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Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 16 of the 2024 NFL season! There are so many different pools, fantasy leagues, weekly bets, and futures bets that it's hard to decide what to do with these choices. But survivor pools are the oldest and simplest leagues out there. All you have to do is pick a team and have it win, but you can't choose it again.
All season long, I'll bring you weekly survivor pool advice for NFL teams to target and teams to avoid each week. Survivor league strategy is a major part of winning your pools, and this article will help you through the 2024 NFL season.
With a full slate of teams for the rest of the season, let's take a look at some teams to target and avoid for survivor pools in Week 16!
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Implied Point Totals, Point Spreads, and Over/Under Totals for Week 16
For detailed Survivor League strategy, and tips to help you win your league, check out our "How to win your Survivor League" guide.
Before jumping into the picks for Week 16, it's helpful to get an overview of the slate with implied point totals, point spreads, and over/under totals from betting markets. All implied totals come courtesy of FantasyLabs each week.
Now, let's look at the survivor pool pick recommendations to target and avoid for Week 16.
Top Survivor Pool Picks to Target for Week 16
Green Bay Packers vs. NO
The Packers may not have the best passing game in the NFL right now, but they're doing everything else brilliantly as they come home after taking care of the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football to host the New Orleans Saints. Green Bay is a 13.5-point favorite, but somehow, it is NOT the largest favorite of the slate. That belongs to the Bills, who host the Patriots. While the Packers have been dominating lesser opponents, the Saints may not be able to field a team the way they're going with injuries.
The Saints benched quarterback Jake Haener and replaced him with Spencer Rattler, who would have led them to an improbable win against the Washington Commanders if they had converted a two-point conversion with no time left in the fourth quarter. New Orleans has the lowest implied point total of the entire slate at just 14 points and they are a shell of their former selves thanks to injuries. Alvin Kamara left in Week 15 with a groin/adductor injury and if he cannot suit up, it may be even uglier in Lambeau Field.
If you have the Packers saved up, they're a perfect team to take this week in your Survivor pool with the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears remaining to close out the season.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. CLE
The point spread favoring the Cincinnati Bengals more than doubled itself following the Browns naming Dorian Thompson-Robinson their starter, and THAT seems bad. Simply put, nobody would touch this game if Jameis Winston were still starting for the Browns because of the volatility of both teams, but with DTR in at quarterback, that opens a window for a new possible team to select in your Survivor pool. The Bengals were an initial 3.5-point favorite, but upon that announcement, they jumped up to a 7.5-point favorite.
Just an insane touchdown by Joe Burrow. He had the ball for nine seconds, before finding Chase Brown for the score
— James Rapien (@JamesRapien) December 15, 2024
Somehow, the Bengals are still in contention for a playoff spot in the AFC and need every game plus a ton of help to even have a glimmer of hope. In three games as a starting quarterback, Thompson-Robinson has never eclipsed 56% completions, 165 passing yards, or thrown more than one touchdown. In fact, he has one touchdown pass in his entire career next to seven interceptions. Why the Browns would make that switch has me all types of confused but as Survivor gamers, we'll take it wherever we can get it.
With the Bengals playing lights out on offense and the Browns being woefully undermanned on offense with the possibility of David Njoku and Cedric Tillman missing yet another game, plus Nick Chubb's broken foot ending his season, the Bengals feel much more comfortable than at any point this season.
Top Survivor Pool Picks to Avoid for Week 16
Atlanta Falcons vs. NYG
In one of the crazier lines I've seen this season, the Atlanta Falcons, with a sight-unseen rookie quarterback, are 8.5-point favorites at home against the New York Giants. I don't think anybody is disputing just how bad the Giants are no matter who the quarterback is, but it just shows how BAD the Giants are that the line has gotten this wide with a rookie quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. making the first start of his NFL career.
The last straw for the Falcons was Kirk Cousins' 11-of-17 performance for 112 yards, a touchdown, and an interception against the Raiders. It was a game the Falcons won, but if they're going to make a push toward an NFC South title, they'll need some of the upside that Penix can deliver.
If I'm the New York Giants, I absolutely love being 8.5-point 'dogs to a rookie quarterback making his NFL debut in Week 16
— Patrick Daugherty (@rotopat.bsky.social) December 18, 2024 at 11:18 AM
The Giants have averaged a grand total of 13.5 points scored since jettisoning Daniel Jones and going with Tommy DeVito, then Drew Lock, then DeVito again, only for DeVito to leave with a concussion and have Tim Boyle jump in to start. It's been a mess. No wonder the Falcons are favored!
Still, anything can happen in the NFL and despite Penix being the No. 8 pick in this past April's NFL Draft, we have zero indication if he is ready to run an NFL offense at this point. Not only that, but Penix is left-handed, and going from catching balls from a right-handed quarterback to a lefty is quite an adjustment. Am I willing to risk my Survivor pool life in Week 16 on the premise that Penix could lead the Falcons to a win? Not a chance.
Los Angeles Rams at NYJ
At this point with the New York Football (allegedly) Jets, the team is already looking at tee times, darkness retreat appointments, and anything else that's going on from January 2025 and beyond. However, there's a crazy thing that's also happening: Aaron Rodgers is putting together his best two-game stretch of football as a Jet with a solid game against the even more hopeless Jacksonville Jaguars. That could be a bit of an issue for the incoming Los Angeles Rams, who are traveling to the other coast for a 1:00 PM EST start time.
The Rams are 3.5-point favorites against the Jets, which could be called into question based on the Rams' last game where they beat the San Francisco 49ers 12-6 dealing with the elements. But make no mistake: the week before that had the Rams going uppercut for uppercut against the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium. We know the Rams can move the ball. We also know the Jets can move the ball and Breece Hall is one week healthier following his return to the lineup last week.
The Jets are tied with the Cowboys for the highest implied point total (22) amongst underdogs. While the Rams need this game for their thin playoff hopes, the Jets can just as easily put a wrench into the Rams' plans in Week 16. I'm not super confident in taking either team against their opponent here, especially in the third-to-last week in your Survivor pool.
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