# SDMB NFL Pick 'em, Survival, and Salary Cap 2011 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 14, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680 "2011-08-14T14:21:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/1 "2011-08-14T14:21:29Z")
Everyone is welcome to join any of these leagues. There aren’t a set number of teams nor does it hurt anyone should you drop out, so if you’re new to this give it a try. Pick 'em: In NFL Pick 'em leagues, each player predicts the outcome of every NFL game. There are three different types, and we run all three. You can join any or all of them. Straight up: You simply pick the winner of each game, and get a point if correct. Spread: A spread is determined for a game (like with sports betting), where one team has a certain amount of points given to them, and you have to pick the game with that adjustment taken into account. Confidence: The most complex one, but in my view also the most fun. There are no spreads, so you pick the winner straight up. But you get a confidence value you can assign to every game, 1 through the number of games being played that weekend, and can only use each number once. So if there are 16 games that weekend, you’ll assign the confidence number 16 to the game where the outcome seems most clear to you, 15 for the next one, all the way down to 1 for the one you’re least sure of. If you pick correctly, the confidence value of your pick is added to your weekly score. If you only play one league, I suggest the confidence league. Survival: Each player picks one team that has to win each week. If your picked team fails to win, you get a strike. You can only use each team once. Using two strikes before you’re eliminated last year seemed to work well, so I think we’ll go for that again this year. These leagues can hold up to 50 players each, so we’re not really at risk for filling up, and you’re competing against the whole league, not one other team per week like fantasy football, so it’s not a big deal if you end up dropping out. I’d like for everyone to play all the way through the season, but it won’t hurt anyone if you don’t, so feel free to sign up if you’re only a little interested. Salary Cap: The scoring works like fantasy football, but the way the game works is different. There are not a limited number of teams because teams do not exclusively own players like in traditional fantasy football. Which means, like pick 'em and survival leagues, the more the merrier. How it works is that based on past and projected performance, each player in the NFL is assigned a salary. When you add someone to your team, you buy them at this salary. As their performance changes, their price can go up or down - in the event that it goes up, you can retain them at the price you originally bought them for - and if it goes down you can recover the money. You have a limited amount of cap space to work with, so if you sign Adrian Peterson, he’s going to cost enough that you’ll have to go for some cheap players at other positions. In effect, you’re trying to get the most value of your players rather than necesarily having the best in raw production at any given position. You can find sleepers who you feel are about to break out and buy them up early for cheap, benefiting from their later better performance for the same price, or you can switch out your players every week based on who you feel has the most favorable matchup relative to their cost, or any combination of strategies. The scoring rules and roster positions of the league are fixed, and salary updates are automatically provided weekly. There’s no head to head format, the winner is the person who scores the most overall points. I would suggest using a name in these leagues that either includes your SDMB name or makes reference to your SDMB name so we know who everyone is. You should be able to get to the signup page for all the leagues [here](http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/). The password for all groups is “cecil”. The group numbers are: Straight pick 'em #20440 Spread pick 'em #20444 Confidence pick 'em #20443 Survival #8442 Salary cap #2132 ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/2 "2011-08-14T15:23:04Z")
I screwed up and named the salary cap group “SDMB Survival”. I can’t delete that league, and if I create a new one in this post, some people may join the group listed in the OP before they read it, splitting us up. So I’ll just keep it as is - and just be aware that the group is misnamed. ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/3 "2011-08-15T08:19:24Z")
Selhurst Blues back in - hoping to do better than third in the Pick’em again. I would have won it last year if you didn’t include the postseason. 😛 Is it being included again this time round? ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/4 "2011-08-16T15:25:26Z")
Can you provide a better link,I am having trouble joining. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/5 "2011-08-16T15:26:35Z")
That’s the yahoo fantasy sports page, so I’m not sure how else to link it. You could just go to yahoo, then click fantasy sports, then football… ---
**Author:** ![CatInASuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3be4f8/32.png) [@CatInASuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatInASuit)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/6 "2011-08-17T07:47:42Z")
Try [http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/](http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/) ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/7 "2011-08-20T18:19:45Z")
Is there any interest in a pick em league that has both confidence and spread? ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/8 "2011-08-20T20:23:35Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Is there any interest in a pick em league that has both confidence and spread? Does one exist? If so, then yes. It sounds very interesting, despite my mediocre skill picking ATS. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/9 "2011-08-21T22:23:45Z")
The confidence and spread options are toggles, so you can have them both. I didn’t make a league for it yet, just wondering if we’d get enough people to play. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/10 "2011-08-22T23:21:12Z")
I’m back Mr Rodgers Neighborhood (Pick 'em) Packer Fan in Tejas (Survival) ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/11 "2011-09-02T05:45:01Z")
Did all these leagues fill up with 50 teams? I typed in all the league codes and I keep getting a " league not available" password. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Know\_Nothing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f04885/32.png) [@I\_Know\_Nothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Know_Nothing)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/12 "2011-09-02T05:53:58Z")
I just figured it out. I was trying to join another Fantasy Football league instead of a Pro Pick em league. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/13 "2011-09-07T04:40:08Z")
Don’t forget to pick the Thursday night game. You don’t have to have all the picks by then - just the Thursday game. The rest can wait until Sunday. Anyone who hasn’t signed up yet - get in now. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/14 "2011-09-08T04:42:29Z")
You do need to pick the survival game before the first game of the week, so make sure you get that in. You’ll also need to get your salary cap team sorted out before tomorrow’s game I think. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/15 "2011-09-08T13:49:01Z")
I’m in, but not for the Salary Cap, just more than I can really handle given my work schedule. Good luck everyone. Sorry it took me a while to find this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/16 "2011-09-08T17:30:45Z")
Signed up for the survival league. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/17 "2011-09-10T17:52:35Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > You do need to pick the survival game before the first game of the week, so make sure you get that in. You’ll also need to get your salary cap team sorted out before tomorrow’s game I think. Somehow I managed to forget about the Salary Cap - so I just did it now (Sat am). It appears it let me buy anyone that hadn’t already played, and my team appears to be set for Week 1. Guess I’ll find out for sure Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/18 "2011-09-12T20:28:38Z")
Survival seemed to be pretty brutal for the first week. ---
**Author:** ![Frosted\_Glass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frosted_glass/32/3926_2.png) [@Frosted\_Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frosted_Glass)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/19 "2011-09-12T20:47:38Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Survival seemed to be pretty brutal for the first week. That’s because suckers like myself thought the Chiefs could handle the Bills. It was a rough day for me in pick-em too. So many red 'x’s when I checked my results. So very ugly. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680/20 "2011-09-12T21:04:55Z")
> [@Frosted\_Glass](#): > > That’s because suckers like myself thought the Chiefs could handle the Bills. I haven’t checked results overall, but when I saw that score, I hung my (Survival) head in shame. I thought the same. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-nfl-pick-em-survival-and-salary-cap-2011/592680.md?page=2)