2025 Survivor Pool Picks and Strategy: Week 14

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: 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: Buccaneers (at Panthers), Bills (at Browns), Bengals (at Dolphins), Texans (vs. Raiders)
Christmas: Cowboys (at Redskins), Lions (at Vikings)
Week 17: Buccaneers (at Dolphins), Bengals (vs. Cardinals)
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. Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
15. 49ers (vs. Titans)
16. Bills (at Browns)
Xm. Lions (at Vikings)
17. Bengals (vs. Cardinals)
18. ??? (will decide based on which teams sit starters)

2025 NFL Survivor Week 14: Top Five Options

Los Angeles Rams (at Cardinals)
The Rams should be able to rebound off their ugly loss to the Panthers.
Baltimore Ravens (vs. Steelers)
Lamar Jackson should be healthy off the mini-bye, while Aaron Rodgers is dealing with an injury.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Saints)
The Buccaneers could be a bit flat in this game, but are they really going to lose to Tyler Shough?
Cleveland Browns (vs. Titans)
An underrated pick if you need to save a team.
Green Bay Packers (vs. Bears)
I don’t trust the Bears, who had a negative point differential before last week.

2025 Survivor Top Options: 51-14. (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). 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 14: Trap of the Week

Seattle Seahawks (at Falcons)
Look, the Seahawks will probably beat the Falcons. However, Sam Darnold has an ankle injury, and the team just got revenge for him. After this game, they take on the 8-4 Colts and then the Rams. I discussed this further on my NFL Picks page.

2025 Survivor Trap Games: 3-10. (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). 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.