Guillotine League Strategy: Week 9 Updated Draft Cheat Sheet

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Published on October 30, 2024

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