Bottom: Gemma Martinez, Kate Magdziuk, Kim Adkison, Rachel Tootsiepop
March is Women's History Month, and here at Footballguys, we're celebrating by featuring some amazing women in fantasy football—both content creators and savvy players of the game we all love.
In this roundtable, we'll hear what first drew them to fantasy football, what keeps them engaged, and what goals they're striving for in this ever-evolving space. From their personal journeys to their visions for the future, these women are making an impact in fantasy football in meaningful and exciting ways.
What got you interested in fantasy football?
Poppy Kimish: For as long as I can remember, sports have been a huge part of my life. Growing up a huge football (soccer) fan and going to Southampton games, I always enjoyed Premier League fantasy football. I started watching the NFL regularly back in 2013 and haven't looked back. However, my first season of NFL fantasy football came a lot later in 2020...
Before the Buccaneers vs. Panthers 2019 London game, I bought a creamsicles Ronde Barber jersey from a small online vintage store based in the UK. I ended up befriending the founder, Hugh, a fellow Bucs fan. During Covid, I wanted to support Hugh and the store as much as possible and ended up becoming part of a community of like-minded NFL vintage nerds and was invited to take part in the fantasy football league known as the JaMarcus Bowl. (Yes... we are named after JaMarcus Russell.... we love an underdog and funny NFL story!) Five years later, the JMB is still going strong with 24 members, and I jump at the chance to join any fantasy league I can get, with a soft spot for charity leagues.
Julia Papworth: I fell in love with football while sitting on the couch with my British father. My parents had immigrated to Arizona and wanted to enjoy "American things," and football fit the bill nicely. My love for it continued to grow, and I slowly became the person in a group spouting random tight end statistics or claiming that the Cardinals would win it all that year.
Spoiler alert: they did not.
In my bartending days, I was invited to join a fantasy league as a fill-in for a manager who had to leave, and I was hooked from the start. After years of playing fantasy football, I made the leap to contributing to the fantasy space as a writer, podcast guest, and analyst. There are days when I cannot believe how lucky I am, and as each season passes, I become more confident that I am in the right industry.
Victoria Geary: A decade ago, I was desperate for any distraction from the pain of being a Buffalo Bills fan when a coworker invited me to join our office fantasy football league. From the moment I set my lineup, I was hooked. Years of watching lackluster performances from the Bills had left Sundays feeling bleak, but fantasy football reignited my excitement and allowed me to enjoy star players on other teams. My accounting background influenced my initial pull to stats-based start/sit research.
One of my luckiest early moves was snagging Alvin Kamara off the waiver wire during his rookie season, riding his breakout performances all the way to the playoffs. After a few years of lurking on fantasy football Twitter, I decided to create an account of my own, jumping into every interesting conversation I could find. I was invited as a guest on a few podcasts and the high of talking with friends about fantasy football was something I continued to chase. What started as a simple distraction eventually transformed into a dream spot at Footballguys.
Gemma Martinez: Fantasy football is a way to enjoy the game we love more. It literally makes me see the NFL in a different way, more immersively and fun. Fantasy football helped me learn about other football players, do research, create strategies, and add excitement for my teams. What I like most is that it keeps you connected with people from different parts of the world.
Kate Magdziuk: I only started playing fantasy football when my then-girlfriend/now-wife recruited me to join her brother's league. He was adamant that whatever replacement joined must have experience playing fantasy (I didn't), so naturally, I spent the entire offseason preparing (and obsessing) and fell in love with the game. I went on to win second place in the league that year and never looked back.
Kim Adkison: I started watching football with my dad when I was 7. The Dolphins were my favorite team because they had dolphins on their helmets. My brother and I had weird superstitions about the chairs we sat in and what we ate before their game. We made my mother leave the room if they made a bad play when she entered.
Years later, my 10-year-old son became interested in football. In time, we formed a family and friends league. My mother told me to let my son beat me in our matchups. I did not let my son beat me in our matchups. I would have died for my son, but I wouldn't let him beat me in fantasy football.
I'm so honored to be asked this question because the first analysts I listened to were Sigmund Bloom, Matt Waldman, and Bob Harris. I fangirled when Bob Harris followed me on Twitter.
Later, I got into DFS, Scott Fish Bowl, and Best Ball. I made the finals on $3 Draft Kings two years ago and Underdog Big Board last year, so I'm probably hooked for life. I'm so glad my fandom evolved because it led me to some wonderful people in the industry. Fantasy football allows us a rooting interest in all of the games, even if our favorite NFL team is floundering.
Rachel Tootsiepop: About seven years ago, I overheard coworkers talking about their work league, and my ears perked up. I asked them, "What is this, and can I play?" I had no idea what I was doing, so I turned to fantasy Twitter for help. Through that, I discovered Kate and Michelle Magdziuk and their BallBlast podcast. I credit them not only for teaching me how to play fantasy football but also for helping me gain the confidence to believe that it was something I could learn.
What has kept me engaged with this game over the years is the sense of community. I love how fantasy football can bring people from all over the world together through this shared passion. Because connection and inclusion are important to me, in 2023, I founded Unwind, a community of women who love fantasy football.
What are your goals in the fantasy space?
Adkison: I'll probably remain more of a cheerleader from the sidelines of all the amazing writers in this space, which I'm so thankful for, including my awesome friend, Rachel, who has brought our amazing group of ladies together in our Unwind chats.
Tootsiepop: Joining Footballguys as a staff writer was a dream come true for me. I aspire to keep growing as a content creator and to find innovative ways to apply analysis. Being authentic and relatable are my top goals in whatever I do in this space. I'm passionate about promoting inclusivity for women in fantasy football— I believe there's a seat at the table for everyone.
Papworth: My goal will always be to provide actionable advice for everyone battling it out in their home leagues but also remind them that fantasy football should be fun, and you can be in this industry and be a good, kind human. I have learned so much from some of the fantastic females in this space, Liz Loza, Stacey Dales, and Lindsay Rhodes, to name a few, and I hope to one day have my name mentioned in the same breath as theirs. I want to be a great representative for women working in sports.
Magdziuk: My goals are to create fantasy football content that players of all experience levels can understand, appreciate, and find useful. I am a big believer that those in the fantasy Twitter space can get a little lost in the game, creating content that informs and entertains other creators, and the everyday fantasy manager can get a little lost in that shuffle. Fantasy football can be intimidating for first-time players, and sometimes, the amount of information available to digest is overwhelming. I want to help speak to these people and grow the game by creating new fanatics with content that is voice-y, entertaining, and informative.
Geary: Each season, my goals have shifted slightly, but this year, I want to focus entirely on having fun. I've realized that my best content comes when I genuinely enjoy what I'm creating. With that in mind, I'd love to dive into more short-form video content designed to help women learn the basics of fantasy football and confidently get started!
Kimish: To be honest, as lame as it may sound to some, my main goal in the fantasy space is to represent women, have fun, and connect with others. Sure, I absolutely love winning – who doesn't? - but the people in my life that I can now proudly call friends from these silly little leagues mean much more to me than the trophies I've won.
Martinez: As a woman in fantasy football, my main goals are to continue breaking down barriers, foster inclusion, expand fantasy football content in Spanish, and help build a community where everyone, regardless of gender, feels welcome and empowered to participate.
I want to continue to provide useful information and advice to all kinds of players. I want to create content that not only informs but also inspires and encourages women and other underrepresented groups to take on leadership roles in the space, whether through content creation, analysis, or even fantasy league commissioner or group participation.
I hope to help shift the narrative, making the fantasy football space more inclusive and exciting, while fostering a positive and collaborative environment for all.
Later this month, we will be back with part two of this roundtable, where we'll look ahead to the 2025 season. Stay tuned!
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