Best NFL Survivor Contest Picks for Week 1: The Commanders Look to Start Strong at Home

NFL survivor pools are an interesting way to have some fun during the season, and this weekly article is here to help you stay alive deep into the season.

Here are some of the best NFL survivor picks for Week 1.

All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook.

NFL Survivor Picks for Week 1

Best Picks

Washington Commanders

Our NFL survivor pool strategy is an ever-changing process, and I believe it's worth playing it safe in Week 1. We may know the matchups for Week 15, but we don't know how injuries and team performance will impact future spreads. Our focus right now should be making it to Week 2, even if it means burning a good team.

The problem? This week, 11 of 16 games feature a spread that is 3.5 points or closer, and two of the five teams favored by more than 3.5 points will compete on the road, according to the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. There's just not much chalk this week.

Are the Washington Commanders the safest play?

Jayden Daniels and company are currently listed as 5.5-point favorites in their home opener versus the New York Giants. The G-Men signed Russell Wilson this offseason, and he'll be at the helm of a pretty talented receiving corps.

Yet, the Giants rank just 28th on our NFL Power Rankings and face a Commanders team that went 7-2 and averaged 30.4 points per game at home last season. Washington also got stronger this offseason, notably adding Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil.

The Commanders have a fairly tough home schedule this season -- the Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys are Washington's only home matchups against teams that currently rank in the bottom 14 of our rankings. It's Week 1, but this could be the best time to use the Commanders.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos check a lot of boxes this week.

They will play at home against an unproven Tennessee Titans group, in turn making the Broncos a 7.5-point favorite -- the second-largest favorite in Week 1 past the Philadelphia Eagles (-8.5) in a Thursday Night Football match against the Cowboys.

Cameron Ward, the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, will make his professional debut on Sunday. Facing a tough-as-nails Denver defense on the road is a tough draw for Ward, who is armed with a meh receiving room.

Denver's offense added Evan Engram, J.K. Dobbins, and second-round draft pick RJ Harvey this offseason. The Broncos did what they could to make things easier for Bo Nix after a solid rookie campaign.

By nature of being an AFC West team, the Broncos have a somewhat difficult schedule in 2025. Denver has a whopping 32.3% pick rate in survivor pools this week, per Yahoo. They deserve to be the most popular play this week.

Digging Deeper

Do you want -- or need -- to use other squads than the teams listed above? Here are some other options.

Arizona Cardinals

The Commanders and Broncos are the only teams I'm putting under "slam dunk" consideration for Week 1.

The Cincinnati Bengals are a 5.5-point favorite over the Cleveland Browns, but they are on the road, and Cincy's historically bad starts include a 5-10 record through Week 5 across the past three seasons. Plus, Joe Flacco games can get funky, and the Bengals are a great team to keep in our back pocket. I feel a similar way about the Eagles, who are the heaviest favorite this week but are facing a flukey Cowboys team on banner night. That play just feels riskier than it should.

So, past Washington and Denver, the Arizona Cardinals might be my favorite pick, almost solely because they'll face the New Orleans Saints.

The Saints are starting Spencer Rattler in front of Tyler Shough this season, earning them the unofficial status of worst quarterback room in the NFL. The Saints went 0-7 and lost by an average of 17.5 points across Rattler's starts last season, and the defense is likely worse than the offense. As such, the Cardinals are favored by 6.5 points on Sunday.

Jacksonville Jaguars

As mentioned, I wouldn't recommend getting cute in Week 1.

But if you really want to -- knowing you'll have to use 18 different teams if you make it that far -- the Jacksonville Jaguars could be worth your time.

The Jags are -190 moneyline favorites in their home opener against the Carolina Panthers. Trevor Lawrence is back and has two young guns in Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter by his side. The Panthers are also looking to bounce back in 2025 with a rejuvenated Bryce Young throwing to Tetairoa McMillan this season. That said, Carolina likely has more question marks heading into the year and are on the road.

Jacksonville is -130 to win over 7.5 games this season, so they are set up to be a team we may want or need to use at some point in the season. However, the team's schedule after Week 1 and leading into a Week 8 bye is as follows: at Bengals, vs. Houston Texans, at San Francisco 49ers, vs. Kansas City Chiefs, vs. Seattle Seahawks, and vs. Los Angeles Rams. After the bye, they will play two straight on the road. There likely won't be a good opportunity to pick the Jaguars in the near future, so backing them now while we know they are healthy is a viable route.

Personally, I'd still rather take a "safer" path with either the Commanders or Broncos.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.