April 1, 2020 ::
OWS Fam —
I’m hoping this finds you feeling healthy. And while I know the economic fallout is affecting a great number of our family members, I hope you’re remaining positive, strong, and solution-focused. We’re all in this together, and we’ll come through it together as well.
A couple weeks ago, CubsFan and I were talking about ways we could give our community an extra layer of sanity and normalcy during this time (a discussion that got delayed for nearly two weeks as my wife and son and I battled through what may or may not have been Covid-19; whatever we had, it was nasty!); and I figured it would be a great time to launch an OWS server on Discord where our community can come together.
Of course, the greatest utility for this Discord server will come when football season returns in all its glory (at which point, we’ll have a weekly area to discuss Showdown slates, the main slate, and DFS strategy) — but we wanted to also launch early in order to provide a social/sports-related outlet during this odd time.
At the moment, we have three channels set up on the server ::
A ‘Social Distancing Sanity’ channel, where I encourage you to leave any thoughts or tips that might help people who are stir-crazy at home.
An ‘NFL Offseason’ channel, where — given the wild offseason moves we’ve seen — I imagine some interesting discussions can be had already. (Especially if you follow your own team closely: start sharing with others what you know!)
A ‘Best Ball’ channel, where best ball drafters can start bouncing ideas off one another in this early stage of the drafting season.
If you’re already on Discord, you can join the OWS server through this link: https://discord.gg/6sQK47M
If you are not on Discord, it’s simple (and free) to sign up — and you can download the Discord app on your computer and phone as well, in order to keep the discussion handy at all times (especially useful once the season is here!).
Finally, here are some of my own tips for staying sane while staying at home ::
>> Stick to a schedule! :: As best you can, set up some sort of structure to your days that can keep everything from feeling so strange and sloppy.
>> Start and finish strong! :: Search for ways to begin and end your days under your own control. Give yourself at least thirty minutes before and after sleep without your phone.
>> Walks :: Especially if you are used to leaving the house daily and are now stuck at home, a quick little two-mile walk can do wonders for your sanity. Furthermore: one of the most difficult things about being home all day is how few contours there are in the day, and how loose everything can start feeling as a result. All of these tips (especially the walks!) can help it feel like you did more than just kill off hours that day.
>> Watch 2019 NFL games :: NFL Game Pass is complimentary through the end of May! If you want to gain an edge in NFL DFS, go back and watch games from last season. Coaches film can provide value, but even just watching four or five condensed games (in the time it would typically take to watch one game live) can help you get a great feel for the strengths and weaknesses of different coaches and players.
>> Read fiction :: While fiction reading can be a great pleasure, and a great way to pass the time, it’s also one of the best ways to stimulate imagination — which stimulates creative thought. We regularly mention on the site that creative problem-solving is massively valuable in DFS; but it’s also valuable for each of us as we figure out how to navigate these times. When the New England Patriots run the hill at the end of practice, Belichick often tells his players to “put it in the bank” — suggesting that this extra effort can be drawn on when it’s needed. I feel the same way about the creative benefits of reading. I’ve dropped some of my favorite reads onto the site if you’re looking for suggestions.
With that, I’m out of here.
I’ll see you in spurts on the OWS Discord server; and in spite of everything going on right now, I know I’ll see you at the top of the ‘leaderboards of these times’ real soon!
-JM
