Finding the right NFL Survivor picks every week to last as long as possible in your pool can be very tricky. Our team is here to help by providing three suggestions: safe, medium, and risky Survivor Pool picks, so you can decide if the time to take a gamble is right.
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Without further ado, let’s move on to the top survivor picks for NFL week 2. We provide a summary first and our reasoning after that.
Best NFL Survivor Picks for Week 2
| MATCHUP | CONFIDENCE | SURVIVOR PICK |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys | Safest | Cowboys |
| Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots | Moderately Safe | Seahawks |
| San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings | High Risk/High Reward | Vikings |
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These helpful tips can help you make your tough decisions each week for your best NFL survivor pool bets! Don’t have time to do your own research? Simply consider our best Week 2 NFL survivor picks below:
Our NFL Week 2 Survivor Picks (With Reasoning)
After analyzing the NFL Week 2 card, we have settled on the safest, moderately safe, and risky pick to win this week. Remember, you can only choose each team once per year, so keep the rest of the season in mind when making your picks!
Safest NFL Survivor Pick: Saints vs. Cowboys
The Saints and Cowboys were on similar wavelengths in Week 1. They both dismantled their opponents for easy wins. New Orleans won by the largest win differential of the week in a 47-10 victory to easily cover the point spread.
However, the question you have to answer yourself is whether that was primarily due to the Panthers being so bad or the Saints are a good team. It’s worth noting that the Saints’ head coach still has the shortest odds to be the first NFL coach fired!
What this says is that bettors are buying the win for the Saints. The public believes that 37-point drubbing was more a result of Panthers being terrible. I can’t disagree. The Saints are a fine team, but it was more of a reflection of the worst offensive line and defense in football.
Derek Carr and company will not have that luxury against a physical Cowboys’ defense. Dallas got off to a quick start in a 33-17 win on the road in Ohio. The defense sacked Deshaun Watson six times and forced him into two interceptions!
Take it away, Tre 🚫@TrevonDiggs | @AlabamaFTBL
Up next ➡️ #NOvsDAL 9/15 on FOX pic.twitter.com/1XOosxUmbC
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) September 9, 2024
The same defense will be coming for Carr in the home opener at AT&T Stadium. When the QB faces pressure, he tends to buckle and get frustrated, so this will be a new test alltogether for the Saints.
Note that the Cowboys are 16-1 outright in their previous 17 games in Arlington! Additionally, the Cowboys are 7-1 in their last eight games versus opponents from the NFC. I like the Cowboys to handle the Saints in a step back to reality in New Orleans.
Moderately Safe Pick: Seahawks vs. Patriots
The Patriots pulled off the biggest upset of Week 1 with a 16-10 win over the heavily favored Bengals. In his head coaching debut, Jarod Mayo directed the Patriots to a win in the post-Bill Belichick era. The defense suffocated Joe Burrow to hold him to 164 passing yards and no touchdowns.
It was a shocking win for a team that entered the season favored to finish with the worst record in the NFL. Brandon Aiyuk rebuked the Patriots when the 49ers were looking for a trade suitor for him in the summer. He reportedly wasn’t interested in playing for the Patriots due to concerns with the offense.
However, the Patriots didn’t need much offense to oust the Bengals on the road. As expected, Mayo cemented his stance as a defensive-minded coach after serving as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator under Belichick.
That said, the offense was not inspiring enough to count them as a contender in the AFC East. There will be times when the Patriots get behind and need their offense to help them recover. It’s going to be difficult with QB Jacoby Brissett and an unproven offense on the field.
Seahawks’ Mike Macdonald is cut from the same cloth as Mayo. He is a defensive specialist who asks for similar demands from his team. In Macdonald’s debut, he and the Seahawks edged out the Broncos, 26-20. It wasn’t a perfect win, but Geno Smith started off the season in nice form.
GENO SMITH 34-YARD TD RUN.
📺: #DENvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/3EsyP3rbfe— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Following an upset in Week 1, I can see the Patriots regressing in what should be a defensive battle to start. Seattle should have enough offense in the 4th quarter to get past the Patriots. New England will need more from Brissett than last week, so a letdown is expected.
Note that the Seahawks are 5-1 ATS and 8-3 outright against the Patriots over their latest meetings. Also, the Pats are an anemic 0-5 in their last five at Gillette Stadium. As 3-point favorites, the Seahawks should be considered for your NFL survivor picks this week!
High Risk/High Reward Pick: 49ers vs. Vikings
The 49ers are on a short week after pulling away from the Jets in a 32-19 win on Monday Night Football. They are on the road for a Week 2 matchup versus the NFC North’s Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium.
San Francisco is currently a 6-point favorite, and has a 72.2% implied probability at -260 on the moneyline. I know some bettors believe that spread isn’t nearly high enough. After all, the 49ers are the favorites to win the NFC Championship again this season.
They also just won by double digits against the Jets without defending NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers get an A+ report card for their effort. Meanwhile, the Vikings torched the Giants in a 28-6 victory.
Sam Darnold on 🔥
10/10
136 yards
1 TD pic.twitter.com/LA5DDoxXnk— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
When Sam Darnold is on a decent team, he can be a respectable quarterback in the NFL. He’s not jumping into the top 10 of quarterbacks, but with this offense, he can certainly move the ball.
This is a revenge spot for Darnold against his former team! Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are poised for huge years in Minnesota, and I see them showing up here.
This is a trap sandwich spot of sorts for the 49ers on the road. After a big win over the Jets, they take on the Los Angeles Rams in a big NFC West showdown in Week 3. The Vikings could be one they completely overlook with the Rams on deck.
Also, note that the 49ers have been terrible on road trips to Minnesota, where they are 0-7 in their last seven games! Although The Sports Geek’s NFL AI model likes the 49ers this week, I am taking a bold position and fading the Geek for my high risk NFL Survivor picks!
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