NFL Survivor Picks This Week: Safest and Riskiest Predictions for Week 9

Safest NFL Survivor Pick: Rams to Beat Saints

If you’ve been saving the Los Angeles Rams for your NFL survivor picks, then Week 9 would be the time to use them against the New Orleans Saints! The Rams are massive two-touchdown favorites to beat the lowly Saints outright.

New Orleans is looking to put a halt on a three-game losing skid and win just their second game in 2025-26. They have a lone win against the Giants, but losers in their other seven outings for a 1-7 record. The Saints are 29th in the NFL, with an average of 16 points per game.

Led by Spencer Rattler, the offense has struggled to find traction. Nevertheless, Rattler is probably the best option that is on the Saints’ roster. He has passed for 1,586 yards, eight touchdowns, and five interceptions. He’s a fine game manager, but isn’t capable of much else.

Expect the Rams’ defense to swallow up the Saints in this matchup. However, I’m most concerned with how the Saints are going to handle Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford and their offense. Stafford is in MVP territory, as he builds on a fantastic campaign.

Matthew Stafford ties Matt Ryan as the second-fastest player to reach 60,000 career passing yards 👏 pic.twitter.com/YoqFkWKRnH

— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025

Stafford has thrown 1,866 yards, 17 touchdowns, and two interceptions on 66.1% completions. He has the Rams’ offense in sixth, averaging 360.1 yards per game overall. They’ve netted 25 points per game, en route to a 5-2 record in the NFC West.

Overall, the Saints are 1-11 outright in their last 12 games, and 0-5 in their previous five on the road. Additionally, the Saints are 2-6 against the spread (ATS) in their previous eight matchups. While that’s a lot of points to lay on the Rams, they should easily clear to beat the Saints for your best NFL survivor pool picks this week!

Moderately Safe NFL Survivor Pick: Patriots to Beat Falcons

The surging New England Patriots host the Atlanta Falcons in search of their seventh win this season. Along with leading the AFC East title hunt, QB Drake Maye has entered the MVP conversation.

The second-year quarterback is nearly keeping up with Stafford, as he’s passed for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns, and three interceptions on 75.2% completions. Maye has tossed eight touchdowns and one interception in his last three games on the field.

Drake Maye has joined an elite list 😮‍💨

All the other QBs to achieve this won MVP in that season 👀 pic.twitter.com/JG20WJ5Bwy

— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 27, 2025

The addition WR Stefon Diggs has provided Maye with a legitimate No. 1, and he’s taking full advantage of his weapons. Also, new head coach Mike Vrabel has completely changed the narrative in the locker room. Everyone is buying in on both sides of the ball.

The Patriots are eighth in the NFL, scoring an average of 26.6 points per game. This is a tough matchup against a very willing Falcons’ defense. In fact, the Falcons are first in the league in passing yards against. That said, the offense is hit and miss, with just 17.1 points overall and an abysmal 10.7 points per game on the road.

As is expected, the Patriots’ defense has been stout under Vrabel. They rank in the top 10, allowing 300.4 yards per game this season. The Falcons should make this a competitive matchup, though the Patriots should prevail. Back the Patriots for your best Week 9 NFL survivor bets.

High Risk/High Reward NFL Survivor Pick: Giants to Beat 49ers

For everything that has gone wrong for the San Francisco 49ers, they remain in the mix at 5-3 on the season. Despite key injuries, the 49ers are hoping that they’ll keep their heads above water and be healthy enough for the final push later in the year.

They are coming off a 26-15 loss after getting stymied by a tough Texans’ defense. Following a difficult road trip, the 49ers are on the East Coast for a tricky assignment. The 49ers get a really early start in East Rutherford at MetLife Stadium.

They’re small favorites against the Giants, but this line is a bit suspicious. The betting public will likely hammer the 49ers at less than a field goal. However, I expect the Giants, who have played different football at home than on the road, should be competitive against a road weary 49ers squad.

QB Jaxson Dart will continue his solid rookie campaign under center. Dart has thrown eight touchdowns and three interceptions on 60% completions. He also rushed for 195 yards and scored four times on the ground. The team has had a different look when they made the change from Russell Wilson to Dart.

Jaxson Dart has been named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for October! 💪 pic.twitter.com/6xdQsX4EOo

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) October 30, 2025

The last time the Giants were at home, they emerged with a 34-17 win over the Eagles. They are coming off two losses on the road at Denver and Philadelphia. The loss to the Broncos was an epic collapse in the fourth quarter, but a good effort nonetheless in a 33-32 final.

Look for the Giants to get the upset and win outright, so consider Dart’s team for your NFL survivor picks in Week 9.