2023 NFL Weekly Survivor Pool: Week 15 Top Picks & Plays

It was a tough week with many upsets, including the Packers losing to the Tommy DeVito-led Giants and Zach Wilson becoming a real boy against a Texans team that lost C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins in that game. We need to dust ourselves off and keep moving into Week 15, where we’ll have full 16-game slates for the rest of the season now that bye weeks are done. Let’s get it!
We will help you get to the promised land one week at a time with our picks, but in case you’re not familiar with Survivor pools, here’s a quick rundown:
Pick a team that wins in each NFL week. Typically, you choose a team just once, so each selection is essential. Some survivor pools have double-elimination so that you can slip up and still be in the running. Make sure you’re checking out our weekly matchup previews and our Survivor League Strategy in the Fantasy Alarm Draft Guide as guides toward picking the best winners for each week and developing a strategy.
Let’s dive right in with Week 15’s picks!
2023 Survival Pool Picks Record
Week 14: 2-3 (.400)
Overall: 49-21 (.700)
NFL Week 15 DraftKings Odds, Implied Totals, Spreads, and Over/Under
*All lines current as of 11:00 PM ET, 12/12/23, courtesy of Vegas Insider*
NFL Week 15 Survivor Picks
Los Angeles Rams
Washington’s defense is horrendous, bordering on offensive. We can use that to our advantage with the Rams, as they’re 6.5-point favorites at home against the Commanders. Washington is giving up the most points in the NFL (30.4) and is dead last in yards per attempt allowed, yards allowed, and touchdowns allowed. Matthew Stafford has three touchdowns or more in his last three games, and with Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Kyren Williams keeping defenses honest, it’s hard not to back the Rams here at home.
There haven’t been a lot of spots here to use the Rams this season, but this is a good spot for Los Angeles as they look to keep pace at the periphery of the NFC playoff picture.
Cincinnati Bengals
Nothing is safe anymore, especially if you’ve exhausted favorites in your run thus far in your Survivor pool. The Bengals may not feel great to use, but Jake Browning has been pretty decent in the last couple of games, and Cincinnati is a 3.5-point favorite at home against the Vikings, who trot out Nick Mullens as their starter.
While Justin Jefferson has come out to say he’s playing on Saturday against the Bengals, he will be banged up after leaving the game with a chest injury. Alexander Mattison may also miss Week 15, shifting this game toward Cincinnati’s advantage even more.
The Bengals aren’t sexy, but they’re playing much better football and are clearly in a better way right now than the Vikings, who are playing quarterback roulette and may also be without their top running back and wide receiver.
Atlanta Falcons
Depending on the Atlanta Falcons to keep the Carolina Panthers free square is undoubtedly a dicey proposition, but look: the Panthers are the worst team in football and have not put a game together where they were competent on offense since the one game Bryce Young missed, and Andy Dalton moved the ball.
Despite the Panthers being at home, the Falcons have the clear talent and coaching advantage here as they should ground and pound and take to the air with Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Somehow, the Falcons tossed out 394 air yards as a team — seventh highest in Week 14.
The Falcons should be able to handle the worst team in the NFL on the road that has scored the third-lowest total points this season.
Other NFL Week 15 Survivor Pool Options
Kansas City Chiefs
While the Kansas City Chiefs have lost three of their last four games, seeing the New England Patriots across from them could be the cure that ails them. One thing about the Patriots? They can’t score. Like, not even a little bit. They’ve averaged 8.5 points per game in their last four games, including a 21-point “outburst” in Week 14 to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Chiefs are still an almost 10-point favorite on the road against New England, who sports the lowest implied point total of the Week 15 slate at 13.75. Do you know how bad your offense has to be to get a 13.75 implied point total at home? The Chiefs should get back on track here in Foxboro against the Patriots in a must-win game to get some momentum for the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins
This is last call to use the Miami Dolphins, as their remaining schedule has Dallas, Baltimore, and Buffalo left after facing the Jets in Week 15. Do we believe Zach Wilson has turned a corner after putting up a massive performance against the Texans in Week 14? I answer that question with a question: do we have any reason to believe that the Week 14 Zach Wilson is for real?
The Dolphins are favored by more than a touchdown at home and should roll after being upset by the Titans on Monday Night Football. They can’t afford to drop a second-consecutive game against a subpar opponent.
Player News
The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue reports that Kyren Williams’ contract extension “could be worked out by the end of training camp,” but notes that “the Rams will not pay top-market money for a running back.”
Rodrigue believes that the two sides’ continued contract talk “is a good sign” for an early extension. “Williams is a team leader and one of the more productive at his position,” but “he doesn’t hit ‘home run’ explosives,” which hurts his negotiating power, particularly at a position considered low-value by some. Still, Williams’ overall productivity works in his favor. Rodrigue notes, “training camp is the usual timeline for such deals under this era of Rams leadership,” giving fantasy managers an expected timeline to follow.
Patriots LB Jahlani Tavai stayed in New England following June’s mandatory minicamp to rehab his calf injury “in hopes of being ready for the start of training camp.”
The Patriots’ first training camp practice is scheduled for July 23rd. This report fails to provide clarity on Tavai’s expected participation status, though ESPN’s Mike Reiss does list LBs Christian Elliss and Jack Gibbens as Tavai’s “projected top competition” for the No. 2 inside linebacker job. Free agent signee, LB Robert Spillane, is locked into the No. 1 spot.
The NFLPA released a statement in support of Executive Director Lloyd Howell.
Howell came under scrutiny after it was revealed last week that he worked part-time as a paid consultant for The Carlyle Group, which is a private equity firm. On Sunday, the NFLPA released a statement that it rejects “attempts to mischaracterize the committee’s views or divide membership” regarding this news, while adding any reports of the NFLPA calling for Howell to step down are false. It would appear Howell, who was appointed to his position in 2023, will remain in his role for the upcoming season.
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Details around Judkins’ arrest continue to emerge. On Sunday, Sergeant David Soika of the shared that upon arriving at the scene where the reported crime took place, officers determined after speaking to the victim that a battery occurred, which led to the arrest of Judkins soon after. The rookie second-rounder remained in police custody overnight and is scheduled to have an initial hearing on Sunday. As ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio points out, Judkins is sure to face scrutiny from the NFL under the league’s Personal Conduct Policy, while Florio also notes that “the baseline punishment for a battery is six games,” which can vary based on other factors. Judkins has not yet signed his rookie deal, and will likely take less guaranteed money than he hoped for following his arrest, which could cause a trickle-down effect for the 29 other rookie second-rounders who have yet to sign their deal. Judkins was expected to compete for the Browns’ RB1 spot in training camp, and while he will still get a chance to do so, fantasy managers should remain open to the possibility of a suspension being handed down at some point this season. In any case, Jerome Ford rookie Dylan Sampson would both see slight boosts to their fantasy stocks if Judkins were to miss any time.
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins has been arrested and held on domestic violence charges in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Judkins was booked on Saturday and remains in custody as of this evening. ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi reports Judkins’ initial court appearance will come Sunday morning. The Browns have said they are “aware and gathering more details.” Judkins’ arrest comes on the eve of training camp, and gets his professional career off to the worst possible start. A lengthy stay on the commissioner’s exempt list would be all but guaranteed if the charges stick. A suspension would then follow if he were convicted or admitted guilt. The situation should be updated on Sunday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Chargers second-round WR Tre Harris did not report with fellow rookies.
That effectively makes Harris a holdout, something that has become common practice for second-round players amidst ongoing negotiations regarding guaranteed money. 30 of the 32 second-round selections from the 2025 NFL Draft have yet to sign their rookie contracts, with Harris now the first official holdout after the Chargers’ rookie report date came and went. This appears to be nothing more than “just business,” but fantasy managers will want to track the ongoing behind-the-scenes saga unfolding this year.