Best NFL Week 2 Survivor Pick: Knockout pool players shouldn't overthink this AFC matchup

There are many ways to bet or predict how NFL teams will fare in certain weeks and matchups. You can choose who will win based on the point spread, or you can try to predict the winners outright. 

One of the more popular methods for predicting winners each week is called a Survivor pool.

In this type of contest, you will pick just one team to win each week, and it is simple:

• Your goal is to pick one winner each week of the season correctly. If you pick correctly and your chosen team wins, you are safe.
• If your chosen team loses, you are either outright eliminated or you have a significant disadvantage the rest of the season, depending on the platform. 
• To make the contest even trickier, once you use a team, you cannot select them again. So whatever team you used for your survivor pool in Week 1 is off limits the rest of the year. That makes each selection not only important for that week, but you have to look forward and see if that team will have a better matchup in the future that you're okay missing out on. 

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Here is more on our picks for Survivor pools in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. 

The Sporting News’ Best Survivor Pick, 2025 Record: 1-0 (Arizona Cardinals, Week 1)

Best Survivor Picks Week 2

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns

The Baltimore Ravens are coming off one of the best games in recent memory. They were on the road taking on the Buffalo Bills in a game that turned into an offensive shootout.

Even though they lost, the Ravens showed that they once again will wind up a top team in the AFC. They will go on the road to take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. While this screams a game that Baltimore will overlook, it is still the safest game on the slate.

The Browns nearly beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, but the latter is known for starting the season slowly. Baltimore scored 40 points in Week 1, and will be at home. The Ravens have a fairly tough schedule the rest of the way, with two games against the Browns projecting to be the easiest.

While you may want to save the Ravens for later in the season, that game will be on the road and tougher, so you may as well use Baltimore in Week 2.

FANTASY WEEK 2 RANKINGS: QB | ​​RB | WR | TE | D/ST | PK

Sleeper Week 2 Survivor Picks

Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers

If you didn’t follow our Week 1 pick, you get another chance in Week 2.

The Carolina Panthers had people once again convinced in the offseason that they were going to look better in 2025. Very few had them as a playoff team, but just a better effort on the field was expected. It was the first week of the season, but that felt nearly non-existent in a 26-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Carolina couldn't do anything to stop the run, and the Arizona Cardinals should be in line for a big day between quarterback Kyler Murray and running back James Conner.

The Cardinals do play the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, so if you choose to use them here, you will lose out on them as an option then. Otherwise, they don't have a great schedule for Survivor, at least with how things project in Week 2.

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders

The Los Angeles Chargers took on the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil in Week 1 and came away with the 27-21 victory. Quarterback Justin Herbert looked great in the second year of the Jim Harbaugh era in L.A. The Las Vegas Raiders knocked off the New England Patriots in Week 1, 20-13. It was the debut of both Ashton Jeanty and Geno Smith with the franchise.

Las Vegas will be at home, but Los Angeles just looked more impressive in Week 1. If the Chargers can consistently play like they did in Week 1, they are going to be a force to reckon with this season.

READ: Keep track of NFL news before you make your picks

Survivor Week 2 chalk pick to fade or save

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

It's tough not to want to ride the Buffalo Bills after the performance they had in Week 1 against the Ravens. Despite being down for a large portion of the game, the Bills battled back and knocked off the Ravens by one point. In Week 2, Buffalo will go on the road for a divisional matchup against the New York Jets.

To their credit, the Jets looked much improved against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Justin Fields, Breece Hall, and Garrett Wilson had a big game, but the game was decided on a 61-yard field goal by Chris Boswell late in the fourth quarter.

The Bills are projected to win this game, and rightfully so. But the offense that New York showed in Week 1 could be a problem for Buffalo.

If the Bills have a bad game, and the Jets play well, this could be a sneaky close game that you'd be sweating until the final whistle.

Buffalo has matchups against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, the Panthers in Week 8, and the Browns in Week 16, which all feel better than the Jets in Week 2.

MORE: NFL Week 2 picks ATS | Fantasy Lineup Tips

Survivor Week 2 Grid Rankings

Here is how we would rank Survivor team choices for Week 2: