2025 Survivor Pool Picks and Strategy: Week 5

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: Colts (vs. Raiders), Bills (vs. Patriots), Vikings (vs. Browns), Lions (at Bengals)
Week 6: Broncos (vs. Jets), Patriots (at Saints), Packers (vs. Bengals)
Week 7: Bears (vs. Saints), Broncos (vs. Giants)
Week 8: Bills (at Panthers), Buccaneers (at Saints), Broncos (vs. Cowboys), Colts (vs. Titans)
Week 9: 49ers (at Giants), Packers (vs. Panthers), Rams (vs. Saints), Ravens (at Dolphins)
Week 10: Broncos (vs. Raiders), Bills (at Dolphins)
Week 11: Redskins (at Dolphins), Packers (at Giants)
Week 12: Bills (at Texans), Lions (vs. Giants), 49ers (vs. Panthers)
Thanksgiving: Chiefs (at Cowboys), Ravens (vs. Bengals)
Week 13: 49ers (at Browns), Patriots (vs. Giants)
Christmas: Redskins (vs. Cowboys)

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. Packers (vs. Bengals)
7. Broncos (vs. Giants)
8. Buccaneers (at Saints)
9. Rams (vs. Saints)
10. Bills (at Dolphins)
11. Redskins (at Dolphins)
12. 49ers (vs. Panthers)
Th. Chiefs (at Cowboys)
Xm. Redskins (vs. Cowboys)

2025 NFL Survivor Week 5: Top Five Options

Arizona Cardinals (vs. Titans)
The Cardinals can’t beat good teams, and they sit on bad teams. That’s just what they do.
Detroit Lions (at Bengals)
If you need to play the Thanksgiving slate, make sure you save the Lions. Otherwise, they’re fair game in this easy matchup.
Buffalo Bills (vs. Patriots)
You can use the Bills almost every week, so there will be easier matchups. Still, they’re almost a free square.
Indianapolis Colts (vs. Raiders)
The Colts should rebound well off a loss against the dreadful Raidrs.
Minnesota Vikings (vs. Browns)
The Vikings will enjoy the ultimate homefield advantage in the NFL, which is the body-clock edge from staying overseas.

2025 Survivor Top Options: 16-4. (Week 1: PHI; Week 2: ARZ; Week 3: ATL; Week 4: LAC; Week 5: ARZ). 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 5: Trap of the Week

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Broncos)
The Eagles are a healthy favorite over the Broncos, but they may not have Lane Johnson. They could also be looking ahead to their Thursday divisional opponent. I discussed this further on my NFL Picks page.

2025 Survivor Trap Games: 0-4. (Week 1: CIN; Week 2: CIN; Week 3: SEA; Week 4: HOU; Week 5: PHI). 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.