Week 5 NFL Survivor Pool Tips: Best Picks and Strategies to Stay Alive

Week 4 finally brought a little clarity to the NFL landscape, though it certainly didn't answer every question.

The Cincinnati Bengals finally got a win, while the Baltimore Ravens fully unleashed their Derrick Henry-led offense. The New England Patriots, as most assumed before their Week 1 upset of Cincinnati, are not good.

However, we still don't know if teams like the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints are truly good, or if the Kansas City Chiefs are good enough to navigate their mounting list of injuries.

The ongoing uncertainty isn't doing any favors for survivor-pool participants, but there are a few avenues to consider this week.

Below, you'll find a few survivor tips for Week 5. You'll also find some top picks for the slate using the latest odds as a guideline.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Byes start this week, meaning fans won't have as many options for survivor play. The Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans are all off, with Detroit serving as one of the few trustworthy teams at the quarter mark.

Before we dive into the teams that make the most sense in Week 5, let's examine a few games worth avoiding.

It's hard to pick a side in Thursday's divisional matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5) and Atlanta Falcons. Tampa has looked like the better team this season but did suffer a blowout loss in Week 3 to the Denver Broncos. The Bucs also have a disastrous run defense, which will be an issue against Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.

The Ravens (-3) should beat the Bengals because their offense can be a nightmare against Cincinnati's underwhelming defense. It's a divisional game in Cincinnati, though, and AFC North showdowns are almost always unpredictable.

The Buffalo Bills (-1) and Houston Texans are among the league's better teams, and that's another tricky one to predict. The Patriots (-1) are one of the league's worst teams but will host a Miami Dolphins squad that has no offensive identity without Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) under center.

And it's hard to figure out exactly why the Chiefs are giving five points to the Saints when they won't have Isiah Pacheco or Rashee Rice in the lineup. Kansas City has morphed into a defensive team, and home-field advantage matters, but the Chiefs have yet to deliver a decisive win this season.

The Saints have had a couple of those, and Klint Kubiak's offense matches up quite well with Kansas City's defense. Add in the fact that Monday night games are often wacky, and it's probably best to avoid the Week 5 finale entirely.

Look, there really aren't any slam-dunk survivor plays on the docket this week. The Seattle Seahawks, who are six-point favorites against the New York Giants, are the closest thing to be found.

Seattle showed on Monday night that it is a legitimate playoff contender. While the Seahawks lost, they gave the Lions just about everything they could handle. After picking on bad teams over the first three weeks, Seattle largely passed its first real test of the season.

The Giants have shown some potential in 2024, but they're not on Detroit's level. Rookie wideout Malik Nabers is a menace, and New York's pass rush has looked dominant at times—so has quarterback Daniel Jones, shockingly.

However, New York doesn't quite have the pieces to keep up with Geno Smith, DK Metcalf and a Seahawks offense that got a huge boost from Kenneth Walker III in Week 4.

Seattle has traditionally provided a massive home-field advantage, and while Jones has been better than he was last year, he's still good for one or two head-scratching mistakes per game. The Seahawks are the better team, and they should hold serve at home.

It's hard to be as confident in the Green Bay Packers (-3) on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Green Bay's defense has experienced some serious breakdowns this season, and Matthew Stafford will always give L.A. a chance.

However, the Rams are still dealing with multiple injuries on offense. Puka Nacua remains on injured reserve, and Cooper Kupp won't return in time to face Green Bay.

The Packers did get Jordan Love (MCL) back in Week 4, and while he showed some rust early, he played extremely well down the stretch. Love should be healthier and sharper this week, and he should hit his stride against a bad Rams defense.

Los Angeles ranks 31st in both yards and points allowed this season.

Another factor to consider here is that Los Angeles doesn't usually provide a great home-field advantage. Packers fans travel, and we should expect to see plenty of them at SoFi Stadium this weekend.

The San Francisco 49ers (-7.5) are also worth considering against the Arizona Cardinals. Divisional games are dicey, but this probably represents San Francisco's "easiest" challenge until they host the Chicago Bears in Week 14.

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