Yahoo Sports Liz Loza Talks about the NFL Draft & Surviving Sports Withdrawals

Liz Loza has been a fantasy football goddess for over ten years now. She started her own site, The Fantasy Football Girl, and now she has a home at Yahoo Sports. Constantly holding her own, Liz Loza is a woman breaking glass ceilings. Seven years ago, we first featured Liz and her expansive fantasy knowledge. Now she’s back talking about life during quarantine, sports withdrawal, and of course ESPN’s One Last Dance documentary.

First of all, how are you holding you up in quarantine? How are you staying busy without sports?

I’m actually holding up pretty well in quarantine if I’m being honest. I’m going on six weeks now. I have Peloton-ed exactly zero of those, but I have taken a walk every single day which helps me clear my mind. I read, I listen to a podcast, find new routes and that has actually been really, really helpful. I walk for about an hour a day, just alone.

I’m infusing my own vodka so that’s a new hobby. [I] made some new fire kumquat vodka a couple of weeks ago that I’m looking forward to breaking out, basically making my own White Claws because it’s the infused vodka with a little bit of La Croix and BOOM.

I don’t need sports. I actually do need sports. I’m so happy that we had the NFL draft, but that’s a new hobby I have now. 

How did you get your current fantasy football analyst position at Yahoo Sports?

I gained my current position at Yahoo Fantasy in 2015. It was July of 2015 so it’ll be five years that I’ve been with the company this coming summer. Basically, I had started a blog ten years ago in 2009, so over ten years ago by now called TheFantasyFootballGirl.com and that was where I became introduced to you and your audience.

I had been playing fantasy football, I had been watching Fantasy Football LIVE on Yahoo Fantasy. I’m now a cast member on that show and have been for over four years now so that’s wild.

I started a blog called TheFantasyFootballGirl.com and I gave myself a content schedule. I would do video work on Mondays, and Wednesdays, and Fridays. I’d write on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then I did a podcast and added that. Basically, every year I added on to the blog. The first year was just written content. The second year I added the video content and then the third year I added a podcast. I got a Twitter account in 2009 the same year that I started the blog.

I basically said yes to anybody’s everything. If they wanted to have me on, if they wanted to interview me, it didn’t matter how big or how small I said yes. Eventually, Sirius XM asked me to be a guest and someone listening heard me and had a job and offered me a job and that was at Scout Fantasy. It was my first paid gig and then Scout gave me enough of a platform that Yahoo took notice and poached me away. I’ve been very happy with them since that point.” 

Hopefully, we get a football season this year. If we do, what’s your best fantasy strategy for this season? Who are some late-round sleeper picks?

The best fantasy strategy this season, it’s going to be interesting because we’re likely to have an abbreviated offseason. I’m not quite sure as exciting for example as Tom Brady going to Tampa Bay is because he’ll have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and these awesome weapons. Part of me believes that Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement and was allured to Tampa Bay not just because of his relationship with Tom Brady, but because Tom Brady needs someone that he has rapport with, that he can fall into a rhythm quickly with because if we have this offseason without practices, without reps, without team building, literal team building, then how are these players going to build chemistry and rapport with one another? That is so essential in such a timing-based game, especially for a receiver and quarterback.

Running backs, assuming they can stay healthy, what kind of shape are these players going to be in as well? I know I mentioned not going to Peloton. I may weigh the same amount, but I’m pretty sure that my muscles aren’t as strong as they were six weeks ago. Even though people are working out, it’s just a different kind of staying in shape. Again I think that running backs are probably going to have a really nice value because that’s the most plug and play position.

I’m a little bit worried about any receivers that moved teams or rookie receivers despite the depth of talent at the 2020 class for the position. I still think that evolution takes time and any players that moved, I am looking at Josh Jacobs has a great running back value because there are all of these new pieces that the Raiders added to the offense that should stretch the field for him.  I don’t anticipate him seeing as many stacked boxes as he did last year. He’s probably going to have an under the radar good year.

Everyone knows to draft Christian McCaffrey. Everyone knows about Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliot. Ezekiel Elliot, by the way, might be the number two overall because when you add CeeDee Lamb to the mix, again another field stretcher then Wowza! If we’re talking about the Cowboys, Dak Prescott could be a top-three fantasy quarterback because of all the new weapons added his way. I am going to look to players who are established.

Not old, scrubby vets like A.J. Green I’m a little bit worried about because he can’t stay healthy right?  Even though he has an upgrade assumedly in quarterback I don’t know how much time they’re going to spend together.  I am looking at established players who are comfortable where they are and not towards the end of their deal, but also know how to pick up the offense and won’t have as much rust to shake off. I think the running back position is one that’s going to do that most effectively at least at the top of the season. Of course, then you have to work your waiver wire throughout the length of the season because injuries happen especially as it gets colder.”  

How do you think the NFL did with its first virtual draft?

I think that the NFL did extremely well with their first virtual draft. They were very few faux pas or mistakes from a tech perspective. I thought it was really interesting to see these players at home and because everyone’s being quarantined they didn’t have every cousin and distant relative with them. It was like their core group of people that made everything a little bit more intimate.

I appreciated that the NFL sent a lot of these prospects who were expected to go in the first two rounds. I did an interview with Justin Herbert and another with Tua Tagovailoa about this. They got three iPhones for filming, some lights, and a jersey as well as a hat from all 32 teams so that when their name was called and they received the call from the team they could put on the right hat and then they put up the iPhones and the lights up so that everything could be filmed and we could be able to see it.

The NFL did a really good job producing the event and also making it feel more intimate without the spectacle. Seeing people at home in their houses and their parents reacting even though they knew there were cameras on them. It’s just not the same as being in a little boat at the Bellagio fountain and there’s all this flash. I actually thought they did an excellent job. No complaints.

Which teams had the best draft in your opinion?

I think Washington had a really good draft. They did a lot with their picks. I like some of their later round picks.  Antonio Gandy-Golden, a wide receiver out of Liberty University, is an interesting sleeper. I don’t think he’s going to have much of an impact in his first year. I comped him to someone like Kenny Golladay. He’s a little bit raw, but I think that’s just another weapon in Washington. Antonio Gibson is also an electric pass-catcher there that they added. I thought that they had a really nice draft, lots of value for Washington. They had one of the best ones.

Buffalo had a really good draft. I think that Buffalo is the contender right now that the Patriots are kind of in ‘I don’t know what’ mode. Buffalo had an extremely nice draft. I was happy with what the Jets did taking Denzel Mims added value and then taking a tackle to shore up that line in the first round. I thought that was really good. Cincinnati had an excellent draft and so did Cleveland. The AFC North is now a division that used to be not so great and is now pretty competitive. I appreciate what those teams certainly did.

Which teams still need to make a lot of improvements in order to have a winning season?

The Patriots are complete I don’t know what. It looks like they’re going to tank, except they are being coached by the wiliest, most intelligent HC in the game. I’m not quite sure what they’re going to do. Jarrett Stidham is definitely the starting quarterback. N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman, the vet who has a couple injury concerns, an ACL injury for sure. N’Keal Henry who is coming off his rookie season. They didn’t really add any weapons beyond that. They did add a tight end. It will be interesting to see what they do.

What was your biggest surprise from the draft?

The Packers had a head-scratching draft. Actually I don’t think it’s head-scratching. The Packers draft wasn’t about giving Aaron Rodgers what he needs. It was about giving Matt LeFleur, the team’s head coach, what he wants. There definitely seems to be a bit of a power struggle there and that’ll be at least entertaining if you will to watch as it unfolds.

Everyone is talking about the Packers taking Jordan Love and not taking one receiver. What are your thoughts?

 Jordan Love is really fascinating to me because Aaron Rodgers was the same age when he was drafted as Jordan Love is now. Aaron Rodgers is the same age as Brett Favre was when Aaron was drafted. There’s definitely some interesting karmic overlap I guess you could say there.

I like Jordan Love. He’s not a very decisive prospect. I comped him to Sam Darnold frankly, but he has this underdog grit about him that just makes him really exciting. His father committed suicide when he was just 14 years old so there’s a tragic past. Jordan was a basketball player, multisport athlete. You see a lot of his athleticism in his game, but his decision-making is a little bit wonky. When he feels pressure, and this is where he’s a lot like Sam Darnold. He’s also built similarly in terms of size to Sam Darnold, but when he feels pressure he gets very scattershot. He has a tendency to throw interceptions, particularly when trying to fit balls into tight windows.

There’s a project situation there. I think Matt LeFleur, who is only 40 years olds, which is young for a head coach, wants to put his stamp on something. He’s tired of having to kiss Aaron Rodgers’ ring and Aaron Rodgers is older.

The fact that frankly LeFleur went and drafted A.J. Dillon, a running back. When you have someone like Aaron Jones is also head-scratching except when you think about the fact that Matt LeFleur was the offensive coordinator in Tennessee and was the OC who unleashed Derrick Henry albeit in week 14, but this was 2018. A.J. Dillon is a running back that comps very similarly to Derrick Henry.

Matt LeFleur knows what he wants and he wants to make a mark. I just don’t think that the team particularly cares about 2020. I think they’ve got 2021 vision.

What do you recommend for people to try who are really going through sports withdrawals?

Sports withdrawals are a real thing. It’s such a community experience. It’s such a social experience going to sporting games, discussing at work or with your friends about “the game” whatever that is baseball, basketball, football. I do think if we have a football season, fantasy will be fantastic in that regard because it’s always been so social.

I don’t think it’s likely we’ll have football in stadiums for fans to see live, but we are all getting used to virtual living anyway. It’s likely we’ll have a football season, maybe it doesn’t start until October. We’re just going to have to adapt. In the meantime, July is always rough for sports. We were supposed to have the summer Olympics this year. We won’t have that. I would get a Peloton, maybe ride it more than me. Cooking has become a thing for people, you can compete. There’s going to be a golf tournament that should be kind of interesting. I don’t know what advice to give people going through sports withdrawals other than finding new avenues, maybe push-up challenges or baking challenges.

Here’s an idea! Everyone’s making this damn sourdough. I’m not baking because I live in Los Angeles and it’s super hot these days already. People are baking these sourdough buns or loaves or whatever, maybe there’s a socially distance, safe way for everybody like a group of five people to create their own baked goods be it the sourdough loaf or a pie or something and then make one for everybody in their friend group and then those get scored, but you do it anonymously. Those get scored and everybody just drops everything off like on Tuesday gets like four baked goods and then you score them and you have a little internal competition about who’s the best baker in your group.

Maybe you do that, and then you definitely need to ride the Peloton because all those carbs are going to not keep you in, to bring it full circle, in football shape. There you go.

You are from Chicago. What are your thoughts on the One Last Dance documentary currently airing on ESPN?

I am from Chicago. I love One Last Dance as a documentary. I haven’t dug fully in because I’ve been so busy with the NFL draft. I grew up in the ’90s so Michael Jordan is very impactful in terms of my youth and my childhood. I wanted to give it as much attention as possible and I didn’t want to have to jump between things.

Now that the NFL draft is over I am planning on Sunday to create a marathon. I had a poster of B.J. Armstrong on my ceiling as a kid. Yes, I am loving the little bit I’ve allowed myself to see and I am excited! That is the thing I am going to do to get through my sports withdrawal is watch “One Last Dance” because it is *chef kiss*.

 What is your advice to women looking to enter the sports world?

Just go do it. Go do it. It doesn’t matter.  I know as women we’re told the bar is so high. You have to look good, you have to know all the things. There are men that are going to quiz you, not all men but a lot of them frankly are going to quiz you. You have to look good; you have to be super smart.  We have to be all the things all the time, best mother, best in the boardroom, best all around. It is so much pressure and all you’re being told is to be perfect, be perfect all the time until you just say I’m not perfect. 

You make a mistake, you start again. I was just on a podcast earlier today when I was talking about the Bears and I meant to say Tarik Cohen and I said Tyreek Hill and I cringed not because I made the mistake, but because I knew that there’s going to be some jerk, troll on Twitter or Instagram telling me that I’m a stupid woman who doesn’t know sports and to go bake a pie or something. We’ve discussed, if I’m part of this pie baking challenge that I mentioned earlier, by the way, I’m not baking.

I would say if you’re a woman and you want to get into sports, know your stuff, but that’s standard. I tell that to a man too and just go do it. Just start writing. Just start creating. No better time than right now. Grab an iPhone, grab a ring light and just start doing. Start an Instagram account, start a Youtube channel, just start doing stuff. Get your reps.

Also, maybe don’t blast it out to everyone just because you created something. Maybe take some time to write a couple of articles, do a couple of videos, conceive a couple of ideas or angles, and show them to your inner circle. Get notes, create relationships before saying, ‘I just did this thing’ and I want immediate gratification. It is going to take time. Hone your craft, but just go out there and start doing it and if you keep doing it. It gets better and better with every rep you take someone will take notice. It only takes one person to be an advocate that will change your life. 

Thank you so much for having me on. Enjoy the summer. May you outlast the sports doldrums. You can follow me on Twitter at @LizLoza_ff and on Instagram at @LizLoza_ff as well. I’ve been having a lot of fun with quarantine on Instagram. We try to keep it aspirational, but also we want to keep the football knowledge on point.  Thank you so much. Stay well, be healthy, be well!

Thank you so much for your time, Liz! If you want more Liz Loza, you can check her out on Fantasy Football LIVE.