2025 Survivor Pool Picks and Strategy: Week 3

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: Bills (vs. Saints), Chargers (at Giants), Lions (vs. Browns), Packers (at Cowboys), Patriots (vs. Panthers)
Week 5: Bills (vs. Patriots), Vikings (vs. Browns), Lions (at Bengals)
Week 6: Chargers (at Dolphins), Patriots (at Saints), Packers (vs. Bengals)
Week 7: Bears (vs. Saints), Broncos (vs. Giants)
Week 8: Bills (at Panthers), Buccaneers (at Saints), Patriots (vs. Browns), Falcons (vs. Dolphins), Packers (at Steelers)
Week 9: 49ers (at Giants), Chargers (at Titans), Packers (vs. Panthers), Rams (vs. Saints), Ravens (at Dolphins)
Week 10: Broncos (vs. Raiders), Bills (at Dolphins), Chargers (vs. Steelers)
Week 11: Redskins (at Dolphins), Packers (at Giants), Falcons (vs. Panthers), Chargers (at Jaguars)
Thanksgiving: Chiefs (at Cowboys), Ravens (vs. Bengals)
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)
Th. Chiefs (at Cowboys)
Xm. Redskins (vs. Cowboys)

2025 NFL Survivor Week 3: Top Five Options

Atlanta Falcons (at Panthers)
We’re fading the Panthers again. This is a divisional road game, but the Falcons are much better than Carolina.
Buffalo Bills (vs. Dolphins)
The Bills are a free square this week, but they’re a free square almost every week with their easy schedule.
Green Bay Packers (at Browns)
The Packers will have extra time to prepare for the Browns.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Jets)
The Buccaneers are on short rest, but Tyrod Taylor is starting for the Jets.
Kansas City Chiefs (at Giants)
The Chiefs are desperate for a win, but if you’re playing in a contest that makes you pick the holiday games, you’ll want to save the Chiefs. Plus, they’ll have Rashee Rice then, so they’ll be better in five weeks.

2025 Survivor Top Options: 10-0. (Week 1: PHI; Week 2: ARZ; Week 3: ATL). 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 3: Trap of the Week

Seattle Seahawks (vs. Saints)
I don’t think the Seahawks will lose to the Saints. However, they’re coming off a big road win, and following this easy game, they have to play in four days against Arizona. They could get caught sleepwalking in this game. I discussed this further on my NFL Picks page.

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