Survivor Pool Picks Week 15: NFL Survivor Strategies & Safest Pick This Week

Who’s ready to learn of our best NFL survivor pool picks for Week 15, which include the safest play, the best survivor pick, and the top strategy move?

Four games having double-digit spreads should suggest that remaining survivor pool contestants should have plenty of options to choose from this week. But just in case one has used most of the best teams in the league, I offer other viable teams to pivot to. The strategy below complements our NFL Week 15 predictions as we enter the fourth-to-last week of the regular season.

Best NFL survivor pool picks: Week 15

See all of our experts' NFL picks for Week 15 based on the latest NFL odds.

Safest NFL survivor pick: 49ers (92%) over Titans

Tennessee snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 31-29 road win at Cleveland last week. 

Sure, there were some good signs from the Titans offense, like Cam Ward throwing multiple touchdown passes for the first time in his career, and Tony Pollard becoming just the second running back to run for 100-plus yards against the Browns this season.

But San Francisco will be well-rested off a bye, and it enters on a three-game winning streak with a plus-48 scoring differential in that span. That all has the Niners as the biggest favorite by the NFL Week 15 odds.

Our Gary Pearson also backs the 49ers to cruise to a comfortable victory with his NFL picks against the spread.

Best NFL survivor pick: Jaguars (90%) over Jets

Jacksonville is 5-1 since its bye in Week 8, and now needs to avoid a letdown after taking over first place in the AFC South.

The Jaguars have won four straight games and are amid their best 13-game start since 2017, a season in which they reached the AFC Championship Game. They face a Jets team that is so down on QB Justin Fields that they could have Brady Cook as their starting quarterback after Tyrod Taylor exited last week’s loss with a groin injury in the first quarter.

Jacksonville still has a Week 18 home game against Tennessee left on its schedule, but survivor pool contestants should not wait until then to use the Jaguars in case they already have the division clinched by the regular-season finale.

NFL survivor strategy pick: Steelers (66%) over Dolphins

If you still have teams like the Bears or Texans available to use in survivor pools, they are the smarter plays this week. But it is much more likely one’s survivor pool decisions come down to backing the Giants off a bye at home against a Commanders team that is going back to Marcus Mariota at quarterback, or fading a Dolphins team amid a season-best four-game winning streak.

I am backing Pittsburgh as my NFL survivor strategy pick after the Steelers improved to 9-3 against the division rival Ravens in their last 12 meetings. 

I am still not sold on Miami being able to win in cold weather against a good football team this late in the season. And the Dolphins could be without their best offensive weapon this week after running back De’Von Achane left last week’s win over the Jets with a rib injury.

Our Phil Wood is taking the Under as his early Steelers vs. Dolphins prediction.

NFL survivor pick to avoid: Panthers (58%) over Saints

Carolina finds itself tied atop the NFC South with Tampa Bay after the Buccaneers lost as 7.5-point home favorites to New Orleans last week. That sets up a big trap spot for the Panthers off a bye this week with a home game against Tampa Bay looming next week. 

New Orleans beat Carolina 17-7 in Week 10, which was rookie quarterback Tyler Shough’s first NFL win. That was also the Panthers’ 11th straight loss as a favorite, which is the longest straight-up losing streak for any team as favorites since the 1970 merger.

Circa Survivor contest update entering Week 15

Thirty-five of the entries that remained in the Circa Sports Survivor contest entering Week 14 were eliminated, as the top two most popular picks of the week (Buccaneers and Browns) lost outright. Thus, after 62.2% of the entries lost on Tampa Bay and another 11.1% lost with Cleveland, just 10 contestants are left to vie for the grand prize entering Week 15.