We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Yahoo Fantasy guillotine-style leagues presented by Liquid Death for this season. In this killer fantasy football game, fans compete for survival every week.
Yahoo Fantasy staff members took part in an 18-team, 14-round guillotine mock draft to help give an idea of how to approach building a roster in this format.
[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy guillotine-style football league]
The scoring for this mock is half PPR (point per reception) with the following roster spots: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, BN, IR.
A big thank you goes out to everyone who participated:
Get ready for Yahoo Fantasy guillotine-style leagues
In an 18-team league, the first round might be the only round that feels fairly normal, since you havent strayed that far from traditional league drafts. However, the deeper you get into the opening frame, you start to realize how quickly the talent level is falling off and how long youll be waiting in between picks. Keep that in mind for later, so you dont end up on the wrong side of a position run.
My Pick: Collins was the WR8 in fantasy points per game (17.6) last year, despite missing five weeks with a hamstring injury. Prior to getting hurt, he was the fourth-highest-scoring wideout, averaging 21.3 fppg. While having a bye in Week 6 does feel a little early in the season to be without my first-round pick, Collins talent (and potential path to a top-five finish) was too tough to pass up.
Three elite quarterbacks and two elite tight ends go off the board already, as managers try to find players who will give them an immediate edge. Theyll have to hope its enough of an advantage to overcome the potential holes it could cause in their lineups at other important positions like running back and receiver.
My Pick: Some guillotine players shy away from rookies, since they could take longer to get comfortable in the pros, and if they start slow it could result in an early exit for that manager. Any concerns about Omarion Hamptons early-season role are quickly disappearing with each day that Najee Harris sits out due to his eye injury. The first-round rookie is impressing coaches and distancing himself on the depth chart from his veteran teammate Harris. Get ready for Hampton to make noise early and often this season as a borderline fantasy RB1.
While Im a big fan of Rashee Rice in redraft leagues, taking him this early in a guillotine format is very dangerous due to a potential suspension that might be handed out before the season. In redraft, you could find replacements and risk losing a game or two while you wait for his return, but in guillotine you might not be around by the time he gets back. Team Kundtz will have to hope Rice avoids a suspension or gets a very short ban.
My Pick: Taking Kamara in the third round feels odd, but drafting him as the 19th running back selected feels like a gift. Though he turned 30 years old this summer, the veteran is coming off back-to-back top-five fantasy RB seasons and has finished top-eight in seven of his eight NFL campaigns.
Odunze stands out as a very intriguing value at the end of this round. His situation in Chicago has improved greatly since an up-and-down rookie season. New head coach Ben Johnson has continuously praised his sophomore wideout and some people covering the team believe Odunze might emerge as the Bears No. 1 receiver this year. He also faces the Vikings, Lions and Cowboys in the opening three weeks all of which finished among the top six in fantasy points allowed to WRs in 2024. Thats a great addition in this range by Team Zweiman.
My Pick: Im living on the edge, selecting a second rookie within the first four rounds. But McMillan got early first-round capital in Aprils draft and landed with a team in desperate need of a true top option in the passing game. Hes also on the verge of getting as many targets as he can handle in Carolina. Bryce Young settled in during the second half of the season under Dave Canales tutelage and now appears poised to break out with McMillan as his premier weapon. He even has the benefit of friendly matchups with the Jaguars and Falcons in two of the first three weeks.
Addison is in a similar situation as Rice, with a possible suspension looming before the season. There are still a lot of comparable receivers available in this range, so it seems like an unnecessary risk for a fantasy starter at Addisons level.
My Pick: Hunter is one of the most exciting rookies to enter the league, maybe ever. Unfortunately, we wont score points for his defensive snaps in this format. The good news is that hes apparently excelling on both sides of the ball at Jaguars practices. Hes even shone as the hardest Jags receiver to cover in one-on-one drills, according to beat writer John Shipley. Make no mistake, Hunter is not a safe pick due to the uncertainty around how hell be used on offense and defense, but Im confident in him as a flex option.
Team Brennan took one of my favorite values in this years drafts in Egbuka. With Chris Godwins recovery timeline unknown and his status for Week 1 unclear, the first-round rookie could play a very big part in the Buccaneers offense right out of the gate. It helps that everyone around the Bucs, including Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans, have been highlighting Egbuka as a player who will make his mark this season.
My Pick: When drafting in a typical redraft league, Im more than willing to wait on the one-off positions like quarterback, but the goal of a guillotine-style league is to survive so filling out your starting lineup is a priority. Purdy is a steady performer who finished as the QB8 in fppg in 2023 and the QB12 last season. He also has the fourth-easiest fantasy strength of schedule in my matrix.
By the end of the seventh round, all 18 teams had found a quarterback. Thats important to note, since all of the passers chosen so far have low-end QB1 fantasy finishes within their range of outcomes. While some teams are selecting RBs in split backfields at this point, you could be the manager locking down your starting QB or TE. Its something to consider when deciding on your build and where you want to invest draft capital.
My Pick: I went with a tight end here in an effort to complete my starting lineup as soon as possible and maximize its Week 1 potential. When I miss out on the elite TEs, I tend to target the tier of Kraft, Kincaid, Warren and Loveland. When three of those guys went off the board in the last round and a half, I knew it was time to scoop up the final player in that tier. The Bears clearly envisioned a big role for Loveland when they chose him 10th overall and hes already starting to flash in camp. After the immediate success weve seen from rookie tight ends in recent years, it wont be surprising if Loveland is a top-12 fantasy TE this season.
Keeping injury and off-field situations in mind is always smart in guillotine drafts. Godwin and Mooney have injuries that could impact their Week 1 availability, which might turn them into stashes more than potential starting options early in the season. Meanwhile, Sampson and Chubb could get increased volume in the opening weeks if their projected starters (Quinshon Judkins, Joe Mixon) are still not suiting up.
My Pick: With my starting lineup filled out, I decided to take a luxury pick in this spot. Davis is the backup to James Cook, whos in the final year of his deal with the Bills and doesnt appear to be close to a contract extension. You always wonder how that will impact a players desire to play through injuries that may occur during the season. That gives added value to Davis, who proved he can step up when called upon. As a rookie, Davis finished as the RB13 and RB14 in the only two contests where he played over 50% of the snaps last year.
Ford is another example of a player who has added value in the guillotine format. With so much uncertainty around the teams second-round pick, Judkins, it seems like the Browns backfield will feature Ford and Sampson at the beginning of the season. That makes them flex-worthy options.
My Pick: This was a very guillotine-specific selection for me. Douglas has been generating a lot of buzz as the busiest pass-catcher in Josh McDaniels offense during camp and we know the history of featuring slot receivers in this system. Though the ceiling for Douglas isnt that enticing, he can be a reliable fill-in if any of my starters get hurt early in the season. It also helps that the Patriots have a Week 14 bye, which means Douglas will be on-call for the first 13 weeks.
Aiyuk is an interesting guillotine pick at this stage, mostly because of the injured reserve spot thats available. As he works his way back from an ACL tear, the 27-year-old might end up sitting out early in the season. We know Aiyuk can be a fantasy difference-maker when healthy the only question is, how soon will he get back to form? Stashing him on IR and hoping he can contribute later is a worthwhile play at this point in the draft.
My Pick: Bryant is yet another rookie added to my roster, but based on the comments coming out of Broncos practices, the third-round pick should carve out a role in Sean Paytons ascending offense. While Denvers No. 1 target, Courtland Sutton, just signed a new deal, the pecking order behind him in the receiver room is up in the air. Beating out part-time players like Marvin Mims Jr. and Devaughn Vele doesnt seem like an insurmountable obstacle. It also doesnt hurt that Payton has compared Bryant to former Saints star, Michael Thomas.
The fact that McCarthy fell all the way to the 11th round as the QB24 makes me worried people at Yahoo arent reading my articles.
After all, I wrote about McCarthy as one of the biggest breakout candidates at the quarterback position this year. The former first-round pick is healthy after a lost rookie season due to injury, he has an incredible supporting cast around him and Kevin OConnell is a QB whisperer. Since taking over as the Vikings head coach, OConnell has helped Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens and Sam Darnold all average QB14 fantasy stats or better when starting in this offense. Do we really think McCarthy is worse than all those passers? If he had lasted three more picks, he would have been my selection here.
My Pick: With McCarthy gone, I took Marks, whose projection could rise dramatically if we find out Mixon is going to miss significant time. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters he doesnt even want them talking about Mixon’s injury, which seems like a strange approach if it wasnt a concerning ailment. Ryans also threw some cold water on Chubbs outlook by admitting hes not the same player he once was in the NFL. If Mixons not available and Chubb is a declining veteran, Marks might have a chance to have a serious role in this backfield.
After pick 200, finding players who will have an impact on your guillotine season can be difficult. These tend to be the first names you drop when other rosters get eliminated and sent to the waiver wire. Its fine to plug any holes or secure some insurance with backups in this range, but were getting into longshot territory so dont be afraid to aim for upside. For example, Anthony Richardson Sr. is earning some positive reports in camp and might have the early edge over Daniel Jones. Weve witnessed Richardsons fantasy prowess before and if he can have a better command of the Colts offense, he offers week-winning upside as a potential QB1.
My Pick: The release of veteran Noah Fant before training camp opened the door for Arroyo to possibly start as early as Week 1. The second-round rookie excels as a pass-catcher and has been a very active part of the Seahawks passing attack in practices. Whether that translates into regular production remains to be seen, but Ill gladly take a chance on him as my backup TE.
Running backs and receivers in the final rounds of an 18-team guillotine draft are pure Hail Mary selections and would likely require multiple things to happen in order to have fantasy relevance. Grabbing backup quarterbacks and tight ends might prove to be a better use of these draft slots, unless you can paint a picture where the RB or WR could have instant fantasy value for you.
My Pick: Royals is a deep sleeper for the Chiefs. Worthy and Brown have both dealt with injuries at different points in training camp, while Rice could face a possible suspension to start the year. If any of those players miss time, the fourth-rounder Royals is the next man up. He probably wont ever crack my starting lineup, but theres at least a path to him returning value in the opening weeks.
Nailor is a very sneaky pick here and I was disappointed he didnt fall to me in the final round. Similar to the Chiefs scenario, Minnesota might be without Addison early in the season if the league issues a suspension before then. That would create an opportunity for Nailor to temporarily play the No. 2 receiver role in the Vikings offense. Nailor caught touchdowns in both games Addison missed last year.
My Pick: With Richardson playing well so far in camp, Jones seems like the underdog to start for the Colts in Week 1. Even so, I didnt take a second quarterback and wasnt particularly thrilled by any of the names still available when I was on the clock at 243rd overall. So, taking a QB with a chance to win himself a starting job over the next month made sense.