The Ringer Fantasy Football Show

Episode: Week 6 Preview: Chiefs-Lions, the Bears' Fail Mary Rematch, Flacco’s In, Kyler’s Hurt, and the Rejuvenated Jaguars
Date: October 10, 2025
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a comprehensive fantasy football preview for NFL Week 6 of the 2025 season. Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck break down the juiciest matchups—including the Lions vs. Chiefs "game of the week," the Jets’ London rematch, and the fantasy fallout from major injuries and roster changes (Flacco on the Bengals! Kyler Murray’s foot!). The crew debates start/sit dilemmas, rookie receivers' value, surprising team trends, and which coaches and players are over- or underrated as the fantasy landscape shifts one-third of the way through the season.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Chiefs vs. Lions – Sunday Night Football

(02:35 - 09:54)

• Top Game of the Week: The hosts call Lions-Chiefs the "game of the week" and note it’s rare treat to have two top offenses face off on SNF.
• Chiefs’ Narrative Underrated: Despite a 2-3 record, the Chiefs rank 5th in points per drive; last year they excelled in close games—this year, the opposite.
• Mahomes’ New Magic:
  • Mahomes is more decisive as a runner: 3rd among QBs in rushing (about 40 yards/game), only trailing Lamar and Jaden Daniels.
  • “It feels like he goes through two [reads] and then totally… just takes off. And I… just think he’s playing really well.” — Danny Kelly (05:59)
  • More rushing equals a “fuck ton” of fantasy points (per Heifetz, 05:53).
• Chiefs Adding Speed:
  • New additions Marquis Brown, Xavier Worthy, and Tyquan Thornton bring top-end speed. Lineup is an odd mix of blazing-fast WRs and slower RBs/TEs.
  • Mahomes’ air yards per attempt is highest since 2019.
• Lions’ Challenges:
  • Lions banged up at CB—down to backup corners vs. Mahomes.
  • Taylor Decker’s injury at LT could let Spagnuolo and the Chiefs’ defense tee off.
  • Lions’ offense still 2nd in points per drive; overall a must-watch.
• Fantasy Implications: Chiefs WRs like Taquan Thornton and Hollywood Brown are startable if you’re dealing with byes.

Jets-Broncos in London (a.k.a. Garbage Time Kings)

(09:59 - 17:00)

• Jets’ Struggles:
  • 0-5, offense is brutal—stat lines are padded by garbage time against poor defenses.
  • "First three quarters, the Jets are dead last in points; in the fourth quarter, they rank first." — Craig Horlbeck (13:43)
• Jets’ D Is Worse Than The O: Defense is 28th in DVOA despite heavy draft investments, with zero turnovers in five games—an NFL record since 1933.
• Fantasy Outlook:
  • Trust Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson, but don’t expect miracles from Fields at QB or garbage-time legends, unless absolutely desperate.

Seahawks at Jaguars – The “Surprisingly Good” & “Rejuvenated” Bowl

(17:23 – 24:16)

• Seahawks Exceeding Expectations:
  • Despite injuries, the Seahawks are the “second best 3-2 team ever” by FTN database (17:54), and 2nd in NFL DVOA.
  • Darnold has the league’s best YPA (9.3) and a surging offense.
• RB Situation: True committee between Kenneth Walker (more explosive) and Zach Charbonnet (trusted in red zone/two-min drill), making both lower-floor startable fantasy backs.
• Jacksonville’s Passing Game Tightens:
  • Brian Thomas (rookie WR) and Travis Hunter (rookie WR/DB) highlighted for stash/hold, despite slow offensive starts.
  • Hunter: “He so clearly passes the eye test…he moves different.” — Danny Kelly (22:26)
• Overall Outlook: Good offenses, but injuries abound; rookie WR stashes discussed for late-season breakouts.

Chargers at Dolphins – “The Sad Sack Matchup”

(25:11 - 30:47)

• Both Teams Disappointing:
  • Chargers feel like they’re “0-5,” and are injury-shorthanded, but this matchup could spark fantasy value.
• Dolphins Defense is a Sieve:
  • “Rico Dowdle ran for 206 yards and said, ‘I would have had more if I didn’t start cramping.’” — Horlbeck (25:57)
  • Every non-Bryce Young QB vs. Miami has been top 5 in scoring.
• Startable RBs on Both Sides: Hassan Haskins (goal-line thunder) and Kymani Vidal (PPR floor) are both flexible, plug-and-play options.
• Dolphins’ Stars: HN is “Mini McCaffrey” and should be valued as a near top-5 RB; Jaylen Waddle thriving with 3 TDs already (more than all last year).

Cardinals at Colts – Kyler Murray Meltdown and the Colts’ Cinderella Run

(35:04 – 41:43)

• Kyler Could Be Out Again: Foot injury for Murray, Cards in freefall after the "unluckiest loss of the decade" (Horlbeck, 35:34).
• Colts as “America’s Team”: 4-1, 2nd in NFL in points per game (32) and QB Daniel Jones thriving with low sacks ("Big stat: only 4 sacks allowed").
• Coaching and Staff Subplots: Shane Steichen vs. Jonathan Gannon storyline revisited from their Super Bowl with the Eagles.
• **Marvin Harrison Jr. “Homecoming” in Indy flagged for narrative.
• Summary: Colts are legit; Cardinals trending down amidst injuries and O-line coaching exodus.

Browns at Steelers – The Classic “Tomlin Trap” Game

(45:33 – 48:28)

• Steelers Off a Bye, But Warning Signs:
  • Steelers are favored by 5.5 vs. rookie Browns QB Dylan Gabriel but have historically split with the Browns.
  • Injuries mount: No Jalen Ramsey or Calvin Austin; but Jalen Warren returns.
• Craig’s Prediction: “This is the most ‘Steelers lose this game’ game ever. Like, vibes are high… The Browns stink. It’s Dylan Gabriel. … I think this is a screaming, coin flip game.” (45:33)
• Fantasy Note: Play Warren if active, but WRs are hard to trust; ugly score incoming.

Cowboys at Panthers – The “Front Party in the Back” Fantasy Dream

(48:33 – 55:17)

• Cowboys in Fantasy Heaven: Top 2 in passing and rushing EPA, but defense is league-worst against the pass.
• Jake Ferguson TE1: On pace for a record-shattering tight end catch season, second only to Puka Nacua overall in catches.
• Javonte Williams Shocker: “Javonte Williams' success is the single biggest surprise of the fantasy season.” — Kelly (53:06). Injuries and low investment gave him sleeper value; now an elite RB.
• Panthers’ Struggles: Bryce Young back to “pretty bad,” most starts are desperation plays only. Play TE Tet McMillan if needed.

Rams at Ravens – Bloodbath Incoming

(55:53 – 58:14)

• Rams Are Offensive Juggernaut: Stafford on pace for 5,100 yards, team leads NFL in offensive DVOA, and “Stafford is the kingmaker” for WRs.
  • “Puka has a 35% target rate and is the WR1; Devonta [Smith] has 26% and is WR15 in ppg.” (56:44)
• Ravens Falling Apart: Lamar’s hurt, half the defense is on IR, “the worst defense in football” right now.
• Run Game Sharpening: Corum fumbled, banished; Kyren Williams now the every-down guy.
• Quick Name Game: Derrick Henry considered a shaky start compared to Kenneth Walker, Jalen Warren, and others due to likely negative game script.

Other Matchup and Fantasy Highlights

• Flacco to Bengals:
  • Joe Flacco, 40, will be the oldest player in Bengals history. “Cincinnati, you could just drive [from Cleveland].” (65:58)
  • Jamar Chase is the only Bengal you start with confidence; Chase Brown could see dump-offs with "checkdown Joe."
• Bears at Washington – The Fail Mary Rematch:
  • Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels II, bringing up the infamous Hail Mary blunder by Tyrique Stevenson last year ("The ball was at its apex when he finally turned around…” — Heifetz, 74:43).
  • Bears need to show resilience; hosts watching for execution and discipline, not just Ws or Ls.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mahomes as a runner:
  • “Game over a season is a fuck ton to do the math on that.” — Danny Heifetz (05:53)
• On the Jets’ garbage time heroics:
  • “I couldn’t believe how black and white it is the last month. First three quarters the Jets are dead last in points and in the fourth quarter, they rank first… It is entirely garbage time.” — Craig Horlbeck (13:43)
• On rookie WRs and fantasy patience:
  • “It’s hard—bye weeks, injuries—you’re like, Travis Hunter, Matthew Golden, like a Worthy...guys that do nothing for three months…game changers for the final six weeks.” — Craig Horlbeck (24:16)
• On Javonte Williams’ surprising success:
  • “Javonte Williams was an afterthought that nobody wanted and he is genuinely one of the most dependable running backs in fantasy and looks great.” — Danny Kelly (53:06)
• On Andy coaches’ stubbornness:
  • “Sometimes teams just are really illogical. That does happen. But I think in this case...coaches want to do their thing.” — Danny Heifetz (53:00)
• On Tyrique Stevenson’s Hail Mary blunder:
  • “The ball was at its apex when he finally turned around and he was like ‘wait, what?’” — Danny Heifetz (74:43)

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment Description | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:35-09:54 | In-depth preview: Chiefs-Lions, Mahomes’ evolution, Lions’ battered secondary, fantasy WR values | | 09:59-17:00 | Jets-Broncos in London, Jets’ garbage time splits, defensive regression, fantasy starts/sits | | 17:23-24:16 | Seahawks-Jags: surprising DVOA, Darnold’s emergence, rookie WRs to stash, committee RBs | | 25:11-30:47 | Chargers-Dolphins: the “Sad Sack” matchup, Miami’s awful run D, PPR RB gems, Waddle discussion | | 35:04-41:43 | Cardinals-Colts: Kyler’s foot injury, Colts surging, dramatic narratives/comparisons | | 45:33-48:28 | Browns-Steelers, Tomlin “trap”, key injuries, fantasy flex picks, Boswell game | | 48:33-55:17 | Cowboys-Panthers, Dallas’ offensive bonanza, Jake Ferguson, surprise RBs, Bryce Young’s regression, Panthers| | 55:53-58:14 | Rams-Ravens, Stafford’s stats, injuries, RB fumbles, quick view of Derrick Henry’s startability | | 62:29-65:14 | 49ers-Bucs: Mac Jones starting, heat factor, Kendrick Bourne, McCaffrey as a top 3 WR in catches | | 65:38-67:35 | Bengals-Packers: Flacco's return, what to expect | | 68:23-69:39 | Titans-Raiders: bleak outlook, could be a RB showcase game for Ashton Genti | | 69:53-72:19 | Bills-Falcons MNF: Falcons' surprising defensive rankings, Allen vs. heavy blitz, Dalton Kincaid’s value | | 73:40-77:04 | Bears-Washington: “Fail Mary” rematch, narrative weight for Caleb Williams, watching Chicago’s composure |

Tone, Language, and Banter

True to Ringer style, the hosts blend sharp analysis with humor and irreverence. They openly admit their own past mistakes and bugbears (Craig’s lineup neuroses, Mahomes fantasy “suckage”), frequently drop one-liners and F-bombs, and blend pop culture references (Entourage, Ari Gold; “DK Pop Quiz” about their own social handles) with hard stat drops and actionable advice.

Final Takeaways

• Mahomes’ running and new weapons elevate Chiefs’ fantasy offenses.
• Jets are a dumpster fire except in your fantasy lineup’s garbage time.
• The Seahawks and Colts are shocking fantasy/real football successes—don’t sleep on their skill guys.
• Monitor Dolphins and Cowboys RBs: surprises abound.
• Keep rookie WRs like Travis Hunter on your bench—breakouts are coming.
• If you’re desperate, try plug-and-play RBs who catch passes in bad defenses, regardless of draft capital.
• "Start your studs," but be ready to bench big names like Derrick Henry if the matchups are brutal.

For further questions, fantasy dilemmas, or epic fail/luck stories, email the crew—their best content often comes out of those emails and offbeat “what if?” tangents.