We’re only five weeks into the Guillotine League season, but that feels like 10 weeks in this format, doesn’t it? Your team is fighting for its literal life week-in and week-out, and then rewarding you by going on bye and getting injured. This week, the league’s two undefeated teams, the Chiefs and Vikings, head out on bye. They’re joined by the two most disappointing 2023 playoff teams in the Rams and Dolphins. Despite the disappointment of the latter two, there’s a lot of star power across those four rosters, star power that’s likely helped fuel your survival up until this point in some way, shape, or form.

If you’re reliant upon one or more players from the aforementioned teams, or are otherwise battling injuries (who isn’t, at this point?), look no further! We’re here every week to help identify cheap, high-floor, one-week replacement options to help you keep your head. Now, in Week 6, the definition of “cheap” is a little different than it was in Week 1. There are 13 teams left now, so it’ll start to look like your standard league, with your standard waiver wire guys available. No more will we need to dig to the depths of “Jahan Dotson” and “Brock Wright.”

By any chance have you gotten this far and realized you’ve already been chopped in your Guillotine League? Well, get out there and join another one at guillotineleagues.com! Then come back here, please.

Quarterbacks

Last Week:

Caleb Williams, vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (56.9% owned)

Caleb Williams has looked better and better each week, culminating in his best fantasy outing last week against Carolina. He’s surpassed 11 fantasy points each of the last three weeks, all against defenses allowing fantasy points to opposing passers at a top-10 rate. Well, guess who’s up next! Why, it’s the Jaguars, who allow the most fantasy points per game and the highest EPA per dropback to opposing quarterbacks! They’re still employing Ronald Darby at cornerback, who’s allowed the fourth-most yards in his coverage. His counterpart, Montaric Brown, is not far being at 14th. DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and yes, even Keenan Allen, should feast in this one, giving Williams a rock-solid floor in Week 6.

Daniel Jones, vs. Cincinnati Bengals (36.0% owned)

What would you say if I told you Daniel Jones has eclipsed 18 fantasy points in three of his last four games? “Hogwash,” most likely. Potentially, “rubbish.” Now, what if I told you Jones is one of only five such quarterbacks to hit that mark three or more times this season, joining Jayden Daniels, Lamar Jackson, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield? “Poppycock!” you’d exclaim. And how about if I told you to definitely start Jones in your Guillotine League this week because he might get Malik Nabers back—as of Thursday he was still in the concussion protocol—and is facing a Bengals defense allowing the 4th-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks? “What in tarnation?” you’d ask me. And I really have no answer for you—just trust me. By the way, did I get all your sayings right? I don’t get out much.

Running Backs

Last Week:

Braelon Allen, vs. Buffalo Bills (71.9% owned)

Braelon Allen has provided diminishing returns each week since his 2-touchdown Week 2 performance, so this recommendation carries a bit more risk than I’d usually be asking you to stomach. If you’re in a pinch, though, I like Allen’s chances at a high-floor game for a couple of reasons. First is what I like to call the New Boss Boost. Teams almost always come out with a different energy the game after their head coach gets fired. This could mean more work for Allen, especially given Breece Hall’s recent struggles, which Charch and Ian have discussed at length. Second is the matchup: Buffalo allows the most fantasy points per game to opposing backfields. They allow the most receptions, yards, and touchdowns through the air to opposing runners, and you know we love receiving potential in our running backs in our Guillotine Leagues.

Tank Bigsby, at Chicago [London] Bears (55.8% owned)

Last week, I identified Tank Bigsby as my favorite stash pickup moving into the second quarter of the Guillotine League season. Hopefully you had the foresight to add him or the cash to scoop him up yesterday, because otherwise, he may not be available. If he’s on your roster or available, though, you can feel good about starting who may now be RB1 on the Jags. The Bears are surprisingly a solid matchup for opposing backfields; they allow the 9th-most fantasy points per game to the position. They’ve allowed an 80-yard rusher and at least one rushing score in four of five. The risk with Bigsby is he’s not a pass catcher; he’s caught just one ball all season. In more difficult matchups, I’d be more hesitant to plug him in, but this is not one of those matchups.

Wide Receiver

Last Week:

Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud, at Carolina Panthers (78.6% and 46.3% owned, respectively)

This is the first time I’ve double-dipped, but how could you not with the way these two have been playing? Darnell Mooney is somehow still available in 16% of leagues, so go scoop and start him if that’s your league. He boasts 97% route participation and a 24% target share; those are sick numbers. Ray-Ray McCloud isn’t too far behind with 91% route participation and an 18% target share. We saw last week that this Atlanta offense can support up to four pass catchers in a single game, and that’s definitely true against a bottom-10 Panthers pass defense. The only concern here is game script; the Panthers likely don’t induce the same shootout-style game we saw the Bucs drag the Falcons into last week.

Jalen Tolbert, vs. Detroit Lions (52.7% owned)

Even when Brandin Cooks was healthy, Jalen Tolbert was still putting up 9 fantasy points per game. With Cooks out, Tolbert recorded a season-high 26% target share and 9.1 utilization score. He should absolutely be able to carry those high-floor peripherals into a soft matchup with the Lions. Detroit allows the 6th-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts, and they share the love, too. Through Detroit’s first four games, the receiver who sees the 2nd-most targets against them still averages nearly 8 (!) targets per game. Dallas will certainly need to pass to keep up with the Lions, so plenty of looks should be coming Tolbert’s way.

Tight Ends

Last Week:

Dalton Schultz, at New England Patriots (58.9% owned)

Ian provided an in-depth breakdown of Texans’ pass-catching situation should Nico Collins miss any time, and I’m inclined to agree with his conclusion that Dalton Schultz is a top-10 tight end while Collins is out. Schultz averaged around 10 points per game with Collins out last season, numbers we would absolutely take in this economy. New England has allowed a tight end to eclipse 10 fantasy points per game in each of their last three, so this seems like a slam-dunk high-floor play (gulp).

Cade Otton, at New Orleans Saints (47.8% owned)

Death, taxes, and Dennis Allen’s Saints defenses being completely incapable of defending tight ends. Dallas Goedert racked up 10-170 on 11 targets a few weeks ago, and the Chiefs’ tight ends combined for 12-104 on 13 targets last week, despite everyone knowing they only have tight ends to throw to. Enter Cade Otton, who’s quietly eclipsed 7 fantasy points in each of the last three weeks, averaging 9.4 points per game over that span. Otton maintains an 85% route participation rate and a 16% target share, so he’s a regular part of this Bucs offense, and has an opportunity to keep you alive this week and moving forward.