With NFL training camps underway, football fans are officially in countdown mode. And with a new season comes one of the most popular ways to get involved in the action: the survivor pool.
If you've never played before, the concept is simple. Pick one team each week to win its game. Pick correctly and you survive. Pick incorrectly and you're eliminated. The catch is that you can only use each team once all season, turning one of football's simplest games into one of its most strategic.
Do you use the Eagles in Week 1 because they're the biggest favorite on the board? Or do you save them for later when quality options are harder to find? Wait too long and you may never get the chance to use them.
If you're planning to play a survivor pool this season, these strategies will help improve your chances of being the last player standing.
Know Your League's Rules and Your Competition
This is the most important rule of survivor strategy.
Every pool is different. Some allow a one-time buyback after an early elimination. Others require you to pick two winners during certain weeks. Some end when only one player remains, while others split the prize among everyone still alive after Week 18.
The size of your pool matters just as much.
A 20-person office pool requires a different strategy than a nationwide contest with thousands of entries. In a smaller pool, you often don't need to save your best teams for the final weeks. In a larger field, you'll likely need quality options available throughout the season.
Understanding the rules before making your first pick can be just as valuable as picking the right team.
Don't Wait Too Long to Use the Best Teams
Saving elite teams is important. Waiting too long to use them can be just as costly.
No survivor pool lasts longer than 18 weeks, meaning there are at least 14 NFL teams you'll never use. That gives you more flexibility than you may realize when deciding when to spend teams like the Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, or Rams.
The other danger is waiting until late in the season, when playoff-bound teams may already have secured their postseason position. Teams with little left to play for often rest starters, turning what looked like a safe pick into a risky one.
Instead, look for opportunities to use elite teams during the middle portion of the season. Bye weeks begin to thin the schedule, injuries pile up, and quality options become harder to find. That's when having one of the league's best teams available can make all the difference.
Plan Ahead for Bye Weeks
Survivor is both a weekly game and a season-long puzzle. Winning this week keeps you alive. Planning several weeks ahead helps keep you alive later.
In Week 11 of the 2026 season, for example, six teams are on bye, creating one of the thinnest schedules of the year. If you haven't planned ahead, you may find yourself choosing between several uncomfortable options.
One effective strategy is mapping out your strongest teams before the season begins. You don't need to predict every pick, but identifying weeks where you'll likely need teams like the Rams or Bills can help you avoid difficult situations later.
It's also worth paying attention to teams coming off a bye. Extra rest often provides a slight edge, making solid mid-tier teams even more attractive in favorable matchups.
Thinking three or four weeks ahead often separates the players still alive in December from those eliminated in October.
Let the Schedule Work for You
Even average NFL teams become attractive survivor picks when the schedule breaks their way.
Travel matters, especially during seasons featuring more cross-country matchups. Long road trips, short weeks, and difficult stretches can create opportunities many players overlook.
One example comes in Week 8, when the Jets host the Raiders. Las Vegas faces the Rams at home the previous week before traveling across three time zones to New York. That's exactly the type of scheduling spot that can make an otherwise average team worth considering.
The 49ers also face an interesting stretch later in the season, traveling across the country between divisional games. Those scheduling quirks don't guarantee an upset, but they can narrow the gap enough to make an underdog more appealing.
The schedule often tells a story before the game ever begins.
Don't Chase Upsets
Every year, survivor players convince themselves they've found the upset nobody else sees. Most of the time, they haven't.
There is little value in picking an underdog simply because everyone else is taking the favorite. If Cleveland beats Baltimore, you've certainly gained an advantage. But if Baltimore wins (as favorites usually do) your season is over before it really begins.
If you're going to pick an upset, make sure there's a legitimate reason.
Travel disadvantages, divisional familiarity, teams coming off a bye, weather conditions, or significant injury situations can all make an underdog worth considering. Otherwise, taking the obvious favorite is usually the better long-term decision.
Remember, the goal isn't to make the boldest pick each week. The goal is simply to survive.
Don't Let Emotion Drive Your Picks
One of the easiest mistakes survivor players make has nothing to do with statistics.
It's fandom.
Don't pick your favorite team simply because you want to root for them. Likewise, don't avoid a rival because you hope they lose.
Successful survivor players remove emotion from the equation. Every week should be treated like a business decision based on probabilities, scheduling, injuries, and value, not personal loyalty.
Have Fun
At the end of the day, that's what survivor pools are all about.
Every game feels a little bigger when your season depends on it. Sundays become more exciting, Monday Night Football suddenly matters, and every upset has the potential to reshape your pool.
Winning is great. But the real fun comes from building a strategy, adapting throughout the season, and seeing how long you can stay alive.
After all, every survivor contest begins with everyone believing they'll be the last one standing.
Will that be you this year?
Ready to Play?
Now it's time to put these strategies into action.
Whether you're looking to join public survivor contests, create your own private commissioner contest for friends, family, or the office, or sharpen your picks with The EDGE, Sandman Sports has everything you need for football season.
