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We’re back for Week 7 of the 2020 NFL regular season. Thursday Night Football is back after a one-week Covid-19 hiatus. Of course, with the game featuring the Giants and Eagles, maybe it would be better to skip it.
Last week did not see many upsets. The Broncos upended the Patriots and the 49ers beat the Rams, but otherwise it was a mostly chalk week. Of course, those two were significant enough that they shook up some Survivor pools.
If you’ve never played in a Survivor pool, it’s a pretty straightforward deal. You pick one team each week that you think will win. If your team loses in Week 1, you’re eliminated (unless it’s a double elimination pool). If your team wins in Week 1, you can make a pick in Week 2. If your team wins in Week 2, you can make a pick in Week 3, and so on. The catch is that you cannot pick the same team twice. You could use a heavy favorite in Week 1, but you would not have access to them later in the year if you’re alive in the closing weeks.
Survivor pools are usually either a single elimination contest or a double elimination contest. I was in one of each and got eliminated from both in Week 5. But, we’re still here to help you win your pools with a look at safe choices, value choices, and potential traps. Last week, my safe and value picks barely survived with the Bills having to come back against the Jets and the Saints holding off the Panthers. The Chargers and Rams both took care of business, so if you picked them, you avoided traps.
On to Week 8!
Safest picks
Chiefs over Jets
Bucs over Giants
There’s still time to use the Chiefs, but if you’re sticking with “pick against the Jets,” this would be the next pick. As for the Bucs, while I don’t like road games, the Giants stink.
Best value picks
The Titans lost a tough one to Pittsburgh, Week 8 provides a bounce-back opportunity. The Bengals aren’t bad, but they will continue struggling for consistency against good teams.
Trap pick
Eagles over Cowboys
Rams over Dolphins
Divisional games can be tough, and it makes sense to stay away. The NFC East in particular is not worth touching. The Cowboys stink, but the Eagles haven’t exactly impressed. As for the Rams, the Dolphins are starting a new quarterback this week, and more importantly, it’s a quarterback of whom there is no film since before his college injury.