Below, NFL survivor pool players can find my Week 9 picks based on NFL odds at BetMGM.
For those new to the format, survivor contests ask players to pick one straight-up winner each week. However, players can only use each team once during the season.
Best NFL Survivor Pool Picks Week 9 2026
Seattle Seahawks (-11) vs Arizona Cardinals
If you’ve made it this far with the Seahawks still available, Seattle is a no-brainer this week.
Arizona repeatedly erased deficits against the Cowboys en route to a 33-30 overtime win. Now, the test for the offense takes a significant step forward.
Mike LaFleur’s offense goes from facing a defense ranked 31st in defensive DVOA to first, per FTN Fantasy. In Week 2, Jacoby Brissett and company managed seven points at home.
Defensively, Arizona lacks an answer for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has dominated them since last year. In Week 2, he caught nine passes for 155 yards and three touchdowns.
It marked the third straight game Smith-Njigba cleared 14 yards per reception against the Cardinals.
Plus, all of Seattle’s losses this season qualify as fluky defeats. Washington, Denver and San Francisco all used turnovers to escape with wins over the Seahawks.
Arizona lacks the defensive quality to force those same mistakes. It leads me to believe Seattle not only wins, but wins going away.
Houston Texans (-5) at Los Angeles Chargers
Houston’s defense is a total mess defensively. The New York Giants, of all teams, showed that the run defense is exploitable and you can attack corner Kamari Lassiter.
But the Texans will arrive at SoFi Stadium off a Week 8 bye desperate for a win. Waiting for them is an anemic Chargers offense that, off a bye week, failed to move the ball on the Rams.
Los Angeles ranks 32nd in offensive DVOA and non-adjusted offensive DVOA. It qualifies as the easiest test for Houston’s defense since a trip to Tennessee, a 26-3 win.
Mike McDaniel’s offense, excluding Week 8 against the Rams, possesses a -30.5% non-adjusted DVOA ranking. It’s nearly twice as bad as the 31st-ranked Titans.
Plus, the Texans continue to play better than their record suggests. Houston sits at 2-5 with the point differential of a 3.4-win team due to four losses by a combined 17 points.
With extra time to prepare, I trust the defense performs better as the Texans give the Charges an eighth straight loss.
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