The Rules
Eighteen weeks of the regular season. Pick teams to win. Survive. It really is that simple — but read the pick schedule, because it changes.
How it works
- Each week you pick between one and three teams to win their games.
- If a team you picked loses, that's a strike. Three strikes and you're out.
- Ties count as wins.
- Once you've used a team, you can't use them again all season.
How many picks each week
This occasionally trips players up. Please check each week to verify the number of required picks.
Deadlines
- 6:00 PM Eastern on Saturday for all Sunday and Monday games.
- For games earlier in the week, you can usually pick up until kickoff — I'll confirm in the weekly reminder.
Sending your picks
Email them to [email protected].
Keep track of which teams you've already used. Submitting a team you've already picked counts the same as not picking at all — which is a strike.
Insurance
- 5 Cilantro for one-time use, or 10 Cilantro for the whole season.
- If you forget to pick — or decide not to — you're assigned the best available team by the spread.
- You don't get to choose that team, and the pick is final.
- Can be bought at any point during the season.
Changing Your Pick
- New for 2026: Now you can change your pick after you've submitted a pick.
- Send a new email with the subject "Pick Change" and your new team. Don't reply to an old one.
- Changes are due by 6pm Saturday — or before your new team kicks off, if that's earlier. Switching to a Thursday team means changing before Thursday's game.
- Once your original team's game has started, your pick is locked.
- You still can't switch to a team you've already used.
Winning
Survive all 18 weeks and you're guaranteed to win some Cilantro. Winnings depend on how many survivors there are and how many strikes they carry.
If the pool wipes out before Week 18, it doesn't end without champions. Everyone who started the final week splits the pot evenly.
This is all about having fun and enjoying the NFL season together. Good luck, and may the Best Survivor(s) win!