The Ringer Fantasy Football Show

Preseason Week 1 Winners and Losers With Mina Kimes (August 12, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Danny Heifetz and Danny Kelly are joined by ESPN’s Mina Kimes (filling in for vacationing Craig Horlbeck) to break down the winners and losers from NFL Preseason Week 1 with a distinct fantasy football lens. The episode delivers sharp insight into rookie performances, backfield competitions, offensive line injuries, team context, and, of course, plenty of hilarious asides. Classic “Panda Watch” (Assessing preseason hype and “I’ve seen enough” takes) makes a triumphant return, and the hosts dive into everything from embarrassing fantasy league stories to the complexities of Bluetooth technology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mina Kimes vs. the League: Fantasy App Rants

• [02:16] Mina jokes about the Dynasty league she shares with DK, comparing "My Fantasy League" to Craigslist – “I swear to God, every time I open the app on my phone, it gives me bugs or something... it freezes my phone. It's like when you're trying to watch a football game on a sketchy streaming site off Reddit.”
• [03:31] Despite tech troubles, Mina’s team always makes the playoffs: "I've never missed the playoffs."
• [03:57] DK sees his platform mastery as a competitive edge: “I see probably MFL as a competitive advantage for me... We’re never leaving the site.”
• [04:34] Mina worries about her aging roster: “We're like the Rams. Not so much anymore.”

2. The Return of Panda Watch: What We Can (and Can't) Learn from Preseason

• [06:02] “It’s the anchorman bit... where the panda is never there – that's preseason.”
• The crew agrees: much of preseason is meaningless, but glimpses can be illustrative (“I kind of like preseason football, even though you just don't watch the second half of games and you're fine.” — DK, [00:47]).

3. Rams vs. Cowboys: Mina the Broadcaster & Running Back Takeaways

• [06:56] Mina shares the unique challenge of calling a Rams preseason game, as Sean McVay never plays starters:
  • “You have to learn the identities of players and the facts about them that most people haven't heard of... but a few do make the roster and become surprising contributors.”
• [07:45] On Blake Corum’s usage:
  • "I was surprised to see Corum out there. He’s the RB2, but McVay never plays starters. I think they wanted to get a good look at him."
  • [08:23] DK: “Is this a good or bad thing for Corum?” Mina: “A big part of why he didn’t play last year was McVay wants one back to do it all – pass pro, catches... I think they want to see if Corum can spell Kyren Williams a little. I wouldn’t call it a committee, but he could eat in a bit.”

Memorable Moment: Ref Trucks CeeDee Lamb

• [09:14] Danny recaps one of preseason’s funniest moments: “Lamb in street garb trucked by ref, then flagged”—a ref accidentally levels CeeDee Lamb on the sideline.
• Mina: “We couldn’t see in the booth that Lamb had gotten drilled in the back... It was the hardest I’ve ever seen him hit.”
• [10:49] “His back curved into a comma shape... it was terrifying.” —Mina

4. QB Watch: Stetson Bennett and Joe Milton’s Rocket Arm

• [11:12] DK and Mina: Stetson Bennett finally looked competent.
  • Preseason stats before: 3 TDs to 8 INTs; “It helped Joe Milton on the other sideline was launching bazookas into the stands... felt like rookie of the year or something.” — Mina
• [12:50] On Joe Milton: “There was one ball, guy wide open... just went 15' over his head.” — Mina
  • Memorable moment: “I just spat out ‘oh Lord’ really loudly in the booth.” — Mina [12:49]

5. Rookie Standouts – "Panda Watch" Returns

Trayvon Henderson (Patriots RB)

• [14:34] DK: “Most text messages about any player? Definitely Trayvon Henderson. Took the opening kickoff 100 yards... so much juice. He’s getting so much buzz. I think he’s going to be a big part of their offense.”
• [16:41] Heifetz: “He looks like Marshall Faulk. Not a comp, but it occurred to me.”
• [17:19] DK admits to trading Henderson for Breece Hall—“Immediate regret.”

Torrey Horton (Seahawks WR)

• [15:28] DK/Mina: “Tory Horton, first ballot Hall of Famer” (sarcasm, but he looked great).

Seattle vs. Raiders

• [18:20] Mina: Takeaway is Raiders O-line looks concerning: “Gente only had one run behind starter Colton Miller; didn’t look great against Seahawks’ backups. I got a little bit concerned...”
• [19:32] DK: “Three carries for -1 yards is disconcerting.”
• [20:25] on Raiders: “Raider defense is really not great.”

Giants Rookie Watch: Jackson Dart & Abdul Carter

• [23:02+] Heifetz: “I’m just going to do my homer for the Giants: Jackson Dart... Started, up and down, but showed poise after early struggles.”
• [25:54] Mina: “He stood in and took a really big hit; most impressive on a deep TD. That’s what he did in college—stood in under pressure.”
• [27:13] Mina on Abdul Carter (EDGE): “He was working against one of the NFL’s best tackles—true barometer moment—he looked fast, my jaw dropped.”
• [28:04] Heifetz: “The Giants’ D-line could be the best in the league. Not saying Super Bowl, but it’s the same formula as their past runs.”
• [29:01] Mina: “I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility.”

6. Other Rookies & Panthers Offense

Cam Ward (Titans QB)

• [34:22] Mina: “A little jittery to start, but once he locked in on Calvin Ridley, looked great. Ridley’s clearly his guy; placement and timing impressive.”
• [36:35] DK: “Tyler Lockett (now a Titan) will be a big part; Spears injury (high ankle sprain) matters for backfield depth.”

Ted McMillan (Panthers WR)

• [41:13] DK: "Tet a roa McMillan (T-Mac) looked great, showed chemistry with Bryce. I've seen enough—he'll be a good player."
• [42:35] DK admits Panther offense is being slept on for fantasy: “With a bad defense and upgraded weapons, could be a fantasy goldmine.”
• [43:36] Mina on Bryce Young: “He redirected Coker on a play—he’s starting to improvise, which is good to see.”

Shadour Sanders (Browns QB)

• [45:05] Heifetz: "Very high variance—some exciting plays, some wild decisions. He can run an offense but has habits that are a shock."
• [47:11] Mina: “He’s having the same effect as Caitlin Clark in basketball—bringing in new fans and crazy overreactions. He played better than I expected, but habits (running backward, bailouts) won’t fly vs. NFL starters.”

Travis Hunter (Jaguars WR/DB) and the 70-Yard Field Goal

• [58:07] Hunter played both ways for Jacksonville—underwhelming, but kicker Cam Little hit a 70-yard FG: "Kind of changes things. Knowing you can bang it from 65+ really matters." — Mina

7. Memorable Quotes and Moments

On CeeDee Lamb’s ref collision:

• “He’s not used to being on the sideline on offense... you can’t stand where the refs are running, but he got drilled.” — Heifetz [10:34]
• “His back curved into a comma shape... it was terrifying.” — Mina [10:49]

On rookie RB Trayvon Henderson:

• “Looks like Marshall Faulk. Not a comp, but it occurred to me.” — Heifetz [16:41]

On Joe Milton:

• "I just spat out ‘oh lord’ really loudly." — Mina [12:49]

On "House of Ill Repute" in The Gilded Age:

• “She will never call it a whorehouse. She always calls it a house of ill repute.” — Mina [38:58]

On Bluetooth:

• “Every time I get in my car, it looks at my phone like they’ve never met.” — Mina [70:59]
• “This is DK’s strongest take of all time. He just hates Bluetooth.” — Heifetz [71:02]

8. Offensive Line Injuries – Impact on Fantasy

• Chargers:
  • [72:54] Rashawn Slater (LT) lost for the season; whole O-line in flux. DK: "Joe Alt moves to LT, but moving everyone around can compound issues."
• Eagles:
  • Landon Dickerson (G) also carted off; status uncertain. "That matters when the tush push is such a big part of their identity.” — Heifetz

9. Other Teams & Players Noted

• Eagles QBs: Fans overhyping Tanner McKee (“Philly pod wouldn’t accept a 2nd rounder for him!” – Mina [52:25])
• Bengals: Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins played a whole quarter. Heifetz: “Seeing them play a real quarter was sobering compared to the rest of preseason football.”
• Laser tag tangent & competitive spirit: Mina recounts destroying children at laser tag, comparing it to NFL pros dominating backups.

Noteworthy Timestamps

• Mina bashes fantasy app – [02:16]
• Ref hits CeeDee Lamb – [09:14]
• Stetson Bennett and Joe Milton discussion – [11:12]
• Trayvon Henderson hype – [14:34]
• Giants’ Abdul Carter & Jackson Dart – [27:13]
• Panthers rookie Ted McMillan – [41:13]
• Shadour Sanders debate – [45:05]
• Travis Hunter & 70-yd FG – [58:07]
• Anthony Richardson injury/"Hot" read and analysis – [61:47]
• DK/Mina Bluetooth tech rants – [69:55]
• Chargers/Eagles OL injuries – [72:54]
• Mina’s laser tag story – [53:37]

Tone & Language

The episode is filled with friendly banter, classic Ringer running jokes, and a blend of expert analysis with irreverent asides. Mina’s quick wit and self-deprecating humor mesh seamlessly with Heifetz and DK’s blend of fantasy insight and pop culture asides.

Summary Table: Key Rookie Preseason Winners & Losers

| Player | Team | Takeaway from Hosts | |--------------------------|--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | Trayvon Henderson (RB) | Patriots | "I've seen enough" – looks electric and set for major role. | | Ted McMillan (WR) | Panthers | Showed instant rapport w/ Bryce Young; "future fantasy star." | | Jackson Dart (QB) | Giants | Flashes of poise; held up under pressure in preseason debut. | | Abdul Carter (EDGE) | Giants | Looked like a Parsons clone—early impact, explosive off edge. | | Cam Ward (QB) | Titans | Settled after early jitters, clear chemistry with Ridley. | | Travis Hunter (WR/CB) | Jaguars | Underwhelming two-way debut, overshadowed by 70-yd FG. | | Shadour Sanders (QB) | Browns | High-variance; moments of talent, some wild habits persist. | | Ashton Genti (RB) | Raiders | Negative rushing day; more O-line concern than on player himself. |

Final Thoughts

• Preseason is an exercise in separating noise from signal—while most is meaningless, the show identifies specific rookie performances, team context, and injuries that absolutely matter for fantasy.
• The hosts, especially with Mina’s contributions, blend in expert commentary (“Panthers offense is being slept on in fantasy”) and comedic asides (Bluetooth, National Honor Society double birds, The Gilded Age) to balance information and entertainment.
• The OL injuries (Chargers/Eagles) get flagged as truly consequential for fantasy managers, more than any one preseason stat-line.

Closing Quote

Danny Heifetz [79:13]:
“Thank you, Mina, for coming on. Thank you DK. Thank you—Craig's here in spirit... We still need punishment ideas. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Dua Lipa.”

For anyone who missed the show, this episode offers a blend of sharp preseason takeaways—rookie risers, concerning injuries, position battles—served in The Ringer’s signature witty, irreverent group-chat style. It’s a must-listen for fantasy managers seeking nuance beneath the preseason chaos and a guaranteed good time for dedicated NFL fans.