The Ringer Fantasy Football Show

Episode: Power Ranking Our Week 1 UNDER Reactions, Fantasy Court, and the Pacific Time War Zone
Release Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

Overview

This episode is all about resisting the urge to overreact to Week 1 of the NFL season—a time famously full of wild, often misleading performances. Instead, the hosts focus on their “UNDER reactions,” dissecting why you shouldn’t panic (or gloat) after just one game. Power-ranked underreactions, fantasy football advice, listener “Fantasy Court” disputes, and a hilarious time zone debate round out the show with the signature laid-back, snarky Ringer tone.

Main Segments

1. Setting the Tone: “UNDER Reacting” Is the Vibe

[00:00–03:16]

• Danny Heifetz: “Everyone does overreactions and everybody needs to calm down.”
• They set up the episode: rather than fueling “take culture” hot takes, they'll “take a chill pill,” ranking 9 key things not to freak out about after Week 1.
• Craig Calcaterra: “Week one is a siren song. Relax. Don’t listen to it.”

2. “Power Hour” of UNDER Reactions (Key Topics)

Each topic typically gets two minutes, punctuated by recurring sound drops.

Cincinnati Bengals Offense (Burrow, Chase, Higgins, Chase Brown)

[05:09–07:21]

• Slow start again for Burrow/Bengals (notoriously bad vs. Browns); historical splits cited.
• Danny Kelly: “Bottom line, I think Burrow’s gonna be just fine. We’re still gonna see fireworks. I still think Jamar Chase and T. Higgins are going to have great years… Chase Brown… was dead last in NFL in yards before contact per rush… I think he’s also going to have a good year. So, don’t overreact.”

Jacksonville Jaguars’ Win Over Carolina

[07:23–10:56]

• Jags beat a weak, depleted Panthers defense but didn’t impress.
• Danny Kelly: “I wasn’t very impressed with the Jags, still, despite the win… Trevor Lawrence was pretty underwhelming.”
• Panthers’ historic defensive futility should make the Jags’ performance worrying, not exciting.

Rookie Running Backs Disappointing; Don’t Worry

[10:56–14:00]

• All first-round rookie RBs played poorly, but context matters (bad blocking, nerves, snap count).
• Craig: “None of those guys scored more than 11 points in fantasy this week—it’s going to be fine… Actually, all of these guys passed the eye test straight up.”
• Danny Kelly: “He got impacted behind the line…had to create out of nothing.”

Ravens: The Real Super Bowl Favorite?

[14:00–17:56]

• Overblown laments about the Ravens “choking”; but they still look elite on both sides.
• Danny Heifetz: “The Ravens should be Super Bowl favorites. … Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is the ultimate thunder and lightning backfield we’ll probably ever see.”
• Danny Kelly: Stat drop: “Derrick Henry…averaged almost 3.5 yards per attempt before he was touched.”

A.J. Brown– No Need to Panic

[17:56–21:39]

• Brown’s slow opener explained by a preseason hamstring and game flow.
• Squeaky Wheel Theory: whenever AJ Brown is quiet, the Eagles make a point of feeding him next week.
• Danny Kelly: “He has a 28% target rate…25 touchdowns, seventh most among all receivers…this was just one of those games.”

Cam Ward’s Ugly Stat Line Hides Promising Play

[23:27–25:52]

• Debut vs. Denver produced dreadful stats, but on film, Ward looked poised and made good throws.
• Craig: “There is no larger discrepancy between box score and what actually happened on the field.”
• The offense around him (Ridley, Pollard, etc.) are all “buy-low” candidates.

Steelers & Aaron Rodgers Will Come Down to Earth

[25:55–28:38]

• Steelers’ Week 1 win misleading; defense shredded by Fields, couldn’t run, likely not sustainable.
• Danny Heifetz: “If Sam Darnold walks in next week and shreds the Steelers...suddenly we’re like, wow, what if this Steelers team isn’t quite what we think?”

Seahawks Will Look Much Better Than Week 1’s Taste

[28:38–31:41]

• Seattle narrowly lost to the 49ers but are better than the “taste” left.
• Danny Kelly: “Defensively I thought they played actually pretty well…couple busted coverages late.”
• Early game in Pittsburgh will be tough, but the underlying team is strong.

Davante Adams Is Still a WR1

[32:22–35:17]

• Disappointing opener (4 catches, 51 yards), but elite usage (27% targets), and Stafford looked sharp; buy-low opportunity.
• Danny Kelly: “Big Davante Adams days are coming…Stafford had the highest rate of hero throws in the NFL in week one.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Craig (on rookie RB concerns):
  “He had 33 rushing yards, but he had 44 after contact.” [11:36]

• Danny Kelly (on Derrick Henry):
  “He averaged almost 3.5 yards per attempt before he was touched.” [16:28]

• Craig (on A.J. Brown):
  “He did not have a target until the fourth quarter. One catch for 8 yards, which won the game.” [19:03]

• Danny Heifetz (on Fantasy Court vas controversy):
  “They literally, objectively declined to compete for the championship. So they don’t get to be on the trophy.” [45:50]

Fantasy Court Segment

[41:08–55:02]

Case 1: The Vase-Tie Cowardice

• Two championship finalists both benched their whole team, intentionally tied, and split the winnings. Should their names go on the new league trophy (a vase)?
• Unanimous Judgment: No, their names do NOT go on the trophy. Option suggested: either leave it blank, mark with an asterisk, or award third place instead.
• Danny Heifetz: “Their names can be left to the dustbin of history. The tie should be commemorated...None of their names go on the thing.”

Case 2: Commissioner’s Draft Malpractice

• Commissioner ignored written instructions and took a player for himself that the Denmark-based autodrafting owner wanted.
• Judgment: Swap the players, and possibly adjust Week 1 scores if necessary. “This is abuse of power by the commission.” – Craig

Case 3: Vetoed Trade Uproar

• Trade vetoed not for collusion, but because the league didn’t want one owner’s team to get better.
• Ruling: Ridiculous to veto trades for this (unless clear collusion). “It’s America, you have the right to be stupid. People get to make bad decisions. It’s part of freedom.” – Heifetz [54:00]

The Time Zone War Zone

[55:03–73:18]

• Heated, hilarious debate over whether to call the early Sunday games “morning games” versus “early slate,” mainly since the majority of Americans (on Eastern/Central time) don’t feel like it’s morning at 1pm.
• Dozens of emails support Danny Heifetz’s position: “morning” makes you think there’s an early London game, so say “early window.”
• Heifetz: “The Pacific time zone is a way better way to watch sports…I feel erased when you say the games are in the morning. I’ve waited all day.”
• Craig: “It’s just been morning games my entire life.”
• They close the debate with an agreement: hosts will try to say “early slate” for clarity going forward.

The Ringer Fantasy Football League Update

[38:08–40:34]

• Bill Simmons is in last place, having drafted five QBs but starting the two lowest scorers.
• Sal’s team is “a wagon,” led by Prescott/CD, Jefferson, Herbert, and Bucky Irving.
• Funny observations about league management, roster construction, and Bill’s QB “hoarding.”

Listener Engagement

• Listeners send in stories, fantasy disputes, and opinions on time zones, all adding to the show’s sense of community and running in-jokes (“power hour,” “the vase,” breakfast reports, etc.).
• Regular call to send in emails for Fantasy Court, trivia, and other shenanigans: ringerfantasyfootball@gmail.com

Key Timestamps

• 05:09 — Bengals slow start, don’t panic
• 07:23 — Jaguars’ underwhelming “big win”
• 10:56 — Rookie RBs are fine
• 14:00 — Ravens are Super Bowl favorites
• 17:56 — A.J. Brown will bounce back
• 23:27 — Cam Ward’s debut: ignore the box score
• 25:55 — Steelers/Rodgers regression looming
• 28:38 — Seahawks’ better days ahead
• 32:22 — Davante Adams remains elite
• 41:08 — Fantasy Court kicks off
• 55:03 — Time Zone War Zone ignites

Tone & Takeaways

• Signature Ringer blend of non-panicky, stats-based fantasy advice and irreverent banter.
• Strong message: Week 1 is full of noise—don’t jump off (or onto) bandwagons after one game.
• Deep community engagement, responsive to listener questions and disputes.
• Running bits (breakfasts, time zone grievances, SNL monologue references) = distinctly personable flavor.

Bottom line:
Whether you’re hoping to avoid a fantasy overreaction, hash out league drama, or join the time zone banter, this episode delivers both sharp insight and laughs—making it an essential listen for any fantasy football obsessive.