NFL Week 17 Survivor Pool Tips: Best Picks and Strategies to Stay Alive

If you're still afloat in a survivor pool and haven't won it by now, Week 17 is about to make things difficult.

By now, most survivor participants have exhausted all "safe" options and will be targeting second-tier teams in the 2023 season's penultimate week. That's problematic, but we've seen even top-tier teams get upset with regularity this season.

This doesn't mean that fans don't have a few enticing options in Week 17, but they'll want to dive carefully into the matchups and recent trends to make the best possible decisions.

Below, you'll find some updated survivor advice for Week 17, using the latest odds as a guideline.

Check the latest lines at DraftKings.

Let's start with the obvious. If you've waited until now to pick teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, there's no reason to wait until Week 18.

San Francisco got blown out by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, but it remains one of the top teams in the league. The Washington Commanders, meanwhile, have arguably the league's worst pass defense, so Brock Purdy and the 49ers should bounce back in dramatic fashion.

The 49ers are 13.5-point favorites for a reason. They're going to win. If they do, they could lock up the NFC's No. 1 seed and rest their starters in the finale against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Eagles need to strong performance to build momentum entering the postseason. They'll have a prime opportunity to get it against the Arizona Cardinals, who are visiting as 11-point underdogs.

The Ravens looked nearly unbeatable on Monday, but their Week 17 matchup with the Miami Dolphins won't be easy. While Lamar Jackson is playing terrific football right now, he's had occasional turnover issues that have cost Baltimore wins at various points this season.

The Ravens are four-point favorites, but this is a game that should largely be avoided.

The Kansas City Chiefs should also be avoided this week, given their recent offensive struggles. Kansas City is a touchdown favorite against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, but the Bengals cannot simply be dismissed.

Cincinnati quarterback Jake Browning played poorly against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, but a bounce-back performance could help the Bengals complete Kansas City's collapse.

Lastly, we'd avoid the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings matchup on Sunday night. The Vikings are 1.5-point favorites, but prime-time divisional games are always unpredictable, and both of these teams have played inconsistently all season.

The New York Giants deserve credit for not quitting on their 2023 season. They've won three of their last five and gave the Eagles everything they could handle in Week 16—and their offense appears more dangerous with Tyrod Taylor under center.

However, the Rams are battling for a playoff spot and are getting MVP-level play out of quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp should thrive against New York's 20th-ranked pass defense, while Kyren Williams should batter the Giants 29th-ranked run defense.

Los Angeles isn't a true lock, and it is only favored by six points here. The cross-country trip to play in New Jersey won't be easy, and the Rams have struggled to put teams away late in games.

However, the Rams keep finding ways to win, and their only loss since the Week 10 bye came in overtime in Baltimore.

Now is the time to trust L.A. because there's no telling what San Francisco lineup the Rams will face in Week 18.

We don't exactly love the Cleveland Browns (-7.5) or Denver Broncos (-5) in Week 17, but both are viable options at this stage.

Cleveland is the safer pick of the two, given its home matchup against the New York Jets. The Browns defense has been fantastic at home—where the Browns' only loss came against the Ravens and with rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center.

Having Joe Flacco at quarterback has helped elevate the Browns offense, and he's formed an explosive connection with Amari Cooper and David Njoku. New York's defense is still good, but it isn't perfect and just coughed up 28 points to the Commanders.

Oh, and the Jets have nothing but pride to play for in Week 17, while the Browns will clinch a playoff berth with a victory. That could leave the Browns resting starters against Cincinnati next week.

The Broncos are a little less reliable, but they are at home against a Los Angeles Chargers team they beat 24-7 a few weeks ago.

The Chargers showed a lot of fight for interim coach Giff Smith in week 16, and Denver just blew one against the New England Patriots, so this should be considered a bottom-tier option. With the Broncos set to visit the surging Las Vegas Raiders in the finale, this is probably your last chance to even consider Denver.

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