The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: "Love Hurts, Daboll Fired, and Week 11 Waivers"

Date: November 11, 2025
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

Episode Overview

This episode is as wide-ranging and lively as ever, centering on reactions to the notoriously ugly Packers-Eagles Monday Night Football game, the fallout and debate surrounding the New York Giants firing head coach Brian Daboll, and in-depth Week 11 waiver wire advice. The hosts deliver their signature blend of irreverent humor (“Space Jam” metaphors, rants about coaching, musings on breakfast cereal as capitalist conspiracy) alongside sharp fantasy football insight. Memorable quotes, detailed position-by-position waiver recommendations, and heated debates abound—making this a can’t-miss listen for both fantasy diehards and casual NFL fans.

Key Discussion Points

1. Monday Night Football: Packers vs Eagles Recap & Rant

(00:13 - 19:00)

• Game Summary:

  • Eagles win an ugly contest, 10-7.
  • “This was the least fun I’ve had watching a football game all season. This was terrible.” — Craig (03:00)
  • Both Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love were “Space Jam-ed,” i.e., lost their superpowers; offenses slogged throughout.

• Coaching Critique & Bizarre Decisions:

  • Both coaches made questionable calls:
    • Packers lined up in shotgun on 4th & 1, failed conversion.
      “Who lines up in shotgun on 4th and 1? You're insane.” — Heifetz (04:16)
    • Eagles coaching called “one of the dumber things I've ever seen”—going for it on 4th & 6 with a deep shot to A.J. Brown when all models (“the analytics nerds”) said to punt.
      “It's probably one of the more aggressive decisions in the history of football… The model said to punt by a lot.” — Heifetz (06:39)

• Player & Unit Reactions:

  • Jalen Hurts looked cautious and risk-averse, refusing to make throws.
    “He started out coaching smart and ended coaching scared... Now it’s just: don't turn the ball over.” — Heifetz (15:51)
  • Eagles defense and secondary got praise, highlighted by Quinyon Mitchell.
  • Lackluster effort from A.J. Brown also questioned.
    • “To win the game with a walk-off touchdown and he like couldn’t be bothered.” — Heifetz (13:58)

• League Trends:

  • Run of bad primetime games; “offensive football set back a decade” (11:01).
  • Hosts predict Tush Push is likely to be banned, not for safety but because “it’s ugly” and can’t be fairly officiated (12:14).

2. Who Do You Trust? 2025 NFL Parity & Playoff Picture

(18:06 - 20:25)

• Extreme parity: “I think there are only two teams I trust—Chiefs and Rams.” — Craig
• Lions, Eagles, all AFC division leaders: “I don’t trust them.”
• Agree this sets up one of NFL’s most unpredictable playoffs in years.
• “If you think this has a happy ending, you're not paying attention. We're getting Chiefs-Eagles again.” — Heifetz quoting Game of Thrones (20:03)

3. Giants Fire Brian Daboll: Reaction & Roster Fallout

(20:31 - 31:40)

• Hosts' Reaction:

  • “You just did this all last night... made the case for why he should be fired.” — Craig (20:49)
  • Brian Daboll allegedly prioritized “short-term job security over Jackson Dart’s long-term health” by letting Dart play after a concussion.
    “That is the shortest answer of why he was fired.” — Heifetz (25:49)
  • “He started out coaching smart and ended coaching scared.” — Heifetz (24:10)

• Joe Schoen as GM:

  • Hosts debate if Schoen should be fired as well; DK argues for a full clean house.
  • “99% of GMs are all the same... you're all gonna have some horrendous misses and great picks.” — DK (23:58)

• Who Next at Head Coach?

  • Discussion of candidates:
    • Clint Kubiak preferred for detail orientation and Shanahan/McVay tree ties.
    • “Three firsts for Kyle Shanahan? Yeah, done.” — Heifetz (30:00)
    • “Jason Garrett… I’d stop rooting for the team.” — Heifetz (30:55)

4. Week 11 Waiver Wire Targets

(33:39 - 58:59)

Running Backs

• Blake Corum (Rams):

  • “13 touches in each of the last three weeks… If Kyren Williams ever went down, he is a league-winner.” — DK (33:39)

• Tyler Allgeier (Falcons):

  • “If anything happens to Robinson, he’s a totally viable pick… they play Carolina, New Orleans, Jets.” — Craig (34:36)

• Others:

  • Sean Tucker (Bucs), Brian Robinson (backup to McCaffrey), Tank Bigsby (Eagles).
  • Deep cuts: Jaleel McLaughlin if JK Dobbins is out (42:02); Tyjae Spears as a desperation play.

Wide Receivers

• Alec Pierce (Colts):
  • “Leads NFL in receiving yards over the last four weeks.” — Craig (43:23)
• Parker Washington (Jaguars):
  • “41% rostered… two touchdowns, 30% target rate.” — DK (43:32)
• Christian Watson (Packers):
  • “Looks like the only way this team can get an explosive play.” — Heifetz (44:32)
• Stashes/Fliers:
  • Darius Slayton (Giants), Trey Tucker (Raiders), Luther Burden (Bears), Mac Hollins (big target rate for Falcons).

Tight Ends

• Cade Otton (Bucs):
  • “12, 5, 9, 6, 4 targets last five weeks… higher floor.” — DK (53:19)
• Colston Loveland (Bears), Harold Fannin (Browns):
  • “Loveland could explode in the second half.” — Craig
• Deeper Cuts:
  • Dalton Schultz (Texans), Luke Musgrave (Packers), Theo Johnson (Giants if Winston starts), Pat Freiermuth (Steelers).

Quarterback/Defense Streaming

• QBs:
  • “If you gotta stream—Aaron Rodgers vs Bengals, Marcus Mariota (for rushing upside), Jameis Winston (Giants).”
• DSTs:
  • “Seattle, Denver, Houston, Cleveland, Ravens, Rams, Chargers—if available, just roster them. For deeper plays, Patriots vs Jets, Falcons vs Panthers.” — Heifetz (61:28)

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Eagles’ 4th Down Call:

  • “The model said to punt by a lot… it's probably one of the more aggressive decisions in the history of football.” — Heifetz (06:39)

• Jalen Hurts’ Style:

  • “The most risk-averse player who's truly accomplished things I've ever seen.” — Heifetz (17:01)

• On firing Daboll:

  • “He just cared more about his short-term job security than Jackson Dart’s long-term health… that is to me the shortest answer of why he was fired.” — Heifetz (25:49)

• On fantasy football strategy:

  • “Honestly, you should just get guys who can rotate in and, if there’s an injury, are elite. Sometimes you need random to go your way.” — Heifetz (36:17)
  • “I really feel like Luther Burden… is the best talent of any of the guys on this list… I just really feel like he's going to be a thing.” — Craig (51:22)

• Recurring Joke:

  • “Must be present in select states… Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.” — Standard outro, but always delivered with irony.

6. Lighter Segments & Show Culture

• Space Jam Analogy:

  • “This was a Space Jam game. It looked like Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love had been sapped of their powers and were just normal people trying to play football.” — Heifetz (01:10)

• Long tangents and trivia — Example showdown:

  • “What year did Willie Nelson famously smoke a joint on the roof of the White House?” (1978, answer at 40:18)
  • “How many people in America have the first name ‘Jug’?” (121, answer at 57:13)

• Cereal & Breakfast as a Capitalist Conspiracy:

  • “Cereal should be illegal… That’s just a bag of cookies.” — Craig (67:03, 67:33)

• Ride-sharing and Plasma Physics:

  • Hosts riff on Waymo, BlueCruise, and whether anyone’s named their kid "Waymo" yet (75:20).
  • “What is plasma? How is the thing in blood also the thing in fire?” — Heifetz (69:49)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:13 – Show start & game recap intro
• 02:36 – “Space Jam” metaphor, game misery
• 03:53 – Deep-dive on game’s disastrous ending
• 09:49 – Ranking who fared worst: coaches, QBs, effort
• 18:06 – Parity and playoff predictions
• 20:31 – Giants fire Daboll; debate on GM Schoen & future direction
• 33:39 – Waiver wire: running backs, wide receivers, position by position
• 53:15 – Tight end waivers
• 59:16 – "Smarter Moves" segment, streaming QBs/DEFs
• 63:50 – Listener emails and more offbeat rants (cereal, ride-sharing, etc.)

Summary Table: Waiver Wire Top Picks

| Position | Top Pick | Others to Target | |---------------|---------------------|------------------------------------------| | Running Back | Blake Corum | Tyler Allgeier, Sean Tucker, B. Robinson | | Wide Receiver | Alec Pierce | Parker Washington, Christian Watson | | Tight End | Cade Otton | Colston Loveland, Harold Fannin | | QB Streamer | Aaron Rodgers | Jameis Winston, Mariota, Jacoby Brissett | | DST Streamer | Seattle, Denver | Houston, Cleveland, Ravens, Rams |

Final Thoughts

This episode embodies everything listeners expect from The Ringer Fantasy Football Show: outspoken opinions, irreverent analogies, debates that veer from football to breakfast cereal, plus sharp advice for winning your fantasy league. It’s both informative and entertaining, providing plenty of notable takes—chief among them: this NFL season is anyone’s for the taking, and, amid chaos, the best approach is to keep your waiver moves sharp, your expectations realistic, and your sense of humor fully intact.

Notable Quotes for Social Sharing:

• “Sometimes football feels really easy and sometimes it feels really hard. For both of these teams, it was just hard to do anything in this game.” — DK (11:01)
• “Cereal should be illegal, to be honest.” — Craig (68:25)
• “If you think this has a happy ending, you’re not paying attention.” — Heifetz (20:03)

For your fantasy lineups, for hot takes on NFL coaching (and cereal), and for a weekly dose of sports banter, this episode delivers on all fronts.