NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 17) - Targets and Avoids

Why don't more teams run the ball when going for two? I don't have stats to back it up but it seems every time a team goes for two they throw the ball. Why not run? The Raiders went for two against the Chiefs and got the conversion. Line up with a three or four-receiver... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 16) - Targets and Avoids

Fans want to outlaw the tush push because some say it's impossible to stop, but is it? The Eagles cannot be stopped on it, I'll give you that. The only time they were stopped was when Jalen Hurts fumbled at the goal line in Washington earlier this year. It's easy though when you have a... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 15) - Targets and Avoids

Have analytics become too mainstream? Has "advanced thinking" made NFL coaches actually regress? Doug Pederson is the prime example. The Jaguars had just scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 31-27 with 1:33 left. It seemed like an obvious PAT would ensue. Instead, Trevor Lawrence stays on the field and gets sacked going for... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 14) - Targets and Avoids

How do you lay points with an offense that is one of the worst in the league? I'm talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Somehow they're 7-5 despite being out-gained in nearly every game this season. Yet, they were six-point favorites against the Cardinals this past Sunday. I warned last week you can't back a team... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 13) - Targets and Avoids

Detroit's defense was completely exposed by Jordan Love and the Packers on Thanksgiving day. Green Bay scored the most points they have all season, 29. Love threw for 268 yards and three touchdown passes. The Lions defense has been getting shredded, though. In the last three games, they've given up 41, 26, and 29 points,... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 12) - Targets and Avoids

When it looks too easy, sometimes it is. The Commanders were 7.5-point favorites against Tommy Devito and the Giants. The G-Men could not have looked worse in recent weeks. Washington, with a losing record, was more than a touchdown favorite. But New York came out and played really good football, winning outright and dealing the... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets and Avoids

Has football become more about stats than winning the game? Take the 49ers this past week. They had lost three straight games prior to their bye and were on the road taking on the division-leading Jaguars. They not only won but they thumped Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville. The offense was back to rolling and the... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 10) - Targets and Avoids

How good is the Kansas City Chiefs defense? They do rank third in opponent yards per play and second in points against with opponents scoring an average of 16 points per game. They have played some pretty bad offenses like the Bears and Broncos twice but they did shut down the Jaguars and Dolphins. But... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 9) - Targets and Avoids

Seven yards passing. That is how many total yards the New York Giants threw for in their loss to the Jets. What's crazier, them throwing for seven yards or how they were one yard and then 24 seconds away from winning? Tyrod Taylor was hurt in the first half after throwing for eight yards on 4-for-7... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 8) - Targets and Avoids

Football does not make sense. No matter how much you handicap, the amount of stats you can find, even watching tape, it sometimes does not matter.  On paper, there was the slimmest chance for the Patriots to beat the Bills. If they played 100 times, the Bills would have won upwards of 70 times. But... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 7) - Targets and Avoids

What a week it could have been for survivor pools. The New York Giants nearly pulled off one of the most improbable upsets this season. As a 15.5 point underdog to Buffalo, with a backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, the Giants did all they could except capitalize in the red zone. They failed to get any... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 6) - Targets and Avoids

How could a team not score a touchdown in a game? One week, okay it's just one week. But two games in a row?!? The New England Patriots have not scored a touchdown in the last two games and last 10 quarters. In recent years, the NFL has changed the rules to favor the offense.... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 5) - Targets and Avoids

It's the slide that had nearly everyone up in arms. Patrick Mahomes giving himself up right at the goal line with under two minutes to go in the Chiefs vs. Jets Sunday night game. Kansas City led by three, they were favored by eight. The Jets had no timeouts when Mahomes elected to slide short... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 4) - Targets and Avoids

Survivor doomsday came early this year. Week 3 knocked out just over half of the remaining entrants that had survived the first two weeks. Sunday saw the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Ravens all go down, all of which were very popular picks in Week 3. And then you have people who forget to enter a pick... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 3) - Targets and Avoids

What a difference a week makes. Look at how the media reacted to Week 1 and compare that to Week 2. Some were doubting the Bills after a rough opener but they took care of business against the Raiders. But more needs to be seen from them especially when they go up against a top-10... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 2) - Targets and Avoids

After months of talk and predictions, the NFL returned this past weekend and proved the sports media world has no idea what they're talking about. Despite hours of, "I think" without any evidence to back predictions up, Week 1 shows no one knows anything about football. Some touts expected the Steelers to compete against or... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 1) - Targets and Avoids

Welcome back RotoBallers to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season! Football is back, and the options are endless -- there are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and future bets that it's hard to decide what to do. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks Strategies - How To Win Survivor Leagues

Survivor is one of the oldest and simplest pools for football fans. The popularity of Survivor league pools have been overtaken by fantasy football in recent years, but Survivor still remains one of the most fun and most popular contests for NFL pools. Even though NFL Survivor leagues are simple pools, they are exciting and... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 18) - Targets and Avoids

It's been a tough week for the sports world with Damar Hamlin suffering cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football. We wish him a full recovery. Week 18 begins Saturday with the Chiefs at the Raiders followed by the Titans visiting the Jaguars with the AFC South on the line. You may be out of your... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 17) - Targets and Avoids

Does anyone in the AFC want to claim a playoff spot? Nearly all teams in the hunt lost this weekend. The Chargers took care of business though by beating the Colts and clinching a playoff berth. But the Jets started the week off losing to the Jaguars, followed by the Patriots, Titans, and Dolphins losing.... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 16) - Targets and Avoids

The NFL, where the unpredictable happens. This weekend, we saw the largest comeback in history, two separate 17-point comebacks, a walk-off defensive touchdown off an offensive lateral, a goal-line stand surrounded by referee controversy, a pick-six in overtime, and a snow game. It was an incredible weekend of football and if you don't think it... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 15) - Targets and Avoids

Football is a weird sport. Going into Week 14, the two teams who've scored the least points, the Texans and Broncos, almost pulled off massive upsets. Houston was a yard away from beating the Cowboys as 17-point underdogs and Denver was a drive away from possibly knocking off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Some teams... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 14) - Targets and Avoids

Five weeks left in the season and still so much football left to play. The playoff picture is taking shape and several teams have all but clinched their playoff spots. In the AFC, the Dolphins, Jets, Chargers, and Patriots are fighting for their playoff lives. In the NFC, it's just the Giants, Seahawks, and Commanders... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 13) - Targets and Avoids

Just when the public thinks they've figured it out, they get crushed. DraftKings released its top-five most-bet teams Sunday: the Ravens -3.5 (80%), Chargers -3 (77%), Broncos -1 (71%), Seahawks -4 (70%), and Bucs -3.5 (70%). The only team that won was the Chargers, but they didn't even cover. This is the time of year... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 12) - Targets and Avoids

Recency bias. The Eagles, who were the most dominant team in football through nine weeks, lost at home to a division rival and then squeaked by the Colts. Now all of a sudden, there are those wondering if the Eagles are for real. Another example is the Dallas Cowboys. After losing a game to the... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 11) - Targets and Avoids

More underdogs keep coming through either against the spread or outright. The Eagles lost their first game to Washington on Monday night and I sure hope you read this column last week because I gave that out. The other big upset in terms of the spread was the Vikings beating the Bills in one of... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 10) - Targets and Avoids

Another wonky week with big underdogs either winning outright or going right down to the wire. The Jets, down 14-3, came back to shock the Bills and the Titans nearly pulled off the 14-point outright upset against the Chiefs in Arrowhead on Sunday night. It's been some roller coaster of a year and survivor pools... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 9) - Targets and Avoids

About halfway through the season and who would have predicted the Bucs and Packers would be 3-5, the Rams 3-4, and the Falcons and Seahawks leading their divisions? It appears there's a changing of the guard not only atop the NFL but also with middle-level teams. It's not even halfway through the year and a... Read More

NFL Survivor Pool Picks (Week 8) - Targets and Avoids

Why is scoring down in the NFL? Some have said it's due to better defense, but when you watch the games, it appears it's because of coaching. Jacksonville had a 4th-and-1 against the Giants on Sunday up 17-13 in the fourth quarter and Doug Pederson decides to go for it. Why not take the three... Read More