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The top NFL survivor pool picks for Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season. Kevin's weekly survivor league pool targets and avoids -- expert picks for survivor leagues.
After sorting through the annual NFL season minefield known as "BYE-mageddon" in Week 8 of the NFL regular season, welcome back to our NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 9! Congratulations if you're still alive in your Survivor Pool, as there's still a lot of work left to do to be the last entrant standing, but we'll help get you there every week!
Week 9 is a bit thinner in terms of bye weeks, with just four teams. The quartet of teams on bye includes the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There are still some of the NFL's heavy hitters not playing this week, with the Eagles and Buccaneers realistic options each week for Survivor Pool gamers.
All season long, this article will help guide you through weekly Survivor Pool advice for each NFL week, with a handful of teams to target and several teams to avoid using each week. Survivor league strategy is a major part of winning your pools, so we'll help dissect each pick with all angles accounted for. We'll be previewing Week 9 of the NFL season through a Survivor Pool lens, with more information and data points about each team to help guide you on your quest to win your survivor pool!
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Survivor League Guide
For detailed Survivor Pool strategy and tips to help you win, check out our "How To Win Your Survivor League" guide!
Implied Point Totals, Point Spreads, and Over/Under Totals for Week 9
Before jumping into the picks for Week 9, it's helpful to get an overview of the slate with implied point totals, point spreads, and over/under totals from betting markets. All lines come courtesy of FantasyLabs each week.
My Weekly Survivor Picks
- Week 1: Denver Broncos (def. Tennessee 20-12)
- Week 2: Los Angeles Rams (def. Tennessee 33-19)
- Week 3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (def. N.Y. Jets 29-27)
- Week 4: Buffalo Bills (def. New Orleans 31-19)
- Week 5: Arizona Cardinals (lost to Tennessee 22-21)
- Week 6: Green Bay Packers (def. Cincinnati 27-18)
- Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs (def. Las Vegas 31-0)
- Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals (lost to N.Y. Jets 39-38)
- Status: Eliminated in Week 8 (2 of 2 Strikes)
Well, in my pool, I was eliminated thanks to the New York Jets' taking advantage of a porous Cincinnati Bengals' defense. It was surprising to see the Bengals not take more advantage of Sauce Gardner being out for the Jets, but the lack of defense proved to be their undoing. Despite my pool being out, I'm hoping one of you readers will be taking home Survivor Pool championships as the last entrant standing!
Let's look at the Survivor Pool pick recommendations to target and avoid for Week 9!
Top Survivor Pool Picks to Target for Week 9
Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans
My top pick for Week 9
The Chargers have been an offensive juggernaut, while the Tennessee Titans have just been offensive. This is a mismatch in all facets as the Chargers, even on the road in Nashville in Week 9, are double-digit favorites against Tennessee. The Titans have the third-lowest implied point total of the week and have averaged a league-low 13.8 points per game this season.
Outside of Tennessee's miraculous win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, the Titans have been uncompetitive in most games they've played this season. For them to be competitive and able to score enough points to keep up with the Chargers, they may need some divine intervention. The Chargers are coming off a Thursday Night Football win over the Vikings, so the extended week should serve them nicely in this game with Tennessee.
As for the Chargers and their future schedule for Survivor Pools, they don't have a lot of future value with just one usable game at home against the Raiders to use them with. Their final five games after that Raiders matchup are a truly brutal stretch with the Eagles at home, two away games in Kansas City and Dallas, back home against the Texans, and then Week 18 in Denver.
It's either use the Chargers now or wait until Week 13.
Los Angeles Rams vs. New Orleans Saints
We're recommending both Los Angeles teams this week as we move over to the other tenant of SoFi Stadium, the Rams, in their home game against the reeling New Orleans Saints. The Saints are not very good and are now starting rookie (in name only) Tyler Shough in his first start. The Rams are the heaviest favorites of the Week 9 slate as they're a 13.5-point favorite at home against the Saints, who have the lowest implied point total (15.5) in Week 8.
The Rams are fresh off their bye week and are likely to get Puka Nacua back after a Week 6 ankle injury that kept him out of Week 7's game in London before their bye last week. The Saints' run game has been a disaster, and big plays have kept the Saints afloat for most of the season. That's now up in the air with Shough under center for the Saints, who are in line to be the NFC's worst team.
Looking ahead to the Rams' remaining games, there just aren't any worthwhile games to use them in Survivor Pools. They have both games remaining with Seattle and Arizona, and their "easiest" matchup left may be their road game in Week 13 in Carolina. If you're going to select the Rams in your Survivor Pool, now is the time!
Other Survivor Picks in Consideration:
- Detroit Lions (vs. MIN)
- San Francisco 49ers (at NYG)
Top Survivor Pool Picks to Avoid for Week 9
Jacksonville Jaguars at Las Vegas Raiders
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a bye, well-rested and having to travel to Las Vegas to take on the struggling Raiders in Week 9. The public perception of the Jaguars is not great, as they're only 3.0-point favorites on the road as a 4-3 team facing one of the worst teams in the NFL. Jacksonville has the second-lowest implied point total (24.25) of any favorite in Week 9.
Sure, the Raiders haven't proved much either, but they are getting healthier. Brock Bowers may play in his first game action since Week 4, and if Jakobi Meyers isn't traded, he could be active as well. Las Vegas has been a sinking ship because they haven't had any playmakers outside of rookie Ashton Jeanty, but with the full complement of pass-catchers back in the fold, the Raiders could upset the Jaguars, who have lost their last two games.
With how volatile the Jaguars have played this season and the potential of the Raiders getting some much-needed pass-catching reinforcements, I'm not willing to risk my Survivor Pool in the middle of the season on hoping the Jaguars can get a win, even against the Raiders. It's better to just leave this one alone in Week 9.
New England Patriots vs Atlanta Falcons
New England at home; what's not to like? They're playing a team that just got demolished at home by the Miami Dolphins, 34-10? Look, I've made it no secret that I love Drake Maye. I may just name my first-born child Drake, Maye, or Drake Maye as a first name-last name combo. But it's easy to see how the Patriots could fold if turnovers get in the way. Also, their skill-position players leave a lot to be desired.
New England is a 5.5-point favorite at home against the Falcons, who could have both Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London back in the lineup. Atlanta's Week 8 debacle against the Dolphins came with Kirk Cousins at quarterback and without London, so the team folding like a cheap suit wasn't THAT big of a surprise. Still, it WAS a surprise that their strong defense through seven games collapsed to Tua Tagovailoa's four touchdowns.
Atlanta is likely a better team than they showed in Week 8, and with their full complement of offensive players and their starting quarterback, the Falcons should be able to make a game out of it on the road in Foxboro. I just don't want to take the Patriots right now because both teams are volatile, and you never know which one will show up on gameday. That doesn't seem like a good recipe for your Survivor Pool entry.
Other Risky Survivor Picks:
- Dallas Cowboys (vs. ARI)
- Seattle Seahawks (at WAS)
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