In last week’s survivor picks article, we swept the board. Both lock suggestions hit. The Jaguars, my dog, hit. Hopefully, that means you hit and continued into your NFL Week 5 Survivor pool. This week is the first week we will have fewer games to choose from due to bye weeks. I’ll continue to give two lock picks each week in case you’ve used one of the teams. I’ll also give a contrarian dog pick to help out. Let’s take a look at the Week 5 NFL Survivor picks.
NFL Survivor Picks Week 5
Look Around the League Week 5 (All Times ET)
Thursday 8:15 PM
49ers @ Rams (-7.5)
Sunday 9:30 AM
Vikings (-4.5) vs. Browns (London)
Sunday 1:00 PM
Raiders @ Colts (-6.5)
Giants @ Saints (-2)
Cowboys (-2.5) @ Jets
Broncos @ Eagles (-4.5)
Miami (-1.5) @ Panthers
Texans (-1.5) @ Ravens
Sunday 4:05 PM
Titans @ Cardinals (-7.5)
Bucs @ Seahawks (-3.5)
Sunday 4:25 PM
Commanders @ Chargers (-2.5)
Sunday 8:20 PM
Patriots @ Bills (-8.5)
Monday 7:15 PM
Chiefs (-3.5) @ Jaguars
The Lock: LA Rams
The first pick on the NFL Week 5 survivor picks is the LA Rams. This is Thursday night’s game, so if you’re picking this one, get your picks in early. However, it’s strictly a fade of the 49ers, who are very banged up with injuries. The 49ers will be without Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings on offense. They have struggled on defense and have had zero interceptions all year.
Meanwhile, Matt Stafford has thrown for 19 touchdowns and only three interceptions all year. Stafford and the Rams have looked really good on offense. Kyren Williams has led the ground game, while Puka Nacua has done damage over the middle of the field. Davante Adams has also had a resurgence, catching three touchdowns in the last three games.
Last year, the Rams won both games against the 49ers. It took fourth-quarter comebacks, but still they won. This year, I expect them to have their foot on the gas the entire game and not to need a comeback. Sure, the 49ers still have playmakers like Christian McCaffrey. However, with the struggles on the offensive line, even CMC has had trouble making big plays. He’s had less than 55 yards in every game so far this year.
The LA Rams at home against a banged-up 49ers team feels like one of the easier picks this NFL Week 5 weekend and should be considered for your survivor pools.
Another Confident Pick: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been on fire. I know they lost their game last week to the LA Rams. However, it took Adonai Mitchell fumbling right before extending their lead. It also took a fourth-quarter comeback from the Rams. As of now, the Colts have both a top-ten offense and a top-ten defense. Not many teams have both through four weeks of football.
The Raiders, on the other hand, have been a mess. They just lost against Chicago with a blocked extra point. While their run game seemed to be on track, finally. However, the passing game left a lot to be desired. On top of that, the defense continues to struggle.
The Colts have struggled against the Raiders in the past seven games, especially at home. This is a different Raiders team, though. They’re continuing to struggle and don’t have the firepower the Colts do. The Colts are 11-4 against AFC opponents in the last 15 games. They’re also 10-5 when they’re seven-point favorites or less.
This Colts team is truly shaking things up in the AFC South, and I expect them to continue to do so. With Jacksonville looking pretty good this year and Houston finally notching a win, they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas. The Colts are an excellent choice for your NFL Week 5 survivor picks.
An Underdog Pick: New York Giants
Last for our NFL Survivor picks in Week 5, we have an underdog pick, and this one feels too easy. The Giants were the first 0-3 team to defeat a 3-0 team since 2008, when they beat the Chargers last week 21-18. Finally, their defense looked like what it should be on paper. On top of that, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made his first start and should only get better with more game reps.
The Saints are currently winless and have not looked great. Spencer Rattler could become only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to start 0-11 in his first 11 starts. Nothing has gone right for these Saints, and they continue to struggle in all aspects of the ball.
So, why are the Giants the dogs in this game? They just beat a team that is far better than New Orleans. Do the Saints really get that much home-field advantage? They’re 10-25 at home against teams with less than a 30% win percentage. I’m not backing the Saints as favorites. Give me the Giants to win this game and one of the only times you can confidently use the Giants in your NFL Survivor pools.
