NFL Week 2: Survivor Pool Picks
The NFL season has kicked off and we’re already through the first week. One of the biggest surprises came when the Giants upset the Cowboys, while the 49ers managed to edge out the Rams in Australia. Meanwhile, the Bills delivered an impressive performance, scoring 36 points against a solid Texans defense on the road.
Now it’s Week 2, and that brings us to another round of Survivor pool picks. For those unfamiliar, a survivor pool is where participants select one team each week that they think will win. If your chosen team wins in Week 1, you get to make another pick in Week 2. This continues, but here’s the twist: you can’t pick the same team twice. Sure, picking a top favorite in the first week is tempting, but it might leave you without options later in the season if you make it to the end. Most pools will eliminate you after just one wrong pick, though some allow for double elimination.
I want to share some advice again. I’m currently involved in a Survivor pool with four entries and it’s set up for double elimination. Last week, I went with the Chargers against the Cardinals, the Steelers against the Falcons, and made two picks of the Jaguars over the Browns. Unfortunately, my pick of the Chargers didn’t pan out, so now I have three entries still in the game and one with a strike. Below, I’ll outline some safe choices, valuable picks, and potential traps. I plan to share my picks at the end, but since I’m writing this on a Thursday, I’ll revisit it on Sunday to finalize my selections.
I’ve included the odds for the favorites in each matchup from FanDuel.
- 49ers (-13.5) over Dolphins
- Ravens (-8.5) over Saints
The Dolphins had a rough time against the Raiders, while the 49ers performed well against the Rams. I do wonder if this game might be closer than anticipated since the 49ers are coming back after crossing the international date line, but the Dolphins are pretty much the ideal adversaries for this scenario.
The Saints gave the Lions a real challenge, but I believe Baltimore is a more cohesive team than Detroit at the moment. I’m just not convinced the Saints are as strong as they appeared last week.
- Buccaneers (-8.5) over Browns
The Browns have had a tough time, while the Bucs looked respectable enough in their loss to the Bengals. I wouldn’t rely on Tampa Bay for the rest of the season. Their most promising upcoming matchups are home games against the Falcons, Panthers, and Saints—all divisional games. They may improve as the season goes on, but right now, I wouldn’t invest heavily in them.
- Chargers (-6.5) over Raiders
I’m expecting the Chargers to rebound from last week’s disheartening loss to the Cardinals. Still, facing a Raiders team that showed some promise makes this game a tricky call.
I might not use the Buccaneers for all my picks this week, but I’m leaning towards using them for two. I’m hesitant about including the Chargers, but given I have multiple entries, I might consider them for at least one. If this were a one-off pool, I’d definitely steer clear of them. With the double-elimination option, I might just give them a shot anyway. I’ll take some time to think it over until Sunday before making my decision. The 49ers seem like a solid choice for safety, and while I have other opportunities to use them later in the season, I wouldn’t feel terrible about not having them available for one entry down the line.
