This article is part of our NFL Waiver Wire series.
In guillotine leagues, we're all looking to add the star players that we can lock into our starting lineups for the rest of the season. However, the best team managers will be those who can balance the desire to add those players with smart spending strategy to slowly build a championship roster.
As much as you may want to add Marvin Harrison, Malik Nabers, David Montgomery, Deebo Samuel or one of the other potential studs who are available in over 15% of guillotine leagues, I'll continue to preach that spending over $200 (in a $1,000 FAAB league) on any one player is not a recipe for long-term success. There probably will be someone in your league who is willing to mortgage the future to overspend today. Let them. Put in bids of $50 to $150 on these players, and if that's enough to claim them, great. If not, you still have your FAAB and a 92.3% chance to survive this week (assuming you have 13 teams remaining).
If you miss on the top waiver options, you can still improve your chances to avoid elimination by focusing on finding good value pickups. I've identified my top players to add for under $30. Each of these players are rostered in less than 76% of guillotine leagues.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins - Atlanta (57.2% rostered)
Thursday night's 509-yard, 4 TD performance gave us a glimpse into the potential upside for Cousins and the Atlanta playmakers. There were some struggles through the first four weeks, but what do you expect from a player who is on a new team and returning from a serious injury? Going forward, Cousins has one of the most favorable schedules for fantasy quarterbacks over the next four weeks, and he will continue to build rapport with his pass-catchers.
Jared Goff - Detroit (72.9% rostered)
Like Cousins, Goff won't provide the rushing stats that some of the top fantasy quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Josh Allen offer. However, he has the smarts and the weapons around him to make him a safe starter for the next few weeks. He's a player who probably won't win the week for you, but he likely won't lose it for you either, which is all you need at this point in the season.
Running Backs
Tank Bigsby - Jacksonville (55.7% rostered)
Remember all the hype that Bigsby was getting in the summer of 2023, and then he only played 134 offensive snaps despite being healthy all season? His usage this season has been erratic, as he had a nice 12-carry, 73-yard game in Week 1, followed by playing a total of just seven offensive snaps in Weeks 2 and 3 before exploding for 219 total yards and 2 TDs in Weeks 4 and 5.
Travis Etienne is banged up, so it's not clear how they will split time when both are fully healthy, but it would be surprising if Bigsby's strong performance doesn't carve out a permanent role for an offense that is looking for any help it can get.
Raheem Mostert - Miami (68.8% rostered)
It's hard to suggest starting any Miami Dolphins player right now due to the team's struggles on offense without QB Tua Tagovailoa, but Mostert should get enough touches to be a steal. After a Week 6 bye, Miami will have the most favorable schedule for running backs from Week 7 through Week 9. He'll get a boost if De'Von Achane misses any time after suffering a concussion in Week 5.
Trey Sermon - Indianapolis (73.7% rostered) / Tyrone Tracy - New York Giants (57.3% rostered)
I'm pairing Sermon and Tracy because their value is dependent on the availability of the backs ahead of them on their teams' depth charts. If Jonathan Taylor returns to action, Sermon is certainly headed back to the bench. Tracy had some buzz heading into the season, but Devin Singletary has been the clear top back in New York when healthy.
Wide Receivers
Allen Lazard - New York Jets (71.1% rostered)
Lazard has now delivered double-digit fantasy points in four of five games so far and has received eight or more targets three times. Although the potential addition of Davante Adams via trade would certainly impact his upside, it's time to admit that Lazard is going to be fantasy-relevant this season. He should continue to be good for a few catches each game and is a real threat to score 10 TDs as long as his buddy Aaron Rodgers is on the field.
Jalen Tolbert - Dallas (52.6% rostered)
On Sunday night, Tolbert made the most of his opportunities with Brandin Cooks out due to injury. He finished with seven receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown against a Pittsburgh defense that had done a good job of containing wide receivers through the first four weeks. With Cooks now on IR, Tolbert should see plenty of looks as the top pass-catching option behind CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson.
Tight Ends
Tucker Kraft - Green Bay (75.4%)
Not only has Kraft moved ahead of Luke Musgrave on the depth chart, but he appears to be one of Jordan Love's favorite targets, along with Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. Each of them saw five or more targets in each of the past two games, and Kraft made the most of his looks, leading the team with 88 yards and 2 TDs. In what has been a volatile season for tight ends so far, Kraft may be emerging as one of the most reliable options available.
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.
