It’s never too early to start plotting out your survivor strategy for the 2026 NFL season. The full 18-week, 272-game schedule was released on Thursday, so there’s no better time to start digging in than now. Let’s plot out our early NFL survivor strategy and make a roadmap to get us through all 18 weeks of the NFL season unscathed.
There are lots of different survivor leagues and pools out there, and they all have their own unique rules. We’re going to go with the basics. You have 18 weeks to make picks. Once you’ve picked a team, you can’t go back to them. Ideally, I like to take home teams and avoid divisional matchups as much as possible.
Week 1: Los Angeles Chargers
I’m not looking to get cute Week 1. The Arizona Cardinals are going to be a bad football team, probably the worst in the league. The Los Angeles Chargers are a great football team; they host this game and should be healthy and ready to roll in Week 1. They are a good option in Week 2 as they host the Raiders as well, but let’s get us to Week 2.
Week 2: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers will host the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. Miami is another team that projects to be pretty bad, and we’ll capitalize on that here. This is a week with a lot of tough toss-up games. The 49ers would also be interesting in Week 3 hosting Arizona, but they fit perfectly in Week 2.
Week 3: Detroit Lions
The first couple of weeks are filled with some solid matchups that don’t make it easy. So, we’re going to pick on the top “bad teams” here early. The New York Jets fall into that category. They’ll head to Detroit for a non-conference game here that’s hard to see them winning. Geno Smith, or maybe a rookie quarterback, against Dan Campbell’s knee biters? Aaron Glen is also a former Campbell assistant. I’ll take the master in this one. On to Week 4!
Week 4: Chicago Bears
It’s a rough stretch for the Jets, who will be on their third NFC North game in a row and second on the road in the Midwest. The Jets do have some playmakers, but in this battle of former Lions coordinators, the East advantage goes to Ben Johnson and the Bears.
Week 5: New England Patriots
Top Brady returns to New England. This time, as an owner with the Raiders and mentor to Fernando Mendonza. Kirk Cousins will likely still be the starter at this point, however. The Patriots lost in Week 1 to the Raiders last year and certainly will want to avenge that, and show their former leader which club is better. Give me the Patriots in this one.
Week 6: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It doesn’t take long into the season before you have to start making tough decisions. This is one of them. The Buccaneers host the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that’s always tough to put a finger on. I think they’ll be a middle-of-the-pack team, but Tampa Bay should be better. This is also part of looking ahead; there isn’t a better spot to use Tampa Bay later. We’ll roll with them here in this home non-conference game.
Week 7: Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. The Vikings’ season could be going either way at this point, but I believe they’ll be humming along with Kyler Murray and be one of the better teams in the league. The Colts looked good last year, but with Daniel Jones injury questions, I’m not sure they’ll be as good this year. The Vikings are the best option for my criteria in Week 7.
Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals
In Week 8, the Tennessee Titans will travel to Cincinnati. It’ll be interesting to see how this Titans team progresses under the new coaching staff and with Cam Ward. But, they won’t be to the level the Bengals should be clicking off at in Week 8. Cincinnati is a team with a lot of hard games, so this makes them an easy choice in Week 8.
Week 9: Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid vs Aaron Glen and the Jets in Kansas City? We’ve saved the Chiefs to use them here; it’s a smash spot.
Week 10: Buffalo Bills
I’ve presented you with Andy Reid vs Aaron Glen at home. How about Josh Allen vs Aaron Glen at home? Saving these bigger-name teams for smash spots later in the season when you can trust them the most is the best approach. Buffalo is a smash spot here.
Week 11: Dallas Cowboys
The Tennessee Titans come to Arlington in Week 11. Tennessee is still one of the teams I’m targeting as a weaker matchup. Especially in a non-conference road spot here in Week 11. The Cowboys should be a solid team.
Week 12: Washington Commanders
I’ll be very honest, Week 12 might be the hardest week to pick. If you get to this point in the pool, we’re going to have to take a risk somewhere. I don’t love a team coming from D.C. to Phoenix, but I think they are the best team for the week. Jayden Daniels and the Commanders should be a bounce-back team by this point, and Arizona will hopefully be in full fade mode on the season as they look toward the Draft.
Week 13: Denver Broncos
Week 13 is much easier than Week 12. The Miami Dolphins have been in for the long haul at this point in what shouldn’t be a very good season early in the rebuild. A South Beach team headed to cold Denver, and the elevation lines up nicely. Give me the Donkeys here.
Week 14: Atlanta Falcons
Week 14 presents more hurdles in the way we hope to build this map. I’m going to lean into full revenge mode this week. It’s another road team, and we’ll see how Atlanta is actually doing by the time Week 14 rolls around. But Kevin Stefanski is taking his new girl into the old girl’s house. He’s going to do everything he can to run up the score in the Dawg Pound, and I can’t wait to bet Atlanta this week.
Week 15: Green Bay Packers
Those kids from South Beach head to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field this late in the season? I know Malik Willis will want to show up against his old team. The problem is, his old team is much better than his new team. Go Pack Go in Week 15.
Week 16: New Orleans Saints
That’s right, we’re going to be on the New Orleans Saints late in the year. They host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. How fitting Archie Manning’s team could help hand a loss to help a team land, Arch Manning. Either way, I’m bought in on Kellen Moore and Tyler Shough, I’m willing to roll with them here.
Week 17: Seattle Seahawks
Week 17 is another hard one. We’ll go on the road again for a winner here with Super Bowl Champion Sam Darnold returning to his former home in Charlotte against the Panthers. Both teams should be solid, but with two weeks left, I’ll trust the team that was just there and go it done to secure a road win in a tough week to choose.
Week 18: Houston Texans
Save the best for last, right? I’m extremely high on the Texans in 2026, and they should be going for seeding in a week where we have to pick our first divisional matchup because everyone is playing in the division. Houston hosts the Titans, who should be out of it by this time. Their defense is stifling, and we’ll let them carry us home.
