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We’re back for Week 13 of the 2020 NFL regular season. Week 12 took a little longer than expected due to Covid-19, but it’s a wrap. The multiple Ravens-Steelers delays mean there will be no Thursday Night Football, and so we prepare for Sunday and making our Survivor pool picks.
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, both safe picks (Dolphins, Browns) and the value picks (same teams) made it through. Meanwhile, one of my trap picks (Rams) lost, while the other (Packers) won with ease.
On to Week 13!
Safest picks
Dolphins over Bengals
Chiefs over Broncos
The Bengals hung with the Giants but the Dolphins bring a significantly better defense. If you think your Survivor pool will go all the way to Week 16 or 17 and have not used the Chiefs, save them.
Best value picks
Dolphins over Bengals
Vikings over Jaguars
The Dolphins might still be available for you, while the Vikings might have been an early pick. If you have either, this weekend is the time to pull the trigger on one of them. Neither holds much value the rest of the way.
Trap pick
Raiders over Jets
I’d normally say pick against the Jets every week, but if the Jets are going to win one game this year, it’ll be this one. They’ll have Sam Darnold and his receiver corps back together for a second straight week, and while the offense was abysmal in Week 12, maybe they get it together a little bit in Week 13. Avoid this game.