Best NFL Survivor Pool picks, Week 2: Chargers offer success, avoid the Cowboys

The opening week of the 2024 NFL season brought a harsh reminder that any team can win on any given Sunday.

The Cincinnati Bengals were the most popular choice in survivor pools last week. They ultimately fell short to the New England Patriots, which down roughly half of all survivor pools. 

This marks the third consecutive time the Bengals have lost their season opener, which may have been a strong indication to steer away from them early. Sometimes, it’s those little tidbits that make the difference in survivor pools.

If you avoided the Bengals and opted to pick one of the other two teams — the Seattle Seahawks or the New Orleans Saints — from last week’s picks, then you should be in a great position.

Week 2 has plenty of enticing matchups, especially since we have a slightly better idea of what each team has to offer. Here are some teams to consider picking — and some to avoid — to survive beyond Week 1.

NFL Survivor Pool: Teams to pick

1. Los Angeles Chargers

Matchup: Los Angeles Chargers at Carolina Panthers
Location: Bank of America Stadium
Weather: 76°F — chance of rain
Spread: -6.5

These are the types of matchups to typically avoid. A west coast team traveling east for an early kickoff, a chance of rain, and a chance of poor weather. Add in a hungry opposing team that is coming off of a humiliating loss, and it’s typically a recipe for disaster. But this opponent is the Carolina Panthers, who genuinely looked like the worst NFL team in the modern era during their Week 1 loss to the Saints. 

Although the Panthers are likely not as bad as their season opener would suggest, this may be the safest bet of the week. The Chargers are going to play safe football and run the ball under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. Carolina allowed 180 rushing yards in Week 1, and they were among the worst run defenses in the league last season. The Chargers simply have to play a clean game to secure an easy win, and picking them saves all of the elite teams for later weeks. 

2. Houston Texans

Matchup: Chicago Bears at Houston Texans
Location: NRG Stadium
Weather: Dome 
Spread: -6.5

The Houston Texans will host the Chicago Bears for Sunday Night Football, and it could be a good time to play it safe by selecting C.J. Stroud and Co. to handle business at home. Many of the bad teams that Houston will play are on the road, so it may be a good time to select them now. 

Chicago’s offense averaged just 2.2 yards per play in their season opener, and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is clearly being eased into the offense. At this stage of the season, it’s going to be difficult for the Bears to match the Texanss offense on the scoreboard. Chicago won’t be able to just rely on its defense and special teams to secure a win like they did in Week 1.

3. Baltimore Ravens

Matchup: Las Vegas Raiders at Baltimore Ravens 
Location: M&T Bank Stadium
Weather: 81°F — chance of rain showers
Spread: -9.5

The Baltimore Ravens will be the most favored — and most popular — pick of the week. Regardless, perhaps it would be wise to play it safe after the Cincinnati Bengals’ debacle last week. The Ravens are looking to move past the bitter taste of losing in Week 1 by mere inches.

The Las Vegas Raiders allowed former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and two former Ravens running backs to rush for 176 yards in Week 1. Now, they get a taste of the real Baltimore. The new backfield tandem of quarterback Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry won’t be easy to stop. Although the Ravens project to be one of the elite teams, it could be a good spot to use them early just to advance as the survivor pools dwindle down.

NFL Survivor Pool: Teams to avoid

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Matchup: Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles
Location: Lincoln Financial Field
Weather: 76°F — slight chance of rain
Spread: -6.5

The Philadelphia Eagles will be one of the elite teams this season, and they’ll be one of the top survivor picks this week against an underwhelming Atlanta Falcons team. Still, it would be wise to hold onto Philadelphia for future weeks. The Eagles are coming back from an international game in Brazil, which could affect the team. There are also still a lot of unknowns about both teams. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts struggled with turnovers again in the season opener, and the Falcons may not be as bad as Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt made them look in Week 1.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Matchup: New Orleans Saints at Dallas Cowboys
Location: AT&T Stadium
Weather: Dome
Spread: -6.5

Are the Saints really good or are the Panthers really bad? That’s a question that needs answering before accurately assessing this game. It would be better to save Dallas for a week where their matchup is more of a sure thing. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has faced the Saints three times in his career, and the New Orleans defense has given him some problems. Although the Cowboys have a 2-1 record in those games, Prescott threw for a total of two touchdowns and two interceptions while averaging 236.7 passing yards per game.