Are there any NFL survivor league players still out there?!
Week 9 in the National Football League was about as wacky as you could have guessed, and chances are there are a lot fewer survivor leaguers because of it. After all, the Buffalo Bills lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Dallas Cowboys were dominated by the Denver Broncos, the New Orleans Saints were beaten on a game-winning field goal by the Atlanta Falcons and so on.
It was almost unfathomable. Perhaps the best depiction of the craziness was the fact more of our Week 9 survivor league “teams to avoid” earned wins than our “teams to pick.” Yeah, it wasn’t a great week. But for those who did, in fact, survive, it’s a new week with what almost certainly will be fewer competitors.
Here are three teams to pick and three others to avoid for NFL survivor league players. Of note, all betting odds are according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Three teams to pick:
Buffalo Bills (-13, -720 moneyline)
Opponent: at New York Jets
The Bills were an absolute disaster Sunday as Josh Allen put together one of the worst performances by a quarterback this season. The Bills failed to score a touchdown against the Jaguars, but there’s no way Buffalo loses a second-straight game to a team as bad as the Jets, right? We’d like to call this the lock of the week, but after Week 9, that phrase should probably be taken with a pound of salt.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-9.5, -435)
Opponent: at Washington Football Team
Both teams will be coming off a Week 9 bye, but Washington has lost four straight games and has been among the biggest disappointments this season. The Bucs, on the other hand, are the league’s best scoring offense and lead the NFL in passing attempts, yards and touchdowns (25 TDs in eight games). Brady after a week off, too? It’s a good spot, even if it is on the road.
Baltimore Ravens (-7.5, -335)
Opponent: at Miami Dolphins
The Ravens own the league’s second-best offense in overall yards and top group in rushing yards. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are in a bad spot on both sides of the ball. Miami has the 28th ranked offense and 27th ranked defense in terms of points scored. We don’t usually like a team going on the road on a short week — Ravens-Dolphins is on “Thursday Night Football” — but Baltimore doesn’t have many spots better than Week 10.
Honorable mention: (-10) Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Three teams to avoid:
Pittsburgh Steelers (-9, -425)
Opponent: vs. Detroit Lions
This spread feels a bit high. The Steelers had to really work for a win over the lowly Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football” in Week 9. And while the Lions are the only winless team in the league, we just can’t help but feel like they’re a frisky group who could get the long-awaited victory. Pittsburgh tends to be inconsistent so we’ll stay away.
Tennessee Titans (-3, -155)
Opponent: vs. New Orleans Saints
The Titans are arguably the hottest team in the league, even without running back Derrick Henry. Tennessee earned its best win of the season against the Los Angeles Rams last week while the Saints lost to the now-.500 Falcons. Still, it just feels like there will be better spots for the Titans — especially with two games left against Houston.
Kansas City Chiefs (-3, -155)
Opponent: at Las Vegas Raiders
Kansas City has earned two straight wins, but neither have been convincing, including Sunday’s victory against the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers. Unless Kansas City shows signs of improvement quickly, it’s a group that shouldn’t be viewed an extremely confident pick for survivor leaguers.
The Week 10 pick? Baltimore Ravens
Record: 6-3
Teams used: San Francisco 49ers (Week 1), Cleveland Browns (Week 2), Denver Broncos (Week 3), New Orleans Saints (Week 4), Dallas Cowboys (Week 5), Indianapolis Colts (Week 6), Arizona Cardinals (Week 7), Cincinnati Bengals (Week 8), Buffalo Bills (Week 9)
