2025 Survivor Pool Picks and Strategy: Week 18

One of the best DFS players in the world, WhistlesGoWoo, who is also a professor at the University of Connecticut School of Business, penned a research article about survivor pools where he has a rolling horizon strategy. This entails planning out the schedule nine weeks in advance. This is better than plotting out the entire year because things can change due to injuries and unexpected outperformers and underperformers. It’s also wise to have a plan to prevent yourself from being trapped in a bad week with no options.

With that in mind, I’m going to deploy Whistle’s strategy and plan out each nine weeks in advance. Here are the viable options each week:

Week 1: Eagles (vs. Cowboys), Broncos (vs. Titans), Cardinals (at Saints)
Week 2: Cardinals (vs. Panthers), 49ers (at Saints), Bills (at Jets), Rams (at Titans), Ravens (vs. Browns)
Week 3: Falcons (at Panthers), Bills (vs. Dolphins), Chiefs (at Giants), Packers (at Browns), Buccaneers (vs. Jets)
Week 4: Chargers (at Giants), Bills (vs. Saints), Lions (vs. Browns), Packers (at Cowboys), Patriots (vs. Panthers), Broncos (vs. Bengals)
Week 5: Vikings (vs. Browns), Colts (vs. Raiders), Bills (vs. Patriots), Lions (at Bengals)
Week 6: Rams (at Ravens), Broncos (vs. Jets), Patriots (at Saints), Packers (vs. Bengals)
Week 7: Patriots (at Titans), Seahawks (vs. Texans), Chiefs (vs. Cowboys), Bears (vs. Saints), Broncos (vs. Giants)
Week 8: Colts (vs. Titans), Bills (at Panthers), Buccaneers (at Saints), Bengals (vs. Jets)
Week 9: Packers (vs. Panthers)
Week 10: Broncos (vs. Raiders), Lions (at Redskins), Bills (at Dolphins), Seahawks (vs. Cardinals), Browns (at Jets)
Week 11: Ravens (at Browns), Texans (at Titans), Cowboys (at Raiders)
Week 12: Seahawks (at Titans) 49ers (vs. Panthers)
Thanksgiving: Chiefs (at Cowboys)
Week 13: Jaguars (at Titans), 49ers (at Browns)
Week 14: Buccaneers (vs. Saints), Browns (vs. Titans)
Week 15: 49ers (vs. Titans), Steelers (vs. Dolphins)
Week 16: Texans (vs. Raiders), Bills (at Browns), Saints (vs. Jets)
Christmas: Lions (at Vikings), Cowboys (at Redskins)
Week 17: Bengals (vs. Cardinals)
Week 18: Chiefs (at Raiders), Cowboys (at Giants)

Based on this schedule, I think planning:

1. Eagles (vs. Cowboys)
2. Cardinals (vs. Panthers)
3. Falcons (at Panthers)
4. Chargers (at Saints)
5. Vikings (vs. Browns)
6. Rams (at Ravens)
7. Patriots (at Titans)
8. Colts (vs. Titans)
9. Packers (vs. Panthers)
10. Broncos (vs. Raiders)
11. Ravens (at Browns)
12. Seahawks (vs. Titans)
Th. Chiefs (at Cowboys)
13. Jaguars (at Titans)
14. Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
15. 49ers (vs. Titans)
16. Texans (vs. Raiders)
Xm. Lions (at Vikings)
17. Bengals (vs. Cardinals)
18. Chiefs at Raiders

2025 NFL Survivor Week 18: Top Five Options

Denver Broncos (at Chiefs)
The Chargers are sitting their starters.
New England Patriots (vs. Dolphins)
The Dolphins won’t want to play in the 20s, and the Patriots will beat them easily anyway.
Houston Texans (vs. Colts)
Riley Leonard versus the Texans defense seems like a very easy matchup.
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Titans)
The Jaguars shouldn’t have any issues beating the Titans.
Kansas City Chiefs (at Raiders)
It’s very risky to go with Chris Oladokun, but the Raiders are trying to lose.

2025 Survivor Top Options: 66-19. (Week 1: PHI; Week 2: ARZ; Week 3: ATL; Week 4: LAC; Week 5: MIN; Week 6: LAR; Week 7: NE; Week 8: IND; Week 9: GB; Week 10: DEN; Week 11: BAL; Week 12: SEA; Thanksgiving: PHI; Week 13: JAX; Week 14: CLE; Week 15: SF; Week 16: HOU; Christmas: DET; Week 17: CIN; Week 18: KC). 2024 Survivor Top Options: 69-21. 2023 Survivor Top Options: 66-24. 2022 Survivor Top Options: 70-20. 2021 Survivor Top Options: 71-19. 2020 Survivor Top Options: 68-17. 2019 Survivor Top Options: 62-23. 2018 Survivor Top Options: 69-16. 2017 Survivor Top Options: 63-20. 2016 Survivor Top Options: 62-23. 2015 Survivor Top Options: 58-27. 2014 Survivor Top Options: 64-21.

2025 NFL Survivor Week 18: Trap of the Week

Dallas Cowboys (at Giants)
It’s possible to still have the Cowboys, and if you do, they’re just an OK pick. Their offense is explosive, but their defense sucks, and they barely beat the Giants back in Week 2 when Russell Wilson was starting for them. I discussed this further on my NFL Picks page.

2025 Survivor Trap Games: 4-13. (Week 1: CIN; Week 2: CIN; Week 3: SEA; Week 4: HOU; Week 5: PHI; Week 6: PIT; Week 7: PIT; Week 8: PHI; Week 9: NE; Week 10: CAR; Week 11: PIT; Week 12: GB; Week 13: MIA; Week 14: SEA; Week 15: CHI; Week 16: SF; Week 17: TB). 2024 Survivor Trap Games: 3-15. 2023 Survivor Trap Games: 6-12. 2022 Survivor Trap Games: 6-12. 2021 Survivor Trap Games: 6-12. 2020 Survivor Trap Games: 8-9. 2019 Survivor Trap Games: 4-13. 2018 Survivor Trap Games: 8-9. 2017 Survivor Trap Games: 5-12. 2016 Survivor Trap Games: 5-12. 2015 Survivor Trap Games: 8-9. 2014 Survivor Trap Games: 8-9.