The Ringer Fantasy Football Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Brian Callahan Fired, Puka and Egbuka Hurt, and Week 7 Waivers
Release Date: October 14, 2025
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

Overview

In this high-energy episode, Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck break down major headlines and provide key waiver wire advice after Week 6 heading into Week 7 of the 2025 fantasy football season. The show pivots around the bombshell firing of Titans coach Brian Callahan, injury fallout for key wide receivers like Puka Nacua and Emeka Egbuka, and an in-depth look at top waiver claims position by position. Along the way, the hosts bring their trademark banter, quirky trivia showdowns, and respond to listener emails with relatable parenting and life anecdotes.

Main Topics & Insights

1. Brian Callahan Fired as Titans Head Coach

Starts at 01:13

Key Discussion Points

• Immediate Reaction (01:13):

  • Craig: "Obviously it's a bummer because turnover for a rookie quarterback is probably never going to be a good thing for Cam Ward." (01:41)
  • Heifetz: "At the end of the day, the Titans are a joke... They're opening a new stadium in Nashville in two years, and Mike Vrabel, who they fired, is coming to town next week and was going to embarrass the shit out of them." (02:32)

• Reasons Behind the Firing:

  • Lack of team improvement and embarrassing performance.
  • Callahan’s rule blunder (miscounting “one elbow doesn’t equal two feet”).
  • Ownership’s reactive, PR-driven approach, notably to avoid embarrassment from Vrabel's return (03:10, 10:33).

• Statistical Atrocities (04:20):

  • Tennessee: last in points, yards, first downs, under 4 yards per play, last in TDs — only 6 TDs in 6 games. (05:00)
  • Compared to rivals and former Titans coach Vrabel's new team: “Mike Vrabel, The Patriots have 18 [TDs].”

• Context for New Coach:

  • Kelly: “How would you grade the Titans for a new coach coming in?... Cam Ward get you to a C?” (07:37)
  • Heifetz: “It's probably a C plus B minus ... it’s really a Rorschach test in Cam Ward.” (08:19)
  • Ownership called "scrambling for years," with firing Vrabel as a mistake and the new decision as a PR move (10:33).

• Coaching Styles and Next Hires:

  • Should the Titans look for another offensive “guru” or go back to a “culture coach”?
  • Offense vs defense, play-caller vs CEO; cyclical NFL hiring logic—owners chase “the opposite of the leadership that just...failed them.” (13:36)

Notable Quotes

• “They have the most drives in the league and the least amount of red zone drives in the league. ...They are dead last in red zone drives with 11. They are averaging less than two red zone drives per game.” — Danny Kelly (06:08)
• “Sometimes the secret in football is coaches are experts in schemes, but not necessarily technique and...teaching.” — Danny Heifetz (09:30)

2. Week 7 Waiver Wire Breakdown

Starts at 16:47

Running Backs

• Top Pick: Kymani Vidal (27% rostered)

  • “He had 18 carries, 124 yards plus three catches. ...He looked the best.” — Craig Horlbeck (17:45)
  • Showdown Trivia: Number of bridges in Pittsburgh—Craig nails it with 200 (actual 446). (23:53)

• Other RBs Discussed:

  • Bam Knight (AZ): "Kinda just think Bam Knight’s good...he's going to be passing down back." — Danny Heifetz (25:31)
  • Taj Spears (TEN), Kendre Miller (NO), Brian Robinson (SF, 35% rostered, top stash), Isaiah Davis (NYJ—stash if Hall is traded), all viewed as deep stashes or emergency options for bad offenses (26:22–28:11)

Wide Receivers

• Injury Fallout:

  • Puka Nacua (LAR), Emeka Egbuka (TB) — Both injured, expected to miss time, with teams likely to keep them out through the bye.

• Top Pick: Kendrick Bourne (NE)

  • “Goes over 100 yards last two weeks...great chemistry with Mac Jones.” — Craig Horlbeck (30:56)
    • Showdown Trivia: Most popular boy’s name in 1930s (Edward—ranked 12th). (32:53–34:27)

• Other WR Suggestions:

  • Trey Tucker (LV): “This guy’s good every week.” (35:16)
  • Josh Downs (IND): “20% target rate in last two games.”
  • Jordan Whittington (LAR): “92% of the snaps for the Rams—ostensible Puka replacement.” (37:45)
  • Tez Johnson (TB): Good flyer with Godwin out. Eli Manor (TEN), Zay Jones (ARI), Kayshawn Booty (NE), Luther Burden (CHI) as deeper options.

Tight Ends

• Top Pick: Harold Fannin (CLE)

  • “Seven catches, 81 yards...tight end 14 in target rate on the year.” — Danny Kelly (38:52)
    • Showdown Trivia: Number of cameras on average on TNF, SNF, MNF—Craig nearly nails it with 40 (answer: 41). (42:56–44:28)

• Other TEs:

  • A.J. Barner (SEA): Strong red zone role.
  • Cade Otten (TB): “Huge uptick with WR injuries. 26% target rate last week.” (46:04)
  • Michael Mayer (LV): “While Bowers is out, totally playable.”
  • Arande Gadsden (LAC): Trending up, beating out Conklin and others.

Quarterbacks & Defenses (48:32)

• QBs: If you need a bye week or injury fill-in: Jackson Dart, Sam Darnold, Trevor Lawrence are top streamers. "If you really need to dig deep: Joe Flacco, if desperate." (49:09)
• DSTs: Patriots (“playing Tennessee, Cam Ward a turnover machine”), Seahawks (vs. Houston), Vikings (“high chaos, turnover upside”), Panthers (“vs. Jets, who just had -10 passing yards”), Texans—all emphasized as top stream/hold suggestions (49:45–51:05).

3. Listener Emails & Fun Segment Highlights

Starts at 53:09

Parenting Anecdotes & “Misty Mountains” Baby-Soothing Hack

• Marissa: Drafted and won a fantasy championship in labor—“No excuses. Play like a champion.” (54:03)
• Louis: Confirms “Misty Mountains” works for calming his 1-year-old—Heifetz reflects on sharing the tip and how “this is the most actually useful thing we’ve ever said on the show.” (55:28–57:00)
• Doc Pete: Reports “surprisingly common occurrence” of dads bringing PS5 and TVs to the birthing floor—sparks debate about husband/wife dynamic and general incredulity. (58:45–62:07)
• Other labor stories: Husbands passing out in C-sections, relatable fears, and general parenting chaos.

Gaming Nostalgia & Show Closer

• Fond reminiscence about Halo, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto/Saints Row, and classic in-person multiplayer setups with cardboard screen dividers. (65:11–68:35)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I feel like there's never been an unnecessary bridge.” — Danny Kelly on Pittsburgh’s 446 bridges (24:30)
• “Sometimes the secret in football is coaches are experts in schemes, but not necessarily technique and, and coaching and teaching.” — Danny Heifetz (09:30)
• “This is the most actually useful thing we've ever said probably on the show.” — Craig Horlbeck, about the “Misty Mountains” tip (57:43)
• “No excuses. Play like a champion.” — Marissa, on setting her lineup during 30-hour labor (54:15)
• “How did you allow this? Why did you allow this?” — Kelly, reacting to labor room PS5 stories (61:23)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment & Discussion | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Brian Callahan Firing Reaction | 01:13–16:47 | | Titans Statistical Woes, Future Outlook | 04:20–11:15 | | Waiver Wire Running Backs | 17:45–28:11 | | Waiver Wire Wide Receivers | 29:30–38:26 | | Waiver Wire Tight Ends | 38:52–47:42 | | Waiver Wire Quarterbacks & Defenses | 48:32–52:07 | | Listener Emails: Labor & Gaming, Parenting Stories | 53:09–64:36 | | Show Closer—Gaming Nostalgia & Banter | 65:06–68:35 |

Tone and Language

The show keeps a lively and irreverent tone, blending substantive fantasy football insights with inside jokes, pop culture riffs, and personal stories. The hosts are unfiltered and direct, often poking fun at each other and their audience, but always focused on delivering usable advice for fantasy managers.

Final Thoughts

This episode epitomizes The Ringer Fantasy Football Show’s style: an uproarious, information-dense ride through the week’s most pressing fantasy football developments, loaded with actionable waiver claims, trenchant team critiques, and bits you’d recount to your league mates. Even if you’ve missed the games, you’ll walk away up-to-date—and probably laughing.

For Fantasy Week 7:

• Grab Kymani Vidal and Kendrick Bourne if available
• Prioritize Harold Fannin at TE, and Patriots/Seahawks DST
• Monitor injury updates for Puka Nacua, Egbuka, and your rosters after a messy Week 6
• Stream or stash QBs as needed; use listener life hacks and enjoy the ride!