Week 2 NFL survivor pool picks, advice, strategy: NFL expert reveals best knockout pick, teams to avoid — SkimNews
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- R.J. White is SportsLine's No. 1 NFL against-the-spread expert over the past nine years, going 803-705-41 (up more than 27 units) with a 55% hit rate on Vegas contest picks over 11 seasons.
- Week 1's Chargers upset wiped out $10.3 million in survivor equity across two contests at Circa Sports in Las Vegas, as Arizona beat Los Angeles 26-14 despite the Chargers being a top consensus pick.
- White backed the Jaguars over the consensus Chargers in Week 1, a call that paid off when Jacksonville beat Cleveland 34-10.
- Six teams are favored by 7+ points in Week 2: 49ers (-13.5) vs. Dolphins, Buccaneers (-8.5) vs. Browns, Ravens (-8.5) vs. Saints, Eagles (-7) at Titans, Chargers (-7) vs. Raiders, and Rams (-7.5) vs. Giants.
- White is fading the 49ers as the Week 2 consensus pick, citing their long-distance turnaround from a game in Australia played just a week and a half earlier, and preferring to save them for later in the season.
- Dolphins QB Malik Willis showed promising signs in Week 1 despite the 27-13 loss at Las Vegas, completing 15 of 27 passes (55.6%) for 220 yards and leading Miami in rushing with 6 carries for 39 yards and a score; rookie third-round WR Caleb Douglas added 5 receptions for 94 yards.
Why it matters: Survivor pool winners hinge on preserving top favorites for later weeks: White's contrarian fade of the 49ers — the biggest Week 2 favorite at -13.5 — protects future equity, and Week 1's $10.3 million Circa Sports wipeout from a Chargers upset shows how consensus picks can devastate pools.
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