Survivor pool strategy and straight-up picks for Week 15

Welcome to Week 15! The NFL gets things going later tonight with the Indianapolis Colts hosting the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. The San Francisco 49ers get their own game going on Sunday when they host the Tennessee Titans at Levi’s Stadium.

The 49ers have won three of their last four games, but it is worth noting they played bad teams. The Titans are scuffling a bit, but they open up the 49ers final three-game stretch that includes three teams all with a strong chance of earning a playoff berth. It will be a strong challenge overall, and of course, specifically to see what Jimmy Garoppolo can put together.

In the meantime, it’s time once again to ponder options in NFL Survivor pools. I was knocked out of my own double elimination pool way back in Week 7, but I’m still here to help you sort through your options. This week, the New Orleans Saints could be a popular choice at home against Bryce Petty and the New York Jets. The Jacksonville Jaguars are double digit favorites at home against Houston, and Minnesota is a double digit home favorite against Cincinnati. Some big options there.

For Thursday, we get a less than stellar AFC matchup of two teams battling for a top five draft pick. The upside for 49ers fans is we get a chance to see Frank Gore in prime time. The Colts are a 2.5-point home underdog, according to Odds Shark. I’m plenty happy taking the points, as I think we see plenty of Gore tonight to help the Colts spring the modest upset.

Who are you taking?

Broncos @ Colts: Colts
Bears @ Lions: Lions
Chargers @ Chiefs: Chargers
Dolphins @ Bills: Bills
Ravens @ Browns: Browns
Bengals @ Vikings: Vikings
Jets @ Saints: Saints
Eagles @ Giants: Eagles
Cardinals @ Washington: Washington
Packers @ Panthers: Panthers
Texans @ Jaguars: Jaguars
Rams @ Seahawks: Seahawks
Patriots @ Steelers: Patriots
Titans @ 49ers: 49ers
Cowboys @ Raiders: Raiders
Falcons @ Buccaneers: Falcons