Commissioner Paige Metayer on 'pretty intense' Washington Spirit fantasy football league

There are a lot of things occupying the Washington Spirit, and for most readers of this site, the on-field issues are the main focus. We'll have an analysis piece digging into team performance later this week, but in the meantime it's Monday, which for a big chunk of the squad means a lot of fretting over fantasy football results.

The Spirit have made no secret of the team's fantasy football league, and it comes up in the press box — which includes some FFB players on both the media and team side — from time to time. Last year, multiple reporters independently had the idea of looking into it from various angles, and my colleague Roey Hadar talked to several players about the 2025 edition of this league.

But I couldn't let the idea go, and fortunately the angle I had wanted to take isn't in too much conflict with Roey's (very good) piece. Is it overkill to do another Spirit fantasy football article? Yes. But then again, this is a site doing 3,000-word deep dives on single games of soccer, even when they aren't particularly edifying. You came here for the overkill.

This series will run throughout the Spirit's fantasy football season, with periodic updates to keep track of league standings, big incidents, and whatever else the players and staff making up the league feel like sharing. Here are the participants in the 2026 Washington Spirit fantasy league:

• Players: Kaylie Collins, Esme Morgan, Kate Wiesner, Sara Wojdelko, Paige Metayer, Madison Haugen, Gabby Carle
• Staff: Sam Pittman (Senior Communications Manager), Jordan Small (Equipment Manger), Patrick Lyle (Assistant Equipment Manager), Mike Trinh (Applied Sports Scientist), Sean Warrington (Security), Adam Donaldson (Video Analyst), Ben Berczek (Director of Operations)

With all that in mind, league commissioner Paige Metayer spoke with Green Line Soccer on the ins and outs of the league. The interview below is lightly edited for clarity, and if you don't know what terms like superflex and PPR mean, this glossary might help.

Green Line Soccer: Who is coming in as the champion? Let's start there.

Paige Metayer: Okay, I will say, in past years we haven't been super clear. Let me set the stage. A lot of these people that we've been playing fantasy with have never played fantasy before. So there were a lot of arguments over who was the real winner, if they won [in the standings or the playoffs. Obviously everyone who has played fantasy football knows that it is the playoff winner, but that came up in a few arguments. I think Kaylie [Collins]...if you ask Kaylie, I think she's gonna claim she won, and I forget which one she won of out of those two, but I think Kaylee would proclaim herself as winner.

GLS: I'm not too shocked that a a group of soccer people are having the discussion around how in soccer, normally if you're top of the table, you win the league. I guess I'll have to talk to Kaylie about it and get her perspective on how she defines her championship win. Along these lines, are there any controversies hanging over the league from last season?

PM: We also debated who lost the league last season. That was also in debate. So it's just hard because it finishes when we're in the offseason, so it's a little silly. But this year, I will say we have a lot more people who've done it before, slash people who understand what the process is. We have a 14-person league this year, seven staff, seven players. So, people will know this year.

GLS: There are a lot of ways to hold a draft: people like to do an in-person process on paper or marker board. In my league we usually have a Zoom going, since we have a player in Australia and everyone's got kids and busy schedules that prevent us from actually assembling in one place. How did you conduct yours?

PM: It was after a pregame meal in Portland, so people were [together]. It was funny, you just hear the little ringtone when it's your turn to draft. You would just hear that go off across the dining room at dinner. Sam, his team name is Swim Slow, Waddle Fast, because the way I chose the draft order is I went to a duck race online simulator, and his duck came last place, so he was a little upset at his duck.

GLS: That's probably a better idea than the years in my league where we held a draft for your draft spot. You mentioned Sam's name, are there any other team names that really stand out?

PM: You know what? Mike has [Malik] Nabers, so it's Love thy Naber. I'm trying to think of anyone else's good ones. I'm pretty sure Esme's something about the Jags because, you know. Classic. Let's see if I have any good ones...

GLS: I think Esme's going to be a guest in this series at some point.

PM: Yes. I'll let her talk about her team name, but it is Jags related.

GLS: Not shocked in the least.

PM: No. She threatens everyone every year that if they draft Trevor Lawrence, she's not going to play.

GLS: Did she take as many Jaguars as last year? In preseason I think she told me she took four last year.

PM: I'm looking. Let's see...she only has one Jag in her starting lineup, but she has three overall. She's a little choosier.

GLS: I think in preseason she acknowledged that four was possibly too many.

PM: Probably, yeah.

GLS: I talked to Ben [Kessler, the Spirit's Director of Communications], he's in five leagues and really into fantasy football, and he speculated that he didn't get invited because the group was perhaps scared to have him in the league.

PM, absolutely withering: Oh yes, that's one way to put it.

GLS: Let's get to the results. How did Week 1 go? Who's looking like a contender at the moment? Who should be happy with themselves?

PM: Well, I will start by saying that out of the seven-seven split, five of the players won. So I think we have a leg up on the staff right now, which is important. I think Sean had a big week, which is unfortunately a staff member, but I don't know. Week 1 was a little crazy, so we'll see. Jordan's getting hit hard too. She's down there with Sam, but she's had a few goose eggs in the past two weeks, so that's tough.

GLS: That is difficult...

PM: The players are on top, if we're comparing players and staff.

GLS: I'm picking up that that is a very important thing here. Do you feel like the staff feels the same level of rivalry with the players?

PM: Depends who you ask. I'm not sure if they're all aware that this is something I'm thinking about. When I make them aware, they have things to say.

GLS: I'm definitely a fan of trying to provoke rivalries within fantasy football, because it keeps people from losing interest.

PM: Yes. This year, I said I was gonna fine anyone who started anyone who was hurt, because that was a big problem last year. I'd have to be in people's texts, being like, "Please, change your roster!" So, now they get fined.

GLS: So last season it was enough of an issue that it was bringing the league down, and you had to take action?

PM: I think one week, I helped someone who I was playing against, and they beat me. But it was in the spirit of the game.

GLS: Admirable honesty.

PM: Now they'll just get fined.

GLS: How much is the fine?

PM: I think it's like $2. Just enough!

GLS: Is that per injured player? So if someone leaves three ineligible players in, we're talking $6?

PM: Yes. They'd owe me a coffee, for sure. We'll put it in the championship pool.

GLS: Is there a trophy, or some other physical object for the winner?

PM: No. We always say that there should be a punishment for the loser and a prize for the winner, but we've never been able to collectively agree on one. So, we shall see.

GLS: With a $2 fine, I'm guessing the prize pool is in modest territory?

PM: No, no, no. It's chill. It's chill. It's just for participation.

GLS: How many people do you think are never going to need the reminder to check their lineup?

PM: Ooh. I would say most of the staff is locked in. And this year...this year I'd say the players are locked in too. I think last year, it was a bit of a struggle, but I'm thinking that yeah, I would say we're gonna be good this year, and we're gonna be on it. I will say it is hard because we keep playing Sundays. To me, the weekend is Monday-Tuesday. Thursday came across [last week], and I was like, 'I have people playing tonight?' So that has been a problem.

GLS: I'm telling myself that's why I lost in Week 1, I had two players in the game in Australia. How are you feeling about your team?

PM: You know, I like the bones of it. It's got good bones. But there's always...let's see. I employ the strategy of drafting too many wide receivers and running backs., so I think I'm struggling on the tight end front right now, unfortunately. But besides that—and I don't have a good backup quarterback. So those are the two positions that I'm a little like, we gotta see how that plays out, but the rest of them I'll take.

[ed. note: Per Spirit comms, Metayer's team name is simply "P$"]

GLS: If you're struggling on tight ends, are you possibly going to end up having to stream tight ends every week?

PM: Well, we'll see. I've got Hunter Henry right now. We went with him pretty late [in the draft], but he got like six points in Week 1. It does the job, but we're not excited there.

GLS: In my league we did away with mandatory tight ends, but we're pretty far down the rabbit hole in terms of haggling over league rules. How have you structured your league?

PM: Traditional. Single flex, and PPR.

GLS: What platform are we talking here?

PM: ESPN. I have a Sleeper one too, and I don't like the Sleeper interface as much.

GLS: I'm assuming the rules have been kept pretty straightforward, given how last year went. My league is warped by a couple of decades of hair-splitting, which I don't think would be a good environment for newcomers to the sport.

PM: Yes. But I wouldn't be worried about Esme. I feel like she's the last one you need to worry about in terms of understanding fantasy football. She figured it out.

GLS: I'm citing examples from my own league because there's a little competitive demon that comes out. Obviously you're all competitors, to get to where you are in your careers, but this is also for fun. Is everyone finding it easy to keep from being too competitive?

PM: I think we get pretty intense about it. We like to joke when we're playing each other. I'm playing Madison this week, so I'm sure maybe we'll go at it. But I would say I would probably go at it with Esme the most, or the staff. But between the players, I think we keep it a little more cordial than between me and the staff.

GLS: When I've been around the team after games, especially on the road, everyone is checking the other NWSL scores right away. Having to play on Sunday so often, like you said, are you seeing the other participants go for their phone to check their team or their matchup?

PM: I think it depends on who you ask. I will say, it is a little fun to joke around in the locker room on a Sunday and being like, 'I got you!' But we did start at 1 p.m [last] weekend, so there was none of that pre-game.

GLS: Is there anything else you want to say on your behalf as a fantasy football player, or on behalf of the league?

PM: No, I think no one's done anything [notable]. There hasn't been enough time in the league for anyone to be shockingly bad or shockingly good. No one's dropped someone crazy to a waiver wire yet, or something like that. So there's not any juice to it yet.

Spirit fantasy league standings — Week 2

1. Kate Wiesner (2-0)
2. Esme Morgan (2-0)
3. Patrick Lyle (2-0)
4. Madison Haugen (1-1)
5. Sean Warrington (1-1)
6. Mike Trinh (1-1)
7. Gabby Carle (1-1)
8. Ben Berczek (1-1)
9. Paige Metayer (1-1)
10. Adam Donaldson (1-1)
11. Sara Wojdelko (1-1)
12. Jordan Small (0-2)
13. Kaylie Collins (0-2)
14. Sam Pittman (0-2)