Last week presented a cla sic contrarian strategy setup for NFL survivor pools the chance to avoid a hugely popular favorite, the Rams, and hope for an upset. In certain years (e.g. 2018 Week 3, when Minnesota lost as a 17-point favorite), these calculated gambles end up being the biggest reasons behind survivor pool wins. You take an educated risk with your pick for a potentially huge payoff. Is there a similar situation in Week 5?Unfortunately, while the Rams looked bad last week and only led by one point in the fourth quarter, they escaped with a win thanks in part to a final-series interception. Meanwhile, one of our primary recommended contrarian picks to our subscribers, the 49ers, were upset thanks in part to bad turnover luck. Because of that outcome, we are now slightly down versus the public (30 Ozzie Newsome Jersey percent to 37 percent in terms of survival rate) through four weeks, but there's a lot of season left.MORE TEAMRANKINGS:Week 5 features a lot of legit survivor options, with several teams favored by at least six points. The two biggest point spreads involve Baltimore and Kansas City, a familiar story since those two teams will be among the most valuable potential plays all season. Meanwhile, the public is going most heavily with Dallas against the struggling Giants.As usual, let's dive in and analyze the five most popular survivor pool picks of NFL Week 5 using the "Holy Trinity" of survivor pick strategy data: Win odds, pick popularity, future value.This analysis is brought to you by TeamRankings, the only site that provides customized picks that maximize your edge in football pools. Check out their NFL Survivor Pool Picks, Football Pick 'em Picks, and NFL Betting Picks.GET PICKS NOW: FREE trial of Pick 'em, Betting, and Survivor picks from TeamRankings Week 5NFL Survivor Pool Advice: Tips, strategy for picks The pick analysis below should cover at least some of the picks that you are most Morgan Burnett Jersey likely considering making in your NFL survivor or knockout pool this week.Just to be clear, though, we are not saying that the first team listed, the Dallas Cowboys, is the best Week 5 survivor pick for your specific pool(s). We're telling you that the Rams are the most popular Week 5 pick in survivor pools nationwide, and we then break down the major pros and cons of potentially picking them.To get our specific Week 5 survivor pick recommendations, check out our . Using the My Pool Picks feature, you first tell us some details about your pool(s) and the teams you've picked so far, and the product shows you the best Week 5 picks for all of your survivor pool entries.Note: Data referenced below was current as of Wednesday, and could change between posting time and kickoff time. Our product updates multiple times per day with the latest information. WEEK 5 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS: | | | | | Dallas Cowboys (vs. NY Giants)Survivor Pick Popularity: 28% (most popular pick)Point Spread: -10For the second week in a row, the team facing the Giants is the most popular choice in survivor pools. The 1-3 Cowboys arent as popular as the Rams were a week ago, but they also do not have win odds that are quite as high as the Rams did last week.This seems like a matchup of the resistible force versus the moveable object. The Dallas offense is cooking but the defense cannot seem to stop anyone, while the Giants are dead last in points scored(11.8 Denzel Ward Jersey per game).This is the first week in 2020 to seriously consider Dallas as a survivor pick, although three percent of the public lost taking the Cowboys last week against Cleveland. Dallas future value is mostly tied up in two remaining matchups with Washington in Week 7 and Week 12if you do not use it this week.There are eight other teams favored by six or more points this week, so there are plenty of other options with only slightly lower (or perhaps higher) win odds than Dallas this week.Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cincinnati)Survivor Pick Popularity: 16%Point Spread: -13For the second straight week, Baltimore is the second-most popular choice in survivor poolswhile having both the highest win odds and point spread. This week, the Ravens get Cincinnati at home in a division rivalry game.As will be the case often this year, Baltimore has good expected value this week, since the Ravens have high win odds but are not hugely popular relative to their level of safety as a pick. Just as with last week, Baltimore presents an interesting question of whether to use their value now in a week where there are other good choices availableor continue to save the Ravens for the future, where fewer and fewer entries will also have them available.Baltimore again looks like a reasonable choice, but whether they are the best choice depends on your specific situation, rules, and number Ray-Ray Armstrong Jersey of other remaining entries.For example, if you are in a large pool that is likely to go deep into the season and requires multiple picks late, using Baltimore now, when it is going to be a very large favorite in Week 15 and 16 against Jacksonville and the Giants, may not be the best choice. If you are one of seven entries left in a small pooland the majority of others have already used Baltimore, though, it may be a stronger consideration.Arizona Cardinals (at New York Jets)Survivor Pick Popularity: 12%Point Spread: -7If you are on the always pick against the Jets train this year, then Arizona is next up. So far, 12 percentof the public is going that direction.Arizona has little future value after this week. The only week over the next eight where we currently project the Cardinals to be favored is in Week 9 at home against Miami.That said, Arizonas higher popularity, at least relative to other options with similar win odds this week, reduces their expected value as a survivor pick. So, the choice with Arizona comes down to preserving future value by picking themversus taking a different team that stands to give you a biggest boost in your pool this week (but also would be more valuable to save).Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Las Vegas)Survivor Pick Popularity: 9%Point Spread: -13Hosting the Raiders, Kansas City is tied for the largest point spread this week with Baltimore. Given that KCs pick popularity is below Baltimore, it hashigh expected value this week.However, the choice with Kansas City, as it will be in many weeks, is whether now is best time Seth DeValve Jersey to use it. In four weeks, the Chiefs get the Jets at home followed by the Panthers at home, two games where you would expect them to be favored by even more than they are against the Raiders.New England Patriots (vs. Denver)Survivor Pick Popularity: 8%Point Spread