The NFL returned to some semblance of normalcy in Week 4, just after a wild Week 3 turned Survivor pools upside down. Heavy favorites like Jacksonville and Green Bay handled their business, with Cincinnati’s win at Atlanta serving as the biggest upset of the week.
Week 5 NFL Survivor strategy and picks
After a wild Week 3, the NFL settled itself for the most part in Week 4. Survivor pools are still kicking, and we’re back to provide some tips to stay alive this week.
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We’re back now for Week 5, with most Survivor pool entrants not yet eliminated making it through the quarter mark. For those new to the 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 them 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’ll take a look at the safest choices, best value picks, and then two trap picks.
Safest picks
Entering Week 5, people are going to need to start considering the big names to stick around. The Patriots still get the Bills on the road in Week 8, and then the Bills and Jets at home in Weeks 16 and 17. The Panthers face a bad Giants team, but the only reason this one is not listed under value picks is because a large number of remaining entrants are likely to use Carolina this week.
Best value picks
This is a cop out of sorts, but I just don’t see much value. The Panthers would be the closest, but like I said, expect a lot of people to grab them this week. The Chargers over the Raiders will have some value since a lot of people already took them last week against the 49ers, but divisional games are never fun for Survivor pools. Speaking of the 49ers, they are facing a bad Cardinals squad. I think San Francisco wins, but again, divisional games are not something I want to grab at this point.
Trap pick
Los Angeles Rams over Seattle Seahawks
Tennessee Titans over Buffalo Bills
The Rams head on the road in Week 5, and divisional games are never predictable. LA is a touchdown favorite, but even with Seattle losing Earl Thomas, this game is not worth touching at this point. Meanwhile, the Bills are popular to pick against, but Tennessee is walking right into a letdown game. The Titans have won three straight, including a win at Jacksonville and a home win over the defending champs. Tennessee probably wins, but I would not be surprised to see them take one on the chin in Buffalo.
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