6 NFL Eliminator Pool Strategies You Can’t Ignore
From time to time I’ve compiled a bunch of random observations that I feel would be of public service. I’m pretty good at hanging around in an NFL Eliminator Pool. Take these all with a grain of salt, but I do not offer this without a lot of thought and experience. Good Luck!
NFL Eliminator Pool Participants Confuse Me
When the secretary who never watches college basketball wins the office pool, I strike it up to random luck. When you win an Eliminator Pool in the NFL, I consider yourself a master strategist.
For the record, I have technically won two Eliminator Pools in 30 years. I’ve never won one outright. Each time I won, I split when I got to the final two and final three participants. It’s cowardly, but it produced a cash payout. Some players choose very strange teams that they don’t have to use, especially early in the season. Here’s some advice:
Pick from the lowest-hanging fruit early in the season. Don’t try getting cute!
There isn’t a reason to try and make the selection nobody else was thinking of in the early weeks. I’m in a pool this year with 105 players. 21 of them lost in Week 1, and another nine dropped out last week.
People lost picking the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants. There is no reason that you should have selected any of those teams early in the season.
Be a Home Body
Why would you ever pick a road team in the first few weeks? There is absolutely no reason to pick a road team until the season moves into November, when you may be forced to.
Avoid Divisional Games
It’s a fact that bigger upsets happen in division games than out-of-division games. Don’t pick the bully to win against an opponent within the division UNLESS you are absolutely forced to.
Wait to make your selection!
There is no need to make your selection before Game Day! If you are forgetful, put a reminder on your phone calendar so you will be alerted and won’t forget. I’ve seen players lose eight weeks into the season by forgetting to make their choice!
Good Luck!
You are going to need it! Everyone will want to brag when they are the sole survivor, but it will take a late field goal or a critical turnover to save your butt a few times on the way to the championship.
Watch The John Kincade Show live on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
NFL Week 2 Power Rankings 2023
1. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Win 34-28 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Last Week: 1Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown were arguing on live TV! Inexperienced defenders let Justin Jefferson have a big game!
The Philadelphia offense also moved the ball enough to score 34 points. Jefferson handcuffed his team with an inopportune fumble. The Eagles have done nothing to convince preseason believers that expected a Super Bowl season that anything has changed.
2. Dallas Cowboys (2-0)
Win 30-10 vs. New York Jets
Last Week: 2The +60 point differential deserves some recognition, and Micah Parsons is unquestionably in the top tier of NFL defenders. The impressive spot helps them maintain a position toward the top of the NFL.
3. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Win 30-23 @ Los Angeles Rams
Last Week: 3Brock Purdy has led his team to two wins so far. He still has a lot to prove, but a road win within the division puts the 49ers in good position to take hold of the NFC West.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)
Win 17-9 @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Last Week: 4Do the Chiefs look like the same team that beat the Eagles in Super Bowl LVII? Not exactly, but a road win against a strong opponent and the return of Travis Kelce and Chris Jones should provide more than enough optimism in Kansas City.
5. Miami Dolphins (2-0)
Win 24-17 @ New England Patriots
Last Week: 6Tua Tagovailoa looks smooth, and the Dolphins have overtaken the long-time powerhouse Patriots in the pecking order of the AFC East. It looks like a race against the team in the #6 spot…
6. Buffalo Bills (1-1)
Win 38-10 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Last Week: 7The sloppy performance from Josh Allen and company in Week 1 corrected itself. The better team rolled in a no-brainer.
7. Baltimore Ravens (2-0)
Win 27-24 @ Cincinnati Bengals
Last Week: 14A yawner against the Houston Texans in Week 1 didn’t get them a big jump. A road victory over a team that has advanced to two consecutive AFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl, however, advances the plot.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
Loss 17-9 @ Kansas City Chiefs
Last Week: 8The Jaguars have a good chance to pull away in the AFC South and crush an apparently weak NFC South. They will likely inch forward in the rankings in the coming weeks, but a home loss drops them for now.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)
Loss 27-24 vs. Baltimore Ravens
Last Week: 5They might be the one preseason favorite with legitimate concerns. They have an extra day of rest before facing the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football in a game that could determine whether an 0-2 start spirals out of control or becomes a concern of the past (like it did last year).
10. New Orleans Saints
Win 20-17 @ Carolina Panthers
Last Week: 11The Saints still look like the favorite in the NFC South. Is there really much to laud them for after this victory though?
11. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
Win 37-31 @ Detroit Lions
Last Week: 15The Seahawks were a tough team in 2022, and they played more like it in Week 2. The Tre Brown pick-six provided an emotional lift for a team that should remain in the mix.
12. Detroit Lions (1-1)
37-31 Loss vs. Seattle Seahawks
Last Week: 10They lost an overtime slugfest, which provides a reminder that a big win in Week 1 doesn’t define an NFL season.
13. New York Jets (1-1)
Loss 30-10 vs. Dallas Cowboys
Last Week: 9The Jets stayed put after the injury to Aaron Rodgers because of an impressive Week 1 victory. However, a blowout loss in Week 2 will force them to face the long-term reality of Zach Wilson as a starting quarterback.
14. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
Loss 25-24 @ Atlanta Falcons
Last Week: 12A road win against an NFC North rival in Week 1 put them in a good position. However, a Week 2 loss against a team that doesn’t look like a legitimate contender erases the goodwill for Matt LaFleur and company.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Win 26-22 vs. Cleveland Browns
Last Week: 16The Steelers scored two defensive touchdowns to help them back to .500. T.J. Watt looked as strong as ever on Monday Night Football, but the offense must pick it up if Pittsburgh expects to compete for a playoff spot.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (0-2)
Loss 27-24 @ Tennessee Titans
Last week: 13Will panic set in? Does Brandon Staley have job security? Things don’t look as rosy as they did in 2021 when the national media praised him while writing off fellow rookie head coach Nick Sirianni.
17. New York Giants (1-1)
Win 31-28 @ Arizona Cardinals
Last Week: 17It looked like it was over when the Giants went down 28-7. They survived with an impressive comeback, but can they travel to San Francisco and beat the heavily-favored 49ers four days later?
18. Los Angeles Rams (1-1)
Loss 30-23 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Last Week: 18Puka Nacua is on fire in the absence of an injured Cooper Kupp. He went off for 15 catches and 147 yards in Week 2. The Rams still have a chance to contend for the postseason despite the loss.
19. Atlanta Falcons (2-0)
Win 25-24 vs. Green Bay Packers
Last Week: 26Can Desmond Ritter lead a high-powered offensive attack for a full season? The Falcons have plenty left to prove. They’re the lowest-ranked undefeated team.
20. Tennessee Titans (1-1)
Win 27-24 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Last Week: 24The Titans don’t look like a big-time contender despite the win. However, they’re the type of team that doesn’t like to be counted out.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
Win 27-17 vs. Chicago Bears
Last Week: 27Baker Mayfield is a tough out, and Mike Evans went off for 171 yards in Chicago. You’ll find out one way or the other who this Tampa Bay team really is when they face the Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 3.
22. Washington Commanders (2-0)
Win 35-33 @ Denver Broncos
Last Week: 22Washington is 2-0, but they are simply not on the same level as the Eagles and the Cowboys. Give them credit for two wins without getting carried away about their outlook for the rest of the season.
23. New England Patriots (0-2)
Loss 24-17 vs. Miami Dolphins
Last Week: 20The loss to Miami isn’t exactly a positive indicator of New England’s status in the AFC East. They’re vulnerable to a real fall from grace this season.
24. Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
Loss 34-28 @ Philadelphia Eagles
Last Week: 21They looked sloppy and unprepared with four fumbles on the way to an 0-2 start. Is it an indicator of their shortcomings or of the difficulty of traveling to Philadelphia on short rest for Thursday Night Football?
25. Denver Broncos (0-2)
Loss 35-33 vs. Washington Commanders
Last Week: 19The coaching change didn’t solve everything. Sean Payton has some work to do if he wants to salvage the Russell Wilson era in Denver.
26. Indianapolis Colts (1-1)
Win 31-20 @ Houston Texans
Last Week: 30The Colts won an NFL game on the road. A change in season expectations would be ambitious though. Let’s see a lot more.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)
Win 38-10 @ Buffalo Bills
Last Week: 23The Raiders avoided a fall in the rankings in Week 1, only to fall flat on their faces in Week 2. They’re still tied for the AFC West lead.
28. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Loss 26-22 @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Last Week: 25There was an impressive win in Week 1 and an uninspiring loss in Week 2. They’re right back where they were after the preseason, which didn’t look great in the first place.
29. Chicago Bears (0-2)
Loss 27-17 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last Week: 28It’s been ugly in Chicago. It’s still early, but they might’ve already missed their chance to breakout in a wide-open NFC North.
30. Houston Texans (0-2)
Loss 31-20 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Last Week: 31C.J. Stroud threw for 384 yards and 2 touchdowns. It’s nothing to sneer at, but the organization has a long way to go before they can even think about contending for a playoff spot.
31. Ariziona Cardinals (0-2)
Loss 31-28 @ New York Giants
Last Week: 32The Cardinals built a lead against the Giants, but they couldn’t close the deal. Jonathan Gannon shouldn’t look for moral victories to begin his head coaching career.
32. Carolina Panthers (0-2)
Loss 20-17 vs. New Orleans Saints
Last Week: 29Bryce Young will experience growing pains this season. Two losses against division opponents have sunk Carolina into a tough spot with a bad outlook (at least for 2023).
