Guillotine leagues are some of the fastest growing types of fantasy football leagues. There are many reasons for this, the primary one being the weekly eliminator nature that makes guillotine league strategy so much different than standard leagues.
This guillotine league fantasy football review will answer the question what is a guillotine league, walk you through various guillotine league strategy types and guide you through how to build a championship roster.
What Is a Guillotine League in Fantasy Football?
Guillotine leagues are in many ways just like other fantasy football leagues, but the key difference is the team with the lowest total points each week gets eliminated from the league. Each player from those eliminated teams then becomes a free agent and waiver mayhem ensues when the rest of the league gets to bid on those players. That makes guillotine league strategy much different, as you can hit free agency every week to help build a championship roster and win.
A Weekly Elimination Format Explained
There are no head-to-head matchups in guillotine leagues. Instead, you compete against everyone else in the guillotine fantasy football league. The goal is score enough to points to not finish last, as that last-place team gets eliminated and its players become free agents. You will can then improve your team via waiver wire acquisitions that are done through a FAAB (free agent auction budget) approach.
How Guillotine Fantasy Football League Differs From Traditional Fantasy
In a typical fantasy league, the idea is to compile a championship roster with intelligent use of a fantasy football cheat sheet and win every weekly matchup. In a guillotine fantasy football league, you still want a high total points mark, but your guillotine league strategy is built around not being the last place team and surviving until the next week. Surviving gives you many opportunities to improve your roster if you make good use of fantasy football auction values.
Why it's Gaining Popularity
The fantasy life is great for those who like to use a fantasy football draft kit to craft a team of consistent performers, but guillotine leagues allow you to join a friend's league and get a chance to add to your roster every week. This rebuild approach can be the best way to play if you are looking over the waiver wire to find ways to shore up your roster.
How do Guillotine Leagues Work?
You will want to take a somewhat different approach in building a fantasy football guillotine league team than you would in building a team in typical league, as you have more opportunities to create a championship roster and win the entire league.
Drafting Your Initial Roster
When it comes to the draft, you will want to approach guillotine league rankings very much like you would a typical draft. You should use the best fantasy football draft assistant (such as the one found via subscribing to RotoWire), but make sure to focus on the opening games to make sure your team is not the lowest-scoring team Week 1.
Weekly Scoring and Elimination Process
Weekly guillotine league rankings come down to one thing – the lowest-scoring team gets eliminated. The free agents from eliminated teams then hit the waiver wire. This means you can hit free agency every week. This can help you survive injuries and navigate through bye weeks, so be sure to keep up to date on the latest fantasy football news.
Waiver Wire Rules and FAAB Bidding
The waiver wire rules for guillotine leagues are typically based on a $200 FAAB (free agent auction budget). This means waiver mayhem ensues every week, as the highest bid wins that player. Do be careful when navigating in-season guillotine league rankings. You only want to bid on a player if he can help you avoid Monday night anxiety about finishing in last place.
Why You Should Try a Guillotine League
One reason to try your hand at guillotine league fantasy football is so when your friends ask what is a guillotine league, you can tell them how fun this great new league type is. You can either join a friend's league or dive into the numerous public leagues that have fantasy football guillotine league options.
More Intensity, Every Week Matters
The guillotine league fantasy football world is one where your season can be over after one game. This makes it imperative to avoid subpar performances. It can be the best sweat in fantasy football, as every week that your team advances feels like a playoff win.
Strategic Player Pool Shifts
You will want to pay close attention to PPR rankings and the like each week so that you can avoid being the team that scores the fewest total points that week. It's also a good idea to stockpile high upside players as the season progresses. By the late weeks of the season it becomes harder to avoid being the lowest-scoring team due to every team having a strong roster by that point.
A Fresh Take on Fantasy Football
Anyone who has played fantasy football for a while should give guillotine league fantasy football a shot. It's a fresh take on fantasy football that will keep you on your toes and add some spice to your fantasy life!
Draft Strategy for Guillotine Leagues
It pays to look at guillotine league rankings in a slightly different way than you would typical rankings. Here are some of the basics on the best way to play if you want to win the entire league
- Building for Stability, Not Just Ceiling: Always remember that the goal is to avoid being the lowest-scoring team. You'll get a chance to add impact players throughout the season as long as you avoid having the lowest-total points each week.
- Avoiding Early Bust Risks: A goose egg in a typical fantasy league can cost you one loss. A goose egg in guillotine leagues can cost you the season. This is why you should use a strong fantasy football mock draft simulator to acquire high percentage early season players.
- Planning for Bye Weeks From Day 1: Some fantasy managers like to stockpile bye weeks into a single week to keep the team strong the rest of the year. Doing that in guillotine leagues can end your season. Be sure to spread bye weeks out on your roster.
- Handcuff players aren't important: Don't put much if any stock into handcuff running backs. You will get the chance to bid on productive running backs as the season progresses.
- Avoid bench stashes: That strategy is not necessary in guillotine leagues due to the weekly opportunity to stock your roster with strong free agents.
In-Season Strategy: Surviving Week by Week
The week-by-week survival strategy in guillotine leagues is much different than what you will find when playing in most public leagues. Here's a guide for that in-season strategy.
Monitoring Weekly Projections Closely
Use a good weekly PPR cheat sheet to pick high-percentage starters. Remember that avoiding a low total points number is paramount. It's also easier to avoid these low scores early in the year than it is later in the year.
Adapting Your Lineup in Real Time
Avoid Monday night anxiety attacks by not putting risky players from those games in your starting lineup. One bad game there can end your season.
Managing Injuries and Inactive Players
It's a low-percentage move to play injured players in any public leagues, but it can be catastrophic to do this in guillotine leagues. You'll also want to be doubly vigilant about avoiding starting inactive players.
Mastering The Waiver Wire
A key to mastering waivers in guillotine leagues is to consistently upgrade the lowest-rated player on your squad. You will need to continually do this, as every team in the league gets better every week and your team can fall behind quickly if you aren't upgrading through free agents from eliminated teams. The good news is that the pool of available players gets larger every week because the top teams don't have as many ways to upgrade, so you will have multiple avenues to compose a championship roster and win that week.
Must-Have Tools for Guillotine League Success
It's said that guillotine leagues are the best sweat in fantasy football because of the finality each week provides one team. You can get the most out of that sweat by subscribing to RotoWire. You will get the best fantasy football rankings, up-to-the minute fantasy football news and dozens of other tools that help you win the entire league.
Guillotine League FAQs
What is a Guillotine League in Fantasy Football?
Guillotine leagues are a twist on traditional fantasy football where one team gets eliminated every week, keeping you on the edge of your seat. The lowest-scoring team is eliminated each week, and their players become free agents, creating waiver mayhem with a FAAB auction and increasing stakes throughout the season.
How is a Guillotine League Different From a Regular Fantasy Football League?
In a guillotine league, there are no head-to-head matchups or playoffs. Instead, the lowest-scoring team week in and week out is eliminated based on total points that week. This creates a battle for survival rather than record-based advancement. This format may forever change the way you play fantasy football, making every week a high-stakes competition.
What's the Best Draft Strategy for a Guillotine League?
To succeed, you need to build a team of consistent performers to avoid Monday night anxiety attacks and stay alive in the league. Balance and depth are key. Avoid early injury risks and prioritize players with consistent output over boom-or-bust potential. You'll need a team that can survive, not just dominate once.
How Does Free Agency Work in Guillotine Leagues?
After a team is eliminated, all their players are released into the free agent pool. Managers bid on these players using FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget), making every week critical.
When Should I Spend Big on FAAB in a Guillotine League?
Spend big when a game-changing player hits waivers and you're confident it will keep you alive for multiple weeks. Overspending early can leave you vulnerable later.
