Survive and advance is a popular sports mantra normally saved for the month of March and the madness that comes with it.
But thanks to the rapid growth of the NFL and fantasy football, games like FOX Fantasy Survivor can feed your craving for “win or go home” competition seven months early.
Thousands of football fans signed up and participated in the FOX Fantasy Survivor game last season. The hope is, with cash prizes on the line, we can eclipse that mark in 2011.
The premise is simple: pick one (1) team who you believe is going to win that week. The survivor catch remains that once you pick a team to win, you can’t pick that team again for the rest of the season. The good news is, even if you lose, you are still eligible to win cash prizes.
To assist you with your survivor selections, the FOXSports.com’s fantasy football staff will provide you their picks for the week.
Just remember the mantra: survive and advance. In a couple months, you could be $2,000 richer.
Week 10 Recap
We’ve all heard of the “butterfly effect” where very small actions can have extremely complex effects. The effect is a decedent of Chaos Theory and if there is one word to describe the state of the Philadelphia Eagles right now, it’s chaos.
The small action started Sunday morning when word broke that DeSean Jackson was going to be held out of the team’s game against the Cardinals for missing a team meeting. During the game, Jeremy Maclin left with a shoulder injury only to return and exit again with a hamstring pull that kept him out for good. With the game too close for comfort, yet winnable, Andy Reid forgot his running back LeSean McCoy was more than capable of carrying the team. He finished with 14 carries.
The complex effect: a survivor loss for Harmon, Fowler and Beall.
Aaron Rodgers led Halpin to a Week 10 win that lifted his record to 8-2 and into a first place tie with Harmon. The Minnesota Vikings pass defense had no shot of containing Rodgers. He finished with 250 yards and four touchdowns. By jumping out to a 24-0 third quarter lead, Green Bay forced the Vikes to abandon their number one weapon, Adrian Peterson. Without ADP, Christian Ponder was overwhelmed with too much of a deficit to overcome and finished 16 of 190 with no touchdowns.
On to Week 11’s picks …
Week 11 Picks
Harmon – 49ers
Beanie Wells has one good knee and John Skelton can’t post back-to-back 300-yard passing performances, right? San Francisco would have to crash and burn the final seven games for Jim Harbaugh to lose his grasp on NFL Coach of the Year honors. While the Niners’ pass defense is vulnerable in spots, the team’s rush defense – tops in the NFL – has yet to allow a rushing touchdown. It’s on Skelton’s shoulders to carry the offense, again.
Beall – Patriots
Tyler Palko’s first career start comes on national television Monday night. It’s a chief concern among fantasy owners of not only Dwayne Bowe, but also Steve Breaston. If Tom Brady is as locked in as he was against the Jets (329 passing yards and three touchdowns), Kansas City has no shot in this contest. For Brady to lose at Gillette Stadium to a backup, no name quarterback would be a sign of the apocalypse.
Signed,
John Skelton circa Week 10
Fowler – Packers
Josh Freeman, what happened? You were a stud last season, posting stats that included 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Nine games into this season, you’ve thrown nine touchdown passes and 13 interceptions and your Buccaneers are 4-5. Tampa’s top offensive weapon has been LeGarrette Blount, but if the Bucs fall behind, which against the Packers is highly likely, the running back is eliminated as a threat. If Aaron Rodgers and the Packers build a 14-point lead at the any point, the Bucs don’t have what it takes to rally back this season.
Halpin - Ravens
This is a gamble. The Baltimore Ravens are one of the more confusing teams this NFL season. Over their last three games, they’ve rallied to beat the Cardinals and Steelers only to travel cross-country and lose to the 2-6 Seahawks.
The good news is as well as Andy Dalton has performed in his rookie season, the Bengals' offense ranks in the bottom half of the league. With Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and company pretty ticked off following the loss, it’s going to be a huge test for Dalton to go into Baltimore and win – with or without A.J. Green (knee).
