The rise of fantasy football

now at GMA and the countdown is almost over the NFL is back and so is fantasy football now exploding in popularity with whole family is getting involved including my very own and a big spike in teenage girls joining leagues and ESPN's Adam schfer and his 15-year-old daughter Dylan are standing by for some analysis But First Take a Look fantasy football season is here fantasy football is back and booming in popularity fans sharing their big draft events with the hash fantasy football at least 29 million Americans now playing with fantasy sports overall exploding into a nearly 11 billion industry even televised drafts featuring some of the biggest names in football this is definitely competitive because you guys literally took my top seven first round picks so congratulations on that all right ladies this is how we're going to slay draft day and now women are more involved than ever this is fantasy football for the girls and comp itive ladies it's time fantasy football 101 on the ESPN Fantasy Football app traffic for females between 13 and 17 years old is up 67% with an average of more than 13,000 users per month some calling it The Taylor Swift effect as we watched her romance with Chief's tight end Travis Kelce flourish last year while covering the 49ers and the Chiefs at the Super Bowl my own daughter's ready for it FaceTiming me as they watch from home all of us sporting our Taylor Swift friendship bracelets see the friendship bracelet sending me this photo my youngest supporting Taylor Swift's boyfriend but my oldest still cheering on my ners and this year she too joining the fantasy football craze so we still got some conflict right in a rivalry within the family joining us now as senior NFL Insider at ESPN Adam schfer and his daughter Dylan it's so great to talk to you both thanks for joining us is great to be here yeah yeah I still got the friendship bracelet uh my daughter is going to co-manage my team with me this year but the both of you how are your fantasy team shaping up so far well Dylan has her draft Tuesday night I have two of my drafts I have two drafts I have two drafts I'm actually in a league with um like eight of my friends they're all girls and we're doing it together for the first time this year I love it I love it so I I want to start this off because Adam apparently you sent out a tweet that was seen by millions and millions of people this was like a screen grab of your text messages with your daughter tell us about that well last year all of a sudden I got a text out of nowhere from Dylan which had never ever happened before I said I'm proud of the girl that I'm raising all of a sudden she had fantasy football questions to ask which she had never asked me before it's always can I get a ride can I get money to buy makeup can I get a smoothie with you but this time it involved football and so that was a big moment in my life with to see you know a little bit of something about that D let me ask you obviously a bonding moment between the two of you but what was it that finally got you into fantasy football I think it was my my dad had a friend who had like an all women's league and that he was running and I had just started working for a football show so I figured what there's no better time to start than now and so I kind of started getting into it I think I really started to grasp the game when around this year and learning about the players has definitely helped me when I watch it and then I'll be interviewing my fantasy picks and I'll be what like what's life it's really weird and let me ask you this just from a girl's perspective you know like people oh fantasy football that's that's for the boys but what was the Intrigue for you it it's really interesting because I have a lot of my friends don't know that much about the game and I love teaching them I have my best friend Sally I was literally we watch football games together like she knows about the sport and so I think really having someone else to watch it with having someone else that knows the game and also my dad he has a little bit of knowledge on football a little bit so it definitely helps like when I'm picking players and adjusting my lineup and she likes to pick with her heart wit I like to pick with my brains but she likes to pick the handsome quarterbacks like until JJ McCarthy the Vikings first round draft pick hurt his knee this year he would have been the quarterback that Dylan would have drafted and a little success perhaps you know sometimes picking with your heart that's the way to go yeah um so Adam let me ask you I mentioned that my daughter is going to join my league for the first time she's going to co-manage my team with me but what advice do you have for people who are just getting into fantasy football I think once they get a taste of it they get involved in it they get emotionally attached to it and that allowed Dylan to watch the games more intently than she ever had before before she never really watched now she says oh that player is on my fancy team oh she has rooting interest in that particular player so I think it's something to bring your daughter or other women into the game uh Dylan not much time left but any advice for people just getting started um Stay Stay persistent with learning the game it's really confusing at first when you w when you watch like one or two games and do it with some people that you really love then it gets so much better and it's a really really fun game love it Dylan Adam so much fun to have you on thank you so much we appreciate it good luck with your fantasy Seasons this year also Monday Night Football is back September 9th Aaron roders in the New York Jets versus the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers my ners as I like to call them right here on ABC and ESPN check out ESPN fantasy football at espn.com/nba by the way oh yeah and Adam watch out because Dylan she's got a big future in this all right Jo us