As it’s happened every year since 2009, I’ve been eliminated from my NFL Survivor Pool. I was fortunate to outlast nearly 90% of entrants, but a loss in Week 7 pays the same as a loss in Week 1. Absolutely zero. Still, we’ll offer NFL Week 8 Survivor Picks for the small percentage of contestants who are still alive in their pools.
We got off to a great start last week. I was one of the many who eagerly watched as Tom Brady and the Buccaneers suffered a 21-3 loss Sunday against the Carolina Panthers and their XFL offense. By the end of the 1 p.m ET games, another 20% of survivor pool contestants were going home. All we needed was Bill Belichick, the best defensive coach in NFL history, to outlast Justin Fields and the terrible Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
Alas … it was not to be.
Even though I’ve been eliminated, some of you remain alive in your NFL Survivor Pools. And since I’m getting paid to write these articles… I’ll keep writing them until I’m told to stop!
Here are your best NFL Survivor Week 8 Picks.
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NFL Survivor Strategies Recap
There are two basic strategies to consider when making NFL Survivor picks.
Strategy #1 – Survive And Advance
This strategy is simple. Take the best team available and hope they win.
This is an excellent strategy to use in office pools. Against a small number of entrants, there isn’t as much value in making contrarian picks.
Strategy #2 – Contrarian Picks With Value
For larger pools, more thinking is required. Simply picking the heaviest favorite each week isn’t going to cut it when you’re trying to outlast up to one thousand opponents.
Your goal should be to target less popular options that are strong favorites.
But don’t even think about it anymore. With less than 5% of entrants remaining, the risk is amplified by playing contrarian. No need to get crazy with your picks unless you’re stuck for teams.
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NFL Survivor Week 8: Two Safe Picks
Buffalo Bills
If your NFL Survivor life hangs in the balance, who better to trust than the best team in the NFL?
Sorry, Eagles fans. You’re great too (I even used Jalen Hurts as the photo for this piece), but the Buffalo Bills are the NFL’s best team through seven weeks.
How about these stats: the Bills rank first in yards gained on offense AND yards allowed on defense. They rank second in total points scored and first in total points allowed. They average 6.6 yards per play (1st), 323 passing yards per game (1st), allow 76.2 rushing yards per game (1st), and are sacking opposing quarterbacks 8.5% of the time (3rd).
The Bills are awesome.
Earlier this week, I wrote my NFL Week 8 betting tips and strategies column and mentioned I like the Green Bay Packers to keep this game competitive. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are in desperation mode and should come out firing. However, betting the Packers on a point spread that’s swelled to as high as +12 points is very different than picking them to win outright.
These Bills are just … too damn good. They’ll be a viable NFL Survivor option each week for the remainder of the NFL season. If you’ve survived this long without using them, it’s worth considering this week.
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Philadelphia Eagles
See, Eagles fans? Here we are. If you scrolled past the Bills pick because you were angry I said they were better than your undefeated team, please go back and read it. I’m a great writer and made some compelling points about why the Bills are the NFL’s best team.
And there’s no shame in being second best! You’re in great company.
Peyton Manning. Mario Lemieux. LeBron James. Powerade. Doritos Cool Ranch. Phil Mickelson at the US Open. All admirable second besters!
The undefeated Eagles are undoubtedly an impressive team. You don’t just stumble into a perfect 6-0 record. While not as explosive on offense or as tough as the Bills on defense, the Eagles rank top five in each of the statistical categories outlined above.
The major difference between the two teams has been their strength of schedule. The Eagles have been gifted a cakewalk season, with only the New York Giants given an easier slate of games. And while six straight wins against the ahem Lions, Vikings, Commanders, Jaguars, Cardinals, and a Cowboys team that started a backup quarterback…
… the Bills are better. They’ve played and beaten the Chiefs, Ravens, and the defending Super Bowl Champions Los Angeles Rams.
All of that said! The Eagles are a strong NFL Survivor Pick this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Backing Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has been extremely profitable against the spread, but it’s hard to imagine the Eagles losing this week. They’re coming off a BYE week and will not only be the more talented team, but the more rested one as well.
If you’ve used the Bills, take the Eagles.
Can they run the table? Eagles odds to go undefeated
If you’ve used both Buffalo and Philly …
NFL Survivor Week 8: The Popular Pick
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys stand to be the most popular pick on the board in NFL Week 8.
While the Cowboys sit as a 9.5-point favorite against the Chicago Bears (adjusted from a bigger opening price), their popularity in NFL Survivor Pools isn’t due to their win equity. Most entrants backing the Cowboys this week have almost certainly used the Bills and Eagles already. Without another heavy favorite available, the Cowboys become the default pick.
It’s not a terrible spot for them, either. The Cowboys catch the Bears on a short week in a letdown spot after Chicago’s upset victory over the Patriots. I’m simply not as high on this one-dimensional Cowboys team as everyone else. While their defense has been stifling, they own a less-than-average offensive unit.
But if you’ve used the Bills and Eagles, you could do worse than the Cowboys this week.
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NFL Survivor Week 8: Best of the Rest
If you’re truly stuck this week, these are the three next-best options.
Miami Dolphins
Tua’s back and this Dolphins team is FAST. Hard to see the Detroit Lions keep up with them this week. Less than 6% of NFL Survivor entrants will be using the Dolphins in Week 8, which makes them an attractive option.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons play the Panthers in NFL Week 8. Another letdown spot could be looming for Carolina, fresh off its upset victory against the Bucs. This Falcons team could run the ball with their potent rushing attack, control the clock, and get an ugly win against the Panthers this week.
Cincinnati Bengals
With each passing week, the Bengals are looking more and more like the team that went to the Super Bowl last year. Joe Burrow is fresh off his best performance of the year, and things look to be clicking in Cincinnati. They face a divisional opponent in the Cleveland Browns on Monday night but should be able to outplay them in a close match.
The Bengals also stand to be a great option next week against the Panthers. If you can avoid them this week, you’d have them available in Week 9.
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