NFL Week 2 Survivor Pool Tips: Best Picks and Strategies to Stay Alive (2024)

In a world ruled by sports betting, season-long fantasy leagues and daily fantasy sports (DFS) games, the NFL survivor pool has become a bit of a forgotten art.

However, survivor pools are a tremendously fun way to stay engaged with the NFL season—and it's not easy.

At first blush, the challenge of picking one straight-up winner every week might not seem so great. The tricky part is that competitors can pick a team only once. Survive long enough, and you're going to have to pick a bad team eventually.

And when your team loses, you're out.

Here, we'll examine a few tips and tricks for navigating an NFL survivor pool in 2023. We'll also examine a couple of top picks for Week 2, using the latest odds as a guideline.

The biggest early challenge in any survivor pool is determining which teams are going to be good, and not to overreact to the opening week's results. The Cincinnati Bengals, for example, are expected to be among the AFC's elite teams. However, they may have busted a few pools with their blowout loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.

The Bengals should rebound eventually, as they did after starting 0-2 last season. Teams that got huge wins in Week 1, like the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, are already performing at an elite level.

You want to pick teams that are clearly good early in order to survive while deciphering who the other top contenders are going to be. The Bengals should be avoided in a pivotal matchup against the rival Baltimore Ravens. Look for Cincinnati to fully rebound against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.

The Cowboys are a much safer pick against the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets in Week 2.

The other trick is to look ahead at when to pick those underwhelming teams to win. The Arizona Cardinals, for example, have one of the league's most talent-starved rosters, and they don't have quarterback Kyler Murray as he continues to recover from last season's torn ACL.

When might Arizona get a win? Its Week 11 game against the rebuilding Houston Texans is one to circle. A better strategy, however, might be avoiding Arizona entirely and hope that you're the last player standing before the Cardinals have to be picked at all.

Could the Cardinals beat the New York Giants this week? Sure, but there's no reason to get cute early. The following teams represent our "safe" picks for Week 2.

The Buffalo Bills flopped hard against the New York Jets on Monday night. The Jets lost Rodgers to a torn Achilles just four plays in but managed to corral Buffalo with a swarming defense.

A thrilling 65-yard punt-return touchdown by undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson handed the Jets an overtime victory.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw three interceptions and lost a fumble in Monday's loss. He's highly unlikely to struggle as much against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2.

The Raiders played a good all-around game during their Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos. However, Las Vegas doesn't boast the defensive talent that New York possesses.

Las Vegas also faces a tough cross-country trip to the confines of Highmark Stadium. The Bills will be looking to erase the bitter taste of Monday's blunderfest and should respond in a big way at home.

Buffalo is a nine-point favorite for a reason. While the Raiders may well cover the line, they're not dropping the Bills to 0-2.

The Seattle Seahawks are a better team than what they showed during a lopsided loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. However, it's going to take time for Seattle's defense to come together.

The Seahawks reloaded their front seven in the offseason and made a very under-the-rader change by moving defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt to the press box on game days. The defense was simply putrid against the Cooper Kupp-less Rams offense.

Los Angeles racked up 426 total yards, 334 passing yards and 30 points on the road.

Expect Seattle to be better defensively in Week 2—especially if rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon (hamstring) makes his debut—but it won't be enough against the Detroit Lions, who are 5.5-point favorites.

Detroit proved that its defense is sound during its upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Yes, the Chiefs didn't have Travis Kelce, but holding a Patrick Mahomes-led offense to 316 yards and 20 points is nevertheless impressive.

The Lions should contain Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense while running rampant over a defense that is still finding its groove. Detroit at home is a very enticing pick for Week 2.

Gambling problem? Call (877-8-HOPENY) or text HOPENY (467369).

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visiting ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), visiting OPGR.org (OR), or calling/texting TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

Odds and lines subject to change. 21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.