This will certainly be an interesting and challenging week in Survivor Pools. Week 9 features a season-high six teams on a bye. Because we are prohibited from choosing a team twice, there are fewer options than there have been all season long. That reality can be seen when trying to make a Week 9 Survivor Pool pick. Three of the week’s biggest favorites (Chicago, Kansas City, and New England) have been recent selections in this space. Because of this, the Week 9 slate figures to be one that threatens to eliminate many of its participants. Given the restrictions mentioned above, here are my Week 9 Survivor Pool rankings.
Week 9 Survivor Pool Rankings
Best Bet: Carolina Panthers v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I am going against one of my self-imposed rules by taking this game, as I try to avoid divisional matchups in my survivor pool whenever possible. But the pickings are a bit slim this week. I am putting my faith in the Carolina Panthers this week.
has a very capable and well-balanced offense. Quarterback Cam Newton is having a season which is looking a lot like his 2015 MVP year. Christian McCaffrey is averaging over 100 scrimmage yards per game, Devin Funchess has built on his breakout 2017 campaign, and rookie wideout D.J. Moore is beginning to emerge as a dynamic playmaker. Carolina has done a great job in giving Newton a clean pocket this season, allowing just 10 sacks so far. The Panthers enter Week 9 undefeated at home and winners of four of five overall. They have also scored at least 31 points in their last three home games. That streak should continue against Tampa Bay, who boasts one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
As bad as Tampa Bay’s defense has been this year, it has been even worse on the road. The Buccaneers have allowed at least 34 points and over 400 yards in all four of their road games this season. They do not generate pressure on the quarterback and have lapses in coverage at basically every level. Tampa Bay’s best chance in this game is to have Ryan Fitzpatrick sling it all over the yard in an effort to prevail in a shootout. While Fitzpatrick has been outstanding in limited action this year, that has not proven to be a sound strategy over time. I expect Carolina to dominate on offense and make enough plays on defense to win what should be a high-scoring game. I am taking the Carolina Panthers as my top Week 9 survivor pool pick.
Next Best Thing: Dallas Cowboys v. Tennessee Titans
The Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans enter Monday night’s matchup with identical 3-4 records. This is lining up as a must-win for both teams. Both are quickly falling behind in their respective divisions and are beginning difficult stretches in their schedules. In this era of high-flying offenses, both the Cowboys and Titans rank in the bottom five in the NFL in total offense. Dallas has attempted to address the urgency of their situation by trading for wide receiver Amari Cooper and replacing their offensive line coach. The Cowboys have alternated wins and losses throughout the season. They are also the only team in the league who has won every home game and lost every road game. That particular stat bodes well for Dallas this week.
Tennessee has one of the worst offenses in the league. The Titans have not scored a touchdown in three of their last five games, and have not found the end zone on the road since Week 1. I do not expect this to be the week Tennessee breaks out. Dallas has allowed a touchdown on a league-low 16.2 percent of drives this season. The Cowboys should be able to keep the Titans in check and win this game. If you believe in FitzMagic or do not trust Carolina, Dallas makes for an interesting Week 9 survivor pool selection.
Best of the Rest
Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
Chicago is this week’s biggest favorite, and with good reason. The Bears lead the NFC North and have the conference’s third-best point differential. The Bills own the sport’s worst offense and point differential. Buffalo has failed to score a touchdown in half of its games. Nathan Peterman will get the start against Chicago’s opportunistic defense. This is a decided mismatch in favor of Chicago.
The Bears are on the road, which is a situation I try to shy away from in survivor pools. But other than that, there are no real reasons to avoid using Chicago this week. If I had not selected the Bears last week, they would be my Week 9 survivor pool choice. If you have not chosen Chicago yet, it is hard to argue against doing so this week.
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
The Chiefs continue to roll at the midpoint of their season. They have scored far and away the most points in the NFL. Kansas City enters Week 9 an 8.5-point favorite against the Cleveland Browns. Cleveland is in the midst of what they have characterized as a “reboot”. They relieved head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator, Todd Haley of their duties, this week.
While the Browns’ players and fan base may certainly be reenergized by the recent changes, it is hard to find justification for going against the Chiefs here. They are certainly vulnerable on the ground defensively, and rookie Nick Chubb can exploit that. But I do not see that being enough to nullify what Kansas City brings to the table offensively. Cleveland ranks in the bottom ten in the NFL in points per game, yards per game, points allowed, and yards allowed. Simply put, they are bringing a knife to a gunfight. I’ll take the Chiefs in this game.
Favorites Who Should Win
Miami Dolphins v. New York Jets
Both Miami and New York are losers of two straight and are in the familiar position of being out of contention in their division, as New England has won five in a row and pulled away in the AFC East. Since beginning the year with three straight wins, Miami’s defense has really fallen flat. After allowing a total of 52 points during their three-game winning streak, they have given up 167 points in five games since. They have also given up at least 427 total yards in four of those five games. The good news for the Dolphins is that the Jets do not profile as the type of team who can capitalize on a weak defense.
Led by rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, New York has only been able to muster 314.1 yards of offense per game this season. That number is fourth-worst in the NFL. The Jets have combined for just 470 yards of total offense over their last two games. Darnold has really struggled lately, connecting on just 43.7 percent of his passes during that span. Injuries have hit the Jets hard recently, which only highlights their lack of playmakers. In their Week 2 matchup, Miami forced three turnovers in a 20-12 victory. I would expect this game to play out in a similar manner. I cannot bring myself to trust Brock Osweiler with my survivor pool entry, but the Dolphins should win this game.
Minnesota Vikings v. Detroit Lions
The NFC North is the tightest division in all of football. All four teams are separated by just one game heading into Week 9. However, it remains to be seen whether Detroit can hang with the rest of the division. The trading of wide receiver Golden Tate on Tuesday suggests that their eye is on the future and not necessarily on 2018. It will be interesting to see if that mentality seeps in at all and causes the Lions to lose focus on the field. While these are professionals, that is certainly a concern as Detroit travels to Minnesota to face the Vikings.
The Vikings lost for the first time in four games, falling to the red-hot Saints last week. Prior to that game, they had seemed to hit their stride. Losing to New Orleans is certainly a forgivable offense, so I am inclined to cut Minnesota a bit of slack here. Detroit continues to give up tons of yards on the ground, which will be a problem in this matchup. Latavius Murray has once again stepped in nicely for an injured Dalvin Cook. Cook returned to a limited practice on Wednesday and may be scheduled to return this week. Regardless of which back is in, they should be able to pound the ball against Detroit. This matchup is one that favors the home team, so I will take the Vikings to win this game.
Washington Redskins v. Atlanta Falcons
Washington is not the most aesthetically pleasing team. They rank in the bottom 10 in the NFL in both yards per game and points per game. But the results are hard to argue with. Washington enters Week 9 in first place in the NFC East with a record of 5-2. They are led by a resurgent season from Adrian Peterson and a tough defense. They will look to extend their three-game winning streak when they host the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta is basically the polar opposite of Washington. The Falcons have an elite passing attack but are 30th of 32 NFL teams in rushing yards per game. They are also among the most generous defenses in all of football. It remains to be seen if Washington has enough firepower in the passing game to take advantage of Atlanta’s porous secondary, but they should be able to grind out a win on their home field. I am hesitant to move Washington any higher up on my rankings, but I do believe they will defeat the Falcons and improve to 6-2 on the year.
It’s a Trap!
New England Patriots v. Green Bay Packers
This game feels a lot like last week’s Green Bay game. They travel to face a superior opponent in a game in which they are a fairly significant underdog. But for anyone thinking of using the Patriots this week, I would offer the same cautionary words I spoke last week:
“Will they (in this case, the Patriots) win? Probably. Do I want to sweat out another potential Rodgers rally in the closing minutes? I do not.”
For those who did select the Rams last weekend, you know exactly what I am talking about. I am sure the confidence level was not especially high when the Rams were about to give Aaron Rodgers the football with two minutes left. Luckily, things worked out with Ty Montgomery’s fumble and all ended well. But this is exactly why I would abstain from using New England as my Week 9 survivor pool pick. If the Patriots are up 35-31 with a minute left and Green Bay has the ball, you will be questioning your life decisions. Pick another spot to use New England if you have not done so already.
Houston Texans at Denver Broncos
When I have discussed Houston in this space recently, I have been a bit hesitant to anoint them as contenders in the AFC and I have pointed out their lack of quality wins. Still, I am quite surprised to see them as underdogs in Denver this week. Houston has won five straight while Denver has lost five of six. The Texans have had a decidedly easier schedule during their respective stretches, but you play who is on your schedule, and Houston and Denver are seemingly going in opposite directions at the moment.
An interesting story in this game is this week’s trade of Demaryius Thomas from Denver to Houston. The second-most prolific receiver in Broncos history will enter Mile High in the unfamiliar role of visiting player. Thomas will be asked to replace Will Fuller, who tore his ACL last week. With much of the focus sure to be on DeAndre Hopkins, Thomas could be in a nice spot this week. Either way, I would not be surprised to see Houston win this game. I would not go out of my way to pick the Texans, but I think they will earn a close victory in Denver.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
These two AFC North rivals typically compete in close, low scoring affairs when they face each other. However, their Week 4 meeting went a bit off script. Baltimore dominated the second half and put up 451 yards of total offense in their 26-14 win in Pittsburgh. This week, the Steelers will look to not only exact revenge, but put a little bit of distance between themselves and the rest of the division.
Despite the manner in which their last game played out, I still believe this game will likely come down to the very end. Pittsburgh’s defense, which was their Achilles’ heel early on in the season, has stiffened since falling to the Ravens in Week 4. They have allowed an average of just 278.7 yards and 18.7 points during their three-game winning streak. Ultimately, I believe this game will follow in the footsteps of most historical matchups in this rivalry. I expect it to come down to the very end. This essentially means that this is a game to avoid in survivor pools. If pressed, I believe the Steelers will exact revenge and eke out a victory, but I would look elsewhere this week.
Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks
Both the Chargers and Seahawks are playing some of their best football heading into Week 9. The Chargers have won four straight and have only been defeated by the Rams and Chiefs so far this season. Considering those two teams are a combined 15-1, I can’t kill them for either of those losses. Seattle has won four of five in its own right, with their only loss in that span coming to the Rams as well. While both teams are coming in hot, they are likely going to have to contend for a Wild Card spot during the second half of the season.
Each team has been boosted by improved play defensively. The Chargers have not given up as many as 20 points since Week 4, although the prowess of their opponents during that stretch (Oakland, Cleveland, and Tennessee) is questionable. Seattle’s defense has really stepped up in the last month, but their strength of schedule can be called into question as well. Still, even if you include the 33 points allowed to the Rams, Seattle has given up an average of just 16 points per game over their last five games. I really think this game is too close to call. Even though Seattle is favored, I kind of like the Chargers here. I am really looking forward to seeing how this game plays out, but I do not want to risk my survivor pool livelihood on it.
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
The Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints are a combined 14-1, with the lone loss coming in Week 1. This has all the makings of a playoff preview in the NFC and could go a long way toward determining playoff seeding and home-field advantage once the playoffs roll around. There will be no shortage of points in this game. Vegas projects these teams to combine for nearly 60 points on Sunday night in the dome.
With both teams being so stacked and riding high heading into Week 9, I see no reason to target this game with a survivor pool pick. This is a game I just want to enjoy from a fan’s and fantasy player’s perspective rather than having to sweat out a winner. Just sit back and enjoy the light show.
Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers
Week 9 begins with this battle of Bay Area basement dwellers on Thursday night. Both teams have abysmal defenses, so this game could be a sneaky source of fantasy production as long as 49ers’ quarterback C.J. Beathard suits up. But for survivor pool purposes, this is probably a game to avoid.
These teams have a combined record of 2-13. Each of those two wins came by a field goal, one of which was in overtime. Let’s just dub this the bizarro Rams-Saints game. Do you really want to waste a pick on one of these terrible teams? I know the options are limited this week, but there is really no reason to take either team here. I would choose a winner based on Beathard’s availability. If he plays, I would lean towards San Francisco and if he sits I would lean towards Oakland. But I have no confidence in either team this week or any other week.
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. Mick was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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