Welcome back to the guillotine league mailbag! This week we are looking at strategy surrounding injured superstars, a pair of rookie quarterbacks with impressive debuts, handcuffing running backs, and thoughts on last week’s most chopped players. 

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Guillotine League Week 7 Strategy

Should I drop Nico Collins?

Dropping Nico Collins, the leading wide receiver scorer before his injury, would sound blasphemous in a standard league. In a guillotine league, however, that is a much more complex question that does not have a straightforward answer. 

It will depend entirely on context. With only 12 teams remaining, rosters will be much better than they looked with 18 teams remaining. If you made it this far, you probably did so because of Collins’ production compared to where he was drafted. If you hit on other areas of your draft and have enough depth, you can probably endure keeping him on your bench until he comes back. In a similar vein, if you feel set for the next three or four weeks, you can drop him in hopes of another owner spending heavily on him. 

If you are in desperate need of a replacement, it’s time to drop him. Justin Jefferson was the No. 7 most-chopped player last week and the most chopped healthy wide receiver. This is the time to splurge, so I would spend up to $250 on him if you are strapped at wide receiver. Keep in mind that Jefferson already had his bye, which makes him a tick more valuable. 

I’ll give similar advice on Marvin Harrison Jr. and Chris Olave following their injuries last week. Their production had been a little more volatile, but the names are big enough that they should attract large bids after being dropped. 

What are your thoughts on Drake Maye and Spencer Rattler?

Last week, the pair of rookies were thrust into starting roles ahead of schedule for different reasons: Maye replacing an ineffective Jacoby Brissett and Rattler filling in for an injured Derek Carr. Likely a function of immediate negative game scripts, both signal callers saw massive volume in their debuts with Maye seeing 38 opportunities (pass attempts plus rush attempts) and Rattler 44. These guys are likely immune to being benched during garbage time due to their teams' already-depleted quarterback situations and need for extra reps for development. 

I wouldn’t blindly start these guys, but that volume is great in a guillotine league. Just look at what Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith have done so far. It will depend on the matchups for the rooks, and the pair have polar opposite outlooks this week. 

You could certainly do worse than starting Drake Maye this week against the Jaguars. They are allowing the most points per game to opposing quarterbacks due to coughing up 287 passing yards (second-most) and 2.3 passing touchdowns (most) per game to the position. Just look at what fellow rookie Caleb Williams did to them last week in London. If you need a bye-week replacement for Williams or Dak Prescott, I would feel fine starting Maye, and you can probably get him for free.

I’m holding off on Rattler for this week at least. He gets the Broncos on a short week. Denver is allowing the fourth-fewest points to opposing quarterbacks, limiting the position to only 191 passing yards and 0.8 passing scores per game. Getting that line from your quarterback is essentially a one-way ticket to being chopped. 

Handcuffing RBs in Guillotine Leagues

Should I handcuff my stud? Does it ever make sense to start two running backs on the same team?

Let’s break this down into two categories: traditional handcuffs and twin-headed running back attacks. 

Traditional running backs handcuffs will be players that would step into starter-type volume if the starter got injured. Think Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason. Though not nearly as talented as McCaffrey, Jordan Mason inherited an insane snap volume, seeing around 80% of the snaps over the first four weeks. This type of player needs to be handcuffed at this point. 

Think players like league-wide snap leader Breece Hall (Braelon Allen), Bijan Robinson (Tyler Allgeier), Saquon Barkley (Kenneth Gainwell), Kenneth Walker (Zach Charbonnet), and Kyren Williams (Ronnie Rivers). D’Andre Swift is emerging into this role, so if you own him, go snag Roschon Johnson as well. All of the parenthetical players need to be owned at this point if you own the starter, or, if you have a deep roster, stashed as a lottery ticket. 

Speaking of Jordan Mason, if he has to miss time, I don’t think it will be a single player walking into Mason/CMC’s usual role. Isaac Guerendo (17 snaps) and Patrick Taylor (16) traded series after Mason went down last week, but Guerendo led in touches and looked good on a late game-sealing 76-yard scamper. If Mason is expected to miss time, I would throw $50 on Guerendo. 

Derrick Henry is an interesting case here. No one back could replicate Henry’s skill or role, but career understudy Justice Hill, though vastly different than Henry, is the only other running back (fullbacks don’t count) that has logged a snap for the Ravens this season. Hill has been productive on his own anyway, but if you are a Henry owner and Hill is available, go grab him ASAP. 

Then we have the twin-headed running back attacks. The Lions’ duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs is the paramount of this. Both players fluctuate around 40-60% of the snaps and will get double digit touches. Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane epitomized this last season as well. 

If I were the owner of both Gibbs and Montgomery, I would feel fine starting both as long as you are cognizant of the matchup. I would feel hesitant deploying both against the Vikings, for example. They are allowing the fewest points per game to opposing running backs, surrendering only 20 touches, 89 total yards and 0.4 touchdowns per game to the position. 

You could probably get away with doing the same for Robinson/Allgeier, Brian Robinson/Austin Ekeler and even Zack Moss/Chase Brown earlier in the season, but with teams dwindling down, I wouldn’t risk starting both. 

Actually, I’ll give Robinson/Ekeler one more endorsement this week against the Panthers. They are allowing 33 touches, 165 total yards, and 2.2 touchdowns per game to opposing running backs, all the most or second-most league-wide.

Last Week's Most-Chopped Players

What are your thoughts on last week’s most chopped players?

Last week’s most chopped players were Marvin Harrison Jr., Dak Prescott, Dallas Goedert, Chris Olave, Zack Moss, James Cook, Justin Jefferson, Travis Etienne, Mike Evans, and Brian Robinson Jr. Go read Paul Charchian’s article for bidding strategies for them.

Over half of them were injured or on bye, so this again stresses the importance of having a deep team and not over-relying on single stud players. It’s fine to spend budget out of necessity. 

We talked about Jefferson earlier, but he has as reliable a floor of any receiver and has already had his bye. I don’t expect to see his name on this list again this season, so feel free to splurge on him.

Mike Evans now has had three huge games and three games with three receptions and 42 yards or less. He’s a good complimentary piece, but if he is your No. 1 receiver, you need to be adding more depth. 

Tank Bigsby and Ray Davis appear to be the benefactors if Travis Etienne and James Cook have to miss time. Bigsby should come at a discount after the stinker in London, but he has a much easier matchup this week against a Patriots team allowing the sixth-most points to opposing running backs, ceding 150 total yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game.