Best Week 3 Survivor Pool Picks

A few marquee matchups on the Week 3 schedule feature multiple Super Bowl contenders, making survivor pools a little more interesting this weekend.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers are road underdogs against the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, respectively. The Seattle Seahawks are short road favorites, making them an unlikely survivor option.

Here’s a ranking of the top-10 survivor picks for Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season:

1) Denver Broncos (vs. New York Jets)

Zach Wilson has thrown five interceptions and been sacked 10 times in his two NFL starts. The rookie won’t fare much better against the No. 3 overall defense that’s allowed the third-lowest passer rating. After two straight road wins, the Broncos return home to Denver, where visiting teams usually struggle early in the season.

2) Baltimore Ravens (at Detroit Lions)

The Ravens don’t lose to bad teams, and the Lions are one of the league’s worst. In 39 regular-season starts, Lamar Jackson is 31-8 with just one loss against a team that finished the season with double-digits losses. The 2021 season would be a raging success for Detroit if they managed to go 8-9.

3) Arizona Cardinals (at Jacksonville Jaguars)

Jacksonville should continue to be on the other end of weekly survivor picks. The Jaguars have lost 17 straight games, and neither of this season’s losses have been close. Kyler Murray is an early MVP candidate. Trevor Lawrence is tied with Wilson for the most interceptions to go along with a league-worst 50% completion percentage among starters.

4) Cleveland Browns (vs. Chicago Bears)

Chicago’s offense is a major issue, no matter which quarterback is under center. Andy Dalton doesn’t provide the opportunity for explosive plays, and Justin Fields is still erratic as a rookie. Jarvis Landry’s injury and Odell Beckham’s uncertain status could prevent the Browns from running away with the one, but Cleveland should take care of business at home.

5) Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)

Before Patrick Mahomes rested in last season’s meaningless finale, the Chiefs had beaten the Chargers in 12 of their last 13 meetings. Kansas City’s offense remains virtually unstoppable. Mahomes is always a good bet to win outright at Arrowhead Stadium, particularly coming off a tough loss at Batlimore.

6) Tennessee Titans (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

The chances of Carson Wentz playing and being effective in Tennessee probably aren't great since the quarterback reportedly has two sprained ankles. Indianapolis is 0-2 with Wentz under center and might now be forced to give Jacob Eason his first-ever start. Following a 33-30 win in Seattle, the Titans are the clear favorites in the AFC South.

7) Buffalo Bills (vs. Washington Football Team)

Playing at home against a mediocre Washington team, this is certainly a game the Bills should win. Buffalo rebounded in Week 2 by shutting out Miami, though Josh Allen hasn’t come close to matching his play from last season.

8) Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Miami Dolphins)

It’s going to be hard for the Dolphins to keep up with the Raiders if Tua Tagovailoa plays while nursing a rib injury or Jacoby Brissett has to start at quarterback. Las Vegas seems to be a real playoff contender after upsetting Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

9) Dallas Cowboys (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

This could be a tough NFC East battle, but Dallas is the class of the division. The Cowboys have a top-five offense with Dak Prescott looking completely healthy. Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia’s offense came back down to earth after beating up on a bad Atlanta defense in the opener.

10) Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Cincinnati Bengals)

Since the start of the 2019 season, Cincinnati has one road win. Joe Burrow was sacked four times a season ago when the Steelers blew out the Bengals 36-10 in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are dealing with key injuries on defense, however, and their offense has been dreadful through two weeks.

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