NFL Picks: Chiefs, Bears and Colts

NFL Picks: Chiefs, Bears and Colts

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

Last week the Staff were all within one game of .500, with DDD, Stopa and me going 7-6-3 and Pianowski and Erickson going 6-7-3. That gives me a seven-game lead and also the 2018 Staff Picks title because Pianowski wasn't man enough to cheat by looking up my Beating the Book picks ahead of time and picking at least seven different teams. (It turns out we differ on only four.) I hadn't won since 2006, a fact to which I wasn't keen on directing attention, but Pianowski brought it up on the SXM show a couple months back, and that public shaming coincided with him losing his massive lead and me going on a subsequent run. Don't wake sleeping dogs.

Oddly, I picked so many favorites this week, I thought I was likely to leave the normally dog-heavy Pianowski an opening, but most of the Staff seemed to take more favorites than usual this week,

We all like the Chiefs, Bears and Colts and everyone but DDD likes the Giants, Panthers, Jets and Bills too. Both Stopa and Pianowski made the Jets their best bets, while I picked Chiefs.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Cowboys +6.5 at GiantsGiantsGiantsGiantsGiantsCowboys
Panthers +9 SaintsPanthersPanthersPanthersPanthersSaints
Jets +13.5 at PatriotsJetsJetsJetsJetsPatriots
Lions +7.5 at PackersPackersPackersPackersLionsLions
Jaguars +7 at TexansJaguarsTexansTexansTexansTexans
Falcons +1 at BuccaneersFalconsBuccaneersFalconsFalconsBuccaneers
Dolphins +3
Last week the Staff were all within one game of .500, with DDD, Stopa and me going 7-6-3 and Pianowski and Erickson going 6-7-3. That gives me a seven-game lead and also the 2018 Staff Picks title because Pianowski wasn't man enough to cheat by looking up my Beating the Book picks ahead of time and picking at least seven different teams. (It turns out we differ on only four.) I hadn't won since 2006, a fact to which I wasn't keen on directing attention, but Pianowski brought it up on the SXM show a couple months back, and that public shaming coincided with him losing his massive lead and me going on a subsequent run. Don't wake sleeping dogs.

Oddly, I picked so many favorites this week, I thought I was likely to leave the normally dog-heavy Pianowski an opening, but most of the Staff seemed to take more favorites than usual this week,

We all like the Chiefs, Bears and Colts and everyone but DDD likes the Giants, Panthers, Jets and Bills too. Both Stopa and Pianowski made the Jets their best bets, while I picked Chiefs.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Cowboys +6.5 at GiantsGiantsGiantsGiantsGiantsCowboys
Panthers +9 SaintsPanthersPanthersPanthersPanthersSaints
Jets +13.5 at PatriotsJetsJetsJetsJetsPatriots
Lions +7.5 at PackersPackersPackersPackersLionsLions
Jaguars +7 at TexansJaguarsTexansTexansTexansTexans
Falcons +1 at BuccaneersFalconsBuccaneersFalconsFalconsBuccaneers
Dolphins +3 at BillsBillsBillsBillsBillsDolphins
Raiders +13.5 at ChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Eagles -6.5 at RedskinsRedskinsEaglesEaglesEaglesRedskins
Browns +5.5 at RavensRavensBrownsRavensBrownsRavens
Bengals +14 at SteelersBengalsBengalsSteelersSteelersSteelers
Bears +5 at VikingsBearsBearsBearsBearsBears
Chargers -6.5 at BroncosBroncosBroncosChargersChargersChargers
Cardinals +13.5 at SeahawksSeahawksCardinalsCardinalsCardinalsSeahawks
49ers +9.5 at RamsRamsRamsRams49ersRams
Colts -2.5 at TitansColtsColtsColtsColtsColts
Best BetRamsJetsChiefsJetsTexans
Last Week's Record6-7-36-7-37-6-37-6-37-6-3
2018 Record117-114-9123-108-9130-101-9105-126-9111-120-9
Best Bet Record11-511-59-78-7-16-9-1
2017 Best Bet Record8-7-29-7-112-4-18-7-211-6
Unanimous Pick Record23-21-1
Majority Pick Record121-110-9
2017 Record117-125-14128-114-14117-125-14119-123-1498-144-14
2016 Record140-111-5130-121-5123-128-5115-136-5132-119-5
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8114-134-8127-121-8121-127-8
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 all like the Chiefs, Bears and Colts. Last week we went 1-2 on unanimous picks, winning with the Redskins and losing with the Lions and Cardinals, putting our season record at 23-21-1. We went 8-5-3 on majority picks (three or more writers) to bring our season record to 121-110-9. Last year we went 23-28-4 on unanimous picks and 121-121-14 on majority picks.

Comments:

WriterComment
Erickson The 49ers aren't just losing current players, they're having so many injuries that past and future Niners are also getting hurt. Meanwhile the Rams need this game - is there any doubt that getting the two-seed matters a ton, that they don't want to go back to Chicago?
PianowskiDo you see a single game that gets you excited here? Maybe Ravens-Browns, I guess. Happy New Year, everyone!
LissI took way more favorites than I would normally like, but it's just how things broke. I like the Chiefs to roll at home in a must-win game against a weak opponent. I also like the Packers and Steelers for similar reasons. I was shocked how big the Seahawks and Saints lines were. The Seahawks have barely anything for which to play, and the Saints absolutely nothing.
StopaI really like fading a few of the teams that need to win - Pats, Ravens, Vikings - even as I lay big wood with Chiefs and Steelers. The difference? I expect offensive juggernauts KC and Pitt to name their score coming off a loss now facing league doormats. I love that Raiders just played their Super Bowl, too (Monday night Oakland sendoff). The Pats, Ravens and Vikings, by contrast, are coming off wins and are more defense-oriented. Plus, the underdogs in all three games may have the advantage at QB. Certainly the Browns do, and yes, Sam Darnold might be a better QB right now than Tom Brady.
Del DonI don't love going with so many big favorites, but Week 17 is always funky. I especially like the setups for the Texans and Chiefs this week, both coming off losses and with incentive to win against teams who just pulled off upset victories.

The players:

• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016 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, 2014 and 2017 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2018 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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