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Welcome to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 12 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.
We're in the thick of the bye-week season, so the Survivor picks get tougher and tougher by the week. We have our first week with six teams on bye, including the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets all taking the week to recoup. Let's look at some teams to target and avoid for survivor pools in Week 12.
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Implied Point Totals, Point Spreads, and Over/Under Totals for Week 12
Before jumping into the picks for Week 12, 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 12.
Top Survivor Pool Picks to Target for Week 12
Washington Commanders vs. DAL
In Week 12, the Washington Commanders will host the Dallas Cowboys, who are in one of the biggest freefalls we've seen in quite some time. Of course, it's not their fault, as the glue that was Dak Prescott is out for the season, and with that went any hopes and dreams related to their success this season. The Commanders are a massive 10.0-point favorite at home against these Cowboys and it's a get-right spot for Washington as they look to put a two-game slide in the rear-view mirror after starting out 7-2 on the campaign.
It wasn't always going to be rosy with the Commanders after such a torrid start, but this is the perfect game to get back to their winning ways with Jayden Daniels and the passing game, plus Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler co-running this backfield. Even with the Commanders losing, it's not like they've been blown out; they lost by a point to the Pittsburgh Steelers and then by one possession to the Eagles in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have scored a total of 16 points in their last two games, both home losses to the Eagles and Texans. Washington does play Tennessee next week, but this game against Dallas feels much more comfortable to take the Commanders.
Houston Texans vs. TEN
After throttling the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium (or "The House That Jerry Built Without Thinking About Where The Sun Is") on Monday Night Football, the Texans get a short turnaround but will host the Tennessee Titans. Houston is an 8.5-point favorite over the visiting Titans, who sport only 16.5 implied points, the third-lowest total of the Week 12 slate. The Texans' identity has certainly shifted from the almost necessity of having to be carried by a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud last season, to Stroud being solid but Joe Mixon putting up career numbers this season.
JOE MIXON TUDDY ON THE OPENING DRIVE 🚀
📺: ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/p622RzoGnT
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 19, 2024
In terms of future value going forward in Survivor pools, the Texans still have a date with the Jaguars remaining and that's next week. Who knows if the quarterback is still Mac Jones or if it's Trevor Lawrence, but if it's the latter, the matchup doesn't feel as safe. They also have their second matchup with the Titans in Week 16. Still, I feel pretty good about cementing the Texans in this spot with the Titans in Week 12.
Top Survivor Pool Picks to Avoid for Week 12
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at NYG
The 4-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off of a bye refreshed and will head to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to take on the 2-8 New York Giants in Week 12. The Bucs are 5.5-point favorites against the Giants, who have benched their former starting quarterback Daniel Jones for Tommy Devito, who started six games for the Giants last season to decent success as the team went 3-3 with him as starter. No matter if this quarterback switch will give this team a spark or not, the Buccaneers are having to prepare for an all-new quarterback.
Normally, it would be very easy to just assume you slot in the Buccaneers in a good spot even if they're on the road, but Devito has a way of being in games that he has no business being in, like the Week 14 game against the Green Bay Packers at home on Monday Night Football where Devito led the Giants on a drive with 1:33 left to set up a game-winning field goal. It's just not a comfortable spot to use the Buccaneers, who are still shorthanded at the wide receiver position. The Buccaneers have multiple matchups that are better to use them for, such as next week in Carolina, or an even better one at home against the Raiders. Save this Bucs team for future weeks if you want to save your bucks.
Green Bay Packers vs. SF
The 7-3 Green Bay Packers get just the second non-playoff home game since 2012 when they host the 5-5 San Francisco 49ers in what will be the game of the week in the NFL based on recent history between these two teams. Given the (one-sided) playoff history leaning towards the 49ers, the Packers are 2.5-point favorites against San Francisco, who have been prone to giving up winnable games which is very uncharacteristic of them. Still, in a game where the 49ers have their backs up against the wall in the NFC Playoff picture, do you want to bet against them?
Every Jauan Jennings catch this year?
Every Jauan Jennings catch it is! 📽️ pic.twitter.com/pUmptINa73
— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) November 20, 2024
The Packers have been excellent and opportunistic on defense, but Jordan Love has not played his best football lately. After a five-game streak of throwing multiple touchdown passes to start the season, Love has just one touchdown pass in the last three games. The 49ers have been getting by with their offense missing different key pieces, but the hope is that tight end George Kittle can play in Week 12, which would put the team at full strength... well as full strength as they are going to get without Brandon Aiyuk. I want no part of this game on either side with my Survivor pool hopes on the line.
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