This article is part of our NFL Staff Picks series.
Kevin Payne won last week at 10-4. Scott Pianowski was close behind at 8-6 and leads the overall standings.
Jeff Erickson was the only writer to nail his best bet.
The group hit its lone unanimous pick (Seahawks), and majority picks went 4-10.
This week, there is one unanimous pick — the Chargers, +4.5 at the Chiefs. Five others received four votes each.
Erickson likes the Chargers so much he made them his best bet. The other writers produced two head-to-head best bets. In the Dolphins-Steelers matchup, Pianowski took the Dolphins while Nick Whalen went with the Steelers. And in the Packers-Broncos matchup, Payne went with the Packers while Mario Puig took the Broncos.
Before making your picks, be sure to consult our NFL injury report and the latest fantasy football news. Also check out the weekly projections to see how this week's matchups shape up.
Odds from BetMGM. Use the BetMGM Bonus Code for a risk-free bet up to $1,000.
| MATCHUP | ERICKSON | PIANOWSKI | WHALEN | PAYNE | PUIG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons +4.5 at Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Falcons | Buccaneers |
| Browns +7.5 at Bears | Browns | Browns | Bears | Bears | Browns |
| Ravens -2.5 at Bengals | Ravens | Ravens | Bengals | Ravens | Bengals |
| Cardinals +9.5 at Texans | Texans | Texans | Cardinals | Texans | Cardinals |
| Jets +12.5 at Jaguars | Jets | Jets | Jets | Jaguars | Jets |
| Chargers +4.5 at Chiefs | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers |
| Bills -1 at Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Bills | Patriots |
| Commanders +2.5 at Giants | Giants | Giants | Giants | Commanders | Commanders |
| Raiders +11 at Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Raiders | Eagles |
| Packers -2.5 at Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Packers | Broncos |
| Lions +5.5 at Rams | Lions | Lions | Lions | Rams | Rams |
| Panthers -2.5 at Saints | Saints | Saints | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers |
| Colts +13.5 at Seahawks | Seahawks | Colts | Seahawks | Seahawks | Seahawks |
| Titans +12.5 at 49ers | 49ers | 49ers | 49ers | Titans | Titans |
| Vikings +6 at Cowboys | Vikings | Vikings | Cowboys | Cowboys | Cowboys |
| Dolphins +3.5 at Steelers | Dolphins | Dolphins | Steelers | Steelers | Dolphins |
| Best Bet | Chargers | Dolphins | Steelers | Packers | Broncos |
| Last Week Record | 5-9 | 8-6 | 4-10 | 10-4 | 5-9 |
| 2025 Record | 93-109-6 | 96-106-6 | 87-115-6 | 85-117-6 | 82-120-6 |
| 2025 Best Bet Record | 7-7 | 5-9 | 5-9 | 4-10 | 6-8 |
| 2025 Unanimous Pick Record | 5-11-1 | ||||
| 2025 Majority Pick Record | 68-134-6 | ||||
| 2024 Record | 131-138-3 | 121-148-3 | 127-142-3 | 138-131-3 | N/A |
| 2023 Record | 133-131-8 | 125-139-8 | 129-135-8 | 140-124-8 | N/A |
| 2022 Record | 127-136-8 | 149-114-8 | 124-139-8 | 131-132-8 | N/A |
| 2021 Record | 129-140-3 | 134-135-3 | N/A | 145-124-3 | N/A |
| 2020 Record | 121-127-8 | 128-120-8 | N/A | 115-133-8 | N/A |
| 2019 Record | 126-124-6 | 140-110-6 | N/A | 127-123-6 | N/A |
| 2018 Record | 125-122-9 | 134-113-9 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2017 Record | 117-125-14 | 128-114-14 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2016 Record | 140-111-5 | 130-121-5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2015 Record | 134-114-8 | 120-128-8 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2014 Record | 123-128-5 | 140-111-5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2013 Record | 132-114-10 | 118-128-10 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2012 Record | 110-140-6 | 125-125-6 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2011 Record | 121-128-7 | 134-115-7 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2010 Record | 129-122-5 | 134-117-5 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2009 Record | 123-130-3 | 132-121-3 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2008 Record | 132-114-10 | 128-118-10 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 Record | 127-120 | 118-129 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 Record | 118-129 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2005 Record | 121-126 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 Record | 124-124 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 Record | 121-126 | 118-129 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 Record | 113-136 | 123-126 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2001 Record | 124-113 | 117-120 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 2000 Record | 123-117 | 134-106 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| WRITER | COMMENT |
|---|---|
| Erickson | I know the Chargers are beat up and on super-short rest, and yet, I think that this should be a 2.5 or 3-point line. |
| Pianowski | I don't trust the zig-zag Steelers to hit the high end of their range two weeks in a row. They've shown zero consistency all year. |
| Whalen | I'm not a big believer in this Steelers team, but I'm even less of a believer in the Dolphins on the road in sub-freezing temperatures. |
| Payne | The Broncos' defense could slow the Packers, but Green Bay's defense can dismantle the Broncos. Bo Nix meet Micah Parsons. Also like the Steelers in a game that could be too cold for the Dolphins to function, especially if De'Von Achane is limited. |
| Puig | The Packers are clearly a Super Bowl contender, but the Broncos might be the same and their defense is the sort that can derail any offense, including ones better than the Packers. |
The players:
• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior Editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016 Staff Picks champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Roots for the Bengals.
• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to RotoWire. 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the Patriots.
• Nick Whalen: RotoWire Senior Media Analyst. Writes Beating the Book. Roots for the Jaguars.
• Kevin Payne: RotoWire Staff Writer, 2021 and 2023 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the Bills.
• Mario Puig: RotoWire Senior Football Writer. Writes the WR vs. CB Matchup Report. Roots for the Packers.
-
Did you know you can bet on the NFL in most states? You can sign up for the best sports betting sites and bet on anything NFL. In addition, you can get thousands in bonuses by redeeming various sportsbook promo codes that give users bonus bets upon registration.
