This article is part of our NFL Waiver Wire series.
If you are new to GuillotineLeagues.com, there's a very important waiver wire rule written in the fine print: Rosters do not lock. But players on teams that are chopped after the conclusion of Week 14 will not be available in free agency.
As Paul Charchian, founder of Guillotine Leagues, explained in a Reddit post last night:
In the early days of Guillotine Leagues, when none of us really knew what we were doing, we allowed chopped players to be available all the way until Week 17. But it created a serious gameplay imbalance: Overwhelmingly, the only way to win was to save FAAB to the end of the year, because the rosters getting chopped in Weeks 14, 15, and 16 were absurdly stacked.
We want Guillotine Leagues to be winnable by as many strategies as possible, including spending cash early in the season. The best way to accomplish that is to restrict chopped players after Week 14 and beyond.
If you've followed along all year, you know that my strategy has been to save up and survive by making small upgrades all season, while my opponents spend big. That all changes this week.
FAAB Strategy
Last Chance to Add Elite Players
This is your last opportunity to add the biggest fantasy stars to your roster. If the following players are available, it's time to empty your wallet:
Quarterbacks: Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow
Running Backs: Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, Alvin Kamara, Joe Mixon, Derrick Henry, Jahmyr Gibbs, De'Von Achane, Josh Jacobs, Kyren Williams, James Cook
Wide Receivers: Ja'Marr Chase, Nico Collins, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Puka Nacua, A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Cooper Kupp, Tee Higgins, Malik Nabers
Tight Ends: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, George Kittle, Travis Kelce
Odds are two to five of these players are available in your league, and you'll want to put bids on all of them. Whether you are going to add them to your starting lineup or just want to block your competition from getting them, these players are worth bidding the rest of your FAAB on.
Know Your Bidding Competition
On your league home page, you can see a summary of the remaining teams and their remaining FAAB. With this knowledge, you can place your bids strategically. Let's say you have $500 still available, and the next highest remaining FAAB is $200. That means there's no need for you to bid more than $201 on any player. In fact, you can bid $201 on two different players and be guaranteed to get both, while still keeping another $98 to spend on others.
If, in that scenario, you own the team with $200 remaining and the next highest FAAB is $100, then you know that there's only one team that can outbid you, and you can bid accordingly to get the best value on the players available.
Week 14 Bye Week Streamers
In addition to FAAB strategy considerations, you may have a roster depleted by the phenomenon some are calling "Byemageddon." Six teams are on bye this week, including fantasy favorites like the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens. That means if you've been starting Joe Mixon, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry all year, you might be feeling a little anxious about this week. To help, I've identified several players who you may not want to start every week going forward, but they should be strong bye week fill-ins. Each player is available in over 40% of Guillotine Leagues.
Quarterback: Baker Mayfield (vs. Raiders), Jordan Love (at Lions), Sam Darnold (vs. Falcons)
Running Back: Bucky Irving (vs. Raiders), D'Andre Swift (at 49ers), Tony Pollard (vs. Jaguars), Rico Dowdle (vs. Bengals), Isaac Guerendo (vs. Bears)
Wide Receiver: Jakobi Meyers (at Bucs), Calvin Ridley (vs. Jaguars), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (at Cardinals), Jayden Reed (at Lions), Darnell Mooney (at Vikings)
Tight End: Cade Otton (vs. Raiders), Jake Ferguson (vs. Bengals), David Njoku (at Steelers)
Visit the Guillotine League Contest Lobby
There are five-team leagues available to join with prize pools as high as $2,050 at GuillotineLeagues.com. Join a public league and draft tonight, tomorrow or Thursday.
