Best NFL Survivor Pool Picks for Week 1 (2022)

Even if fantasy football or NFL betting aren't your thing, an NFL survivor pool can be a very fun way to add some extra intrigue to the NFL season.

Few things are more frustrating than getting eliminated in Week 1, though, and you need to make sure to get off to a strong start.

The Duel is here to help. Here are the three best NFL survivor pool picks for Week 1.

NFL Survivor Week 1 Picks

3. Baltimore Ravens (at NYJ)

The New York Jets don't look like quite the laughing stock this year that they've been in recent seasons, but this is still a great spot to target them. First and foremost, Zach Wilson is questionable, and that means the Baltimore Ravens' defense could get the benefit of facing off against Joe Flacco. The Ravens look like potential Super Bowl contenders this year too, and the Jets give them a great shot to get off to a fast start.

2. San Francisco 49ers (at CHI)

The San Francisco 49ers have been contenders in the NFC despite starting the mediocre Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. That means that the range of outcomes with Trey Lance under center should all be pretty good. If he proves to be a bust, this is still a team that is strong at almost every other position taking on a Chicago Bears team that they blew out 33-22 last year. And if Lance does live up to the hype, this game shouldn't be remotely close.

1. Indianapolis Colts (at HOU)

Simply picking the biggest favorite of the week isn't always a great survivor strategy. Using up the best teams in the league in the first couple weeks can leave you fighting an uphill battle. That's not the case this season, however. The Indianapolis Colts are heavy 8.5-point favorites in FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds, while nobody else is even a 7-point favorite. They also have a good-but-not-great season outlook, sitting tied for 11th in the Super Bowl odds with a win total over/under set at 9.5. They also have a few tough matchups early in the season (Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, Tennessee Titans Week 4, Denver Broncos Week 5). That means you're not going to regret having not saved the Colts for use in a later week.

Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.