X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

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

Kirk Cousins - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

New England was a first down away in overtime from lining up to kick a field goal that would have decimated survivor pools. Most pools saw Green Bay get picked by about half of entrants remaining. Had they lost, more than 90-95 percent of preexisting entrants from Week 1 would have been gone. That would have been something a month into the season. Still, the Packers and  Chargers got the wins leaving most entrants alive.

Many more big favorites this coming week compared to last and another London game.

All season long I'll be bringing you weekly survivor pool columns on NFL teams to target and avoid each week. Survivor league strategy is a major part of winning your pools, and this article will help you through the 2022 NFL season. 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

 

NFL Teams Favored by 6+ in Week 5

Lines are consensus via The Action Network: Bills -14 vs. Steelers, Bucs -8.5 vs. Falcons, Jaguars -7 vs. Texans, Vikings -7 vs. Bears, Packers -8 vs. Giants (London), Chiefs -7 vs. Raiders, 49ers -6.5 at Panthers

If you're reading this article on Thursday or later, know that these lines are from Tuesday. Check the current spreads and see how the lines moved.

With gambling now legal for some of you, I'm going to be giving out my three top plays against the spread. They'll be at the bottom. I'll also be giving my predicted score for games written about.

 

Top Survivor Pool Picks to Target for Week 5

Bills -14 vs. Steelers

If you want to advance this week and take Buffalo, I can't fault you. The Bills should cruise in this game against Kenny Pickett who's reportedly expected to start Sunday. The Steelers' offense will be a lot more dynamic with an actual quarterback, but it'll take some time to gel.

Bills 31 - Steelers 20

Vikings -7 vs. Bears

If I were still alive in survivor, Minnesota would be the no-brainer play this week. Justin Fields is a disaster as the Bears quarterback. In the first four games, he's completed a total of 34 passes on 67 attempts (8, 7, 8, 11). He struggles to throw a 5-yard pass and when the first option isn't there, he takes off. The Bears' offense is like watching an offense from the 70's. Chicago has an average defense, but when you have an offense out there that scores 16 points a game, how great a defense do you need to win a game in today's NFL?

Kirk Cousins has his limitations, but there are too many weapons in Minnesota's arsenal to lose this one.

Vikings 27 - Bears 10

Titans -2.5 at Washington

This is another play aimed at going against a terrible quarterback, Carson Wentz. I saw about every play from the Bears and Washington games Sunday, not ideal placement at the bar I was at, but good to know just how bad these teams offenses are. Against the Cowboys, Wentz was 25-42 for 170 yards, 4.2 yards per attempt, a terrible number, and two interceptions. The offense is averaging a worst 4.6 yards per play through the first month of the season. If Wentz wasn't dumping the ball off short, he was missing his target by a pretty wide margin.

The Titans are tough to figure out. They lost to the Giants in Week 1 after missing a field goal at the buzzer, got crushed by the Bills, beat the Raiders and Colts. They've been more on-brand the last two weeks, get ahead early and let Derrick Henry and the defense take over. Sunday against Washington sets up perfect for this gameplan.

Titans 27 - Washington 20

49ers -6.5 at Panthers

The Niners are giving up 3.8 yards per play on defense, best in the league. Carolina's offensive will surely struggle as they rank 27th in offensive yards per play. Baker Mayfield completing 54.7 percent of passes with a 6.4 yards per attempt, most career lows. San Fran will dominate.

49ers 27 - Panthers 14

Packers -8 vs. Giants (London)

21 points from Green Bay should be enough to win this game. There are plenty other opportunities to use Green Bay this season so I'd rather save them. But if you go with them here, can't blame you especially with the Giants quarterback struggles.

Packers 28 - Giants 16

 

Top Survivor Pool Picks to Avoid for Week 5

Saints -5.5 vs. Seahawks

Geno Smith has better numbers than both Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton, and yet Seattle is getting six points. Smith is completing 77,3% of passes, tops in the NFL. The Seahawks' defense looked dreadful against the Lions, but it's not like New Orleans has been that good on offense. They're averaging 19 points per game and are 24th in third-down conversion percentage. The Saints have the capability of riding their defense to a win, but they'll need to score some points of their own.

Seahawks 24 - Saints 21

Jaguars -7 vs. Texans

Jacksonville got off to a blistering start against the Eagles 14-0, but then were outscored 29-7. The team fell apart. But they have a very good pass rush, a balanced offensive attack and can compete with any team. But Houston has shown fight and I wonder how Jacksonville will play in the favorite role.

Jaguars 23 - Texans 20

Bucs -8.5 vs. Falcons

This line is placing a lot of stock into pre-season conceptions of these teams. The Bucs have been very underwhelming and Tom Brady had good stats Sunday night against the Chiefs, 375 passing yards, partly because Kansas City was playing prevent most of the game. Tampa's defense got exposed and now they have another challenge against a top-10 offense led by the dual-threat quarterback Marcus Mariota. This could be a high-scoring game and one in which I'd rather have the dog.

Bucs 38 - Falcons 34

Chiefs -7 vs. Raiders

The Raiders usually struggle when they play in Kansas City, but that's been in the winter as Derek Carr struggles in the cold. But it's an early-season matchup with the Raiders off their first win of the year. There will be other chances to take the Chiefs like Week 15 against the Texans or 16 against the Seahawks.

Chiefs 28 - Raiders 24

 

NFL Best Bets for Week 5

  • Vikings -7 vs. Bears
  • Titans -2.5 at Commanders
  • Texans +7 at Jaguars

 

Running Totals

  • Last Week: 1-2
  • 2022 season: 9-3
  • 2021 season: 27-26-1
  • 2020 season: 24-27
  • 2019 season: 23-26-2


Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Weekly Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Aaron Judge20 mins ago

Wins American League MVP Award
Ja'Kobe Walter24 mins ago

Ready To Go Thursday
Donte DiVincenzo29 mins ago

Available Thursday
Mike Conley36 mins ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Jordan Clarkson44 mins ago

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Ausar Thompson55 mins ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Zach Collins1 hour ago

Cleared To Play Thursday
Domantas Sabonis1 hour ago

Gets Through Full Practice
Chris Paul1 hour ago

Good To Go Thursday
Brock Purdy1 hour ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Malik Monk1 hour ago

Making Progress
George Kittle1 hour ago

Limited Again On Thursday
Tre Mann1 hour ago

Good To Go On Thursday
Miles Bridges1 hour ago

Won't Play On Thursday
Vince Williams Jr.2 hours ago

Out At Least A Month
Scottie Barnes2 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Alex Ovechkin2 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Fibula
Paul George2 hours ago

Out At Least Two Games
Aaron Gordon2 hours ago

Availability In Question For Friday
Zach Hyman2 hours ago

Expected To Miss 4-7 Days
Kent Johnson2 hours ago

Back For Blue Jackets Thursday
Dorian Finney-Smith2 hours ago

Uncertain To Face The Sixers
Yaroslav Askarov2 hours ago

Makes Sharks Debut Thursday
Jalen Hurts2 hours ago

Practices In Full On Thursday
Nicolas Claxton2 hours ago

Questionable Versus Philly
Nikola Jokic2 hours ago

Absent From Practice On Thursday
Mikael Granlund2 hours ago

Good To Go Thursday
Cam Thomas2 hours ago

Probable On Friday Night
Alexandar Georgiev2 hours ago

Returns To Action Versus Capitals
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope2 hours ago

Out On Thursday Night
TB3 hours ago

Nicholas Paul Will Miss Thursday's Game
DeMar DeRozan3 hours ago

Intends To Make His Return Friday Versus Clippers
Frederik Andersen3 hours ago

To Miss 8-12 Weeks
Jake Ferguson3 hours ago

Still Not Practicing
Sam LaPorta3 hours ago

Looking Good For A Week 12 Return
Sam Darnold3 hours ago

Upgrades To Full Participation, On Track To Play
Isiah Pacheco3 hours ago

Remains Limited On Thursday
D'Andre Swift3 hours ago

Upgrades To Limited Participant On Thursday
CeeDee Lamb3 hours ago

Sidelined During Thursday's Practice
Ladd McConkey4 hours ago

Does Not Practice On Thursday
Mike Evans4 hours ago

Logs Full Practice On Thursday
DeVonta Smith5 hours ago

Misses Another Practice
5 hours ago

Rich Hill Wants To Pitch In 2025
Andrew Painter5 hours ago

Phillies Could Play It Safe With Andrew Painter
Wilyer Abreu5 hours ago

Red Sox Could Be Looking To Trade Wilyer Abreu
Cody Bellinger6 hours ago

Cubs Looking To Trade Cody Bellinger?
Brandin Cooks6 hours ago

Preparing To Play In Week 12
CeeDee Lamb6 hours ago

Not Seen At Thursday's Practice
JJ Bleday6 hours ago

A's Don't Want To Trade JJ Bleday
6 hours ago

Blake Snell Has Met With Red Sox, Dodgers
Aaron Rodgers6 hours ago

Jets Owner Suggested Benching Aaron Rodgers
Mike Evans8 hours ago

Practicing Again On Thursday
Chandler Stephenson9 hours ago

Registers Three Assists Versus Predators
Jason Robertson9 hours ago

Totals Three Points In Wednesday's Win
Nils Lundkvist9 hours ago

Exits Early With A Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Knies9 hours ago

Sustains An Upper-Body Injury
Mikael Granlund9 hours ago

Exits Late With Injury Wednesday
Patrik Laine10 hours ago

Returns To Practice
MLB20 hours ago

Roki Sasaki Expected To Be Part Of 2025 International Class
Jahmai Jones20 hours ago

Tigers Sign Jahmai Jones To Minor-League Deal
Nate Eaton20 hours ago

Signs Minors Deal With Boston
Seth Brown20 hours ago

Avoids Arbitration With A's
Chris Sale21 hours ago

Wins National League Cy Young Award
Tarik Skubal21 hours ago

Wins 2024 American League Cy Young Award
Matt Thaiss21 hours ago

Cubs Acquire Matt Thaiss From Angels
Austin Eckroat23 hours ago

Heads To The RSM Classic After Win
Harris English23 hours ago

Finding Form Heading To The RSM Classic
Ben Griffin23 hours ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To The RSM Classic
Denny McCarthy23 hours ago

Returns to The RSM Classic
Josh Jacobs24 hours ago

Limited With Multiple Injuries
DeVonta Smith24 hours ago

Misses Practice On Wednesday
Seth Jones1 day ago

Expected To Miss Four Weeks
Sam Darnold1 day ago

Limited With Foot Injury
Max Domi1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Jalen Hurts1 day ago

Limited On Wednesday
Connor Ingram1 day ago

Out Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Jake Ferguson1 day ago

Picks Up A DNP On Wednesday
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen1 day ago

Returns To Action Versus Kings
Alex Tuch1 day ago

Available Wednesday
Tage Thompson1 day ago

Remains Out On Wednesday
Jordan Eberle1 day ago

To Remain Out On Wednesday
Ludvig Aberg1 day ago

Looks To Defend RSM Classic Title
Si Woo Kim1 day ago

An Intriguing Option At RSM Classic
Maverick McNealy1 day ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of RSM Classic
Eric Cole1 day ago

Chasing First Tour Victory At RSM Classic
Matt Krook1 day ago

A's Sign Matt Krook, Jason Alexander
Trenton Brooks1 day ago

Signs Minors Deal With Padres
Jacob Stallings1 day ago

Rockies Re-Sign Jacob Stallings
1 day ago

Patrick Wisdom Pushed Off 40-Man Roster
Eli Morgan1 day ago

Cubs Acquire Eli Morgan From Guardians
Austin Shenton2 days ago

Mariners Acquire Austin Shenton From Rays
2 days ago

Guardians' Stephen Vogt Named AL Manager Of The Year
Charles Oliveira3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Chandler3 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 309
Karine Silva3 days ago

Suffers Her First UFC Loss
Viviane Araujo3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Mauricio Ruffy3 days ago

Extends His Win Streak To Six
James Llontop4 days ago

Loses Clear-Cut Decision In Thrilling Fight At UFC 309
Paul Craig4 days ago

Loses Decision At UFC 309
Bo Nickal4 days ago

Remains Undefeated With Lackluster Performance At UFC 309
Stipe Miocic4 days ago

Retires After UFC 309 Loss
Jon Jones4 days ago

Gets TKO Win At UFC 309 To Defend Heavyweight Title

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Najee Harris - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Week 12 Predictions: Picks and Analysis for Every Game Including Thursday Night Football

After some high-octane matchups over the last couple of Thursday nights, Week 12 kicks off in a more old-school fashion with a classic rivalry game between the Steelers and Browns. There are some fun matchups on this Week 12 slate, however, "Bye-Mageddon" certainly does take a little of the sizzle away, as six teams will […]


TJ Watt - IDP, Pittsburgh Steelers, DST, Defense, Fantasy Football Def

Week 12 Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings: Steelers D/ST, Chiefs D/ST, Vikings D/ST, Eagles D/ST, Commanders D/ST, Texans D/ST, Broncos D/ST

Fantasy football defenses are largely matchup-dependent, so many fantasy managers opt to stream a different defense each week. If you're in that boat, use our Week 12 fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings for 2024 to find the top available option. There are just three weeks of the fantasy football regular season left, so it's never […]


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

Steelers vs. Browns TNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Jameis Winston, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, George Pickens

The Week 12 TNF game between two bitter AFC North rivals (Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers) is not likely to end up like the Thursday night game from two weeks ago when two different AFC North teams (Bengals and Ravens) battled to a 35-34 shootout. Somewhere deep in the charter of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I […]


DJ Moore - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Deebo Samuel, D.J. Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Jonathon Brooks, Jauan Jennings, Tank Dell

Many fantasy managers are in must-win situations down the stretch, so it's never been more important to ace your start-or-sit calls. Our Week 12 TNF fantasy football overall rankings for 2024 are here to help. Ahead of the critical Week 12 slate of action, let's find out where players on the start-sit bubble such as […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football FLEX Rankings (RB, WR, TE) - Week 12 Thursday Updates for Chuba Hubbard, Calvin Ridley, Cedric Tillman, Jonnu Smith, Austin Ekeler

It's always tough to compare two flex options at different positions, but bye weeks and key injuries have made those start-sit decisions even tougher. We're here to help guide you with your lineup calls with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Navigate the rankings below to find out where top flex […]


Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Fantasy Football Superflex 2QB Rankings for Week 12 - Thursday Updates for Tua Tagovailoa, Bo Nix, Russell Wilson, Austin Ekeler, Jayden Reed

Time is running out to collect "Ws" before the fantasy football playoffs begin, and if you need assistance, our Week 12 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for fantasy football can assist your start-or-sit efforts. Let's get to it! To begin Week 12 preparation, let's dig into the rankings to find out where key Superflex options […]


Bucky Irving - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Running Back Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday RB Updates for Jonathon Brooks, J.K. Dobbins, Bucky Irving, Najee Harris, Kareem Hunt

We're onto Week 12 of the NFL campaign, which can only mean the fantasy football playoffs are just ahead. Whether you're at the top of your league standings, fighting for a playoff spot, or are just trying to play spoiler, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football running back rankings for 2024 are here to help you […]


Cedric Tillman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

TNF Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday WR Updates for Cedric Tillman, Jauan Jennings, Josh Downs, Jerry Jeudy, DJ Moore

At the wide receiver spot especially, bye weeks and injuries are major factors in Week 12. If you don't have an excess of must-start WRs and need help identifying the top available options, we're here to help with our Week 12 TNF fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's dive in below to see […]


Jonnu Smith - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

TNF Tight End Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday TE Updates for George Kittle, David Njoku, Will Dissly, Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry

In most leagues, only three weeks of the fantasy football regular season remain. If you desperately need a win to clinch a first-round bye or quality for the playoffs, use our Week 12 TNF fantasy football tight end rankings to help you with tough start-or-sit calls at the challenging TE spot. Ahead of the critical Week […]


Tommy DeVito- Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Not All Heroes...Play On Good Teams - Giants, Patriots, and Cowboys Fantasy Football Outlooks

It's well-known at this point that good offenses can help their players light up the scoreboards in fantasy football leagues. The mantra "trust in good players on good offenses" rings true, and some of the best seasons in fantasy football history have been aided by things like good playcalling and a good supporting cast. The […]


Baker Mayfield - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

TNF Quarterback Fantasy Football Rankings - Week 12 Thursday QB Updates for Anthony Richardson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Bo Nix, C.J. Stroud

It's a critical week for fantasy football, as the playoffs are just around the corner. If you need help to nail your optimal lineups this week, our Week 12 TNF fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2024 are here to assist. Ahead of the all-important Week 12 slate, let's navigate the rankings below and find out […]


Jaylen Waddle - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Jaylen Waddle Fantasy Football Outlook - What's Wrong With Waddle?

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was widely pushed as a potential league-winner in fantasy football in 2024 due to a variety of factors. The explosiveness and big-play ability of the Dolphins offense, the good play of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and his talent were a few of them. It's not worked out that way. It's […]


Isiah Pacheco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Running Backs

Fantasy Football Injury Reports: Week 12 Updates for Isiah Pacheco, Tyreek Hill, Mike Evans, Jalen Hurts, CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Hurts, George Kittle, Calvin Ridley, more

Week 12 of the NFL's 2024 slate is coming up, and as the fantasy football playoffs draw closer, it's becoming more important than ever to stay ahead of injury news for key players. Leaving a hurt player in your lineup can result in disaster. The author of this article missed out on the fantasy playoffs […]