Heading into this NFL season we gave RotoWire users a chance to compete against me for a chance at a free subscription and the ultimate bragging rights. It was a first-come, first-served opportunity that quickly filled up our 18-team league at GuillotineLeagues.com.
Now we've reached the halfway point, and my team is still alive after a couple early scares. It didn't help that I drafted Christian McCaffrey with the second overall pick (which absolutely goes against my typical guillotine league strategy of sticking with "safe" picks), and then I missed out on getting Jordan Mason, who was selected in the sixth round. Late round sleepers like Baker Mayfield, who I drafted to be my starting quarterback in round 9, and Wan'Dale Robinson, who I grabbed in the 11th round, kept me above the cutline long enough to bring in reinforcements on a budget. Let's take a closer look at season results so far and the various strategies that have worked for those of us who have survived the chop.
Standings
Alive
| Team | Avg Points per Week | Remaining FAAB | Near Death Experiences | Week Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Express | 121.64 | 500 | 0 | 2 |
| Cocaine Bear | 117.08 | 680 | 0 | 0 |
| Aventura Tigers | 112.34 | 215 | 0 | 1 |
| Irish2020 | 111.50 | 185 | 0 | 0 |
| Warnocks Wallbangers | 109.74 | 457 | 0 | 1 |
| Texas Toros | 106.00 | 512 | 1 | 1 |
| Boats n hoes | 104.83 | 582 | 1 | 0 |
| Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula | 103.74 | 566 | 1 | 0 |
| TuaLipa | 94.30 | 1000 | 3 | 1 |
Chopped Teams
| Team | Chop Week | Chop Week Points | Avg Points per Week | Near Death Experiences | Week Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rosebud | 1 | 58.10 | 58.10 | 0 | 0 |
| Vatican City Cardinals | 2 | 48.46 | 75.52 | 0 | 0 |
| bongs away | 3 | 67.10 | 68.12 | 1 | 0 |
| Off With Your Head | 4 | 77.44 | 81.02 | 0 | 0 |
| Outsiders | 5 | 68.98 | 81.24 | 1 | 0 |
| Touchdown there | 6 | 63.36 | 105.39 | 0 | 1 |
| Redbirdfan2 | 7 | 52.16 | 79.79 | 1 | 0 |
| Brown Baggers | 8 | 91.40 | 99.33 | 0 | 1 |
| Superdestroyer | 9 | 82.40 | 103.44 | 0 | 1 |
Highest Waiver Bids ($1,000 FAAB)
Quarterbacks
$150 C.J. Stroud (Week 4 - Brown Baggers)
$115 Anthony Richardson (Week 3 - Brown Baggers)
$101 Joe Burrow (Week 6 - Cocaine Bear)
Running Backs
$376 Saquon Barkley (Week 9 - Texas Toros)
$319 Brian Robinson (Week 6 - Warnocks Wallbangers)
$265 Joe Mixon (Week 9 - Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula)
$150 Chuba Hubbard (Week 7 - Aventura Tigers)
$134 D'Andre Swift (Week 8 - Superdestroyer)
Wide Receivers
$415 WR Deebo Samuel (Week 2 - Irish2020)
$285 WR Marvin Harrison (Week 4 - Aventura Tigers)
$257 WR Malik Nabers (Week 6 - Boats n hoes)
$255 WR Tyreek Hill (Week 8 - Superdestroyer)
$177 WR A.J. Brown (Week 6- Superdestroyer)
Tight Ends
$115 Dalton Kincaid (Week 2 - Irish2020)
$112 Brock Bowers (Week 9 - Cocaine Bear)
$77 Sam LaPorta (Week 4 - Superdestroyer)
Best Value Waiver Pickups
Week 2: Jared Goff $17 (Superdestroyer)
Week 3: Kareem Hunt $75 (Touchdown there)
Week 4: Cole Kmet $1 (Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula)
Week 5: Garrett Wilson $89 (Irish Express)
Week 6: A.J. Brown $177 (Superdestroyer)
Week 7: James Cook $53 (Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula)
Week 8: De'Von Achane $52 (Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula)
Week 9: Tee Higgins $7 (Warnocks Wallbangers)
What makes a good value pick? These players have outperformed their price compared to other players at the same position, and in most cases, they should continue to deliver. For example, Wilson, Brown and Higgins are top 12 wide receivers by fantasy points per game and were significantly cheaper than players like Deebo Samuel, Marvin Harrison and Tyreek Hill, who are each outside the top 30.
Worst Value Waiver Pickups
Week 2: Deebo Samuel $415 (Irish2020)
Week 3: Anthony Richardson $115 (Brown Baggers)
Week 4: C.J. Stroud $150 (Brown Baggers)
Week 5: Dak Prescott $75 (Irish2020)
Week 6: Brian Robinson $319 (Warnocks Wallbangers)
Week 7: Chuba Hubbard $150 (Aventura Tigers)
Week 8: Tyreek Hill $255 (Superdestroyer)
Week 9: C.J. Stroud $71 (Cocaine Bear)
Robinson and Hubbard were huge overpays when compared to Hunt, Cook and Achane, who have all outscored the pair on a per game basis.
When it comes to quarterbacks, I argue that only Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Josh Allen are worthy of bids over $70. Clearly, Richardson, Stroud and Prescott have not delivered, and the teams that invested in them would have been better off adding a player like Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins or Kyler Murray, who were all bargain bin pickups.
Survivor Strategies
Slow and Steady Spending - Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula
This is my team. All season I have preached that the way to survive and win long-term is by spending conservatively and making small improvements each week. I place bids on all of the players who I believe could help my team, but I understand that the majority of the time I'm going to get outbid. I missed a couple times early with low risk winning bids on Zamir White ($21) and Gus Edwards ($9), but I've also found great value with Achane, Cook and Tank Dell ($1) before opening up the wallet for Joe Mixon last week. Only three teams have more FAAB remaining than I do, and with CMC expected to return soon, I have arguably the best group of RBs.
Early Big Spending - Irish2020
Following Week 1, "Irish2020" owner Tim got aggressive, adding Deebo Samuel, Chris Olave, Dalton Kincaid and Jordan Love, spending $690 before the other teams spent $100 combined. Tim is still alive, but that is largely because of a strong draft that included Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Najee Harris and Jayden Reed. With just $185 left, it will be tough for "Irish2020" to outbid teams for the elite talent the rest of the season.
Let it Ride - TuaLipa
"TuaLipa" owner Sam has been on the brink of elimination three times but remains alive despite not making any transactions. Is it a bold strategy or an absent owner? Definitely the latter (considering Stefon Diggs is still in the starting lineup), but with a solid draft and a full $1,000 FAAB, this could quickly become the team to beat if Sam reappears to manage this team.
Rest of Season Predictions
Next Team Out
"TuaLipa" is the easy answer. Assuming Sam once again doesn't make any moves, Diggs (injured) and Jerry Jeudy (bye) will post zeroes, while shaky starters Rome Odunze, Xavier Worthy and Pat Freiermuth further put the team in danger.
"Irish2020" could also be in trouble. Tim has the least FAAB left and has immediate needs at QB and WR with injuries to Dak Prescott and Chris Olave.
Final Five
I'm not going to project a winner because there is so much opportunity for teams to still improve. Plus, when we're down to the top several teams, there is very little separation between the talent on each team, so the winner will need to have luck on their side.
However, I will say that there are a few teams that are best positioned to make it to December. Ryan's "Irish Express," Josh's "Boats n hoes," Scott's "Cocaine Bear," Chris's "Texas Toros" and my "Don't Get Slapped by The Spatula" all have a strong foundation and have the FAAB to further build a championship roster.
Can I Still Join a Guillotine League This Season?
Yes! You can start leagues any week of the season for as long as you want.
Here's how it works:
1. Set up 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 become free agents
4. A weekly FAAB bidding war starts among the remaining teams
5. Survive the chop and be crowned champion
Public and Private Leagues are open at GuillotineLeagues.com. And with paid public leagues now available, you can play to win cash prizes.
