HEY NEWBIES! I was a Guillotine League virgin once, too. Like, super recently. But don't worry. I'll talk you through it. 

Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly of Guillotine Leagues with a breakdown from the 1.15.

GL Broke My Brain

Guillotine Leagues broke my brain. As a seasoned redraft and dynasty fantasy player, there were some extreme adjustments to be made. Mostly, I needed to break some old habits and open myself to thinking a little differently to adjust to the GL format. So yeah, my brain broke. 

My usual draft style included strategies that aimed for:

  • Strengths across all player positions
  • Longevity of my team
  • Being the best (duh?)
  • Aiming for ceiling plays in bench players
  • Hunting down ADP values 

But Guillotine League drafts required me to pivot toward strategies that aimed for:

  • Strengths in less versatile positions. I didn't aim for beefing up every player position and opted to skimp out on the versatility that comes with RBs. Because someone’s RB1 and RB2 will be on waivers each week, I drafted knowing that I can beef up at the position later on through waivers.
  • Right here, right now. Longevity is useless. I need my team to survive the chop RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. What good is a late-season ceiling play if I get eliminated early on before I can even start them!?
  • Not being the worst. Because there are no head-to-head matchups, my only enemy is finishing in last place any given week. So I can't fumble around with “hot takes” in the draft. 
  • F*ck ADP, look ahead. Because there are traditionally 18 teams (you can do fewer) in Guillotine Leagues, ADP is a distant memory. You might have to wait 30 picks between rounds, and that means you NEVER know who is coming back around. Don’t wait on players. F*ck ADP. Reach when necessary. 

No More Tilting 

There’s absolutely no reason to get angry or tilted over a “snipe” during a GL draft. Sure, you want a player and you can’t get them, that sucks. But, it doesn’t mean they won’t be available on waivers in the future. 

No player is out of reach forever. 

If you can just stay in the game (don’t get chopped), you’ll have a chance to pay up and acquire almost anyone on waivers in the future. 

No More Buyer’s Remorse

The days of picking a player and wishing you’d done something (anything) differently are gone … kind of. Because you'll have an opportunity every single week to beef up your positions, if you still have FAAB.

The team you start with is going to look DRASTICALLY different from the team you take to the championship.

So why regret going Zero RB when you can nab a starting RB on waivers next week? Drafted a TE late and you wish you'd gone for an elite TE right out of the gate? No worries, you'll have a chance to grab one when they get chopped. No regrets. Literally.

Breakdown From the 1.15

Here’s my guillotine cherry being popped on full display. Please forgive any mistakes made along the way. I’ve learned a lot and hopefully you too can learn from my choices. 

Here’s a breakdown of my first 4 rounds. For comparison, this would get us through the first 6 rounds in a 12-team league:

1.15 - WR / HOU Nico Collins

As you can imagine, a ton of talent flew off the board before I even got my shot at a first-round pick. But I didn't panic. 

Nico Collins is the clear WR1 in Houston. And with a QB who broke rookie records in 2023 (more on him later), I believe this offense is going to continue to fire on all cylinders. 

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Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) signals after a first down during the game during the game against the New York Giants at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Collins nabbed 1,297 yds and 8 TDs through 15 games last season (four of which were top 5 at the position). With a late first-round pick, we play with the cards we've been dealt. And I like my chances with Collins. 

Elite WR at the 1.15 … Let's keep movin'. 

2.04 - TE / KC Travis Kelce

Kelce didn't quite live up to expectations in 2023, but his ADP has adjusted to a place that I'm comfortable taking him for an Elite TE build. Even in his “down year,” Kelce finished 3rd at the position behind George Kittle and Sam LaPorta in total fantasy points. 

His true dropoff came from his single-digit TDs (5). But the Chiefs' WR corps is looking up in 2024, and I do think Kelce benefits from Patrick Mahomes' increased weaponry opening up the field. 

Elite TE down … More positions to go. 

3.15 - WR / PIT George Pickens

Here's the pick where I was semi-stressed. Staring at my phone I kept whispering to myself, “Should I go WR? Or should I take my first RB? F*CK!”

But then I remembered … elite RBs will be on waivers throughout the season and I can stick with racking up WR1s. That's where George Pickens comes in.

In 2023, Pickens finished WR16 in yards (1,140) and WRmeh in TDs (5). But he's still the WR1 in PIT. While they were one of the lowest-scoring teams of 2023, they've brought in the king of high-knees, Russell Wilson, at QB. While he may be the butt of all jokes, Wilson finished the year with 3,000+ yards (19th) and 26 TDs (9th). Not f*cking bad.

So pardon me for believing we might see more scoring in PIT this year. Three rounds down, so many more to go…

4.04 - QB / HOU C.J. Stroud

With some solid starters at WR and TE, it was time for my move toward an Elite QB. Yes, I said elite. I know many would say "But cooter, you didn't take Mahomes, Hurts, or Allen. That's not elite." And to them, I'd say that last season Stroud finished:

  • QB8 in passing yards: 4,108 yards (More than Hurts)
  • QB13(T) in passing TDs: 23 (Tied with Hurts)
  • QB3 in yards per game: 273.9 (More than Mahomes, Hurts, Allen)

Not only can Stroud hang with the big dawgs, but he did it as a ROOKIE. And boy, does he have weapons. Nico Collins, a healthy Tank Dell, and newly added Stefon Diggs are the three-headed monster of my dreams. 

Elite QB down with a bonus Nico stack. SHEEEESH. 

I later added Blake Corum as my RB1. Not great, I know. But this is a Guillotine League. I plan on making huge adjustments once the first few teams get chopped and the RBs start to fall to the chopping-room floor. 

Now, we just need Week 1 to kick off! And for someone (anyone but me) to get chopped!