2025 Survivor Pool Picks and Strategy: Week 11

You can get advice for the 2025 NFL Survivor Pool on this page. I’ll be posting my top five picks each week, as well as the trap of the week, so check back if you need tips and analysis. I’ll also be doing something new, which is planning out for picks weeks in advance.

If you want to enter – it’s free with a $350 prize – go here to the 2025 NFL Survivor Pool page.

As always, follow me @walterfootball to stay up to date.

2025 NFL Survivor Strategy: The Nine-Week Plan

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: Bills (at Texans), 49ers (vs. Panthers), Seahawks (at Titans), Ravens (vs. Jets)
Thanksgiving: Chiefs (at Cowboys), Ravens (vs. Bengals)
Week 13: Jaguars (at Titans), 49ers (at Browns)
Week 14: Lions (vs. Cowboys), Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
Week 15: Ravens (at Bengals), Jaguars (vs. Jets), 49ers (vs. Titans), Steelers (vs. Dolphins)
Week 16: Buccaneers (at Panthers), Bills (at Browns), Chiefs (at Titans), Bengals (at Dolphins), Texans (vs. Raiders)
Christmas: Cowboys (at Redskins), Lions (at Vikings)
Week 17: Buccaneers (at Dolphins), Seahawks (at Panthers)
Week 18: Buccaneers (vs. Panthers), Jaguars (vs. Titans)

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. Lions (vs. Cowboys)
15. 49ers (vs. Titans)
16. Bills (at Browns)
Xm. Cowboys (at Redskins)
17. Buccaners (at Dolphins)
18. Jaguars (vs. Titans)

2025 NFL Survivor Week 11: Top Five Options

New England Patriots (vs. Jets)
The easiest choice on the slate if you still have the Patriots available.
Green Bay Packers (at Giants)
The Packers will have an easy time with the Giants if Russell Wilson is starting.
Baltimore Ravens (at Browns)
The Ravens are seventh in defense since they’ve gotten everyone back from injury. They shouldn’t have an issue with Dillon Gabriel.
Houston Texans (at Titans)
I worry about this spot for the Texans, but Tennessee is garbage.
Buffalo Bills (vs. Buccaneers)
There will be better times to use the Bills, but I like them coming off a loss.

2025 Survivor Top Options: 38-12. (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). 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 11: Trap of the Week

Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Bengals)
I considered putting the Texans here, but the Steelers (5.5-point favorites) are the more obvious trap. Their secondary is in shambles, which spells trouble against Cincinnati’s elite receivers. I discussed this further on my NFL Picks page.

2025 Survivor Trap Games: 3-7. (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). 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.