Guillotine Leagues - How to Play and Win

June 26, 2019

Aaron Schillinger explains guillotine leagues - one of the newest forms of fantasy football. He breaks down draft strategies that could help fantasy owners win their leagues in 2019.

When it comes to newer forms of fantasy football leagues, Guillotine leagues are one of the more exciting up-and-coming formats. Just like any other fantasy football leagues, there are several different ways to go about drafting your team.

There is no right or wrong solution in terms of how to draft or in-season strategies, but there are some tips and different things to remember as you get into it.

If you're new to Guillotine leagues, there are a few things to note before you jump in.

What is a Guillotine League?

In a typical Guillotine league, there are no divisions and there is no schedule. Most leagues have 17 teams, which ends up making a 16-week league, where the top three finishing teams win cash. You can make the leagues smaller, but you'll have to make it a shorter season or come up with a more unique way for the playoffs. There is no head to head matchups every week in Guillotine leagues either, just don't be the team that scores the least points. Simple enough.

Just like any other fantasy football league, it is vital to understand the format and know the rules before your draft. The format and scoring for a Guillotine league are basically like any other fantasy league. Typically, you'll have a PPR scoring league with a roster something like this:

QB
RB
RB
WR
WR
WR
TE
FLEX

The starting lineup can vary and many are moving towards Superflex leagues. Leagues can vary in size, and many use a 13-week season, then have three weeks of playoffs with the remaining teams. The main thing that makes a Guillotine league so unique is that each week, the lowest scoring team is eliminated. Not only is that team eliminated, but their team is then dispersed into the free agent pool, and that's when things get interesting.

Roster Size

In a typical Guillotine league, one difference from a more traditional fantasy league is the roster size. Guillotine leagues have smaller roster sizes, which adds to the strategy and competitiveness of the league. This requires owners to work the waiver wire each week, and the added players to the free agency pool are part of what makes these leagues so fun.

You'll want to use FAAB for your free agency in a Guillotine league, otherwise, it wouldn't really work. Typically, you'll have a $200 budget. This is where the different strategies come into play. Do you burn your whole budget to grab a stud like Ezekiel Elliott if he hits free agency after Week 1? Do you budget your FAAB out and wait for another stud to become available later in the season? Like any other fantasy league, there isn't a perfect solution, but there are different strategies you can use.

Possible Strategies

Spend Your FAAB Early
One of the ways you can approach a Guillotine league is to burn your FAAB early on. Don't get crazy and blow all of it after Week 1, but if someone like Ezekiel Elliot or Christian McCaffrey happens to be available after Week 1, don't be afraid to break the bank. It's never a good idea to use all of your budget on one player, but burning 50% or more on a stud running back is hard to argue against. If you come out of your draft with someone like Melvin Gordon or David Johnson, don't pass up the opportunity to pair a couple of stud running backs together by using a good chunk of your FAAB. Having a combination of two stud running backs can be not only a difference maker but a potential league-winner.

Ration Your FAAB
Another way to approach a Guillotine league is to bank on nailing your draft and ration out your FAAB. The only way I'll really be looking to ration out my FAAB is if I come out of my draft absolutely loving my team, and I win the first few weeks handily. If you nail your draft and love your team, there's a good chance you will be struggling with the waiver wire and not sure who you want to cut. In this case, I'd stick with my main core of my team, and spend small amounts on lower-end players on my roster. Doing this can end up being extremely beneficial, as you can end up with more FAAB than the rest of the league, and have the ability to spend a lot on a high-end player towards the end of the season. You could be heading into Week 8 or Week 10 and have 75% of your budget left, and you're almost guaranteed to be able to pick up a stud player that ends up getting dropped late in the season.

Balanced Approach
Like most leagues, my recommended way to approach a league is to have more of a balanced approach. While it can make sense to burn your FAAB early, it really depends on your league and who happens to fall back into the free agency pool. It can also be beneficial to ration our your FAAB and wait; sometimes patience is hard to have in fantasy football, but it can really pay off. My recommendation is to have a balanced approach and let the league play out, then react. If a stud player is available early, don't be afraid to jump on them and use a good chunk of your budget, but don't get crazy with it.

Many owners won't hesitate to bid 50% of their budget on an elite fantasy asset, and sometimes you're better off using your set amount, and if you get the player, great. If not, sometimes you're better off letting someone else overpay. Set some guidelines beforehand and try not to go over, or too far under the amounts you've rationed out.

Knowing your league is a key part of fantasy football, and can be even more crucial in a Guillotine league. If there's someone in your league that you know loves a certain player, let them overpay for that player when they hit free agency. On the other hand, if there's a player you're crazy about that falls back into the free agency pool, don't overpay to a point that could potentially hurt your team or end up not being worth the cost. Sometimes knowing that someone in your league loves or hates a certain player can really benefit you. Whether it be reaching for them in the draft, or knowing that you can spend a smaller amount of your FAAB on them and still get that player.

The best way to approach a Guillotine, in my opinion, is to have a balanced approach and to let the league play itself out before overreacting. Use your FAAB wisely, but keep in mind that in a league where you can be eliminated from just one bad week, playing the waiver wire is crucial. Don't be afraid to spend your FAAB, as one bad week can end the league for you just like that. There is nothing more frustrating in a Guillotine league than getting eliminated and having all $200 of your FAAB remaining. Playing the waiver wire in your typical fantasy leagues separates the serious players from more casual players, and in a Guillotine league, it's even more important.

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