Those who tried to pull a fast one in Survivor pools in week 2 likely aren’t still playing.
Detroit was almost a touchdown favorite at home against Tennessee in week 2. But that didn’t work out so well, likely sending some packing in Survivor pools.
However, it’s likely that many still remain as the two hot picks for the first two weeks all won. I’m still alive, so here’s my week 3 Survivor pool picks.
Already used: Seattle and Carolina
Best Bet
Miami Dolphins
I tried everything to find a way not to pick Miami this week. It’s not that I don’t believe Miami will beat Cleveland on Sunday, because they wouldn’t be my best bet if I didn’t believe that a victory was inevitable.
My biggest issue is that I don’t know who Miami is this season. And I don’t like going in blind when picking teams to win outright or to cover.
Schedule-makers didn’t give us any clues on who the Dolphins would be in 2016 after the first two weeks. Back-to-back road games, going from west to east, against two of the best teams in the NFL, doesn’t seem like an accurate assessment of how a season will transpire.
Miami couldn’t do anything on offense for about six quarters until having to throw all over the place in the second half against New England in week 2. So we don’t really know if that offense can do anything. And while the defense played well in week 1, that may have been fool’s gold as the Seahawks struggled once again in week 2.
So why am I taking the Dolphins? Because it’s a no-brainer.
I understand we’re dealing with professionals, but Cleveland is on an entirely different level of ineptitude. The team will start a third-string quarterback this weekend in Miami and just hasn’t shown the ability so far this year to sustain much of anything on the offensive side of the ball.
The Dolphins should be able to move the ball at a better clip than what has happened this year and the defense is good enough to hold Cleveland in check. What also makes this an attractive pick, and why pretty much everyone else will take the Dolphins, is that Miami isn’t a team that you’ll likely want to use again this season.
Use them now and hope that Miami can put it together for the first time in 2016.
Sleeper Pick
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis hasn’t been very good this season, but I like teams this week with their backs against the wall. And no team fits that mold more than the Colts.
Indianapolis was supposed to be better this season. A healthy Andrew Luck was supposed to propel the Colts back to the playoffs as the AFC South representative. However, that hasn’t happened yet.
The defense isn’t good and the offensive line has been what we anticipated entering this season. Despite the flaws, Luck is still the signal caller and he will right the ship sooner rather than later.
The Colts need this game. It’s at home against a West Coast team traveling without two of their primary offensive weapons. San Diego has been very good for six of eight quarters, but this matchup looks tilted toward the Colts.
Oddsmakers are making this a tantalizing game with the Colts as only a field-goal favorite. Book the Colts outright and minus the points.
Be Careful
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
You may be trying to get one over on the rest of the competitors in your Survivor pool by taking Tampa Bay to bounce back after a rough loss.
That’s not a bad strategy, but I don’t like it this early in the season or in this matchup. West Coast teams traveling east sometimes have issues. It happens more in the early afternoon window, but it can be found in the late afternoon time slot, too.
But I’m not buying that having much of an effect in this game. The Rams’ defense is one of the better units in the NFL. I know we all went overboard with how bad Los Angeles was in week 1, but that’s far from who the Rams are in real life. Los Angeles is a perennial seven-win team, and that likely won’t change this season. They aren’t great, but they’re able to compete on a regular basis.
Tampa Bay is improved from the last few years, but there is still some growth that needs to happen. Oddsmakers have Tampa Bay as more than a field-goal favorite. Be careful of booking Tampa Bay to cover and to win outright.
