Breaking Down the 2022 Offseason
Boys and girls, we have successfully made it through the 2022 offseason, which means you likely need a new mixtape. It’s been one hell of a stretch, but your leagues are reaching out to schedule draft dates as we speak. So whether you are a returning champion, a sore loser, or the middle of the pack… sit down, grab a drink, and listen up: I made this for you.
1. Offseason Flavors for 2022
If you are a fantasy junkie like the rest of us, you have been keeping up with beat writers and NFL news all offseason. Every few days, Twitter is abuzz as analysts and football fans hype up a new player as their flavor of the week. Did you miss Gabriel Davis Week? Let me catch you up: We were all too low, and then we were all too high. That’s the offseason for you—New day; New flavor. (And please, if you’re excited for Davis, that’s fine, but don’t reach too early, or you may end up with the Loser’s Trophy.)
Flavor of the Week - American Hi-Fi
2. The 2022 Offseason Is Almost Over
Draft season is here! Live drafts always give me the lil’ tinglies deep inside. Not in a weird way; I just get excited. It reminds me of the butterflies in your tummy when you’re on the way to a first date. “Let’s go! Don’t Wait! This night’s almost over!” The possibilities are endless. You know you’ll have a great time but don’t know where the night will take you. That’s a metaphor for your draft board.
This is very deep.
I look forward to hosting my home league draft every year because trash-talking all of my friends in person is the highlight of my season. “Honest, let’s make this night last forever!”
First Date - Blink 182
3. Changes Are Coming
Speculation filled the past few months. How will coaching changes affect players? Are injured players healed and ready to take the field Week 1? Is Aaron Rodgers’ girlfriend really a witch, and how will that affect his Super Bowl chances?
We can’t fully know until we see the guys in action, but if I know anything, it’s be ready for change. Change is the name of the game when you have a million variables floating around all offseason. The guys you trusted in your line-up last year may not live up to the expectations after the 2022 offseason. Guys you avoided previously may be on a new team and thrive with a new coaching staff. Change is good if you embrace it; just be ready for it.
Change - Deftones
4. We want it all, With no sacrifice!
It’s August. Simple reports and video clips from practice are making players’ ADPs skyrocket. Guys that were a bargain just a week ago are now flying up the draft boards and “we’re all to blame.” If we didn’t fall so hard for a clean pass or coach speak, maybe sleepers could stay sleeping. “How did we all come to this? A greed that we just can’t resist.” It’s not just you, I fell for it too. We are all to blame.
We’re All to Blame - Sum 41
5. The Summer Heat
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t invested in the hope the offseason brings. No NFL team has a losing record. No fantasy football team has a losing record. LIFE IS GOOD when there’s hope for the Ultimate Title Belt. I know in December, things might be different. That’s why “sometimes all I think about is you,” offseason. “Late nights in the middle of June,” when life was easier. There’s always next offseason. Some say it’s boring, but I live for the hope of it all.
Heat Waves - Glass Animals
6. We’ve Waited the Entire 2022 Offseason
There are always fantasy leagues that don’t make it. We have all been in leagues that went radio silent in the offseason, never to be reinstated. “It’s alright to pretend that we still talk,” to those guys. But the real fun is with your real friends.
We can’t end an off-season playlist without a track dedicated to our home leagues. You know, the guys who have stuck around year after year, loss after loss, injury after injury. If I had to choose between a Championship Trophy or sticking around for years with the same 12, “I’d still pick my friends over you.” However, I may or may not know what it’s like to hold the ultimate prize...
My Friends Over You - New Found Glory
Be sure to follow @TrophySmack for all the latest on the Smack Zone. We’ll have more mixtapes and ways to help you win your draft and your league’s trophy.
Need a team name for this season? We have the Top 10 Names for 2022!
