March Madness Survivor Pool Picks: Free Entry to $1 Million Men's College Basketball Tournament Pool

Blake Krass breaks down the best teams to target and avoid for the first round, plus tournament-long strategies for March Madness survivor pools.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 4:05pm

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Blake Krass breaks down the best teams to target for the first round, plus tournament-long strategies for March Madness survivor pools. The $1 Million Men's College Basketball Tournament Survivor pool is now live on DraftKings, with no entry fee and $1,000,000 in prizes up for grabs. Krass advises picking teams with favorable opening matchups but potentially tough Round of 32 matchups, balancing staying alive with looking ahead to the end. He provides his picks for the first two days of the Round of 64, choosing Michigan State over North Dakota State and Iowa State over Tennessee State.

Why it matters

March Madness survivor pools are a popular way for fans to engage with the NCAA tournament beyond just filling out a bracket. This article provides expert analysis and strategy tips to help readers maximize their chances of winning the $1 million prize in DraftKings' survivor pool.

The details

The March Madness survivor pool works the same as an NFL survivor pool, where participants pick one team to win straight-up each day. The key strategy is to avoid using the best teams too early, since they will still be significant favorites later in the tournament. Krass recommends targeting teams with favorable first-round matchups but potentially tough second-round opponents. For the first two days, he picks Michigan State over North Dakota State and Iowa State over Tennessee State, noting that these teams are likely to advance but have challenging potential second-round foes.

  • The $1 Million Men's College Basketball Tournament Survivor pool is now live on DraftKings.
  • The First Four games will begin on Tuesday night, with the Round of 64 starting on Thursday afternoon.

The players

Blake Krass

The author of the article, providing expert analysis and picks for the March Madness survivor pool.

Tom Izzo

The head coach of the Michigan State Spartans, one of the teams Krass is recommending for the first round of the survivor pool.

Jeremy Fears Jr.

A standout scorer for the Michigan State Spartans.

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What they’re saying

“March Madness has arrived. One of the best stretches in sports begins on Tuesday night with the First Four. The Round of 64 will begin on Thursday afternoon.”

— Blake Krass (draftkings.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This article provides valuable insights and strategies for those looking to participate in the $1 Million Men's College Basketball Tournament Survivor pool on DraftKings. By carefully selecting teams with favorable first-round matchups but potential challenges later on, readers can maximize their chances of making a deep run and potentially winning the $1 million grand prize.