Welcome one and all to Week 11, where we’re getting into the nitty gritty with our Survivor picks. The blemish on our record last week was the Buffalo Bills, who continue to lose games they should be winning, so that takes some of the chalk off of the menu. As much as I’d love to recommend them against the Jets this week, I can’t do it. We’re running out of teams to use, so it will get even tougher coming down the pike, but we’ll get you the winners you deserve! We’re #FAmily and we deserve nothing less!

We will help you get to the promised land one week at a time with our picks, but in case you’re not familiar with Survivor pools, here’s a quick rundown:

Pick a team that wins in each NFL week. Typically, you choose a team just once, so each selection is essential. Some survivor pools have double-elimination so that you can slip up and still be in the running. Make sure you’re checking out our weekly matchup previews and our Survivor League Strategy in the Fantasy Alarm Draft Guide as guides toward picking the best winners for each week and developing a strategy.

Let’s dive right in with Week 11’s picks!

2023 Survival Pool Picks Record

Week 10: 4-1 (.800)

Overall: 37-13 (.740)

 

NFL Week 11 DraftKings Odds, Implied Totals, Spreads, and Over/Under

*All lines current as of 11:00 PM ET, 11/15/23, courtesy of Vegas Insider*

NFL Week 11 Survivor Picks

Detroit Lions

The Lions feel safe this week in Survivor, even with Justin Fields likely returning to man the ship for the Chicago Bears. The Lions are at home as 7.5-point favorites and the Bears' defense is still a leaky faucet that hasn’t stopped leaking. In Week 11, they will attempt to stop David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Sam LaPorta. As the bad guy said in Taken, “good luck.”

They should be the giga-chalk this week, but let’s remember that the New York Giants (for now) are still in the NFL as they play…

Washington Commanders

…the Commanders! Whoever is playing the Tommy DeVito-led Giants feels like a pretty safe free square for the rest of the season and oddsmakers think so too, with the Commanders as 9.5-point favorites. The Giants have a 13.5-point implied total in Week 11; the stone-worst total of any team in any week so far this season. That seems bad, folks.

We said the Lions SHOULD be chalk against the Bears, but any team playing the Giants IS the chalk. If the Commanders lose this game, pack them up and ship them all off to London.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are winless against teams with a winning record this season and looking at the standings, they show that the plucky Antonio Pierce-led Raiders are 5-5. Well, they don’t have a winning record, so technicality? We’ll take it. The Raiders got to beat up on both New York teams the last two weeks but now head to Miami as the largest underdog of the Week 11 slate at 13.5 points.

Can Aidan O’Connell keep up on the scoreboard with Tyreek Hill, Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, and a returning De’Von Achane? Conventional wisdom says no. My gut says… also no. 

The Dolphins are coming off of their Week 10 bye rested and ready to go, making this a pretty easy choice if you haven’t selected Miami yet.

Other NFL Week 11 Survivor Pool Options

Dallas Cowboys

IT’S LAST CALL on the Dallas Cowboys for the rest of the season, as this is likely the last comfortable spot to use them. Their remaining schedule: 

  • vs. Washington
  • vs. Seattle
  • vs. Philadelphia
  • at Buffalo
  • at Miami
  • vs. Detroit
  • at Washington

It seems pretty gross, but luckily on deck in Week 11 is the cure that ails most: the Carolina Panthers. The worst team in the NFL, the Panthers have the third-lowest implied point total of the slate at 15.75, which actually seems like a badge of honor at this point that it wasn’t the worst. The Cowboys are 10.5-point favorites heading into Charlotte.

This would be chalk, but a lot of teams have likely used them already. If for some reason you haven’t, I’m bypassing each of the other teams I’ve listed here and playing the Cowboys. 

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers’ offense has come on over the last few weeks, coinciding with Austin Ekeler's return. The Packers have been one of the league's youngest and most disappointing teams, as their lone wins were vs. the Chicago Bears, a one-point win against the Saints, and against the Brett Rypien-led Los Angeles Rams. They are not instilling much confidence, even in Lambeau Field.

The Chargers are 3.0-point favorites coming into Green Bay, and the question you have to ask is: can Jordan Love score enough to keep up with a high-powered Chargers offense? The Packers are scoring 19.9 points per game this season and have not put up a game with more than 20 points since Week 2. In a race to 20 points, the Chargers seem much more equipped.