This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
We're reprising this article for the 22nd season, and while only Erickson has been in it the entire way, defending champ Pianowski only took a three-year hiatus and has been here for 19 of them.
This week we all like the Football Team, Eagles and Browns, and both Erickson and DDD picked the Football Team as their best bets.
| Erickson | Pianowski | Liss | Payne | Del Don | |
| Cowboys +8 at Buccaneers | Cowboys | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Cowboys | Buccaneers |
| Steelers +6.5 at Bills | Bills | Steelers | Bills | Bills | Steelers |
| Jets +5.5 at Panthers | Jets | Jets | Jets | Panthers | Jets |
| Jaguars -2.5 at Texans | Texans | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Texans |
| Cardinals +3 at Titans | Titans | Cardinals | Titans | Cardinals | Cardinals |
| Chargers -1 at Football Team | Football Team | Football Team | Football Team | Football Team | Football Team |
| Eagles +3 at Falcons | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles |
| Seahawks -2.5 at Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Seahawks | Seahawks |
| Vikings -3 at Bengals | Vikings | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Vikings |
| 49ers -7.5 at Lions | Lions | Lions | Lions | 49ers | 49ers |
| Browns +6 at Chiefs | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns |
| Dolphins +3 at Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Dolphins | Patriots |
| Broncos -3 at Giants | Giants | Giants | Giants | Broncos | Broncos |
| Packers -3.5 vs Saints | Packers | Packers | Saints | Packers | Saints |
| Bears +7.5 at Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Bears |
| Ravens -4.5 at Raiders | Raiders | Raiders | Raiders | Ravens | Ravens |
| Best Bet | Football Team | Patriots | Browns | Cowboys | Football Team |
| 2020 Best Bet Record | 8-8-1 | 5-11-1 | 5-12 | 8-7-2 | 5-12 |
| 2020 Unanimous Pick Record | 17-23 | ||||
| 2020 Majority Pick Record | 118-130-8 |
We're reprising this article for the 22nd season, and while only Erickson has been in it the entire way, defending champ Pianowski only took a three-year hiatus and has been here for 19 of them.
This week we all like the Football Team, Eagles and Browns, and both Erickson and DDD picked the Football Team as their best bets.
| Erickson | Pianowski | Liss | Payne | Del Don | |
| Cowboys +8 at Buccaneers | Cowboys | Buccaneers | Buccaneers | Cowboys | Buccaneers |
| Steelers +6.5 at Bills | Bills | Steelers | Bills | Bills | Steelers |
| Jets +5.5 at Panthers | Jets | Jets | Jets | Panthers | Jets |
| Jaguars -2.5 at Texans | Texans | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Texans |
| Cardinals +3 at Titans | Titans | Cardinals | Titans | Cardinals | Cardinals |
| Chargers -1 at Football Team | Football Team | Football Team | Football Team | Football Team | Football Team |
| Eagles +3 at Falcons | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles |
| Seahawks -2.5 at Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Seahawks | Seahawks |
| Vikings -3 at Bengals | Vikings | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Vikings |
| 49ers -7.5 at Lions | Lions | Lions | Lions | 49ers | 49ers |
| Browns +6 at Chiefs | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns |
| Dolphins +3 at Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Dolphins | Patriots |
| Broncos -3 at Giants | Giants | Giants | Giants | Broncos | Broncos |
| Packers -3.5 vs Saints | Packers | Packers | Saints | Packers | Saints |
| Bears +7.5 at Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Bears |
| Ravens -4.5 at Raiders | Raiders | Raiders | Raiders | Ravens | Ravens |
| Best Bet | Football Team | Patriots | Browns | Cowboys | Football Team |
| 2020 Best Bet Record | 8-8-1 | 5-11-1 | 5-12 | 8-7-2 | 5-12 |
| 2020 Unanimous Pick Record | 17-23 | ||||
| 2020 Majority Pick Record | 118-130-8 | ||||
| 2020 Record | 121-127-8 | 128-120-8 | 118-130-8 | 115-133-8 | 118-130-8 |
| 2019 Record | 126-124-6 | 140-110-6 | 127-123-6 | 127-123-6 | 134-116-6 |
| 2018 Record | 125-122-9 | 134-113-9 | 141-106-9 | N/A | 120-127-9 |
| 2017 Record | 117-125-14 | 128-114-14 | 117-125-14 | N/A | 98-144-14 |
| 2016 Record | 140-111-5 | 130-121-5 | 123-128-5 | N/A | 132-119-5 |
| 2015 Record | 134-114-8 | 120-128-8 | 114-134-8 | N/A | 121-127-8 |
| 2014 Record | 123-128-5 | 140-111-5 | 135-116-5 | N/A | 128-123-5 |
| 2013 Record | 132-114-10 | 118-128-10 | 123-123-10 | N/A | 128-118-10 |
| 2012 Record | 110-140-6 | 125-125-6 | 121-129-6 | N/A | 123-127-6 |
| 2011 Record | 121-128-7 | 134-115-7 | 124-125-7 | N/A | 127-122-7 |
| 2010 Record | 129-122-5 | 134-117-5 | 126-125-5 | N/A | 134-117-5 |
| 2009 Record | 123-130-3 | 132-121-3 | 131-122-3 | N/A | 126-127-3 |
| 2008 Record | 132-114-10 | 128-118-10 | 124-122-10 | N/A | 130-116-10 |
| 2007 Record | 127-120 | 118-129 | 127-120 | N/A | 130-117 |
| 2006 Record | 118-129 | N/A | 139-108 | N/A | N/A |
| 2005 Record | 121-126 | N/A | 127-120 | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 Record | 124-124 | N/A | 130-118 | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 Record | 121-126 | 118-129 | 124-123 | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 Record | 113-136 | 123-126 | 141-108 | N/A | N/A |
| 2001 Record | 124-113 | 117-120 | 118-119 | N/A | N/A |
| 2000 Record | 123-117 | 134-106 | 141-99 | N/A | N/A |
This week, we have three unanimous picks: Football Team, Eagles and Browns. We went 17-23 on unanimous picks in 2020 and 118-130-8 on majority picks (three or more writers.) We were 23-17-1 on unanimous picks and 130-120-6 on majority picks in 2019.
| Writer | Comment |
|---|---|
| Erickson | I picked the Football Team to get the standard three points as a home favorite, instead the Chargers are a road favorite. I tend to like underdogs and unders more earlier in the season. |
| Pianowski | I always love betting a proven commodity after it's been embarrassed. Generally that's a week-to-week thing, but it also works season-to-season. Bill Belichick was just embarrassed, having his first losing season in New England. But it's an excused absence, given the strangeness of last season and all the opt-outs that riddled the Patriots defense. Back to the present, Belichick has a defense he likes again, and while this isn't a championship-contending team at the moment -- the offense is full of ordinary and unknown elements -- the 2021 Patriots will be a tough opponent for anyone. This is Belichick's chance to remind the Dolphins that they're still the little brother, no matter what happened last year. And we know Belichick is pretty damn good scheming against inexperienced quarterbacks. |
| Liss | I like the Browns to put up a good fight against the Super Bowl hangover Chiefs. I also like the Football Team getting a point at home, the Eagles (Jalen Hurts is underrated in my opinion, and they got their linemen back) and the Patriots (for the reasons Pianowski says.) |
| Payne | Dak is supposedly 100 percent healthy and the offensive line should be much better than last season which is why I'm taking Dallas. Does Big Ben have anything left in the tank? I think it's doubtful. I think one of the more intriguing matchups of the week is the Arizona/Tennessee game; both of those teams seem playoff bound and are in contention to win it all. Baltimore at Las Vegas is a tough one to read; it seems the Ravens should win easily but the first game in a new stadium for the home team could tip the scales towards them. |
| Del Don | I'll happily take the home team with arguably the best defense in the league as dogs to the Chargers. I also like the Pats this week. |
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, 2017, 2019 and 2020 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.
• Kevin Payne: Staff Writer, Writes our Waiver Wire column. Roots for the Bills.
• Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the 49ers.
