NFL Picks: Rams, Redskins and Saints

NFL Picks: Rams, Redskins and Saints

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

What a week for the staff. Scott Pianowski goes 11-5 and finishes in third place. Just not good enough, Scott. Stopa and I went 13-3, and the majority picks, teams taken by three or more writers, went 12-4. Through two weeks, the majority picks are 24-7-1 (77%!). I hate to break it to our readers, this pace is not sustainable. We've run a four-minute mile to start the marathon which is nice, but there will be regression. Let's hope it's on the mild side.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Buccaneers +6.5 at FalconsBuccaneersFalconsBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneers
Chargers +2.5 at BillsBillsChargersChargersBillsBills
Cowboys -1.5 at RamsRamsRamsRamsRamsRams
Redskins +6.5 at EaglesRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskins
Texans -2.5 at GiantsGiantsTexansGiantsGiantsGiants
Vikings +10.5 at SaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaints
Titans +7 at BengalsTitansTitansBengalsTitansBengals
Ravens -1.5 at BrownsBrownsRavensBrownsBrownsBrowns
Packers +2 at LionsPackersPackersPackersPackersLions
Colts -7 at JaguarsJaguarsJaguarsColtsJaguarsJaguars
Raiders +14 at PatriotsPatriotsRaidersRaidersPatriotsRaiders
49ers -3 at CardinalsCardinalsCardinalsCardinals49ers49ers
Broncos +5 at SeahawksSeahawksBroncosSeahawksSeahawksBroncos
Chiefs +4.5 at DolphinsChiefsDolphinsChiefsDolphinsChiefs
Steelers +3.5 at Panthers PanthersPanthersPanthersPanthersSteelers
Bears +2.5 at JetsJetsBearsBearsJetsJets
Best BetBrownsPanthersSaintsSeahawks49ers
Last Week's Record8-811-513-313-39-7
2014
What a week for the staff. Scott Pianowski goes 11-5 and finishes in third place. Just not good enough, Scott. Stopa and I went 13-3, and the majority picks, teams taken by three or more writers, went 12-4. Through two weeks, the majority picks are 24-7-1 (77%!). I hate to break it to our readers, this pace is not sustainable. We've run a four-minute mile to start the marathon which is nice, but there will be regression. Let's hope it's on the mild side.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Buccaneers +6.5 at FalconsBuccaneersFalconsBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneers
Chargers +2.5 at BillsBillsChargersChargersBillsBills
Cowboys -1.5 at RamsRamsRamsRamsRamsRams
Redskins +6.5 at EaglesRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskinsRedskins
Texans -2.5 at GiantsGiantsTexansGiantsGiantsGiants
Vikings +10.5 at SaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaintsSaints
Titans +7 at BengalsTitansTitansBengalsTitansBengals
Ravens -1.5 at BrownsBrownsRavensBrownsBrownsBrowns
Packers +2 at LionsPackersPackersPackersPackersLions
Colts -7 at JaguarsJaguarsJaguarsColtsJaguarsJaguars
Raiders +14 at PatriotsPatriotsRaidersRaidersPatriotsRaiders
49ers -3 at CardinalsCardinalsCardinalsCardinals49ers49ers
Broncos +5 at SeahawksSeahawksBroncosSeahawksSeahawksBroncos
Chiefs +4.5 at DolphinsChiefsDolphinsChiefsDolphinsChiefs
Steelers +3.5 at Panthers PanthersPanthersPanthersPanthersSteelers
Bears +2.5 at JetsJetsBearsBearsJetsJets
Best BetBrownsPanthersSaintsSeahawks49ers
Last Week's Record8-811-513-313-39-7
2014 Record17-14-120-11-122-9-122-9-117-14-1
Best Bet Record1-11-12-02-00-2
Majority Record24-7-1
Unanimous Pick Record6-3
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 Rams, Redskins and Saints. Last week we went 4-2 on unanimous picks to go 6-3 on the year. And we went 12-4 on majority picks (three or more writers) to go 24-7-1.

Comments:

WriterComment
EricksonI'm already sick of taking the Giants, Raiders and Jaguars. I wonder how my reactionary "sick of" picks have done over the years? Probably .500 - I'd be surprised if there were a pattern... Surprised to see the Browns be dogs at home to the Ravens - I thought that the line would be somewhere around CLE -1.5. ... Struggled a lot with Bengals/Titans, but I think that the accumulated injuries and the Bengals' upcoming bye have them playing a little down this week.
PianowskiI felt comfortable with the first two slates, but I really dislike this one (not that there's anything predictive about that sort of thing). Oh, and I'm sick and tied of losing with the Jaguars.
LissLike Pianow, I hated this slate. I think I might blindly bet the Saints at home and whoever they're playing on the road all year. I also like the Packers getting points in Detroit. These teams are essentially equal except one has one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and the other has Matthew Stafford.
StopaComing off a week where the picks came so easily, and I went 13-3, I thought I'd be uber-confident picking this week. I wasn't. The lines feel tighter, and I saw fewer obvious choices, so I'll go back to fading the public and taking Seattle and New Orleans at home. I like Seattle coming off a loss, fading Denver off two wins, and I don't see what Denver has done differently since the Super Bowl to make Sunday's matchup any different... The Colts need to win before laying that many on the road... I feel like Carolina is much better than Pittsburgh; I'd bet the house if I could get that line at 3. The Steelers are a name brand but just aren't very good, particularly on defense.
Del DonThere are a lot of lines fewer than three points on which I could go either way, but mostly went with the home team that seemed uglier... Except, of course, the 49ers, whom I expect to bounce back in a big way after such a horrible fourth quarter Sunday night... The game of the week is obviously the rematch of last year's Super Bowl. The line seems about right, and I had the hardest time of all the games picking that one.

The players:

Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008, 2013 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 and 2011 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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