NFL Picks: Bucs, Jets, Saints, Lions and Redskins

NFL Picks: Bucs, Jets, Saints, Lions and Redskins

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

Welcome to the 17th edition of Staff Picks - check the table below. Erickson, Pianowski and I have been at this since 2000. (I actually started Beating the Book in 1999.) This year we're gunning for Erickson who was the only writer to have a good season in 2015.

For Week 1, we have five unanimous picks: the Bucs, Jets, Saints, Lions, and Redskins. And Erickson, DDD and me all made the Broncos our best bets.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Panthers -3 at BroncosBroncosPanthersBroncosBroncosBroncos
Buccaneers +3 at FalconsBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneers
Vikings -2 at TitansTitansTitansVikingsVikingsTitans
Browns +4 at EaglesEaglesEaglesEaglesBrownsBrowns
Bengals -2.5 at JetsJetsJetsJetsJetsJets
Raiders +1 at SaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaints
Chargers +7 at ChiefsChiefsChargersChargersChiefsChargers
Bills +3 at RavensBillsRavensRavensBillsRavens
Bears +6 at TexansTexansTexansBearsTexansBears
Packers -4.5 at JaguarsJaguarsJaguarsJaguarsPackersJaguars
Dolphins +10.5 at SeahawksDolphinsSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksDolphins
Giants pick 'em at CowboysGiantsGiantsGiantsCowboysCowboys
Lions +4 at ColtsLionsLionsLionsLionsLions
Patriots +6 at CardinalsPatriotsCardinalsCardinalsPatriotsPatriots
Steelers -3 at RedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskins
Rams -2.5 at 49ers49ers49ersRamsRams49ers
Best BetBroncosCardinalsBroncosRamsBroncos
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8114-134-8127-121-8121-127-8
2015 Best Bet Record9-7-18-97-8-27-9-18-9
Welcome to the 17th edition of Staff Picks - check the table below. Erickson, Pianowski and I have been at this since 2000. (I actually started Beating the Book in 1999.) This year we're gunning for Erickson who was the only writer to have a good season in 2015.

For Week 1, we have five unanimous picks: the Bucs, Jets, Saints, Lions, and Redskins. And Erickson, DDD and me all made the Broncos our best bets.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Panthers -3 at BroncosBroncosPanthersBroncosBroncosBroncos
Buccaneers +3 at FalconsBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneers
Vikings -2 at TitansTitansTitansVikingsVikingsTitans
Browns +4 at EaglesEaglesEaglesEaglesBrownsBrowns
Bengals -2.5 at JetsJetsJetsJetsJetsJets
Raiders +1 at SaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaints
Chargers +7 at ChiefsChiefsChargersChargersChiefsChargers
Bills +3 at RavensBillsRavensRavensBillsRavens
Bears +6 at TexansTexansTexansBearsTexansBears
Packers -4.5 at JaguarsJaguarsJaguarsJaguarsPackersJaguars
Dolphins +10.5 at SeahawksDolphinsSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksDolphins
Giants pick 'em at CowboysGiantsGiantsGiantsCowboysCowboys
Lions +4 at ColtsLionsLionsLionsLionsLions
Patriots +6 at CardinalsPatriotsCardinalsCardinalsPatriotsPatriots
Steelers -3 at RedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskins
Rams -2.5 at 49ers49ers49ersRamsRams49ers
Best BetBroncosCardinalsBroncosRamsBroncos
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8114-134-8127-121-8121-127-8
2015 Best Bet Record9-7-18-97-8-27-9-18-9
2015 Unanimous Pick Record21-27-1
2015 Majority Pick Record123-125-8
2014 Record123-128-5140-111-5135-116-5124-127-5128-123-5
2013 Record132-114-10118-128-10123-123-10111-135-10128-118-10
2012 Record110-140-6125-125-6121-129-6143-107-6123-127-6
2011 Record121-128-7134-115-7124-125-7123-126-7127-122-7
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5126-125-5136-115-5134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3131-122-3130-123-3126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10124-122-10125-121-10130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129127-120N/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/A139-108N/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/A127-120N/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/A130-118N/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129124-123N/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126141-108N/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120118-119N/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106141-99N/AN/A

Unanimous/Majority Picks

This week we have five unanimous picks, the Buccaneers, Jets, Saints, Lions and Redskins. Last year we were 21-27-1 on unanimous picks.

Comments:

WriterComment
EricksonThe elite defense that stymied the Panthers in the Super Bowl remains intact, and now the Broncos are at home and getting points? And the Panthers' secondary, which is supposed to feast against Trevor Siemian, has a lot of question marks.
PianowskiHate the slate. Jimmy G's pocket awareness is not ready for Arizona.
LissI'd have set the DEN-CAR line at CAR +3, not -3. Put differently, this line implies if the game were in Carolina it would be nine. I also like the Redskins, Saints and Lions.
StopaThe Rams weakness on D is in the secondary, but the 49ers have the worst collection of talent in the passing game in recent memory. Laying less than a FG against this train wreck of a team is a no-brainer for me; these lines will be much bigger in coming weeks... I'm similarly confident the Texans will be up 27-3 at the half against an atrocious Bears secondary. Osweiler is my favorite GPP play of the week.
Del DonAs usual, Week 1 is my favorite betting week of the season, as I could have made at least a half dozen other picks my "best bet," when there will be plenty of others times this year in which I struggle to come up with even one. It doesn't mean I'm guaranteed a winning week, of course, but there will never be another slate this season that takes me less time to decide each game, that's for sure. Each new year brings much uncertainty, so when in doubt, I sided with the dog (14 of them, with one of the favorites being by just one point).

The players:

• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to Rotowire.com. 2009, 2011 and 2014 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006 Staff Picks Champ, 2003, 2004 co-champ. Writes East Coast Offense, Beating the Book and the Survivor column in addition to Staff Picks. Covers and roots for the Giants.

• Mark Stopa: Staff Writer, 2010, 2012 Staff Picks Champ, Writes Run 'N' Shoot. Roots for the Bills.

• Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the 49ers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Liss
Chris Liss was RotoWire's Managing Editor and Host of RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today on Sirius XM radio from 2001-2022.
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