Survivor leagues are one of the oldest forms of fantasy football. It’s simple: pick a winner and move on. Once you pick that team, you can’t pick them again. There are only so many “chalk” teams to select, yet we rarely see a team go undefeated.
Last season we lost our last undefeated team in Week 5. In Fact, over the past 10 years, we’ve seen only eight teams get past 5-0. If you can’t count on the true favorites, how can you make it to the end of your survivor league? Here are some overall tips
Divisional rivals are a trap.
My first rule of thumb is to avoid divisional games. They say familiarity breeds contempt, but it also breeds competition. There is something special about teams that play each other twice a year and have a little more on the line.
Coaches learn each other’s tendencies, and players find the slight edge they need to win at their position. Divisional games are always tough competition. I avoid that in survivor leagues. Even if they are playing against the weaker teams in the league, it’s never a smart bet.
We have only five teams that have gone undefeated in divisional play over the past five seasons. We also have only ten teams going winless in divisional play.
I avoid picking divisional games unless there are some extenuating circumstances, like an inexperienced quarterback coming in. I suggest not picking them in your survivor pools.
Vegas Odds are a helpful hint.
Vegas sportsbooks aren’t building new hotels and casinos because they are losing money. They are able to do it because they are smart about their odds-making.
When it comes to survivor leagues, I look at not only the line for each game but where they are trending heading into the weekend. There is a difference between someone being a 3.5-point favorite and a team being a 7.5-point favorite.