The Ringer Fantasy Football Show (Nov 5, 2025)

Power Ranking the Biggest Trade Deadline Moves, Fantasy Court, and Tom Brady Cloned His Dog

Hosts

• Dan Hanzus (Dan Hyphens)
• Danny Kelly (DK)
• Craig Kalkbrenner (Craig)

Overview

This episode is all about making sense of a truly wild NFL trade deadline. The hosts power rank and break down the most impactful trades for both real football and the fantasy world, analyze the team decisions, and judge the fantasy fallout. They also dive into "Fantasy Court" and, just to round things off, discuss the news that Tom Brady cloned his dog. The tone is irreverent, fast-paced, and packed with both expert analysis and offbeat humor.

Key Trade Deadline Moves & Discussions

1. Seven Trades — An Unusually Active Modern Deadline

[02:09]

• Seven total trades: third-most since 1990, following a trend of more active NFL deadlines recently.
• "A lot of eager beavers lately..." — Craig

Notable: TomTom Power Rankings format is suspended this week due to the sheer importance of these trades.

2. The Blockbuster: Sauce Gardner to the Colts

[03:20–10:39]

• Details: Jets trade CB Sauce Gardner to Colts for two 1st-round picks + WR Adonai (AD) Mitchell.

• Hosts are surprised by the blockbuster price:

  • "I feel like this is the kind of trade you do if you're the Colts when you think you can win a Super Bowl. But for the love of God, can you act like you’ve been there before?" — Dan [03:47]
  • "This is a huge gamble for the Colts." — DK [07:45]

• Sauce’s Value Context:

  • No longer at peak rookie value, not quite a lockdown tier with Patrick Surtain or old Darrelle Revis.
  • Colts desperate to upgrade worst CB group in league; big risk, but offense gives them a window.

• Team-building analysis:

  • “You probably have to overspend to make a splash. Do you think they could have won the Super Bowl with a non-Sauce Gardner Colts defense?” — Craig [09:30]
  • "If you think you have a shot… it’s very hard to have a shot to win the Super Bowl. Even if it’s an overspend, if it works, no one’s going to care." — Craig [09:42]

• Fantasy Angle:

  • Immediate impact not expected. Colts have bye + time for Sauce to adjust before playoffs matter. Could help their D/ST fantasy value down the stretch.
  • Jets get draft capital and a young receiver to help their impending rebuild.

3. Jets’ Second Blockbuster: Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys

[10:39–19:56]

• Details: Jets send DT Quinnen Williams to Cowboys for 2026 2nd, 2027 1st, and DT Mazi Smith.

• Big Picture:

  • "Grade this from Jerry Jones’s mind: If it’s, I think in Jerry Jones’s mind it is very similar to when you post a really hot looking Instagram thirst trap shortly after a breakup…" — Dan [11:05]
  • Cowboys pivot from pass rush (Micah Parsons, whom they dealt earlier in the season) to loading up on interior D.
  • “They lost so much value in doing this trade.” — DK [15:04]
  • Critique: Impulsive decision, then rationalized by narrative about the importance of defensive tackles.

• Fantasy Angle:

  • Cowboys D/ST could be more robust against the run, but less explosive for sacks/TDs post-Parsons trade.
  • Quinnen is a “bless you, thank you” guy (inside joke, [17:03-17:08]).

4. Jets’ Rebuild — Accumulating Draft Picks

[19:56–24:53]

• Jets now own FIVE first-round picks over two years (2026-2027).
• Jets have learned: “Loaded defensive talent without a quarterback doesn’t win a whole lot.” — Quoting Daniel Jeremiah via DK [21:45]
• Team is set up for a big swing at a QB in upcoming drafts and keeps offensive cornerstones.
• “Invest in the offensive line, keep Breece Hall, actually extend Breece Hall…I see how it makes sense.” — Dan [23:05]

5. Other Notable Trades and Team Moves

Seahawks Get Rashid Shaheed from Saints

[36:18–40:14]

• Seahawks trade 4th & 5th for WR Rashid Shaheed; connects him with OC Clint Kubiak (familiar from New Orleans).
• "He was awesome...one of my favorite players to watch. He's always just really explosive and it’s gonna be really fun to see what they can do with him in their offense." — DK [36:18]
• Immediate fantasy winner: Shaheed’s field-stretching ability boosts JSN and Geno Smith; Seahawks look even better for playoff run.

Raiders Send Jacoby Meyers to Jaguars

[41:02–43:54]

• Jags need a reliable, healthy WR; Meyers set to become immediate fantasy WR2/3.
• "Jacoby Meyers is exactly what Trevor Lawrence needed...a guy that is going to be reliable, be where he’s supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there and can catch the football." — DK [41:16]
• Help for Lawerence as Travis Hunter and other Jags WRs are banged up.

Eagles Defensive Binge

[44:10–50:53]

• Eagles add CB Jaire Alexander (from Ravens), CB Michael Carter II (from Jets), edge rusher Jalen Phillips (from Dolphins).
• "They just keep collecting all these former high picks...on the off chance that the talent shines through in a different situation." — DK [48:59]
• “The Eagles do more than other teams is they understand that these picks are cigarettes in prison and they just collect them and they trade.” — Dan [49:20]
• General praise for Howie Roseman’s ability to stockpile and trade for value.

Chargers Get Trevor Penning (Saints Tackle)

[54:22–55:18]

• Emergency depth for an injury-ravaged O-line, only costs a late pick.
• "Has not been good, but you gotta do it." — Craig [55:13]
• Side tangent: discussion of Penning’s reputation as a “dick” (aggressive, dirty player).

Other:

• Ravens add Draymond Jones (DT, Titans).
• Browns send Joe Tryon-Shoyinka to Bears (minor deal; joked about Browns trade history).

Other Show Segments & Memorable Conversations

Quarterback News & Analysis

[31:20–35:32]

• Cardinals name Jacoby Brissett starter for this week over Kyler Murray (likely due to foot).
• "I firmly believe [Kyler] will be a starter...I don't know if it'll be in Arizona, but I firmly believe he'll be a starter." — Craig [33:43]
• Hosts discuss that benchings/trades are less monumental/more fluid in today’s NFL.

Fantasy Court: Kicker Shenanigans!

[59:58–66:16]

Scenario:

Listener Chuck blocks opponent from picking up a kicker by grabbing the backup, but opponent finds a loophole—trading for available KC kicker just before MNF.

• "Played what you thought was checkmate...in 15 minutes, this person found a way, and gave up a real asset because they wanted to win." — Dan [63:25]
• Judgment: No foul play—just aggressive, creative, competitive fantasy maneuvering. “Don’t disincentivize people from trying really hard.” — Dan [63:51]
• General agreement: It’s in the spirit of fantasy. Chuck’s feelings were more about losing than true unfairness.

Tom Brady Cloned His Dog

[66:19–71:31]

• Tom Brady reveals his current dog is a genetic clone of his late dog Lua, as an ad for a pet cloning company he’s invested in.
• “This is super fucking weird to me. I would never do this.” — Craig [67:43]
• Hosts discuss philosophical issues, the weirdness, the ultra-rich trying to cheat death, and parallels to movies like ‘Multiplicity’.
• “This is just like...rich people annoyed that they can’t beat God.” — Craig [70:37]
• Everyone is out on the idea; DK jokes, "It's not the same dog! Every other [breed] dog looks the same!"

Listener Emails & Offbeat Science Talk

[72:50–76:36]

• Follow-up on the “how hot is fire” debate—audience explains why boiling water feels hotter than fire due to greater heat transfer, despite lower absolute temperature.
• Hosts embrace being publicly humbled by trivia; compare breakfast routines.
• Philosophical musings about molecules, fire, and the nature of wind.

Notable Quotes and Moments

• “This is what fantasy [football] is about. I think that it’s gonna hurt this guy’s team a lot that he traded...but that’s the point!” — DK [65:45]
• “This is all just him [Jerry Jones] trying to rationalize a stupid decision that he made in August.” — Craig [17:17]
• On Tom Brady cloning his dog: “You know what? You know who else looks exactly like your old dog? Every other dog in that breed. Just get the same breed!” — DK [70:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Main Trade Count & Intro — [02:09]
• Sauce Gardner Blockbuster — [03:20–10:39]
• Quinnen Williams to Cowboys — [10:39–19:56]
• Jets’ Draft Capital & Rebuild — [19:56–24:53]
• Seahawks Get Rashid Shaheed — [36:18–40:14]
• Jaguars Land Jacoby Meyers — [41:02–43:54]
• Eagles Defensive Additions — [44:10–50:53]
• Chargers Trade for Penning — [54:22–55:18]
• Fantasy Court: Kicker Loopholes — [59:58–66:16]
• Tom Brady’s Cloned Dog — [66:19–71:31]
• Science/Philosophy Emails & Fire/Heat — [72:50–76:36]

Final Thoughts

The 2025 NFL trade deadline delivered wild, genuinely franchise-changing moves, with fantasy and real-life ramifications for the season and years to come. The hosts balance sharp insight on player/team impact, plenty of skepticism for questionable front-office logic, and their signature humor.

Key Theme:
You can’t win in the NFL (or fantasy) without a quarterback, good picks matter, and sometimes it’s worth swinging for the fences—even if the rationale is questionable or the price seems too high.

Tone:
Conversational, expert, irreverent, and occasionally delightfully off-track.