The 2025 NFL season rolls into Week 2, which means we have another decision to make in our survivor pools. Fortunately, Week 1 didn’t cause too much of a shake-up, with the majority of big-time favorites getting the job done. The downside is your pool probably didn’t thin out much, so there’s still plenty of work to do. It’s only Week 2, so almost every team is available and the board is full of reasonable spots. With that in mind, here are three Week 2 NFL Survivor picks for this week and some insight into who might be the best selection for your pool.
NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 2 (2025)
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Baltimore Ravens
The most obvious pick of the week, the Ravens are double-digit favorites at home against the Browns. From a moneyline perspective, they are far and away the biggest favorite, crossing -800 in spots. That makes them a natural choice if you don’t care about opportunity cost or going with the field.
Baltimore is coming off a brutal loss to Buffalo where it gave the game away late with critical mistakes. It’s hard to imagine the Ravens coming home and not bouncing back strong. Lamar Jackson and company should deliver, making this the safest NFL Survivor pick for Week 2.
That said, picking the Ravens now comes with a price. You lose the ability to use them in more difficult weeks later in the season, and many other pool entrants will be on the same side. That’s the tradeoff: Safety now versus flexibility and leverage later.
Arizona Cardinals
Some of you might not have the Cardinals available, as they were a popular Week 1 pick against the Saints. If you do, they’re in another solid spot this week.
Kyler Murray was efficient last week with no turnovers, and the run game was a real weapon with Murray, Trey Benson and James Conner all contributing. If Arizona can run the ball with similar efficiency this week, it should be in full control against a struggling Panthers squad.
Carolina is coming off a disappointing performance where it gave up over 200 rushing yards and more than 6 yards per carry to Jacksonville. Bryce Young also threw two interceptions, deepening the concerns.
Arizona checks a lot of boxes for Survivor Week 2. It’s a healthy home favorite, and its matchup lines up well. The one wrinkle is that the Cardinals host Tennessee in a few weeks, another very favorable survivor spot. That’s something to consider if you’re trying to map out future picks.
Dallas Cowboys
This won’t be the most popular Survivor pick for Week 2, but it deserves consideration if you’re looking to avoid the chalk.
Dallas hosts the Giants in a divisional matchup, which some survivor players tend to avoid. However, there are several factors working in the Cowboys’ favor. They are coming off a Thursday night game, giving them extra preparation time, and now return home after opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles.
Their upcoming schedule isn’t particularly favorable, so this might be one of the better times to use them. In a tough division, a home game against the Giants may be the best opportunity you’ll get.
On the flip side, New York is dealing with quarterback issues. Russell Wilson struggled badly against Washington, and there’s growing pressure to make a switch to Jaxson Dart. This Giants team looks headed for the bottom of the NFC East.
With Dallas favored by nearly a touchdown at home, this is a strong survivor pool option if you want to be different and avoid the crowd.
Final Thoughts on NFL Survivor Picks Week 2
Survivor strategy is all about weighing safety versus long-term leverage. If you can find a winning pick that others ignore, you gain a major edge in the long run. No matter your approach, just make sure your Week 2 NFL Survivor pool pick is backed by logic, not emotion.
