Considering safest picks in Week 2 NFL Survivor pools

Welcome back for Week 2 of the 2019 NFL season. Last week saw some wild contests, with the Houston Texans-New Orleans Saints matchup the early leader for game of the year. We also saw some near upsets with the Philadelphia Eagles storming back to beat Washington and the Seattle Seahawks barely holding off the Cincinnati Bengals. And the Baltimore Ravens showed us just how awful the Miami Dolphins could be this season.

As we head into Week 2, we’re back to help you with your Survivor pools. You’re likely settling your traditional fantasy football lineups and DFS lineups, but don’t forget to get your Survivor pick in!

If you’ve never taken part in such a pool, it involves picking one team each week that you think will win. If your team wins in Week 1, you can make a pick in Week 2. If your team wins in Week 2, you can make a pick in Week 3, and so on. The catch is that you cannot pick the same team twice. You could use a heavy favorite in Week 1, but you would not have access to them later in the year if you’re alive in the closing weeks.

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Whether you are in a single-elimination or double-elimination contest, there is plenty of strategy in determining which team you will take each week. DK Nation is here to help with a look at safe choices, value choices, and potential traps.

Last week, our safe picks were unbeaten, but also both nearly lost! We went 1-1 in best value picks, with the New York Jets blowing it against the Buffalo Bills. Both of our trap picks won, although the Saints really had no right beating Houston.

On to Week 2 picks!

Safest picks

New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins

Week 1 clarified one thing for the time being — the Miami Dolphins are looking like they will be awful. I would normally say that you should save the Patriots, but you can do a lot worse than picking against the Dolphins most weeks. They could bounce back at some point, but it won’t happen this week against New England.

Best value picks

Carolina Panthers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baltimore Ravens over Arizona Cardinals

Editor’s update: Welp. I picked the Panthers over the Bucs for one of my two Survivor leagues, so if I cost you in your league, at least you know it cost me as well.

You could get your pick out of the way early with the Panthers on Thursday Night Football if you’re comfortable with a short week divisional matchup. The Bucs have a lot of issues, while Carolina almost knocked off the Rams to open the season. There are very few opportunities to use Carolina with confidence this year, so consider this one.

The Ravens are a team that I hesitated between safe and value. If you think Lamar Jackson is legit, there’s a good chance they finish the season with double digit wins. But looking at their schedule, how many games right now would you be comfortable with taking them in Survivor? The Bengals in Week 6 jumps out. The 49ers in Week 13 and the Jets in Week 15 also could hold some value. The Ravens defense is a sizable step up for rookie Kyler Murray, so this could be the perfect time to use them.

Trap pick

Dallas Cowboys over Washington
Kansas City Chiefs over Oakland Raiders

Divisional matchups are never fun, and divisional road games all the more so — unless it’s the Patriots facing an atrocious Dolphins squad. Washington showed life against Philly, and that defense will be a decently tough nut to crack much of this season. Meanwhile, the Chiefs travel to face a Raiders team that looked a lot better than expected in beating the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs probably win, but crazy stuff sometimes happens when these two teams square off so it’s best to stay away from this for Survivor pool purposes.

Editor’s update: Some have asked about the Texans-Jaguars game. I can see the argument for them as a value pick if you think Gardner Minshew will struggle. However, I also see that as a trap game. Divisional matchups generally are not ideal, and the Jaguars defense could give the Texans problems. It’s not the worst decision using them, but I personally am not a fan.