Facts vs. Feelings Week 2: Travis Etienne Jr., Caleb Williams - ESPN

Fantasy football is a passion for many. Sometimes that passion pushes fantasy managers to make emotional decisions even when the data suggest otherwise. Each week during the 2024 NFL season, Liz Loza will attempt to strike a balance between what the data states and what the heart wants. This is called Facts vs. Feelings.

«Life is not linear.»

It was a phrase emphatically (if not frustratingly) volleyed at me by a dear friend last spring. We had scheduled a post-NFL draft catch-up, exhaling the frenzy of April and inhaling the relative quiet of May. As often happens with former colleagues turned close pals, the convo moved from professional check-in to unadulterated kiki in a matter of minutes.

See, «Rob» (as he'll be referred to here) does not waste time. He will swiftly identify your «ish» and — with indefatigable precision — call you on it. Rob is my just «say the thing» friend. And once it's been said, that news can no longer be faked because he will level you with truth bombs until all of the delulu has left the building (and your body). Everyone needs a Rob. (But maybe not every day.)

On this particular occasion, I was venting about one of my more complicated personal entanglements. I was explaining the delicate facts of the relationship while expressing my layered feelings surrounding this person's recent actions, decrying that if A and B were accurate then C should be a foregone conclusion. Rob did not accept the Liz logic.

Instead of spotlighting absolutes, he pointed out all of the unknowns, suggesting that my singular focus had blurred my overall vision. He wasn't wrong, but it was a tilting POV shift. After reluctant examination, it turned out the situation held many more question marks than exclamation