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 weeks, you could be $2,000 richer.
Survivor Fun Facts as of 12-29-11:
Week 16 Recap
Playing most of the second half without their best player and starting quarterback, Minnesota found a way to beat the Washington Redskins and deter Harmon, Halpin and Fowler from a Week 16 survivor victory.
Leave it to Rex Grossman to overthrow Santana Moss and allow the Vikings to pick off their first pass since Week 5. Then to top it off, a few days later, the Redskins cut Ryan Torain. Evan Royster’s stock tripled in one game.
It must be Washington’s and Mike Shanahan’s way of spreading holiday cheer.
John Halpin and Cam Newton love themselves some Tampa Bay defense. For the second time this season, the rookie quarterback dominated his division rival. This time around he passed for three touchdowns and ran for one 49-yard score en route to 48-16 rout. The Panthers rushed for 270 yards as a team.
The Bucs may want to concentrate on defense in the 2012 Draft.
Week 17 Picks
Beall – Jaguars
The “Suck for Luck” sweepstakes comes down to this battle for inferiority. The Indianapolis Colts are riding a two-game win streak, while at the same time freaking out a fan base that is rallying around the franchise earning the top pick in next April’s Draft and selecting Andrew Luck with it. In order to lock up that No. 1 pick, the Colts must lose to the Jaguars on Sunday. Jacksonville beat Indy a few weeks back 17-3 with Maurice Jones-Drew rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown. With LeSean McCoy done for the year (ankle), MJD has locked up the rushing title with 1437 yards and counting.
Fowler – 49ers
The St. Louis Rams have an outside shot at the number one pick, but sports talk radio has been speculating all week as to what the team would do with the pick since they already have Sam Bradford. On the flip side, San Francisco has a lot to play for as a win over the Rams secures a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs. St. Louis has lost six straight games by a combined score of 150-53. A bye in the playoffs and a shot at Andrew Luck in the Draft; you could call that a win-win situation.
Harmon – Saints
A tip of the cap to the “Swollen Dome” for reaching Week 17 before using the New Orleans Saints as his pick. Drew Brees may have broke Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a single season, but his team still have its sights set on a first round bye.
Halpin - Vikings
The Chicago Bears look to snap their longest losing streak in nine seasons. Minnesota may see what it has to work with in 2012. Christian Ponder passed his concussion test, but Joe Webb’s play in Week 16 may earn him some more playing time against the Bears. Plus, Toby Gerhart now takes over for Adrian Peterson who tore two knee ligaments last week and will be the number one back for the foreseeable future.
