Week 2 of the NFL season is upon us, and it’s not too late to join an NFL survivor pool. You can enter the DraftKings $100K+ 2nd Chance NFL Survivor pool for just $10 here.
Whether your pick lost in Week 1, or you just didn’t get the chance to join a pool, you can join this second-chance survivor pool. In this survivor pool, you need to pick a team to win straight-up every week. However, once you use a team, you cannot use it again. You are eliminated from the pool if one of your picks loses. The players who survive the regular season without losing will split the grand prize of at least $100,000.
Week 2 Strategy
I am attempting to survive the entire season in this weekly series. So, while I will give my thoughts on the best pick to make each week, I will also be treating it like a survivor pool and not picking the same team more than once. So far, I have only used the Broncos, but I will keep a running list of the teams that I have used all season. If I think a team that I have already used is the best selection for a given week, I will share that in this section of the article.
Heading into Week 2, the best way to approach a survivor pool is by taking an easy win, but trying not to burn the best teams. For example, the biggest favorite this week is the Ravens over the Browns. However, I won’t be using the Ravens because it’s a waste to use one of the best teams in the NFL in this spot. There are so many winnable games on the board from lesser teams that it’s worth saving the Ravens. It’s important to think long-term in these survivor pools, not just week by week. The players with teams like the Ravens, Bills and Eagles still on the board later in the season will have the best chance of winning the whole pool. The other spots I try to avoid are divisional games and road teams. The ideal pick this early in the season is a home team in a non-divisional matchup.
Week 2 Survivor Best Pick
Cardinals over Panthers
Last week, my top pick survived with the Broncos over the Titans. It was ugly from Denver, but they held on to get us through Week 1. This week, I am taking the Cardinals over the Panthers. The Cardinals were my “bold pick” in Week 1 over the Saints. Arizona handled business, looking solid on both sides of the ball. Arizona ranked 12th in the NFL in defensive EPA/play, and while they weren’t elite in any category, they were in the top half of the league in passing offense, passing defense, rushing offense and rushing defense. There are no weak spots on this team, and as long as Kyler Murray is healthy, they will be tough to beat. Carolina looked bad in their season opener against Jacksonville. Their defense looked similar to last year’s league-worst unit, and Bryce Young looked like rookie Bryce Young. Now they need to travel out west to face the Cardinals in Arizona. Kyler Murray should pick up the win and move his team to 2-0 on the season.
Week 2 Survivor Bold Pick
Cowboys over Giants
Normally, I try to avoid divisional matchups in survivor pools. However, the Giants seemed completely lost in Week 1. Of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Russell Wilson finished dead last in EPA+CPOE composite against a Washington defense that was expected to take a step back. Maybe the Commanders will end up having a great defense, but regardless, it was an awful effort from Wilson and the rest of the Giants’ offense. The defense wasn’t much better for the Giants. They were expected to have one of the best defensive lines in the league, but other than a couple of havoc plays, they weren’t able to slow down the Commanders at all. The Cowboys’ offense looked explosive against one of the NFL’s best defenses in Week 1 against the Eagles. At home, the Cowboys should have too much offense and get the win against the Giants.
Week 2 Survivor Favorite to Avoid
Bills over Jets
The Bills’ offense was incredible in Week 1, getting them a huge win over the Ravens. However, everything about this game is something you want to avoid in survivor pools. It is a divisional road game, always a bad recipe to follow. Also, the Bills are coming off an emotional comeback win in primetime. There could be a letdown as they head on the road against an inferior opponent. There were also major red flags on the Buffalo defense. The Ravens are a hard team to stop, but Derrick Henry was able to run straight through this defense, and Zay Flowers was always open. The Jets’ offense played great in their Week 1 loss, ranking fourth in the NFL in offensive EPA/play. Breece Hall looked like his old self, and Justin Fields was a dynamic playmaker. This is a game the Bills could lose if they don’t show up with a full level of focus.
