Staff Picks: Wild-Card Playoffs

Staff Picks: Wild-Card Playoffs

This article is part of our NFL Staff Picks series.

Congratulations to Kevin Payne for winning the 2023 Staff Picks title. Payne finished 140-124-8 (53.0 percent, not including ties) to capture his second championship, both in the last three years. 

Jeff Erickson was second at 133-131-8, and Nick Whalen was tops among best bets at 11-7. 

Whalen also won Week 18, going 10-6, while both Erickson and Scott Pianowski were 9-7.

Unanimous picks went 4-2 last week, improving to 19-16-1 (54.3 percent) this season. Majority picks were 9-7, finishing 128-136-8 overall. 

This week's wild-card games produced two unanimous picks — Chiefs -4 and Bills -10. Two teams  got four votes each with Erickson preventing unanimity by picking the Texans +2.5 vs. the Browns and Whalen picking the Eagles -3 at the Buccaneers. 

Whalen and Dalton Del Don both went with the Rams as their best bet. 

 Odds from BetMGM. Use the BetMGM Bonus Code for a risk-free bet up to $1,000.

MATCHUPERICKSONPIANOWSKIWHALENPAYNEDEL DON
Browns -2.5 at TexansTexansBrownsBrownsBrownsBrowns
Dolphins +4 at ChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Steelers +10 at BillsBillsBillsBillsBillsBills
Packers +7.5 at CowboysPackersPackersCowboysCowboysCowboys
Rams +3 at LionsLionsRamsRamsLionsRams
Eagles -3 at BuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersEaglesBuccaneersBuccaneers
Best BetBillsChiefsRamsBrownsRams
Last Week Record9-79-710-68-88-8
2023 Record133-131-8125-139-8129-135-8140-124-8127-137-8
2023 Best Bet Record9-8-110-7-111-79-97-11
2023 Unanimous Pick Record19-16-1 

Congratulations to Kevin Payne for winning the 2023 Staff Picks title. Payne finished 140-124-8 (53.0 percent, not including ties) to capture his second championship, both in the last three years. 

Jeff Erickson was second at 133-131-8, and Nick Whalen was tops among best bets at 11-7. 

Whalen also won Week 18, going 10-6, while both Erickson and Scott Pianowski were 9-7.

Unanimous picks went 4-2 last week, improving to 19-16-1 (54.3 percent) this season. Majority picks were 9-7, finishing 128-136-8 overall. 

This week's wild-card games produced two unanimous picks — Chiefs -4 and Bills -10. Two teams  got four votes each with Erickson preventing unanimity by picking the Texans +2.5 vs. the Browns and Whalen picking the Eagles -3 at the Buccaneers. 

Whalen and Dalton Del Don both went with the Rams as their best bet. 

 Odds from BetMGM. Use the BetMGM Bonus Code for a risk-free bet up to $1,000.

MATCHUPERICKSONPIANOWSKIWHALENPAYNEDEL DON
Browns -2.5 at TexansTexansBrownsBrownsBrownsBrowns
Dolphins +4 at ChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Steelers +10 at BillsBillsBillsBillsBillsBills
Packers +7.5 at CowboysPackersPackersCowboysCowboysCowboys
Rams +3 at LionsLionsRamsRamsLionsRams
Eagles -3 at BuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersEaglesBuccaneersBuccaneers
Best BetBillsChiefsRamsBrownsRams
Last Week Record9-79-710-68-88-8
2023 Record133-131-8125-139-8129-135-8140-124-8127-137-8
2023 Best Bet Record9-8-110-7-111-79-97-11
2023 Unanimous Pick Record19-16-1    
2023 Majority Pick Record128-136-8    
2022 Playoff Record7-5-15-7-16-6-18-4-17-5-1
2021 Playoff Record7-69-4NA7-68-5
2020 Playoff Record5-88-5NA6-77-6
2019 Playoff Record6-55-6NA4-77-4
2018 Playoff Record3-6-11-8-1NAN/A2-7-1
2017 Playoff Record5-65-6NAN/A2-9
2016 Playoff Record6-55-6NAN/A6-5
2015 Playoff Record5-62-9NAN/A1-10
2014 Playoff Record10-15-6NAN/A9-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-2NAN/A4-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-1NAN/A8-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-6NAN/A7-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-6NAN/A8-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-7NAN/A5-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-6NAN/A4-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-8NAN/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4N/ANAN/AN/A
2005 Playoff Record5-6N/ANAN/AN/A
2004 Playoff Record6-5N/ANAN/AN/A
2003 Playoff Record6-5N/ANAN/AN/A
2002 Playoff Record6-57-4NAN/AN/A
2001 Playoff Record6-4-17-3-1NAN/AN/A
2022 Record127-136-8149-114-8124-139-8131-132-8133-130-8
2021 Record129-140-3134-135-3N/A145-124-3136-133-3
2020 Record121-127-8128-120-8N/A115-133-8118-130-8
2019 Record126-124-6140-110-6N/A127-123-6134-116-6
2018 Record125-122-9134-113-9N/AN/A120-127-9
2017 Record117-125-14128-114-14N/AN/A98-144-14
2016 Record140-111-5130-121-5N/AN/A132-119-5
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8N/AN/A121-127-8
2014 Record123-128-5140-111-5N/AN/A128-123-5
2013 Record132-114-10118-128-10N/AN/A128-118-10
2012 Record110-140-6125-125-6N/AN/A123-127-6
2011 Record121-128-7134-115-7N/AN/A127-122-7
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5N/AN/A134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3N/AN/A126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10N/AN/A130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129N/AN/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/AN/AN/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/AN/AN/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/AN/AN/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129N/AN/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126N/AN/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120N/AN/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106N/AN/AN/A
WRITERCOMMENT
EricksonMy first reaction to the Steelers-Bills line was that it was too much, Tomlin will find a way, etc. ... But I think instead this is the type of game that will spiral out of control once the Steelers start to fall behind. We could see a defensive touchdown and multiple turnovers.
PianowskiThe Dolphins are banged up and a fish out of water, asked to play in frigid conditions. The Chiefs' offense might be broken, but the KC defense will get the job done. 
WhalenI view Rams-Lions as close to a 50/50, and that's factoring in that it's in Detroit. Both offense have been extremely balanced most of the season, and that should continue, but the (likely, in my opinion) loss of Sam LaPorta is a major factor. I also have less faith in the Detroit defense keeping a lid on Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp.
PayneYou want your team to be peaking now and that's definitely not what the Eagles are doing. The Bills or Cowboys are going to win by 28-plus. Hope it's the former.
Del DonThis is a tough setup for the Dolphins, and the Rams are a live dog 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. 2009, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022 Staff Picks champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Nick Whalen: RotoWire Senior Media Analyst. Writes Beating the Book. Roots for the Jaguars.

• Kevin Payne: RotoWire Staff Writer, 2021 and 2023 Staff Picks champ. 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.

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