Where To Play NFL Survivor Pools 2025: Best Free & Paid Contests
Wondering where to play NFL survivor pools in 2025? This guide covers the best free, paid, and high-stakes options available online and in-person.
by Spencer Limbach - Aug 25, 2025
(Image Credit: Tim Steadman/Icon Sportswire)
Looking for the best place to play NFL survivor pools in 2025? This guide breaks down your top options, from the biggest high-stakes contests in Las Vegas to popular online platforms where you can play for real money, plus a few free-to-enter games with real prizes.
NFL survivor pools are more popular than ever, and there are plenty to enter before (and during) the season. From high-stakes Vegas competitions to the best online platforms, this list puts all the best 2025 NFL Survivor Pool Contests at your fingertips. Once you’re in, be sure to check out our guide on How to Win NFL Survivor Pools or dive into our Week 1 NFL Survivor Picks.
We’ll continue updating this list as more contest details are released.
March Madness Picks 2026
Get an edge in NCAA bracket pools, survivor contests, and Calcutta auctions with our data-driven picks and tools.
Where To Play NFL Survivor 2025
Last update: Aug. 25, 2025
| Contest | Entry Fee | Prize Pool | Max Entries | Enter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circa Grandissimo | $100,000 | $1,500,000* | 2 | In-person** |
| Circa Survivor | $1,000 | $15,000,000* | 10 | In-person** |
| SuperContest Survivor | $5,000 | 100% to Winner(s) | 10 | In-person** |
| DraftKings $1M+ NFL Survivor Pool | $1,000 | $1,000,000* | 100 | Online |
| DraftKings $1M+ NFL Survivor Pool | $10 | $1,000,000* | 150 | Online |
| The Big Splash | $150 | $2,500,000 | 150 | Online |
| Splash $50K Survivor | $5 | $50,000 | 150 | Online |
| ESPN Eliminator Challenge | Free | $25,000 | 25 | Online |
| Venmo $5k Survivor Challenge | Free | $5,000 | 1 | Online |
| Yahoo Survival Challenge | Free | TBD | 1 | Online |
*Guaranteed prize pool. If entries exceed the minimum, additional funds are added to the pot: 100% payout, no rake.
**You must sign up in person at Las Vegas property. However, you can assign a proxy to submit weekly picks on your behalf. To learn more, visit the How to Choose a Las Vegas Football Contest Proxy article.
Circa Survivor 2025
Entry Fee: $1,000
Prize Pool: $15,000,000 (minimum guarantee)
Max Entries: 10
Double Pick Weeks: Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Christmas (special rules)
Circa Survivor is the biggest legal NFL survivor contest on the planet, and the 2025 edition could break records again. The contest has a minimum guaranteed $15 million prize pool, but recent projections suggest it could climb to $20 million or more.
The format is simple: pick one team per week, no repeats, survive and advance. However, there’s a unique wrinkle:
-
Thanksgiving/Black Friday is treated as its own week. You must make a pick from the eight teams playing during that span.
-
Christmas games (three of them) are also treated as their own standalone week.
That effectively adds two bonus weeks to the survivor format and introduces extra strategy around scheduling picks.
You must sign up for Circa Survivor in Las Vegas, but you can have a proxy submit your weekly picks after the initial registration.
Learn how to join Circa Survivor →
Circa Grandissimo
Entry Fee: $100,000
Prize Pool: $1,500,000 (minimum guarantee)
Max Entries: 2
Double Pick Weeks: Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Christmas (same format as Circa Survivor)
Circa Grandissimo is a brand-new, ultra-high-stakes survivor contest debuting in 2025. With a $100K buy-in and only 2 entries allowed, it is one of the most exclusive NFL contests ever created.
The format mirrors Circa Survivor: same weeks, same rules, same must-win format…but with fewer entrants and even higher stakes.
Curious how a real Grandissimo player thinks? We spoke with the first-ever entrant of Circa Grandissimo here.
In addition, we put together a Circa Grandissimo Strategy Guide that breaks down how strategy shifts in smaller pools, regardless of the entry fee.
Like all Circa contests, entries must be registered in person in Las Vegas, but proxy services are allowed for weekly picks.
Learn how to join Circa Grandissimo →
SuperContest Survivor
Entry Fee: $5,000
Prize Pool: 100% to Winner(s)
Max Entries: 10
Double Pick Weeks: TBD
Hosted by Westgate Las Vegas. One of the highest-stakes survivor contests outside of Circa, but full details have yet to be released.
You can read more about how SuperContest Survivor works here.
Like the other Las Vegas football contests, you must sign up in person, but can then use a proxy to submit picks.
Learn how to join SuperContest Survivor →
Best Online NFL Survivor Pools 2025
Below are the top online NFL survivor contests for 2025, including massive guaranteed prize pools and free-to-enter options.
The Big Splash ($2.5 Million Prize Pool)
Entry Fee: $150
Prize Pool: $2,500,000
Max Entries Per Person: 150
Double Pick Weeks: Weeks 14-18
Splash Sports is running the largest online survivor pool for the 2025 NFL season: The Big Splash, featuring a guaranteed $2.5 million prize pool.
Important Format Note: From Week 11 through Week 18, you’ll need to pick two teams per week instead of one, so plan your strategy accordingly.
This is just one of several NFL survivor contests available at Splash Sports. You can enter these contests for real money prizes in the following U.S. states: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, and WY.
Available in every Canadian province except Quebec.
Splash Sports: $50K NFL Survivor
Entry Fee: $5
Prize Pool: $50,000
Max Entries: 150
Double Pick Weeks: No
If the $150 Big Splash entry isn’t your speed, there are also lower buy-in survivor contests available on the same platform. This makes it a great spot to explore your NFL survivor pool options and perhaps even build a portfolio of entries.
In fact, that’s exactly what our lead analyst Jason Lisk did last year, turning $2 into over $3,000 by taking a “portfolio approach” in a low-stakes Splash Sports contest.
For this contest, you only need to make one survivor pick per week. There are no double-pick weeks.
Note: The same 39-state eligibility applies to this contest, as it does for all NFL Survivor contests at Splash Sports.
DraftKings Sportsbook: $1M NFL Survivor ($1,000 Entry)
Entry Fee: $1,000
Prize Pool: $1 Million+
Max Entries: 100
Double Pick Weeks: No
DraftKings offers several NFL Survivor contests, but keep in mind you must be located in a DraftKings Sportsbook-legal state each week to submit your picks.
One of the flagship contests has a hefty $1,000 entry fee and a guaranteed $1 million prize pool, which would grow even larger if more than 1,000 entries were received.
NFL survivor pools up @DKSportsbook
A couple of $1M prize pools, one with $10 entry, another with $1,000 entry 👀 pic.twitter.com/4roupEV3mn
— Spencer Limbach (@slimbach21) August 18, 2025
DraftKings Sportsbook: $1M NFL Survivor ($10 Entry)
Entry Fee: $10
Prize Pool: $1 Million+
Max Entries: 150
Double Pick Weeks: No
DraftKings also runs a $10 Survivor contest that allows up to 150 entries per person. The prize pool is guaranteed at $1 million but could climb even higher if the contest surpasses 100,000 entries.
Just like the higher-stakes version, you’ll need to be in a DraftKings Sportsbook-legal state each week to lock in your picks.
Best Free Online NFL Survivor Pools 2025
ESPN Eliminator Challenge (Free Entry)
Entry Fee: Free
Prize Pool: $25,000
Max Entries: 25
Double Pick Weeks: No
If you’re looking to play for free, this is the top option. The $25K NFL Survivor is completely free to enter, and you get 25 entries, so be sure to use them all and take a portfolio approach to boost your chances.
The format is straightforward: one pick per week, no double-pick weeks. Just survive each round and make it to the end for a shot at your share of the $25,000 prize pool.
Yahoo Survival Challenge (Free Entry)
Entry Fee: Free
Prize Pool: To Be Announced
Max Entries: 1
Double Pick Weeks: No
Yahoo’s Survival Challenge is another solid free option, especially for beginners. You just need a Yahoo account to play. Prizes for 2025 are TBA, but past years have included cash and Vegas trips.
You can also set up your own survivor pool with friends or join someone else’s, with customizable rules like allowing a certain number of strikes.
Join Yahoo Survival Challenge →
DraftKings: $5K Venmo Survivor Challenge (Free Entry)
Entry Fee: Free
Prize Pool: $5,000
Max Entries: 1
Double Pick Weeks: No
DraftKings also offers a free-to-play $5,000 Venmo Survivor Pool. Since there’s no entry fee, it isn’t limited to DraftKings Sportsbook-legal states, making it accessible to a wider audience.
Join $5K Venmo Survivor Challenge at DraftKings →
Want to Win Your NFL Survivor Pool?
Most people just pick the safest team or follow their gut each week, but that’s not how you win.
To actually take down a survivor pool, you need to:
-
Choose teams with strong win odds
-
Avoid overly popular picks
-
Plan ahead for future weeks
PoolGenius makes it easy. Just enter your pool rules and size, and our algorithms evaluate every team’s win odds, popularity, and future matchups to deliver the best possible picks in a simple format, whether you’re managing one entry or many.
Our subscribers win have reported over $6.5 million in NFL pool contest prizes since 2017.
Get Your 2025 NFL Survivor Picks Today!
March Madness Picks 2026
Get an edge in NCAA bracket pools, survivor contests, and Calcutta auctions with our data-driven picks and tools.