This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
Congrats to Payne for a 4-0 week. He's now tied for second with DDD and me, a game behind Pianowski with three to play.
This week, everyone but Pianowski made the Packers their best bets, though, to be fair, there are only two games from which to choose.
| Erickson | Pianowski | Liss | Payne | Del Don | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers +3 at Packers | Packers | Buccaneers | Packers | Packers | Packers |
| Bills +3 at Chiefs | Bills | Bills | Chiefs | Bills | Chiefs |
| Best Bet | Packers | Buccaneers | Packers | Packers | Packers |
| Last week's Record | 1-3 | 3-1 | 2-2 | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Playoff Record | 4-6 | 7-3 | 6-4 | 6-4 | 6-4 |
| Playoff Best Bet Record | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Best Bet Record | 8-8-1 | 5-11-1 | 5-12 | 8-7-2 | 5-12 |
| Unanimous Pick Record | 18-24 | ||||
| Majority Pick Record | 118-130-8 | ||||
| 2019 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 6-5 | 4-7 | 7-4 |
| 2018 Playoff Record | 4-6-1 | 2-8-1 | 3-7-1 | N/A | 3-7-1 |
| 2017 Playoff Record | 5-6 | 5-6 | 5-6 | N/A | 2-9 |
| 2016 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 6-5 | N/A | 6-5 |
| 2015 Playoff Record | 5-6 | 2-9 | 3-8 | N/A | 1-10 |
| 2014 Playoff Record | 10-1 | 5-6 | 9-2 | N/A | 9-2 |
| 2013 Playoff Record | 5-4-2 | 3-6-2 | 4-5-2 | N/A | 4-5-2 |
| 2012 Playoff Record | 4-6-1 | 5-5-1 | 6-4-1 | N/A | 8-2-1 |
| 2011 Playoff Record | 8-3 | 5-6 | 9-2 | N/A | 7-4 |
| 2010 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 5-6 | N/A | 8-3 |
| 2009 Playoff Record | 5-6 | 4-7 | 1-10 | N/A | 5-6 |
| 2008 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 5-6 | N/A | 4-7 |
| 2007 Playoff Record | 8-3 | 3-8 | 6-5 | N/A | 2-9 |
| 2006 Playoff Record | 7-4 | N/A | 4-7 | N/A | N/A |
| 2005 Playoff Record | 5-6 | N/A | 3-8 | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 Playoff |
Congrats to Payne for a 4-0 week. He's now tied for second with DDD and me, a game behind Pianowski with three to play.
This week, everyone but Pianowski made the Packers their best bets, though, to be fair, there are only two games from which to choose.
| Erickson | Pianowski | Liss | Payne | Del Don | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buccaneers +3 at Packers | Packers | Buccaneers | Packers | Packers | Packers |
| Bills +3 at Chiefs | Bills | Bills | Chiefs | Bills | Chiefs |
| Best Bet | Packers | Buccaneers | Packers | Packers | Packers |
| Last week's Record | 1-3 | 3-1 | 2-2 | 4-0 | 3-1 |
| Playoff Record | 4-6 | 7-3 | 6-4 | 6-4 | 6-4 |
| Playoff Best Bet Record | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0-2 |
| Best Bet Record | 8-8-1 | 5-11-1 | 5-12 | 8-7-2 | 5-12 |
| Unanimous Pick Record | 18-24 | ||||
| Majority Pick Record | 118-130-8 | ||||
| 2019 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 6-5 | 4-7 | 7-4 |
| 2018 Playoff Record | 4-6-1 | 2-8-1 | 3-7-1 | N/A | 3-7-1 |
| 2017 Playoff Record | 5-6 | 5-6 | 5-6 | N/A | 2-9 |
| 2016 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 6-5 | N/A | 6-5 |
| 2015 Playoff Record | 5-6 | 2-9 | 3-8 | N/A | 1-10 |
| 2014 Playoff Record | 10-1 | 5-6 | 9-2 | N/A | 9-2 |
| 2013 Playoff Record | 5-4-2 | 3-6-2 | 4-5-2 | N/A | 4-5-2 |
| 2012 Playoff Record | 4-6-1 | 5-5-1 | 6-4-1 | N/A | 8-2-1 |
| 2011 Playoff Record | 8-3 | 5-6 | 9-2 | N/A | 7-4 |
| 2010 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 5-6 | N/A | 8-3 |
| 2009 Playoff Record | 5-6 | 4-7 | 1-10 | N/A | 5-6 |
| 2008 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 5-6 | 5-6 | N/A | 4-7 |
| 2007 Playoff Record | 8-3 | 3-8 | 6-5 | N/A | 2-9 |
| 2006 Playoff Record | 7-4 | N/A | 4-7 | N/A | N/A |
| 2005 Playoff Record | 5-6 | N/A | 3-8 | N/A | N/A |
| 2004 Playoff Record | 6-5 | N/A | 4-7 | N/A | N/A |
| 2003 Playoff Record | 6-5 | N/A | 4-7 | N/A | N/A |
| 2002 Playoff Record | 6-5 | 7-4 | 5-6 | N/A | N/A |
| 2001 Playoff Record | 6-4-1 | 7-3-1 | 4-6-1 | N/A | N/A |
| 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 no unanimous picks. Last week we won with the Bills after going 17-23 on the regular season. We also went 3-1 on majority picks (three or more writers) to go 7-3 for the playoffs, after going 118-130-8 on the regular season. We were 23-17-1 on unanimous picks and 130-120-6 on majority picks last year.
| Writer | Comment |
|---|---|
| Erickson | I flip-flopped on the AFC game, so by default the Packers are the pick here. |
| Pianowski | I don't have a strong lean on either game and mostly I'm just excited that all four teams are decent and any Super Bowl matchup will be fun. With Tampa Bay I'm betting the number; anything over three, I think you have to take the points. It was encouraging to see the Chiefs get production from their ancillary pieces last week, but they still haven't played a complete game in some time. Of course, Buffalo has probably been outplayed for two straight weeks, yet advanced anyway. |
| Liss | I went with the two favorites, but don't have a strong lean. I'd like the Chiefs at minus three best if I knew Patrick Mahomes were 100 percent, but there's no way to know that even if he's practicing all week. The Packers have been the better team than the Bucs most of the year, but the Bucs killed them in their head to head. |
| Payne | I was surprised at the line for the NFC Championship game. Do the Bucs whipping the Packers earlier this season tie into that? Because the Bucs losing twice to the Saints during the regular season didn't seem to matter last week. The underrated part of the Packers is their defense; I feel like Rodgers (and probably rightfully so) overshadows them. The Bills came out favorites initially and good work if you got Kansas City plus the points. A 2.5 spread means it's unlikely that will matter, and I'd rather take the positive money line than lay the vig to get the points. The Bills seem like a more complete team (how many people honestly knew who Taron Johnson was last week?) so I like them against a banged up Mahomes. |
| Del Don | I like a teaser with the home teams 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.
