If you're in a survivor pool that made it to the final week of the regular season, it's impressive. As the season has gone on, it has been a little easier to make picks. The options are limited if you have made it this far making it more challenging. Six games have a line of at least seven points, including two at double-digits.

Here are my top survivor picks for the week.

 

NFL Week 18 Survivor Picks

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have won nine consecutive games and rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has played well. The 49ers have a chance to get the No. 1 seed with a win and Eagles loss, so there's motivation to play the starters and a win is needed to lock up the two seed if the Eagles win. The 49ers are 14.5-point home favorites and the Cardinals will start David Blough at quarterback and DeAndre Hopkins is out.  

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have lost two consecutive games with Gardner Minshew starting at quarterback. Jalen Hurts could return this week since Philadelphia needs a win to secure the top seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. The Giants have nothing to play for and are locked into the sixth seed. The Giants haven't said they will rest key starters, but it would be stunning if they played much. The Eagles are 14-point favorites.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have extra rest after playing on Thursday night in Week 17 and can still win the NFC East with a win and Eagles loss. Washington was eliminated from playoff contention last week and will start rookie quarterback Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick, in his NFL debut.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs play the first game of the week on Saturday afternoon and need to win to have a chance at the top seed in the AFC. The Chiefs don't have a lot of blowout wins and this won't be easy against a division opponent on the road. Three of the last four games for the Chiefs have been decided by one possession. The Raiders played a great game offensively with Jarrett Stidham at quarterback last week against a staunch 49ers defense.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings can still finish as the two seed, but they will need a win and the 49ers to lose to the Cardinals. While that's unlikely, the Vikings play at 1 p.m. ET and the 49ers play at 4:25 p.m. The Vikings are expected to play most of the starters and even if they depart early, the Bears are starting Nathan Peterman at quarterback. The Bears can get the first overall pick with a loss and a win by the Texans.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The winner of the Jaguars-Titans wins the AFC South division. The Jaguars have finished the season strong, while the Titans are struggling. The Jaguars have won five of their last six games to take over the division lead. The Jaguars won at Tennessee in Week 14, 36-22. The Titans have lost six consecutive games and will start Josh Dobbs at quarterback in his second start with the team. The Titans enter with eight days rest, while the Jaguars will only have five.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks host a Rams team with nothing to play for. The Seahawks need a win and a Packers loss in the Sunday night game to reach the playoffs. Seattle won against the Rams on the road, 27-23, in Week 13. This won't be easy since it's a divisional opponent and the Rams would love to play spoiler. Outside of a 51-14 win over the Broncos on Christmas, the Rams offense has looked bad with Baker Mayfield at quarterback.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers clinch a playoff spot with a win on Sunday night at home. The Lions can only get into the playoffs with a Seahawks loss and a victory over the Packers. The Lions will know by the start of the game if they are still alive. While the Lions will still come to play even if eliminated, there's still a human element of deflation knowing the game isn't significant. The Lions will be motivated to finish with a winning record, but the Packers are tough to beat at home and are the more experienced team in this spot. The Packers are 18-1 in December and January under coach Matt LaFleur. Aaron Rodgers is 18-7 against the Lions, including 10-2 at home.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are the better team, but a division game against the Ravens is always tough. The Ravens won the first meeting of the season and have won six of the last eight games between the teams. Lamar Jackson missed another practice on Wednesday and his status is still unclear. The Ravens offense has been awful, averaging 11.8 points over the last five games. The Bengals are 5-1 at home and can clinch the division title with a win. The Bengals have won seven consecutive games.


Last week: 3-0
Season: 37-10-1
 

 


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