It was a good week for my Survivor Pool picks in week 12. The Eagles dominated as my best bet and the Ravens were an easy Sleeper pick.

Just a little more than 3,000 people remain for Yahoo’s Survivor Pool, so it’s crunch time for participants. Here’s the week 13 NFL Survivor Pool picks.

Best Bet

The Los Angeles Chargers should top the week 13 NFL Survivor Pool. Flickr

Los Angeles Chargers

Everybody’s picking the Chargers. They likely haven’t been used in several Survivor Pools already and they draw a Browns team that is en route to possibly a winless season.

Just a little under 85 percent of all participants in the Yahoo Survivor Pool are picking the Chargers, so if you want to make a move in your pool or that one, you’ll have to go with someone else. But that would be far more of a risk than the Chargers.

The Browns can’t move the ball with consistency, while the Chargers are hot, showcasing a dynamic passing game to go along with a defense that is one of the most under-the-radar units in the NFL.

The Chargers are giving up just six yards per pass attempt, tied for seventh-best in the NFL, while also going for 7.4 yards per pass attempt, the sixth-best mark in the NFL.

The Browns are showing more strides in running the ball, but the passing game just isn’t good enough to convert third-and-long situations against the Chargers. Don’t bet on a letdown from a Los Angeles team now vying for a playoff spot in the AFC.

Sleeper Pick

Green Bay Packers

If you believe the Browns are going to shock the Chargers, and thus pick up a game on pretty much everyone playing in the Survivor Pool, then the Packers may be the ticket.

They haven’t been used in many pools and this spot is a nice opportunity to test the waters against a Buccaneers team still looking for an identity on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa Bay is encountering back-to-back road tilts, and as evidenced by last week, still can’t stop the pass.

Tampa Bay gives up a league-worst 7.9 yards per pass attempt and that has gotten worse in the last three games at 8.3 yards. The Packers aren’t great at throwing the ball, but Brett Hundley showed some improvement in week 12 against a usually stout Pittsburgh pass defense.

Hundley has squared off against top-tier passing defenses in the last two weeks and showed dramatic improvement. Look for that improvement to continue against a Tampa Bay team eyeing the end of the season.

Be Careful

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are the second-most popular pick on Yahoo. It makes sense, since it seems likely they’ll respond after a semi-shocking upset in week 12 against Arizona.

I’m not so sure last week’s loss didn’t highlight some glaring issues, though. The offense is getting worse and that’s an issue against an Indianapolis team that is much improved on the defensive side of the ball. Can you trust the Jaguars in moving the ball? The lack of movement on offense is having an effect on the defense, as they’re allowing more yards per pass attempt in the last three games than they’ve allowed all season.

The defense is still good enough to stop the Colts, but the offense doesn’t instill any confidence. The Jaguars should win this game, but I’m not confident enough in that offense to side with them over the Chargers.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*