Well that was not fun. Drama free is the way we want to be here. What appeared to be a lackluster week from a competitive standpoint turned out to have a a few upsets. All we can do though is grin and bear it and continue on with the process for another week. A 2-2 record is never ideal, but let’s stick with the process, and move onto Week 13. With a new week upon us, let’s keep the success going. With no more time to waste, let’s jump right into our Week 13 NFL Survivor Picks.
How Did We Do in Week 12?
If you had Detroit or Denver remaining, then it was a good outcome. While the Broncos waited until the second half to really get going, ultimately the result of the game was never truly in doubt. The Lions continued their winning ways as they went on the road and dispatched the Colts. Detroit continues to be one of the stronger teams in the league led by Jared Goff. Bo Nix appears to be settling into life in the NFL, and Sean Payton has quickly turned around the fortunes of the Broncos.
Earlier in the season, the Washington Commanders looked to be on their way to the playoffs. However, they are now up to a three-game losing streak. The Cowboys looked to be playing out the string, but they ended up winning a wild game on Sunday. Washington missed multiple opportunities that can be pointed to as reasons for their defeat. Ultimately, they didn’t deserve to win even though they were a missed extra point away from overtime.
In Houston, it was a back-and-forth game between the Texans and the Titans. While it was tight, the outcome of the game was never really in doubt. Well, at least that was the case until the game was over and the upset was secured.
Looking back, it’s clear that the move from Daniel Jones to Tommy DeVito didn’t make a difference for the Giants. In fact, it might have been even worse as the Giants never really had a chance. Things look truly bleak for New York, and the Buccaneers surged to victory. That made our decision to fade Tampa Bay look awfully silly.
Week 13 NFL Survivor Picks
Between the three games on Thanksgiving and one on Friday, there is a lot of football to enjoy over the next five days. There is plenty of prime-time action and games to pick from with respect to your survivor picks. However, there are also 12 teams that are presumably unavailable to us. The good news though, is that we have a full slate of 16 games with no teams on bye.
Each week, we’ll continue to pick four games to target. Based on the available options, all games are truly on the table. Some are clearly more desirable, but there is no big favorite that I’m looking to fade. They will be ranked in order of our preference along with the lines that we hope to see building off each other each week. Let’s jump right into those survivor picks. Things are also becoming more difficult as some of our options have already been utilized. That means our first choice might not be necessarily available.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders – Chiefs –13
With an over/under of 42.5, this is truly expected to be a one-sided game. Nothing is expected from the Raiders, and things are especially difficult as they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Chiefs. After losing in Buffalo, the Chiefs got back on track this week, and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. If there were any doubts about their landing spot this week, the Raiders might be the best opponent. Desmond Ridder will be starting under center for Las Vegas with both Gardner Minshew and Aiden O’Connell sidelined.
The Raiders rank 26th in scoring offense and 29th on defense as nothing has been going right for them. Between health and poor performance, the Raiders are simply looking towards 2025. Kansas City is still one of the best teams in the league on both sides of the ball. With the addition of Deandre Hopkins and the potential return of Isaiah Pacheco, the Chiefs offense is getting closer to full strength. You can also never count out an offense led by Patrick Mahomes. Their defense shouldn’t be ignored either as the Chiefs are ninth in the in points allowed. That makes it difficult for the Raiders to do anything on either side of the ball.
Buffalo Bills vs. San Francisco 49ers – Bills -7
While Brock Purdy’s status is still unclear with a shoulder injury, I’m not sure that it matters tonight. It appears that the point spread is leaning towards Purdy not being available, as things didn’t go well last week with Brandon Allen under center. San Francisco struggled to move the ball last week, and things will be difficult in a tough road matchup in Buffalo. The Bills are seventh in the league with 19.5 points per game allowed and it will be difficult for Allen to generate much offense.
When the possession arrow switches to Buffalo, the Bills continue to hold an advantage. They are scoring the third most points per game, 29.1, as they continue to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Josh Allen is making another run at being the MVP and there is a clear home-field advantage. Not only is Buffalo working on a six-game winning streak, but they are undefeated at home. That should continue Sunday night.
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears – Lions -9.5
There is only one spot left where we have Detroit available, so they are bound to appear here. It’s a divisional matchup so that always gives us some concern, but the Lions are the better team. The problem though, is that the law of averages could catch up to us on both sides. Chicago lost a tough home matchup last week to Minnesota which extended their losing streak to five. They are winless on the road this season while the Lions are working on a nine-game winning streak.
Things did look better with Caleb Williams last week, but the overall body of work is still rough. Chicago is 29th in the league with just 187 passing yards per game while scoring only 20 points per game. That is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Detroit and their league-leading 32.7 points per game. They have a plethora of offensive weapons and things are firing on all cylinders.
What helps to set the Lions apart though is that they are far from one-dimensional. Despite having to deal with teams simply airing things out, the Lions are allowing 16.6 points per game. That gives them the best-scoring offense and the second-best-scoring defense. With that combination, it’s difficult for teams to keep up with them.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Buccaneers -6
Tampa Bay returned from their bye week, got Mike Evans back, and took care of business with ease. The outcome of the game was never in doubt as New York never had a chance. While it is a divisional matchup, this is a case of the Buccaneers simply being the better team. They are just a game under .500, but the division is still very much in play for Tampa Bay. Winning Sunday’s game would go a long way toward that for the Buccaneers against a Carolina team looking towards next year.
Led by Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers’ offense has looked better as of late. Bryce Young has made a few plays, but he is still struggling overall. Carolina is ranked last in the league in total yards and 31st overall with just 178 passing yards per game. That has translated to just 17.6 points per game compared to the Buccaneers who are scoring 28.1 points per game.
On defense, Carolina is equally as bad as they rank last in the league. When you allow 31 points per game, it’s not a recipe for success. At this point, Young isn’t good enough to run a shootout and Baker Mayfield has played well this year.
Check out all of our Week 13 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex
Line 1
Washington/Atlanta/Los Angeles Rams/Kansas City/Philadelphia/Baltimore/Detroit/Houston/Tampa Bay
Line 2
Houston/Washington/Baltimore/Kansas City/Buffalo/Minnesota/Denver/Detroit
Line 3
Tampa Bay/Cincinnati/Denver/Baltimore/Kansas City/Houston/Detroit/Buffalo
Line 4
Kansas City
Make sure to check out all of our Week 13 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!