The San Francisco 49ers are popular NFL survivor pool picks. With a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings (+4.5), who had a preseason over/under win total of 6.5, in the Week 2 NFL schedule, this would have been a game 2024 NFL survivor pool players may have mapped out before the season. However, with Christian McCaffrey (calf, Achilles) out for the 49ers for the second straight week and the Vikings coming off a 28-6 victory over the Giants in Week 1, would it be a wise NFL survivor pool strategy to use the 49ers in Week 2 NFL knockout pool picks, or are you better off waiting for McCaffrey's return for Week 2 eliminator pool picks? Before finalizing any Week 2 NFL survivor picks, see which team the red-hot SportsLine Projection Model just went all-in on.
The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 184-130 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 38-22 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.
The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94 percent of CBS Sports Football Pick'em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
The model can be used to crush the Survivor Pool format, which calls for picking one team to win each week but never using the same team twice. In Week 1, the model recommended the Saints as its top survivor pick. New Orleans won in 79% of SportsLine's simulations, and the Saints dominated Carolina, 47-10, in what was the most lopsided game of the opening week.
Now, it has turned its attention to the latest Week 2 NFL odds and locked in its Week 2 survivor pool pick. You can only see who the model is backing this week at SportsLine.
Top Week 2 NFL survivor pool predictions
In Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, the model is shying away from the Seahawks, even though they are coming off a victory and are 3.5-point favorites over the Patriots. Picking the team going against the Patriots was the most popular play for Week 1 of NFL survivor pools and it resulted in a large chunk of players being eliminated after the Patriots upset the Bengals, 16-10. The Patriots had the lowest preseason over/under for total wins at 4.5, but New England showed last week it has the chance to be significantly better than many expected under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.
Seattle has to fly across the country to play New England and taking a road team in a knockout pool can be a risky strategy, especially a team dealing with a cross-country flight. The Seahawks are 6-6 over their last 12 games dating back to last season and none of those victories came by more than one score. Seattle trailed Denver, 13-9, at halftime in Bo Nix's NFL debut for the Broncos before escaping with a 26-20 victory at home and that win doesn't instill much confidence in Seattle, who failed to cover the 6.5-point spread against Denver. See which team to pick instead here.
How to make Week 2 NFL survivor pool picks
Instead, the model is backing a surprising road team that wins outright in almost 80% of simulations. The time to pick this team is now, and you can only see the play over at SportsLine.
Which surprising team is a must-back in your Week 2 NFL survivor pool? Visit SportsLine now to see which team carries you to victory in Week 2, all from the advanced computer model that nailed its Week 1 survivor pick and is up well over $7,000 since its inception.
