Week 13 NFL Survivor Pool Tips: Best Picks and Strategies to Stay Alive

It's Thanksgiving Week, football fans, which means we're in store for a full schedule and four days of football action.

It also means we've reached the end of November, and participants of survivor pools are likely running out of options. The good news is that all 32 teams will be active in Week 13. The bad news is that upsets still threaten survivor pools at every turn.

Here, you'll find a few survivor tips and top picks for Week 13, using the early odds as a guide.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

As always, we'll start by examining a few games to avoid in Week 13. While short-week games can be tricky, the Detroit Lions (-10) and Kansas City Chiefs (-12.5) are probably safe this week. They'll face division rivals in the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday and Friday, respectively. However, Detroit and Kansas City share the league's best record for a reason.

We don't love short-week games in general, though, which is why we'd shy away from the Green Bay Packers (-3.5) and Miami Dolphins game on Thursday night.

Miami has been much more formidable with Tua Tagovailoa back in the lineup, while Packers quarterback Jordan Love remains a bit reckless with the football. That's a risky combination for Green Bay, though it's hard to back the Dolphins in Wisconsin in late November.

Believe it or not, we'd also avoid the Washington Commanders (-5.5) and Tennessee Titans game. Tennessee's defense is good, and Washington's offense has started to stumble. The Commanders are the better team, but if Titans QB Will Levis can limit his mistakes, this one has real upset potential.

The same is true for the Indianapolis Colts (-3) and New England Patriots. Indy has the more complete roster, but this game will likely hinge on whether Anthony Richardson or Drake Maye has the cleaner game.

Baltimore Ravens (-3) and Philadelphia Eagles? No thanks. Both teams are good, and while the Eagles are more complete, they face the mounting pressure of a seven-game winning streak and just lost pass-rusher Brandon Graham (tricep) for the season.

We'd also steer clear of the Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) and Cincinnati Bengals matchup. Both teams are desperate and dangerous. Pittsburgh stumbled against the Cleveland Browns in Week 12 and needs a victory to stay at the top of the AFC North. The Bengals' playoff hopes essentially rest on their ability to win out.

AFC North showdowns are always hard, and this one could go either way.

The Dallas Cowboys aren't good. Their defense has struggled, Dak Prescott is on injured reserve, and there's little hope left of reaching the postseason. There isn't a great week left to pick Dallas in survivor play—except this one.

Short-week games are dicey, but they're usually more difficult for the road team. And while the Cowboys haven't been good, the New York Giants have been worse.

More importantly, perhaps, the Giants aren't trying to win.

No one from the organization will admit it, but New York appears to be tanking. The team benched and then released starting quarterback Daniel Jones. It turned to Tommy DeVito over Drew Lock, likely because Giants fans like DeVito, not for competitive purposes.

Dallas isn't a heavy favorite here (-4), but it has shown some fight in recent weeks. The Giants haven't. Participants who haven't picked the Cowboys yet this year may be looking at their last chance.

Let's be clear, picking the Denver Broncos on Monday night can't be considered a "safe" move. Monday games aren't as unpredictable as Thursday games, but funny things often happen in prime time.

The Broncos (-5.5) are a much better team than the Cleveland Browns, but Cleveland has shown that it isn't quitting. The playoffs are out of reach, but the Browns have pulled together to knock off the Ravens and Steelers this season.

However, Denver is not an AFC North opponent (obviously) and the Browns have played their best ball against divisional foes. The volatile Jameis Winston could be a huge liability against Denver's elite defense on the road, and Cleveland's defense has regularly looked lost on the road.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has thrown himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation, and he'll keep up his strong play against Cleveland this week. Denver should win, though the bright lights may fire up the Browns enough to make this a close one.

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