As we count down to the regular season kickoff, scores of fans are getting set to finalize their NFL survivor pool entries.
NFL survivor pools continue to grow in popularity, and sports betting sites are getting in on the action. Some of the biggest contests are online at DraftKings Sportsbook, which has pools available at multiple price points.
The headline attraction is the DraftKings Main Event Survivor Pool, which features a prize pool of $1.5 million. The menu has a variety of options, from low- to higher-stakes games.
Online NFL survivor pools available at DraftKings
The table below features the currently available DraftKings survivor pools with the highest guaranteed prize amounts. Each pool is open to an unlimited number of entrants, but each entrant has a maximum number of entries. The listed prize pools are guaranteed and may continue to grow as additional users enter the contests.
| Pool | Prizes | Entry Fee | Max Entries Per User |
| Main Event NFL Survivor Pool | $1.5 million | $100 | 150 |
| Mega NFL Survivor Pool | $500,000 | $1,000 | 50 |
| Mini NFL Survivor Pool | $400,000 | $10 | 150 |
| High Roller NFL Survivor Pool | $100,000 | $10,000 | 3 |
| Micro NFL Survivor Pool | $25,000 | $1 | 150 |
*DraftKings online survivor pools are open to users located in the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wyoming.
How NFL survivor works
When you enter an NFL survivor pool, you simply pick one team to win each week. There are no spreads to worry about, just straight-up winners and losers. If the team you pick wins, you “survive” and move on to play the following week.
For the survivor pools at DraftKings, you’re eliminated once you lose. For example, if you select the heavily favored Bengals to beat the Patriots in their NFL Week 1 game, and New England pulls out an upset, you’re out.
The same applies if you make it all the way to Week 15 or later and make the wrong call. Even with a late-season loss, you’ll be out of the running. Those who make it to the end unblemished get to celebrate as they split the prize pool.
Additionally, you can only choose an NFL team once while you remain alive in a survivor pool. If you use the Buffalo Bills or another top favorite in Week 1, you won’t be able to use that team again for the remainder of the pool.
Basic NFL survivor pool strategy
The goal of an NFL survivor pool is to be the last one standing without a loss. Naturally, that’s much easier said than done. Anything can happen when two NFL teams square off, including monumental upsets that few — if any — saw coming.
When researching your potential weekly survivor pool entries, the point spreads for the upcoming games can be a good starting point. You can quickly determine which teams are heavy favorites, along with the matchups that appear to be close to a toss-up.
While you can focus your efforts on a week-to-week basis, it’s also helpful to look ahead at what’s to come for the teams that you’re interested in. For example, if one squad has a tough stretch of games upcoming, it may make sense to use it right then and there.
On the other hand, if there’s a heavy favorite that has a number of other appealing matchups on tap for the coming weeks, it might be prudent to hold off. Once again, you can only use a team once, which adds more of a strategic element to survivor pool play.
Can you still play NFL survivor after you’re eliminated?
For the online season-long survivor pools, losing a single pick means elimination. However, there are plenty of other wagering options to explore at NFL betting sites. For those looking to continue playing survivor, new contests are available weekly.
DraftKings also offers weekly pools with various price points and prize amounts. If you’re among the unlucky ones to lose in Week 1, you can take your chances with a brand new pool the following week and so on throughout the season.
