Tony Farmer8/18/2026
When the NFL released its 2026 season schedule, the eyes of Circa Survivor players immediately fixated on the two holiday slates. This season those holiday slates look diabolically daunting, with nine total games, none of which offer a comfortable survival path.
Last season we were reminded just how pivotal the holiday slates are when underdogs went 4-0 and shrunk the field from 900 to 49 on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
Last season, the Circa Survivor map featured a total of four games (three Thanksgiving Day and one on Black Friday), but this season there’s a new twist. With the addition of a game before Thanksgiving Day, the Turkey Day slate will now feature five different games to choose from. As you can see below, an extra game doesn’t necessarily mean things get any easier.
- Wednesday: Packers at Rams (-5.5)
- Thursday: Bears at Lions (-2.5)
- Thursday: Eagles at Cowboys (-1.5)
- Thursday: Chiefs at Bills (-2.5)
- Friday: Broncos (-1.5) at Steelers
Basic Circa Survivor strategy suggests saving Thanksgiving teams instead of burning them early, but with a slate like this featuring no comfortable favorites, that will be even more of an emphasis in 2026. Seven of the 10 Thanksgiving slate teams were in the playoffs last season and nobody would be surprised to see the other three teams (Kansas City, Dallas, Detroit) get back to the playoffs too.
Another thing to consider: Will owners who lost on Thanksgiving last season with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions be hesitant to trust those teams this season while those wounds are still fresh? Scar tissue in Circa Survivor is a real thing.
Not only does the Circa Survivor Christmas slate look just as daunting as the Thanksgiving slate, but you may notice an eye-popping six different teams play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Thursday: Texans at Eagles (-2.5)
- Friday: Packers at Bears (-1.5)
- Friday: Bills (-1.5) at Broncos
- Friday: Rams (-1.5) at Seahawks
Every game on the Christmas list features a 2025 playoff team, so don’t expect any gifts from the survivor gods.
As if the challenging Thanksgiving and Christmas slates aren’t scary enough, take a moment to consider that the teams listed above will be heavy favorites in the weeks leading up to both holiday slates. In other words, getting to Thanksgiving with multiple holiday options won’t be easy.
For example, the Rams play the Cardinals and Raiders back-to-back in Weeks 6 and 7 and the Cardinals again in Week 10. Some people might be tempted to use the Lions in Week 1 vs. New Orleans or Week 6 against the Cardinals.
The Chiefs have the Raiders in Week 4 and the Jets in Week 9. And if you’re considering the Chiefs or Bills on Thanksgiving, just remember the week prior, Kansas City hosts the Cardinals and Buffalo hosts Miami.
