diary to tell you that your fantasy studying is weak sh*t compared to me and for me to inevitably get made fun of by friends and family for taking this way too seriously?

Well yes, both are true. BUT I have something way more cliche than that for ya…

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One Big (Fantasy) Thing

Drum roll please for the most cliche saying ever but is super simple and can make a major impact on your life…

Do what makes you happy.

We all have that “thing” that other people will never quite understand. For me, it happens to be absolutely dominating fantasy football.

I don’t know what that “thing” is for you but maybe it’s cooking, painting, running marathon or who knows what.

It might feel like a waste of time, but really it can bring you some pure joy.

And that pure joy can go a long way in your life.

The hours I spend listening to podcasts, scribbling mock draft notes, and stressing over round 12 sleepers could easily be seen as “embarrassing” or a “waste of time” But it gives me energy.

The first thing I ever did in “sports media” was actually my sophomore year in high school back in 2012 when I started a twitter account called @fantasytips101 known as “The Oracle”. The account currently has 101 followers and was my first attempt at “public content”. Just realizing that’s likely what kickstarted me to try and figure out a career in sports media. Here’s my favorite old tweet after scrolling:

Me thinking I was Adam Schefter. “In Denver” for a Summer lax league pretending I was at Broncos camp and being cheeky by turning on my tweet location lol.

So, if your passion lights you up, lean into it.

Even if it makes you look like a nerd, or even if your sisters roast you in a text group chat for caring too much.

At the end of the day, passion isn’t supposed to make sense to anyone else.

Life’s too short, people. Go enjoy what brings you joy, no matter how dumb and stupid it may be.

P.S. Reply to this email if you have any fantasy questions. I am clearly the right guy to answer those questions.