The Ringer Fantasy Football Show – Week 8 Waivers, Catcher Sploots, and Craig’s Mom Said He’s Sweaty

Host(s): Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck
Date: October 21, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively episode finds Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck in-person in Los Angeles, digging into the “brutal” Week 8 NFL waiver wire landscape with six teams on bye. They laugh about fantasy stress, parents’ texts, the evolution of sports (from "catcher sploots" to hockey goalies), oddball trivia, and the primal mechanics of dumb games with friends. Lighthearted and self-deprecating, their camaraderie shines as they help listeners survive byepocalypse, share memorable emails, critique snack packaging, and riff on sports and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Week 8 Waivers: Byepocalypse Edition

(02:17–15:00)

• Six Teams on Bye: Lions, Raiders, Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, and Jaguars—plus key injuries. The waiver pool is thin and ugly.

• Running Backs:

  • Top Options:
    • Tyler Allgeier (Falcons): (03:27–07:13)
      • Preferred for upside and matchup (vs. Dolphins).
      • "Algier has three touchdowns in six games...he’s like Derrick Henry, when the Ravens win, Derrick Henry is a good game. It’s similar with Tyler Allgeier, smaller scale." – Danny Kelly (05:10)
      • Roster % is ~40%, but check your league.
      • If Bijan gets hurt, Allgeier is “a top-8 RB weekly. The key is ‘if’.”
    • Kyle Manungai (Bears):
      • Increasing usage, out-snapping DeAndre Swift on third downs, rookie trending up.
      • “If DeAndre Swift aggravates his leg, Manungai could be a startable back as soon as this week.” – Danny Heifetz (06:26)
  • Tier Tiers: Allgeier and Manungai top; then it falls off.
  • Lower Tier Flyers: Bam Knight (Cardinals, but on bye), Rashard Smith (Chiefs, 19 touches last week, Kareem Hunt banged up), Isaiah Davis (Jets, dart throw), Bae’Shawn Tootin (Jaguars, not involved yet, also on bye).

• "Everyone else sucks. I can't stress enough." – Danny Heifetz (07:13)

2. Wide Receiver Waiver Targets

(15:00–20:50)

• “Receivers: Better Off Than RBs This Week”
• Top Picks:
  • Darnell Mooney (Falcons): Reliable #2 in his offense, saw 68 yards on Monday.
    • “He's the best number two receiver on waivers. Mooney is good; he’s had a game with 11 targets.” – Craig (15:23)
  • Kayshawn Booty (Patriots): Bet on talent; strong connection with Drake May, deep targets.
    • “That’s Booty's role and specialty in the offense.” – Kelly (16:55)
  • Troy Franklin (Broncos): High-volume week (10 targets), faces a porous Cowboys defense.
  • Alec Pierce (Colts): 10 targets, 5/98 last week, deep threat upside.
  • Marvin Mims (Broncos): Pure upside, could get lucky in bye-heavy week.
• “Any of [Mooney, Booty, Franklin, Pierce, or Mims] could deliver for you.” – Heifetz (20:17)
• Waiver wire team name tip: “Booty Call. There’s a lot of good names!” – Group (17:23)

3. Tight End Waivers

(31:20–37:00)

• Arande Gadsden (Chargers): 7/164/1 last week, back-to-back 8+ targets.
  • “There are a lot of rookies that don’t do that for two months at a time.” – Heifetz (31:37)
  • “He looks extremely athletic and explosive—like a wide receiver.” – Kelly (31:54)
• Deeper options, if Gadsden’s gone:
  • Kate Otten (Buccaneers): If injuries persist.
  • Theo Johnson (Giants): 7+ targets, red zone looks.
  • Isaiah Likely (Ravens): Only if Lamar plays and Andrews is out.
  • Mason Taylor (Jets): Only if Tyrod Taylor starts.

4. QB and DST Streaming

(37:34–39:00)

• Quarterbacks:

  • Jackson Dart (Giants): Rushing upside, if available, faces weak GB D.
  • Aaron Rodgers: Revenge game against GB.
  • Marcus Mariota (Washington): Likely starter with Daniels’ hammy; can run; “could easily be top-5 fantasy QB this week.”
  • Joe Flacco (Bengals): Pure desperation, but has Chase and Higgins.
  • Michael Penix (vs. Miami): Miami D is bad; could be a shootout.

• Defenses:

  • Houston Texans: “Just check if they were dropped—they’re really good.” (38:13)
  • Falcons vs. Miami: “Falcons D is super available…could ride them all year.”
  • Tampa Bay vs. Saints: Saints O shaky, TB strong front.
  • Niners, Bills: Deeper streamers.

5. Trivia & Comedy Interludes

Pumpkin Weights, WWE "The Streak," and Solar Eclipses

(08:45; 20:45; 32:56)

• Pumpkin Trivia (08:45):
  • Largest U.S. pumpkin in 2024 weighed 2,741.5 pounds! (“No one has any gauge how heavy things are.” – Heifetz)
• Wrestling: Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak (20:45):
  • 21–0 over 23 years (1991–2014). “Imagine if Tom Brady won the Super Bowl every year.” (“That’s like too many.” – Horlbeck)
• Solar Eclipses (32:56):
  • There will be 248 total solar eclipses on Earth in the 30th century. (“I guess it’s the whole world, not just Los Angeles. Didn’t think about that.” – Heifetz)

6. Listener Emails & Life/Parent Stories

Craig’s Mom’s Sweaty Concern

(40:54–42:22)

• Craig shares a text: “Dad and I just watched a new fantasy clip. Why do you look so sweaty? Are you feeling okay? Was it hot in the office?”
• “As both your parents, dad and I were wondering if maybe you were getting sick.”
• Craig’s reaction: “Jesus, Mom, what kind of thing is that to say?”
• Group laughs about blunt boomer texts and text etiquette.

Scam Texts, AI, and Parental Protection

(43:04–47:02)

• “Most of my texts to my parents now are just screenshotting every scam text I get and sending it to them.” – Heifetz
• Discussion about spoofing, scam sophistication, AI-generated calls: “These scams are getting good. You need a safe word with your parents.” – Horlbeck

7. Sports Evolution: “Catcher Sploots” & Hockey Goalies

(51:00–58:44)

• Catcher Sploots (Emails from Bob):
  • Splooting = modern technique where catchers set up on one knee, leg out, instead of crouching (only ¼ used it in 2020, now 96% in 2025).
  • “They didn’t do it for 120 years—thought it made you look like a bitch! It’s just, like, the granny shot.” – Heifetz
  • It’s all about pitch framing, wear-and-tear, and tradition finally breaking.
• Hockey Goalies:
  • Before 1986, goalies stood up, Patrick Roy changed the game by going down in the butterfly to cover the five-hole.
  • “How did no one figure this out for decades?” – Group

8. Stupid Friend Games & Male Instincts

(59:13–64:41)

• Listener stories and hosts’ own confessions:
  • Nut shots, cup wearing, games with thrown or bounced items, months wasted on “slide” competitions, basement shuffleboard instead of the beach.
  • “Women could be in this house 10,000 years and would never invent the electrolyte slide.” – Group (quoting a friend)
  • Request for emailed stories: “Send us emails about the dumb shit you turned into a beloved game in your friend group.”

9. Snack Review: White Fudge Covered Oreos

(64:27–67:28)

• Carlos brings the crew his favorite flavor: “Carlos brought his favorite color flavor: Oreo white fudge covered.”
• “Oreo might be my favorite flavor on the planet... If an Oreo box is in my house, it’ll be gone in 24 hours.” – Group
• “The inventor of the resealable Oreo package was a pioneer.” – (66:24)
• Score: 8.8/10

10. Pop Culture & Shania Twain Tangent

(68:30–73:52)

• Shout outs to Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” grammar in song titles, “That Don’t Impress Me Much” lyric rankings, and a side-trip through Elvis’s car, Batmobiles, and the possibility of ever getting Shania on the show.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No one has any gauge to know how heavy things are. That’s not a thing.”
  — Danny Heifetz, on pumpkin trivia (11:21)

• “Everyone else sucks. I can't stress enough.”
  — Danny Heifetz on the Week 8 RB waiver pool (07:13)

• “Algier has three touchdowns in six games...he’s like Derrick Henry, when the Ravens win, Derrick Henry is a good game.”
  — Danny Kelly (05:10)

• “The goal is to trick the ump on every play...it took baseball 120 years to stop crouching!”
  — Danny Heifetz/Group, on catcher ‘sploots’ (54:45)

• “Dad and I just watched a new fantasy clip. Why do you look so sweaty?”
  — Craig’s Mom via text (41:09)

• “If women lived in this house for 10,000 years, they would never invent the electrolyte slide... because they’re smarter than us.”
  — Group recounting dumb male games (63:31)

• “That Don’t Impress Me Much – So, you’re Brad Pitt? That doesn’t impress me. I think it does impress me.”
  — Group riffing on Shania Twain lyrics (71:16)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Waiver RBs deep-dive: 03:06 – 13:44
• Waiver WRs: 15:00 – 20:50
• Tight End Talk: 31:20 – 37:00
• QBs & Defenses: 37:34 – 39:00
• Pumpkin trivia: 08:45
• WWE “Streak” trivia: 20:45
• Solar eclipse trivia: 32:56
• Catcher Sploots & Sports Evolution: 51:00 – 58:44
• Craig’s “Sweaty” Mom Text: 40:54 – 42:22
• Scam Texts & Protection: 43:04 – 47:02
• Dumb Friend Games: 59:13 – 64:41
• Oreo Snack Review: 64:27 – 67:28
• Shania Twain tangent: 68:30 – 73:52

Email and Content Requests

• Fantasy Court Cases, Trivia, Email Stories to: ringerfantasyfootball@gmail.com
• Special requests: Soccer/football trivia, scam stories, the dumbest games your friend group invented

Tone and Style

The trio’s interplay is breezy, irreverent, and honest—quick to call out how brutal the waiver pool is, laugh at their own trivia ignorance, or take detours into family texts and childhood friend games. They celebrate dumb fun, quirky sports evolution, and the joy of snacks, while keeping fantasy advice actionable and real for managers scraping the wire this week.

If you missed the show, this summary should prepare you with waiver must-adds, a snack rec, a solid weird trivia haul, and a reminder to check in on your friends (and your parents) during byepocalypse.