The Ringer Fantasy Football Show — Week 7 Preview: Vrabel Returns, Chiefs Add Rice, Dart in Denver, Wentz vs. Philly, and Charger Power Gold

Date: October 17, 2025
Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a robust preview of the 2025 NFL Week 7 Fantasy Football slate. The hosts break down the most and least intriguing matchups, offer fantasy advice on must-start and debated players, discuss major injuries, coaching narratives, and quirky developments, and sprinkle the show with their trademark banter, tangents, and notable quotes. Plus, they offer their weekly picks against the spread.

Key Themes

• Week 7 is Full of Slop: Early games are mostly uninspiring for fantasy purposes, with a few notable exceptions. The late window and primetime slate look much more intriguing.
• Injury and Depth Chart Updates: Major injuries and player status changes will impact fantasy lineups and game outcomes.
• Coaching Return & Revenge Games: Mike Vrabel’s return to Tennessee as a visiting coach looms large, and the Eagles face their old QB, Carson Wentz.
• The Chiefs at Full Strength: Rashee Rice returns, finally giving Mahomes his full WR group.
• Fantasy Focus: Start/sit dilemmas, streaming options, and sneaky waiver pickups abound, especially with so many ugly games.
• Fun Football Oddities: The Cowboys’ infamous sun dilemma, disastrous Chargers' uniforms, and weird special teams moments.

Detailed Breakdown

1. The "Pumpkin Patch" Early Slate (00:45–17:01)

General Vibe

• Hosts deride the unspectacular noon games, calling them "slop," “pumpkin patch,” and ‘apple picking’ windows.
  • Quote: "These games suck. That’s this. At least this window specifically. They’re pretty awful." — Danny Kelly (02:00)
• The suggestion: maybe speed through these as you attend to family obligations.

Rams vs Jaguars (London Game) (02:22–06:12)

• Puka Nacua’s Status: Leads league in targets, but is dealing with a sprained ankle. Rams seem to be faking optimism; a bye is next week.
  • "Why would Puka play? I feel like they're pretending." — Danny Kelly (02:35)
• Fantasy Note: Nacua likely doesn’t play. 2-2 Atwell might return; backup WR Kanata Mumfield gets a mention.
• Jaguars Banged Up: LB Devin Lloyd questionable.
• Jaguars’ Legitimacy: Even with big wins, hosts are skeptical—a win here could finally validate them.
  • Quote: "If the Jags beat the Rams, that's a pretty legitimate win." — Danny Heifetz (03:41)
• Fantasy Start/Sit: Not much flex appeal besides obvious starters (Etienne, Nacua if active, Devonta Adams); Hunter and Rams WRs not recommended due to London uncertainty.

Eagles at Vikings (06:15–11:44)

• Narrative Interest: Philly’s offense is sputtering; Vikings are enigmatic.
  • "If somebody told me the Vikings were 1-4 this year or 4-1, I'd be like, yeah, I kind of don't know what they're like." — Craig (06:27)
• Carson Wentz Revenge Game: Wentz starts, not J.J. McCarthy. Epic revenge potential against his former team.
  • "If Carson Wentz beats the Eagles... anarchy will be unleashed in the streets of Philadelphia." — Danny Kelly (08:01)
• Fantasy Focus: Dallas Goedert is quietly the TE1; A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon managers remain frustrated.
• Eagles' Malaise Diagnosed: Offensive struggles pegged to O-line injuries and running game woes, with upcoming matchups lightening up post-bye.

Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns (11:45–16:03)

• Game Quality: Both teams 1-5, expected to play in hurricane-level weather in Cleveland.
  • "This is slated to be one of the grossest games we'll watch this year." — Danny Heifetz (11:52)
• Fantasy Impact: Severe wind/rain means passing games are downgraded. HN (Devon Achane) is a must-start; Judkins on Browns side should get heavy volume.
• Start/Sit: Waddle is a borderliner due to weather; check pregame wind reports.
  • "If the studio show is apologizing that they sent the reporter there, don't play Jalen Waddle." — Danny Kelly (15:16)

Saints at Bears (16:15–18:11)

• Quality: "Gross" matchup, but shoutout to Rome Odunze—consistently producing in fantasy with plenty of room to grow.
• Bears’ Entertainment Value: More like a car crash than a “League Pass” favorite—fascinating for their messiness.

2. Marquee and Intriguing Games

Raiders at Chiefs (“Full Power” Chiefs) (18:11–23:28)

• Rashee Rice Returns: Mahomes finally has Rice, Worthy, and Hollywood Brown together—hasn’t happened all year.
  • "Mahomes is playing awesome right now. Now you have Worthy, Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Travis Kelce." — Craig (19:33)
• Chiefs Are Healthiest Contender:
  • "The Bills are banged up, Lions are banged up, Ravens are destroyed. Chiefs are fine." — Danny Kelly (22:44)
• Fantasy: Play Rice and all lead Chiefs playmakers. Trade window for Rice is likely closed.
• Chiefs’ Oddities: Off-field mystery with rookie LT Josh Simmons' absence (20:48–22:44).

Patriots at Titans — Vrabel Returns (23:45–26:40)

• Narrative: Vrabel, fired by Titans, returns with a vengeance. Titans fired interim Brian Callahan this week in anticipatory panic.
  • "The more I said that out loud, what a humiliating way for a $4B business to run." — Danny Kelly (24:34)
• Prediction: Pats should destroy the out-of-sorts Titans; fantasy value for Pats’ RB Drake May and WR Drake Pages is highlighted.
• Oddball Segment: The saga of RB Trayvon Henderson’s miniature (illegible) jersey nameplate gets the Pablo Torre investigative treatment.

Panthers at Jets — The Dowelled Chuba Meme (27:35–30:38)

• Panthers Trending Up: Rico Dowdle has energized the offense, possibly taking Chuba Hubbard’s job.
  • "Is this the funniest combination of names? 'Rico Dowdle might Wally Pipp Chuba Hubbard.'" — Danny Heifetz (28:41)
• Jets: Garrett Wilson is doubtful; Breece Hall is only viable fantasy starter. Jets’ offense is "touchdown-proof."
• Justin Fields' Sacks: Unbelievable number of long, self-inflicted sacks. “Everything has to go wrong for it to be this bad.” — Danny Kelly (31:37)
• Week 7 Oddity: FanDuel bet on when Jets win next is up for debate (32:52–33:59)

3. Fun & Oddities

Chargers versus Colts — “Charger Power Gold” Uniforms (38:47–49:08)

• Uniform Debacle: Hosts mock the Chargers’ new blindingly yellow uniforms.
  • "It looks like your urine when you're dehydrated." — Craig (39:16)
  • "Charger Power threads... an abomination." — Craig (39:30)
• Colts are a 'Good Bad Team': Colts lead the league in points & first downs, but their schedule has been soft.
  • "How many weeks in a row could the Colts have the most points... until we admit Daniel Jones is good?" — Danny Heifetz (42:09)
• Daniel Jones’ Breakout: Hosts hedging, but agree he’s finally healthy, making big plays, and isn’t taking sacks.
• Fantasy: Isaiah McConkey, Keenan Allen are starts (especially if Quentin Johnston is out). Kamani Vidal's breakout for Chargers may be a sell-high moment.

Cowboys vs. Commanders — The Sun Game Returns (49:08–56:36)

• Cowboys' “Sun” Problem: At long last, a home afternoon game means the infamous Dallas sun is back.
  • "We have satellite imaging. We have pictures of the sun when it’s coming down… there's a big plan and process." — Brian Schottenheimer (50:05)
  • "Just put up curtains." — Heifetz (50:37)
• Jerry Jones’s Quotes: Legendary befuddlement and resistance to simple curtain solutions.
  • "Let's tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?" — Jerry Jones via Kelly (51:54)
  • "We know where the sun is almost a year in advance. Almost." — Jerry Jones (52:36)
• Fantasy: Start all Commanders; Dallas' defense is struggling.

4. Late Slate & Primetime

Giants at Broncos — "Dart in Denver" (56:59–61:20)

• Vibes Turning Bad: The peak of the “ScatterBoo Dart" party may be over; Giants face the NFL's best defense.
  • "Nick Bonito is by far the best pass rusher in the NFL this season." — Danny Heifetz (57:45)
• Broncos Strengths: Bonito leads league in sacks/pressures; their scheme contains running QBs.
• Jackson Dart Fantasy Outlook: Tough spot; Denver’s been nearly impossible for scrambling QBs.
• Hosts’ Advice: Sit Dart if you have other streamable options this week.

Packers at Cardinals (63:37–70:03)

• Quarterback Carousel: Cardinals may stick with Brissett another week; Kyler and Marvin Harrison Jr. are questionable.
• Offense Shifts: Brissett under center leads to much more play-action, different look from Kyler-era.
• Josh Jacobs & Romeo Doubs: Fantasy darlings; Doubs is a stable WR2.
• Take: Backup QBs typically look the best in their first start—Packers -6.5 is favored as a sharp pick.

Falcons at 49ers (Sunday Night Football) (70:15–76:16)

• Niners' Injury Woes: Left guard and WR room are hampered, Trent Williams is still great but aging. Fred Warner is out for his first ever game—major blow.
  • "Fred Warner… missed one game in eight years. That's crazy. This defense could get rocked." — Danny Kelly (75:34)
• Falcons’ Ascension: Bijan Robinson is a true WR/RB hybrid. Shanahan’s wizardry keeps SF afloat offensively, even without a reliable run game.
  • “Shanahan quietly cannot run the football, like Christian McCaffrey has been a wide receiver. He’s on pace for 1,200 receiving yards.” — Craig (71:19)
• Coaching Connections: Incredibly incestuous coaching trees—everyone here has worked together.

Double-Header Monday Night Football

Buccaneers at Lions (77:19–81:18)

• Walking Wounded: Both teams missing a laundry list of defenders and skill guys; Mike Evans likely to play, Godwin & Bucky Irving out for Bucs.
  • "This is just the walking wounded… Mike Evans and Tez Johnson vs. [Lions’] practice squad DBs." — Danny Heifetz (79:43)
• Fun Factor: Two of the most enjoyable offenses to watch.
  • “The most aesthetically pleasing team to watch on offense.” — Heifetz on Lions (79:55)
• Side Take: Reduced defensive quality means more offensive fun? Maybe, but nobody wants Big12-style video game scores.

Texans at Seahawks (81:18–84:40)

• Defensive Slog: Texans and Seahawks are both top-10 in DVOA, with elite defenses.
• Seahawks Home Struggles: 4-8 at home, 10-1 on the road since 2024.
• Matchup Edge: Seattle’s defensive line is a huge mismatch for Houston’s struggling o-line. Seahawks should have a solid edge in all phases.

Weekly Picks Segment: Ringer 107 (84:40–90:37)

• Leaders debate their favorite bets against the spread:
  • Favorites: Patriots -7 vs. Titans, Colts +1.5, Packers -6.5 at Cardinals, Eagles -2.5 at Vikings, Seahawks -3.5 vs. Texans
• The group leans hard on their favorite teams and spicy narratives.
• Discussions on betting with/against Baker Mayfield, Eagles’ volatility, and avoiding ugly weather games.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Week 7 slate:
  "All these games suck. I really wasn't being hyperbolic." — Danny Kelly (46:55)

• On the Dallas sun:
  “We have pictures of the sun when it’s coming down. There’s a big plan and process.” — (50:29)
  “Let’s tear the damn stadium down and build another one. Are you kidding me?” — Jerry Jones via Kelly (51:54)

• On Bears’ entertainment value:
  "They're like reality television—I like when they succeed, but I also really like when they fail." — Heifetz (17:04)

• On Chiefs finally healthy:
  "Now that you have Worthy, Rice, Hollywood Brown and Travis Kelce... Mahomes is playing awesome and so are they." — Craig (19:33)

• On Daniel Jones' season:
  "I'm blown away by the Colts. It's really cool." — Kelly (44:56)
  "Daniel Jones is finally fully healthy for the first time." — Heifetz (43:47)

• On punting oddities:
  "It’s like the floor is lava. It’s like, well, you got to jump before the line, and then you catch the ball and you got to throw it behind you." — Craig (92:21)

Fantasy Football Takeaways

• Start with Confidence: Rashee Rice, all top Chiefs, HN (Achane), Josh Jacobs, Romeo Doubs, Dallas Goedert, Colts WRs.
• Borderline/Fade Due to Weather or Usage: Jalen Waddle, all WRs/TEs in Dolphins-Browns, Travis Hunter (wait for post-bye), non-stars in Rams-Jags (London), Washington RBs.
• Watch List / Waiver Targets: Kamani Vidal (but possibly a sell-high), Matthew Golden, Jalen Coker, Panthers’ Ted McMillan.
• Avoid: Titans skill players, Jets offense besides Hall, non-Dart Giants against Denver, questionable Rams & Jags WRs.

Closing Banter

• The hosts end with extended riffing on random wrestling facts (Triple H vs. Triple X confusion), their relationship to Smashing Pumpkins, and the oddities of being the default producer on The Rewatchables.
• Best recurring bit: "Goodbye. Goodbye. I'm sorry." — Danny Kelly (102:13) after botching the wrestling trivia and making the sign-off.

TL;DR

Week 7's early schedule is mostly gross, so focus on the afternoon and primetime games. Chiefs and Colts are trending up, the Eagles are teetering on disaster, and Dallas is wrestling with the literal sun. Fantasy start/sit pivots heavily on weather, injuries, and ugly depth charts. Don't take early games too seriously—and if all else fails, go to a pumpkin patch.