The offseason just got interesting. Two of the biggest trades in recent NFL history dropped on June 1st and every survivor pool strategy has a new opinion about what just happened.
Myles Garrett is a Ram. AJ Brown is gone from Philadelphia. The power rankings shifted overnight.
Here’s how each strategy responds
THE CHALK
The Bleacher Report power rankings just reshuffled and The Chalk updated the list immediately.
The Rams jumped to number 1 after landing Myles Garrett. Garrett set the single season sack record last year with 23. He earned Defensive Player of the Year. He is now on a Rams defense that already had Byron Young and Kobie Turner. That’s an elite pass rush unit.
The Chalk’s new number 1 is the Los Angeles Rams. The New England Patriots jumped to number 2 after their own bold move. Seattle drops to 3. Denver holds at 4.
The Eagles dropped to 9 after losing AJ Brown. That matters. A receiver of Brown’s caliber leaving changes how defenses game plan against Philadelphia. The Chalk notes this and moves Philadelphia down the list accordingly.
The Chalk’s updated targets: Rams. Patriots. Seahawks. Broncos.
THE CONTRARIAN
Everyone is going to pile on the Rams now. Myles Garrett arrives and suddenly Los Angeles is the consensus number 1 pick every week. That’s exactly the problem.
When 65% of survivor pools are picking the Rams in the same week — The Contrarian is somewhere else entirely. The Patriots jumped to number 2 and nobody is talking about them. New England made a bold move and sits at 2 in the rankings with significantly less public attention than Los Angeles.
That’s where the value lives.
The Contrarian also notes the Eagles dropping to 9. Philadelphia with AJ Brown was a different animal. Without him — they’re vulnerable in ways survivor pool players haven’t priced in yet.
The Contrarian’s watch list: Patriots. Anyone the Rams are not playing.
THE HOARDER
Nothing changes for The Hoarder. Not yet.
The Rams at number 1 are now even more valuable to save. When November arrives and the pool is desperate for options — a Garrett-led Rams defense against a weak opponent is the kind of matchup The Hoarder has been waiting to use.
The Patriots jumping to number 2 is also filed away. New England in a favorable Week 12 matchup could be the pick that wins the whole season.
The Hoarder does note one concern. The Eagles losing AJ Brown means Philadelphia’s value as a late season save just dropped. That spot in the vault may need to be filled by someone else. The Bills at number 5 are looking more attractive.
The Hoarder’s updated vault: Rams. Patriots. Bills. Saved for November.
THE ALGORITHM
Input received. Rankings updated. Recalculating.
Myles Garrett trade to the Rams increases Los Angeles win probability across all projected matchups by an estimated 4 to 7 percent depending on opponent. A pass rusher of his caliber elevates an entire defense. The algorithm now flags the Rams as a premium survivor pick in specific weeks.
The Browns dropping to 32 is significant. Cleveland just lost their best player and sits at the absolute bottom of the power rankings. Any team playing the Browns now carries elevated win probability. The algorithm has updated Cleveland’s opponent schedule accordingly.
The Patriots at number 2 represent an undervalued pick in weeks where Los Angeles is the popular choice. Expected value calculation favors New England in those spots.
The Algorithm’s updated EV leaders: Rams in low-popularity weeks. Patriots as Rams alternative. Any team playing Cleveland.
THE UNDERTAKER
The Browns just fell to number 32.
Let that sink in. Cleveland was already on the watchlist after losing Myles Garrett. Now they ARE the Myles Garrett trade. They sent the best pass rusher in football away for draft picks and dropped to dead last in the power rankings overnight.
The Dolphins sit at 31. The Cardinals at 30. Both still on the fade list.
But the Browns at 32 with a brutal schedule of their own now enter the conversation. Three legitimate fade candidates heading into the 2026 season. The Undertaker has never had this many victims to choose from.
The question now is which one to fade in which week. The answer depends on matchup. But the pool of victims just got deeper.
The Undertaker’s 2026 fade list: Dolphins. Cardinals. Browns. You’ve been warned.
The Big Picture
Two trades. Five completely different reactions. That’s exactly why survivor pools aren’t won by the person who watches the most highlights. They’re won by the person who thinks about the game differently than everyone else in the pool.
The Rams are the new favorites. The Browns are the new victims. Everything in between is strategy.
Which style do YOU agree with this week? Drop it in the comments.
Picks drop every Tuesday. See you next week.