2020 The Phinsider Fantasy Football League and Survivor Pool update

Someone last week recommended we take a minute to update the site on our 2020 Eliminator Challenge survivor pool on ESPN’s fantasy site. The goal of this pool is to pick one victorious team per week, without ever repeating the team selected, and make it as long as you can during the season. Our group started with just over 80 participants.

After Week 1, we were down to 48 participants still in the running. The overwhelming majority of the wrong picks in Week 1 were the Indianapolis Colts, who lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 27-20. The Philadelphia Eagles were also a semi-popular pick, though they lost to the Washington Football Team 27-17.

The most popular correct pick for the week was a selection of the Buffalo Bills to beat the New York Jets, with a 27-17 result moving everyone on to Week 2 of the pool. The Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers were also picked by multiple participants.

In Week 2, we lost five participants, dropping us down to 43 remaining. Four of the incorrect picks from the group were actually from no pick being made. The fifth was a selection of the Miami Dolphins.

Correct picks were not as consensus in Week 2, with team selections including the Steelers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Tennessee Titans.

After Week 3, we were down to 34 remaining after nine players missed their picks. The Arizona Cardinals, who lost 26-23 to the Detroit Lions, was the most commonly missed prediction. The Los Angeles Chargers and Atlanta Falcons were also missed picks.

The most popular correct pick were the Colts, who beat the Jets 36-7. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also selected by multiple people.

Finally, last week brought us down to 32 players remaining. One person did not make a pick and one person missed the pick with the Dallas Cowboys.

The most common correct pick was the Los Angeles Rams, with the Ravens the second-most popular pick.

I am still alive in the pool. My picks so far have been the Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers, the Colts, and the New Orleans Saints.

Since we are taking a look at the fantasy games on ESPN’s site, I thought we could also give you a look at our fantasy football league standings. Obviously, we are four weeks into the season. Our playoffs are two week playoffs, with Weeks 14-15 the first round and Weeks 16-17 the championship rounds. That gives us nine weeks remaining before the playoffs begin.

After four weeks, TeamKarenL leads the pack, going 3-1 to start the season with a +114.38 point differential. KarenL was originally projected as the second best team coming out of the draft, where they picked fourth, using that pick on running back Dalvin Cook.

Also 3-1 to start the season are Phinaholics Anonymous (+65.36), Kindley Hunt for Flowers (+42.38), and kitty hawk flyers (-1.8). Those four teams would be our championship bracket if the playoffs were to start right now.

Down in the projected consolation bracket we have sKittles, Tate the Rainbow (2-2, +23.78) as the fifth seed. They have scored the most points so far this season, putting up 624.48 so far, riding the hot hand of Josh Allen early in the year.

The full standings so far are (with points for as the primary tie break):

Team KarenL (KarenL) (3-1, 598.44)
Phinaholics Anonymous (Phinaholic) (3-1, 585.60)
Kindley Hunt for Flowers (Saskatchefin) (3-1, 588.00)
kitty hawk flyers (Charles Tatum) (3-1, 562.20)
sKittles, Taste the Rainbow (Scrapaaay) (2-2, 624.84)
Smoking-Alpaca Iron-Fin (wild zion beaver) (2-2, 583.48)
The People’s Champ (Houtz) (2-2, 557.50)
-Fitz Tua Tee - (FishinFresno) (1-3, 587.78)
One if by land Tua by sea (Kevin Nogle) (1-3, 559.14)
Rosen Rises RR (Frustrtaedin2017) (0-4, 365.20)

We have had a couple of trades made this year, both involving my team, One if by land Tua by sea. Before last week’s games, I traded Lamar Jackson and Odell Beckham, Jr., to sKittles, Taste the Rainbow for Josh Allen and DJ Chark. I then turned around and sent Allen, along with Hunter Henry, to Team KarenL for Aaron Rodgers and Devin Singletary.

Our Week 5 schedule could see things tighten up a little more, or it could allow the top teams to pull away a little more.

(1-3) - Fitz Tua Tee - vs. Team KarenL (3-1)
(0-4) Rosen Rises RR vs. Kindley Hunt for Flowers (3-1)
(2-2) The People’s Champ vs. Phinaholics Anonymous (3-1)
(1-3) One if by land Tua by sea vs. Smoking-Alpaca Iron-Fin (2-2)
(3-1) kitty hawk flyers vs. sKittles, Taste the Rainbow (2-2)