NFL Week 8 Survivor Pick Rankings: Best Bets To Win Straight Up For 2021 Pool

A handful of teams stand out as safe NFL survivor pool picks in Week 8. The Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams are heavy favorites against one-win teams. The No. 1 seed Cincinnati Bengals are very likely to beat the New York Jets straight up. The Kansas City Chiefs should win their game, even though they’ve been one of the biggest disappointments of the 2021 season.

Here’s a ranking of the top-10 survivor pool picks for Week 8:

1) Buffalo Bills (vs. Miami Dolphins)

Divisional matchups usually make for less attractive survivor options, but this is an exception. Buffalo has a six-game winning streak against Miami. With their 35-0 win over the Dolphins in Week 2, the Bills are beating the Dolphins by an average of 20 points per game during that stretch. Buffalo is coming off a bye, and Miami is winless since the season opener.

2) Los Angeles Rams (at Houston Texans)

Houston's chances to be competitive are greater if Tyrod Taylor is able to play, but the Texans will almost certainly lose their seventh straight game. The Texans seem to get worse every week, being outscored 62-8 in their last two defeats. The Rams continue to take care of business against bad teams, suffering their only loss of the season against the undefeated Cardinals.

3) Cincinnati Bengals (at New York Jets)

The Bengals proved they are for real by dominating the Ravens in Week 7 and taking over as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Jets will likely be forced to start quarterback Mike White, who threw a pair of interceptions in relief of the injured Zach Wilson. New York’s only victory was an overtime win over an injury-riddled Titans team in Week 4.

4) Kansas City Chiefs (vs. New York Giants)

In spite of their losing record, the Chiefs are one of the biggest Week 8 favorites. Four of the Giants’ top-four playmakers are dealing with injuries. Kansas City is 2-0 against teams with losing records and still has one of the NFL's best offenses.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at New Orleans Saints)

The Bucs are a pretty safe bet to beat just about anyone right now. Dating back to last year’s Super Bowl run, Tampa Bay is 14-1 in its last 15 games. The Saints haven’t played a contender since beating the Packers in the season opener.

6) Los Angeles Chargers (vs. New England Patriots)

The Patriots have only beaten the 1-5 Jets and the 1-6 Texans. The Chargers have only lost to the Cowboys and Ravens, a pair of Super Bowl contenders. Coming off a bye with a Coach of the Year candidate, Justin Herbert and the Chargers should be well prepared to get back in the win column.

7) Atlanta Falcons (vs. Carolina Panthers)

The NFC South rivals are headed in opposite directions. Atlanta has won three of four games, while Carolina has fallen apart with a four-game losing streak. Matt Ryan could be the difference in a battle of quarterbacks. Sam Darnold was benched in Week 7, posting a passer rating under 58.0 for a third straight week.

8) Philadelphia Eagles (at Detroit Lions)

The NFL’s only winless team in 2021, Detroit is on an 11-game losing streak. Two successful fake punts and recovering an onside kick were not enough to keep the Lions within one score of the Rams in Week 7. The Eagles have beaten the two worst teams on their schedule.

9) San Francisco 49ers (at Chicago Bears)

The 49ers are far from a safe option, given that they haven’t won since Week 2. Chicago’s offense, however, is a disaster. The Bears have scored more than 20 points once, and their 255.4 yards per game are easily the worst in the NFL. Justin Fields has two touchdown passes, six interceptions and a 61.8 passer rating.

10) Dallas Cowboys (at Minnesota Vikings)

The Cowboys are very nearly undefeated, only losing in the season opener to the Bucs on a last-second field goal. Dallas has picked up impressive road wins against the Chargers and Patriots. The Vikings are 0-3 against teams that have records above .500.