If you’re reading this post, you likely survived the first 3 weeks of your Survivor Pool, whether it be against your family, friends, or coworkers.
Chances are you managed to avoid picking Green Bay Week 1, Pittsburgh Week 2, and Kansas City for Week 3. Suppose you decided to choose teams opposing the Jets, Jaguars, or Giants. In that case, you have been utilizing the correct strategy and managed to select some teams (Patriots, Texans, and Falcons, respectively) that you may not pick at any other point in the season.
However, as the weeks go on, it becomes harder and harder to pick a guaranteed winner, despite how inferior the opponent may be. Only 5 teams have suffered the dreaded 0-16 overall season record, most recently being the 2017 Cleveland Browns, so there is always an unforeseen upset in the making.
With that said, who are the best teams to pick for your Survivor Pool in Week 4? Here are our top 5 best bets for the upcoming slate of games this weekend – hopefully, there are a few teams below you haven’t used a pick on yet!
Titans over Jets
Rookie Zach Wilson has been the opposite of what Jets fans prayed for when New York drafted the QB out of BYU with the 2nd overall pick. After being shut out 26-0 in Denver on Sunday, the Jets look like a team headed toward another disappointing season en route to a top 5 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Since losing to Arizona (3-0) in Week 1, the Titans have appeared to right the ship, upsetting the Seahawks in Seattle in Week 2 and easily defeating the division rival Colts in Week 3. With an offense powered by RB Derrick Henry and WRs Julio Jones and A.J. Brown, the Titans should be able to unload on the Jets’ defense and have the game wrapped up before halftime.
Bills over Texans
Despite losing Christian McCaffrey to a hamstring injury in the first half of last Thursday night’s matchup, the Panthers had no trouble handing the Texans a 24-9 loss. Backup rookie QB Davis Mills is set to make his second career start since Tyrod Taylor will likely be sidelined again after being injured in Week 2.
However, they will have to go up against a Bills squad that scored 35 points against the Dolphins and 43 points versus the Redskins in back-to-back weeks. With the offense only mustering 193 offensive yards against the Panthers, Mills, and co. could be in for a long day against QB Josh Allen and the Bills. Buffalo should have no trouble putting the Texans away quickly.
Chiefs over Eagles
If anyone were to tell you during the preseason that entering Week 4, the Chiefs would be in last place in the AFC West with a 1-2 record; you would have brushed the notion off without a second thought. Yet, Kansas City finds itself in unfamiliar territory at the bottom of the division after consecutive losses to the Ravens and the Chargers. Combined, that must not sit well with the defending AFC Champs, who will be desperately looking to bounce back and even their record.
The Eagles had a nice win to start the season against the Falcons but struggled the following weekend falling to the 49ers 17-11. Second-year QB Jalen Hurts is still trying to find his offensive groove, and going up against a hungry Chiefs squad may prove to be too much for this young Philadelphia team.
If you didn’t already use your Chiefs pick for the season, now may be an excellent time to jump on Kansas City as they will be doing everything they can to ensure they don’t fall into a 1-3 hole in the win-loss column.
Buccaneers over Patriots
The much-anticipated return of Tom Brady to New England will finally arrive this Sunday night in primetime. With a 1-2 record, the Patriots have struggled to continue their dominant glory days of the Brady era. The Cam Newton experiment led to a losing season in 2020, and so far, Mac Jones has yet to establish himself as the heir to the Patriots dynasty.
Coming off a 34-24 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles, the Bucs will look to shake off defeat and get back to their winning ways as defending Super Bowl champs. Even more so, Brady must have circled this game on his calendar ever since the NFL announced the season’s schedule. Though he will always be a Patriot at heart and has shown great appreciation to New England’s fanbase, his relationship with Bill Belichick soured over the years. He will be anxious to show what he can do with a team full of the offensive weapons he lacked for many years.
Bengals over Jaguars
If you feel bold, this may be the best week to put your money on Joe Burrow and the Bengals in a primetime matchup against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars. In a battle of the No. 1 overall picks, Burrow has shown flashes of his greatness coming back from a last year’s season-ending injury, while Lawrence has struggled with turnovers in the short beginning of his NFL career.
Now, all eyes will be on both young QBs this Thursday night in Cincinnati. With impressive wins over the Steelers and the Vikings, the Bengals are the superior team and match up well with Jacksonville. On top of it all, Jaguars HC Urban Meyer is still adjusting from translating success at the collegiate level to the professional game, as witnessed this past Sunday when Jacksonville blew a 19-10 lead to the Cardinals. This may be the perfect time to save your big league picks for later down the road and take a shot with Cincinnati.
