Well, folks, it’s been fun, but this is the final edition of the offseason column, “Ask Jen Anything” (“AJA”). Many thought-provoking and exciting questions have been asked this offseason, and I can’t wait to tackle this final series of questions.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in and participated! I had a blast answering everyone’s questions and almost can’t wait until next offseason to pick back up where we left off. In the meantime, my Direct Messages (DMs) are always open to anyone who needs anything – all season (or offseason) long!
That said, let’s see what’s in store for us from our readers this month and jump into this final edition of “AJA!”
First-Timer
“I’m going to the Fantasy Football Expo for the first time this weekend. I’m a bit of an introvert and am nervous to meet new people. Do you have any tips to make it through the weekend?” – Anonymous
First, I feel that nervousness that you’re feeling. Last year was my first year attending, and I was anxious and nervous and almost pulled the plug on going altogether. I was overwhelmed by a lot of things. I felt like a fraud and that I didn’t know as much about football as everyone else. I was nervous about remembering everyone’s names. I was anxious about the unexpected.
Upon entering the DoubleTree in Canton, Ohio (that’s where everyone gathered last year), a rush of adrenaline hit me. Standing in a room with 300 men and a handful of women was overwhelming. It was crazy to finally put names to faces and to be greeted with big smiles and warm embraces. I was immediately settled by how welcoming everyone was and realized that I had just walked into a room of my friends.
These people weren’t strangers. I had conversations with them via DMs. Or I had podcasted or live streamed with them.
I realized that most people in that room felt the same way I did. But no one was there to puff their chests and spew football stats. Instead, we were all there to have fun and meet each other.Â
There are plenty of places to catch your breath if you feel overwhelmed. Canton is a quaint town with a lot of charming restaurants and shops, so you can always go for a stroll to clear your head. Also, this weekend’s weather should be pretty nice, so you won’t be stuck indoors.
Find a “safety buddy” you can rely on and talk to if you feel out of sorts. Make a pact with that person that you’ll be there for them, and they’ll be there if you need each other.
I think you’ll be surprised by how well you’ll be received at the Expo. It’s a giant party, so have some fun, meet new people and make some unforgettable memories! And, you can always seek me out if you need anything while we’re there. I hope I get to meet you!
Top-10 QBs
“Who doesn’t belong?
#FantasyFootball Top 10, of course, you have to start with #Quarterbacks. Here are my top-10 Points Per Reception (PPR) QBs:”
- Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
- Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
- Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
- Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City)
- Tom Brady (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
- Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
- Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys)
- Russell Wilson (Denver Broncos)
- Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
– Matt
Your list is solid. If anyone doesn’t belong, I would say Kirk Cousins. He ranked as the QB11 last season with 4,221 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a completion rate of 66.3 percent.
Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Trey Lance are being drafted ahead of Cousins at this present moment. So Rodgers and Stafford could easily replace Cousins on your list. But, overall, I think you have a decent list.
Getting Timely
“Our family has a very busy life. We try as much as we can to not run around like crazy people, but almost always find ourselves late/behind schedule or barely making a deadline. How do you manage with a little one and so much else going on?” – Anonymous
This is a very thoughtful question. As any parent can attest, getting out the door on time is challenging. Even if your little one(s) is excited about the activity you’re racing towards; it can still be very stressful to keep everyone on track and on time.
Timers are essential. Whether you set a timer on your smart device, use an old-fashioned egg timer or set a timer on the stove, use a timer. And set it five minutes earlier than you need to actually leave. It’ll be a call to action for your family and, hopefully, get everyone out the door on time.
The other secret I use is setting the clocks in the kitchen two minutes fast (unbeknownst to my husband and son). My son can’t really tell time yet, so he has no way of verifying if the time on the stove and microwave are correct. And my husband mainly relies on those clocks rather than his phone for the time. He doesn’t wear a watch, so that’s also helpful.
We started using the countdown timer on our Amazon Echo when our son was very young, so he knows what the beeping at the end of the timer means. He often asks for a second timer to be set, so we’ll typically use a one-minute timer to begin, let the beeping go off to indicate the timer is over, then set a secondary timer for the “actual” time when we want to leave.
Setting clothes out the night beforehand is also helpful – for everyone in the house. That ensures that no one is scrambling and wondering what to wear that day. Also, pre-packing food and snacks the night before frees up your mornings for those unexpected surprises. And there will definitely be unexpected surprises.
It can be overwhelming to be on time, but giving yourself an additional five to 10 minutes in the morning or before you need to leave will ease everyone’s anxiety.
Good luck!
Again, thank you to everyone for their questions this offseason.
Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter for more motherly and fantasy sports advice @JenPolvogt.