Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. Set to Start vs. Bears in Week 6

Penix cleared to play through a rib injury

Michael Penix Jr. is in line to start for Atlanta against the Bears in Week 6, barring any setbacks, according to Kevin Stefanski. Penix left overtime of last week's "Sunday Night Football" loss to Baltimore with a rib issue, but he's trending toward suiting up when Chicago visits on October 18.

What it means for your Week 6 survivor pick

This is a game to steer clear of either way. The line tells the story: Chicago is only a 1.5-point road favorite at Atlanta, and a spread that tight is the definition of a coin flip. Survivor is about avoiding losses, not chasing style points — a one-score favorite should never be the name you write down when safer options exist on the board.

Penix's availability mainly keeps the Falcons from being an easy fade. A quarterback nursing a rib injury adds risk on Atlanta's side, but it doesn't make Chicago a confident lay at -1.5 either. If you were eyeing the Bears here, think twice. Looking ahead, Chicago stays razor-thin as a 1.5-point home favorite over New England in Week 7, while Atlanta turns into a 4.5-point underdog to San Francisco — so neither team projects as a clean survivor option in the near term. Save your strongest entries for bigger-margin favorites and use this free NFL survivor pool matchup only if the wider board forces your hand. For more weekly breakdowns, check our NFL survivor pool picks.