Football survivor pool strategy/picks, Week 9: There are three popular options

Editor’s update: We have updated rankings to reflect the Houston Texans losing Deshaun Watson to an ACL injury. They are still playing a bad Indianapolis Colts team, but they are no longer the bes

Welcome back for Week 9 of the 2017 NFL season! We are slowly moving into the second half of the season, with 14 teams having eight games under their belts. This week, we get things started with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets that is more intriguing than most would have guessed eight weeks ago. The week closes on Monday Night Football with a big NFC North matchup between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

The opening of Week 9 means it is time to look at some of the best options for NFL survivor pools. There are going to be some popular picks, including the Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia Eagles. Maybe you roll the dice with the New Orleans Saints or Jacksonville Jaguars.

For those new to this kind of contest, a survivor pool involves picking one team each week that you think will win. If your team wins in Week 1, you can make a pick in Week 2. If your team wins in Week 2, you can make a pick in Week 3, and so on. The catch is that you cannot pick a team twice. You could very well use a heavy favorite in Week 1, but you won’t have access to that team later in the year if you’re alive in the closing weeks.

There is plenty of strategy in determining which team you will take each week, and SB Nation is here to help. We have two experts providing rankings for each week, and then some thoughts on weekly strategy. First up, we have a consensus ranking of all 32 teams, and which are most likely to win this week. That is followed by each writer making a pick, some reasoning for the pick, and some alternatives to consider.

Jeff Goldberg
Best picks: Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints

We thought we had three mortal locks this week in Survivor, with Houston, Philadelphia and Seattle looking unbeatable. Well, sadly, we are down to two. The Texans were the lock of locks until Thursday afternoon, when DeShaun Watson tore an ACL in practice and is out for the season. A cruel blow for Texans fans, NFL fans and fantasy owners. The Texans will probably find a way to win regardless against the woeful Colts, but it joins a very large pile of 50/50 games this week. If you have the Eagles and/or the Seahawks available, they are the teams to play, with Washington dealing with the 12th man in Seattle, likely without Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder, and Denver starting Brock Osweiler in Philly. If you need an alternative, the Saints at home against the terrible pass defense of the Buccaneers is worth a look.

Scott Kaliska
Best picks: Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles take on Brock Osweiler and I can’t see him improving the Denver offense. Philadelphia has been very efficient on offense and should be able to easily move the ball. The Denver defense may keep the game interesting but won’t be able to win one for the Broncos.. My secondary pick would be Philadelphia. Seattle won’t have as much trouble, as they did with Houston. The Legion of Boom will be looking to reassert itself against Kirk Cousins and the Washington passing game. Seattle’s passing game will easily put up enough points to bring home another win.