(Image credit: Goeff Clark/USA Today Sports)
Written by: Nicholas Mullick
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-mullick-354076184/
Week 3 is officially in the books and hopefully you have survived and are now looking at who to pick Week 4 of the regular season for your survivor pools.
Again, I would like to remind everyone about what a survivor pool is and its rules. A survivor pool is a weekly contest where people select one team straight up per week to win their game. If a team that a participant in the Survivor pool chooses wins like the Carolina Panthers did last week against the Houston Texans then the participant in the survivor pool advances to the next week. But, now you can't choose the Carolina Panthers anymore for the rest of the season. But if the team that the participant in the Survivor pool chose the team that lost like the New York Giants did against the Atlanta Falcons then the participant is eliminated from the pool.
Now that we know the rules in a survivor pool, here are the Top 5 options, A trap Survivor pick, and a survivor pick that I would have gone with if I was not eliminated in survivor (Again, Why is Mike Tomlin still the head coach for the Steelers again?) for week 4 of the 2021 NFL season.
Week 4 Top 5 Survivor Options
Overall Record (12-3)
1. Buffalo Bills vs Houston Texans
Not going to go too long here. This is the safest selection to make this week. I don't think Davis Mills is absolutely terrible but he did not impress against the Carolina Panthers. Now he has to deal with a more stacked defense in the Bills and the Bills will be the home team in this game. Josh Allen should be comfortable against a bad Texans defense. I'd be shocked if the Bills lost this game and If they do then I will be confused but I would not call this a mismatch because Houston’s special teams are not terrible.
2. Cincinnati Bengals vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The Bengals have been solid this season after beating the Vikings in a close game and beating the Steelers after they played down to competition. Even though the Bengals are dealing with injuries. The Jaguars are a complete dumpster fire this season. This Jaguar defense is absolutely terrible. Their run defense is terrible and the Jags traded CJ Henderson away for pennies on the dollar making their secondary worse. The only reason why the game against the Cardinals was closer than it was, was due to the inept coach Kliff Kingsbury (Who also is holding back the Cardinals) decision to kick a 69-yard field goal for some reason and the Jaguars returned the missed kick for a touchdown. But Urban Meyer is not working as the head coach of the Jaguars. I doubt he lasts two seasons with this team, in fact, he could possibly be one and done as the head coach of this team. I don't think that will happen but you can’t rule it out as a possibility. Trevor Lawrence has been disappointing but he has no help with this terrible o-line. At least he has solid targets to throw the ball if they are utilized properly. The Bengals will be the home team in this game and If you don't want to use the Bills this will be a good pick to use as the Bengals don't have the best future value in Survivor.
3. New Orleans Saints vs New York Giants
I don't really know what to think about the Saints. They have had up and down moments all season but luckily they will be home facing the Giants. Speaking of a dumpster fire we got the New York Giants. Oh, Boy with the splashes this team made on offense and they continue to struggle I mean seriously. I like Kenny Golladay but it is clear that the Giants don't know how to utilize him properly. I don't like how they are utilizing Kadarius Toney and if he doesn't show something this week I would straight up cut ties with him via Fantasy Football. I doubt Sterling Shepard plays as he is dealing with an injury. At least Saquon looked decent in this game. I still don't know about this quarterback as well. Daniel Jones shows a ton of flashes that he can be a strong quarterback if he is coached right. I don't think Joe Judge is working well for this team especially with the answers Saqoun gave about the culture of the locker room being poorly handled by Joe Judge. The Giants defense just lost their best player Blake Martinez due to a season-ending knee injury. The only player who must start for the Giants fantasy football-wise is Kicker Graham Gano. I would not worry too much about this game take the Saints and don't be worried about it at all.
4. Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Looks like the Packers have woken up after their terrible Week 1 performance against the New Orleans Saints. They will be playing in Lambeau Field against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Speaking of which Pittsburgh is a complete mess right now as they are dealing with a ton of injuries, Big Ben had been on a big decline, and the Steelers played down to competition against the Cincinnati Bengals for the thousandth time. Again, Why is Mike Tomlin still the Head Coach of the Steelers? I would be shocked if the Packers lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game is a complete mismatch and I feel the Packers are better overall when it comes to the offense, defense, special teams, and possibly coaching. The Packers are also a lot healthier than the Steelers are.
5. Washington Football Team at Atlanta Falcons
Washington’s defense has been disappointing this year and what the heck happened to William Jackson as he has been terrible this season. Luckily the Washington Football Team will be facing Atlanta who doesn't have much when it comes to receivers excluding Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts (If used properly). The Washington Football Team has a ton of weapons to utilize on offense and they should do a solid job against a beaten-up Atlanta Falcons defense. I don't think Taylor Heinicke is as terrible as others think he is. Keep in mind he had to face Buffalo’s stacked defense and he will have a much easier time dealing with Atlanta’s defense. Now Atlanta did win last week but it was against the inept New York Giants who are probably the worst team in the conference now. Matt Ryan, as I said, is wasting one of his final years with the Falcons but I got to say he has looked cooked throughout the first few weeks of the regular season. The o-line has not been good and Calvin Ridley has been a complete disappointment this season. I don't see him as a number 1 receiver in this league and what in the world is this team doing with Kyle Pitts. Keep in mind as well the Falcons have to next week play a game in London, England which will be the first game there since the pandemic hit. Even though Washington is not the home team I think that they will win this game.
Trap Survivor Pick: Tennessee Titans at New York Jets
There is something really fishy about this game. Even though the Titans are facing the New York Jets they are dealing with a ton of injuries themselves and the Jets have to play a game in London, England for the first time since the pandemic hit. The Titans as well are dealing with a ton of injuries right now. Especially as the Titans could be without Julio Jones and AJ Brown who are both dealing with injuries. If both don't play next week then Tannehill will have to throw to Nick Westbrook and Chester Rogers. They may have to rely on Derrick Henry the entire game and the Jets run defense is not terrible. Something that also is fishy about the Titans is their defense is very mediocre especially as their Pass Rush is not good and their secondary is a mess right now. I have no clue how Janoris Jenkins is still in the NFL right now. The Jets offensive line should do a better job blocking this week due to how injured the Titans are. The Titans are not the Home team right now but I would stay away from this game via Survivor and Spread pick-wise.
Record 2-0 (Week 1: Jax, Week 2: Cin, Week 3: DAL,)
Who I would of went with for my Survivor Pick for Week 4: Cincinnati Bengals vs Jacksonville Jaguars
I don't want to use the Buffalo Bills or the Green Bay Packers as there are plenty of weeks later in the season to take them. I don't trust Washington too much and they're in the NFC East and you can save them for later. This came down to the New Orleans Saints or the Cincinnati Bengals. The Saints have to face the Falcons twice and the Jets later in the season so they do have future value in survivor. There really is not another week to use the Cincinnati Bengals in survivor pools. Maybe against the Jets Week 8 but they will not be the home team. Plus the New York Jets may become healthier later in the season. So I would have taken the Cincinnati Bengals for my Week 4 survivor pick.
Teams Used: (Week 1: 49ers, Week 2: Steelers, Week 3: Carolina Panthers,)