Despite my recent elimination from my NFL Survivor Pool, I’ll continue to offer weekly options for those lucky few who remain in theirs. Heading into the halfway point of the season, less than 5% of entrants remain to make their NFL Week 9 Survivor Picks.
In a year that’s been loaded with massive upsets, last week saw the least amount of carnage in NFL Survivor Pools. Each of the heavy favorites we suggested won outright, and less than 3% of tickets were eliminated.
Taking a quick peek at the Week 9 slate of games, there are three obvious candidates to consider. Since those who remain have used different teams through eight weeks, we’ll take a look at a number of reasonable options.
Here are your best NFL Survivor Week 9 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.
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.
However, with less than 5% of entrants remaining in most NFL Survivor Pools, the risk is amplified by playing contrarian. There’s no need to be too risky with your picks unless you’re completely stuck for teams.
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NFL Survivor Week 9: Three Safe Picks
Buffalo Bills
As they are every week, the Buffalo Bills are a great option in NFL Week 9.
This is the best team in football. The Bills rank No. 1 in both offense and defense for the season. They’re the deserving Super Bowl favorite, Josh Allen is the favorite to win NFL MVP, and if you still need convincing that the Bills are awesome you’ve probably been eliminated already since you don’t understand football.
If you have the Bills available, against a New York Jets team that is a lot of smoke and mirrors, you have to consider them this week.
The trouble? If you’ve survived this far, it’s likely you’ve already used them. While each pool is different, it’s estimated that more than 70% of remaining NFL Survivor tickets have already burned the Bills this season.
In that case, might I recommend…
Philadelphia Eagles
*quickly checks to make sure this isn’t last week’s article*
Nope. This is a brand-new article! And the great news? Even though I’m using the same talking points from last week, I still get paid for THIS article!
THIS IS SO MUCH EASIER THAN GENERATING NEW CONTENT!
Much like the Bills, the Philadelphia Eagles are a strong option, again, in NFL Week 9. The last undefeated team in the league stands to be a viable option each week for the remainder of the season. Not only do the Eagles boast a well-rounded team that ranks top five in both offense and defense, they’ve been given the easiest schedule of any team this season.
If you have the Eagles available, it’s a great spot to use them. With close to 80% of NFL Survivors having already used them, it’s a rare chance to implement both basic strategies above. You’re using the best available matchup on the board AND somehow playing contrarian with a less popular pick. That’s pretty sweet.
Keep in mind, this will be a Thursday Night Football matchup against the terrible Texans. Thursday games are always a little funky, but wouldn’t it be nice to wake up Sunday morning having already advanced?
Sounds pretty good to me.
Can they go 17-0? Philadelphia Eagles odds to go undefeated
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs stand to be the most popular option in NFL Week 9. Since most players have already used the Bills and Eagles, the Chiefs are the third-biggest favorite at home against the Tennessee Titans. Not only do the Chiefs own one of the best home-field advantages in sports, Patrick Mahomes has been fantastic at Arrowhead Stadium, with a 26-6 lifetime record at home.
The Chiefs are also catching the Titans in a tough spot. Tennessee managed to run over the Indianapolis Colts last week, but they were facing backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger in his first career start. The Titans have quarterback concerns of their own, as Ryan Tannehill looks to be a game-time decision as he recovers from a leg injury.
If Tannehill plays, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be 100%. And against a Chiefs team that can hang 40 points on you? It’s a tall order. The Titans and their run-first offense are built to defend a lead by running the clock, not to play catch up. If they fall behind early in this one, it’s light out.
The Chiefs will be a popular option next week against the Jaguars as well. Beyond that, they aren’t likely to be favored by more than a touchdown until Week 15 against the Texans.
More insight: NFL Week 9 Teaser Pick
NFL Week 9 Survivor Pick: Best of The Rest
New England Patriots
The Patriots host the Colts at Foxborough. Bill Belichick has an incredible 22-6 lifetime record against rookie quarterbacks. And while Colts backup Sam Ehlinger doesn’t quite qualify as a rooke (he took three snaps in 2021, rushing the ball all three times), he’s close enough. The Patriots should do enough to beat the Colts.
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NFL Week 9 Survivor Pick: Trap Pick To Avoid
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals stand to be one of the most popular picks this week, with close to 20% of NFL Survivors backing them to beat the Panthers.
Three reasons to avoid using them this week:
For starters, wide receiver Ja’marr Chase was a noticeable absence in the Bengals’ loss to the Browns during Monday Night Football. The Bengals managed only 229 offensive yards, while giving up more than 440 on defense. Without his No. 1 target, Joe Burrow looked hopeless under center.
Secondly, it’s possible the Panthers are… not terrible? Since ditching Matt Rhule, a head coach that makes Nathanial Hackett look like Mike Ditka, the Panthers are playing inspired football. In back-to-back weeks, the Panthers destroyed Tom Brady and the Bucs 21-3 and nearly pulled off an incredible comeback against the Atlanta Falcons. Back-to-back missed kicks left them on the losing end of an extremely entertaining matchup.
Lastly, the risk/reward for choosing the Bengals this week just isn’t good enough. With 20% of tickets backing them this week, in a game that could be a lot closer than the point spread indicates, you’re simply taking on too much risk.
Best to avoid them if you have other options available.
Also read: Super Bowl 57 Odds | 2022 NFL MVP Odds
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