This article is part of our Fantasy Football Draft Strategy series.
Paid public leagues have been live on GuillotineLeagues.com for about a month, and there's still time to join a new league. Because it's a survivor-style format, you can start leagues any week of the season for as long as you want.
If you're not familiar with Guillotine Leagues, here's how they work:
1. Join a league and draft your team just like traditional fantasy football
2. Each week the lowest scoring team gets eliminated
3. All of the players from the eliminated team go to waivers
4. A weekly FAAB bidding war starts among the remaining teams
5. Survive the chop and be crowned champion
[Note: The states where paid contests are allowed have changed slightly from last year. There is a map of eligible states at the bottom of the GuillotineLeagues.com home page.]
We're about halfway through the NFL season, and if you're staring down a 2-6 record or worse, then this is a great opportunity to get a fresh start and try to redeem yourself.
Most of my eight strategies for winning a guillotine league still apply, but the players who I'm targeting or avoiding certainly have changed, whether that is due to injury or surprising usage trends.
Below is my updated cheat sheet for anyone who is drafting in a guillotine league this week. All of my league-winning strategies are factored into the rankings. Because one bad week could mean your season is over, players with bye weeks over the next couple of weeks or existing injuries are ranked lower than they would be in typical "rest of season" rankings. However, now that leagues will be limited to a maximum of 10 teams, it won't be as difficult to find a competent one-week fill-in, so byes don't carry as much weight as they do when you're starting in a league with over 12 teams.
Week 9 Updated Guillotine League Rankings
Rank | Player | Position | Team | Bye |
1 | Saquon Barkley | RB | PHI | 5 |
2 | Derrick Henry | RB | BAL | 14 |
3 | Justin Jefferson | WR | MIN | 6 |
4 | A.J. Brown | WR | PHI | 5 |
5 | CeeDee Lamb | WR | DAL | 7 |
6 | Kyren Williams | RB | LAR | 6 |
7 | Joe Mixon | RB | HOU | 14 |
8 | Alvin Kamara | RB | NO | 12 |
9 | Bijan Robinson | RB | ATL | 12 |
10 | Breece Hall | RB | NYJ | 12 |
11 | Ja'Marr Chase | WR | CIN | 12 |
12 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | IND | 14 |
13 | Kenneth Walker | RB | SEA | 10 |
14 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | DET | 5 |
15 | David Montgomery | RB | DET | 5 |
16 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | DET | 5 |
17 | Malik Nabers | WR | NYG | 11 |
18 | De'Von Achane | RB | MIA | 6 |
19 | James Cook | RB | BUF | 12 |
20 | D'Andre Swift | RB | CHI | 7 |
21 | Tyreek Hill | WR | MIA | 6 |
22 | Aaron Jones | RB | MIN | 6 |
23 | Drake London | WR | ATL | 12 |
24 | Garrett Wilson | WR | NYJ | 12 |
25 | Puka Nacua | WR | LAR | 6 |
26 | Cooper Kupp | WR | LAR | 6 |
27 | DK Metcalf | WR | SEA | 10 |
28 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | SF | 9 |
29 | James Conner | RB | ARI | 11 |
30 | DeVonta Smith | WR | PHI | 5 |
31 | Lamar Jackson | QB | BAL | 14 |
32 | Trey McBride | TE | ARI | 11 |
33 | Brian Robinson | RB | WAS | 14 |
34 | Chris Olave | WR | NO | 12 |
35 | J.K. Dobbins | RB | LAC | 5 |
36 | Najee Harris | RB | PIT | 9 |
37 | Josh Jacobs | RB | GB | 10 |
38 | Terry McLaurin | WR | WAS | 14 |
39 | Nico Collins | WR | HOU | 14 |
40 | Marvin Harrison | WR | ARI | 11 |
41 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | NE | 14 |
42 | Rachaad White | RB | TB | 11 |
43 | Tony Pollard | RB | TEN | 5 |
44 | Brian Thomas | WR | JAC | 12 |
45 | Jayden Reed | WR | GB | 10 |
46 | George Kittle | TE | SF | 9 |
47 | Brock Bowers | TE | LV | 10 |
48 | Travis Kelce | TE | KC | 6 |
49 | George Pickens | WR | PIT | 9 |
50 | Tee Higgins | WR | CIN | 12 |
51 | Davante Adams | WR | NYJ | 12 |
52 | Amari Cooper | WR | CLE | 10 |
53 | Jalen Hurts | QB | PHI | 5 |
54 | Jayden Daniels | QB | WAS | 14 |
55 | Josh Allen | QB | BUF | 12 |
56 | Nick Chubb | RB | CLE | 10 |
57 | Kareem Hunt | RB | KC | 6 |
58 | Tyrone Tracy | RB | NYG | 11 |
59 | Javonte Williams | RB | DEN | 14 |
60 | Tank Bigsby | RB | JAC | 12 |
61 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | CAR | 11 |
62 | Alexander Mattison | RB | LV | 10 |
63 | Darnell Mooney | WR | ATL | 12 |
64 | DJ Moore | WR | CHI | 7 |
65 | Khalil Shakir | WR | BUF | 12 |
66 | Jakobi Meyers | WR | LV | 10 |
67 | Ladd McConkey | WR | LAC | 5 |
68 | Tank Dell | WR | HOU | 14 |
69 | Jaylen Waddle | WR | MIA | 6 |
70 | Josh Downs | WR | IND | 14 |
71 | Zay Flowers | WR | BAL | 14 |
72 | Michael Pittman | WR | IND | 14 |
73 | Deebo Samuel | WR | SF | 9 |
74 | Mike Evans | WR | TB | 11 |
75 | Keon Coleman | WR | BUF | 12 |
76 | Calvin Ridley | WR | TEN | 5 |
77 | Chase Brown | RB | CIN | 12 |
78 | Travis Etienne | RB | JAC | 12 |
79 | Kyler Murray | QB | ARI | 11 |
80 | Joe Burrow | QB | CIN | 12 |
81 | David Njoku | TE | CLE | 10 |
82 | Evan Engram | TE | JAC | 12 |
83 | Cade Otton | TE | TB | 11 |
84 | Jake Ferguson | TE | DAL | 7 |
85 | Kyle Pitts | TE | ATL | 12 |
86 | Devin Singletary | RB | NYG | 11 |
87 | Jordan Mason | RB | SF | 9 |
88 | Jauan Jennings | WR | SF | 9 |
89 | Raheem Mostert | RB | MIA | 6 |
90 | Courtland Sutton | WR | DEN | 14 |
91 | Cedric Tillman | WR | CLE | 10 |
92 | Jordan Addison | WR | MIN | 6 |
93 | Elijah Moore | WR | CLE | 10 |
94 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | KC | 6 |
95 | Austin Ekeler | RB | WAS | 14 |
96 | Dak Prescott | QB | DAL | 7 |
97 | Jared Goff | QB | DET | 5 |
98 | Sam LaPorta | TE | DET | 5 |
99 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | SEA | 10 |
100 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | SEA | 10 |
101 | Tucker Kraft | TE | GB | 10 |
102 | Dallas Goedert | TE | PHI | 5 |
103 | Bucky Irving | RB | TB | 11 |
104 | Dalton Kincaid | TE | BUF | 12 |
105 | Rico Dowdle | RB | DAL | 7 |
106 | Xavier Worthy | WR | KC | 6 |
107 | Wan'Dale Robinson | WR | NYG | 11 |
108 | Romeo Doubs | WR | GB | 10 |
109 | T.J. Hockenson | TE | MIN | 6 |
110 | Baker Mayfield | QB | TB | 11 |
111 | Kirk Cousins | QB | ATL | 12 |
112 | Zack Moss | RB | CIN | 12 |
113 | Diontae Johnson | WR | BAL | 14 |
114 | Jordan Love | QB | GB | 10 |
115 | Jerry Jeudy | WR | CLE | 10 |
116 | Keenan Allen | WR | CHI | 7 |
117 | Darius Slayton | WR | NYG | 11 |
118 | Allen Lazard | WR | NYJ | 12 |
119 | Xavier Legette | WR | CAR | 11 |
120 | Ricky Pearsall | WR | SF | 9 |
121 | Sam Darnold | QB | MIN | 6 |
122 | Geno Smith | QB | SEA | 10 |
123 | C.J. Stroud | QB | HOU | 14 |
124 | Caleb Williams | QB | CHI | 7 |
125 | Brock Purdy | QB | SF | 9 |
126 | DeAndre Hopkins | WR | KC | 6 |
127 | Dontayvion Wicks | WR | GB | 10 |
128 | Hunter Henry | TE | NE | 14 |
129 | Mark Andrews | TE | BAL | 14 |
130 | Cole Kmet | TE | CHI | 7 |
131 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | ATL | 12 |
132 | Braelon Allen | RB | NYJ | 12 |
133 | Tyjae Spears | RB | TEN | 5 |
134 | Jonathon Brooks | RB | CAR | 11 |
135 | Jalen Tolbert | WR | DAL | 7 |
136 | Jameson Williams | WR | DET | 5 |
137 | Matthew Stafford | QB | LAR | 6 |
138 | Russell Wilson | QB | PIT | 9 |
139 | Justice Hill | RB | BAL | 14 |
140 | Michael Wilson | WR | ARI | 11 |
141 | Alec Pierce | WR | IND | 14 |
142 | Rashod Bateman | WR | BAL | 14 |
143 | Quentin Johnston | WR | LAC | 5 |
144 | Joshua Palmer | WR | LAC | 5 |
145 | Patrick Mahomes | QB | KC | 6 |
146 | Jaylen Warren | RB | PIT | 9 |
147 | Tyler Conklin | TE | NYJ | 12 |
148 | Isaiah Likely | TE | BAL | 14 |
149 | Trevor Lawrence | QB | JAC | 12 |
150 | Ray Davis | RB | BUF | 12 |