Every year, millions of Americans enter NFL "survivor" contests, the simple but difficult to master pick 'em format that has contestants pick one team per week to win a game, with the caveat that the team then cannot be picked again that season. Many pools among friends or colleagues use the contests as a way to wager casually with one another, while some companies use them to engage fans; ESPN's free-to-enter Eliminator Challenge attracted 942,806 entries this year.
But what's usually a fun diversion for casual and hardcore bettors alike has been a nightmare to start the 2024 season.