(IMO) You aren't missing a thing.
FWIW, rather than selling verticals, go with broken-wing butterflies, with short delta between |.20| and |.25|. By owning that front strike, you will vastly reduce your vol exposure, and eventually, even turn it positive.
I am an options guy as well, most days that I watch the illiquid chop I can't imagine trading the outright's. Then again, as you probably notice, much of the way these futures trade has a great deal to do with which strikes are in play and the fact that there are three weekly expirations. A lot of "ramp and camp" and "bleed out" type of action most days.
I also use BWB's, mostly leg into my positions, vary the expirations and do other plays with different ratio spreads, but I have found the past two weeks tricky for even legging basic positions.