Most common players on eliminated teams from Week 10 in Yahoo Fantasy Guillotine Leagues — plus FAB waiver wire advice
We've got 10 weeks are in the books, which means 10 managers in your Yahoo Fantasy Guillotine Leagues presented by Liquid Death are no longer around. It's a wicked game, isn't it? Of course, it's wickedly fun when you're on the good side of things.
If you're still reading our weekly Guillotine League missive, congratulations. You're still alive. You made it to November.
Now is when the game gets really interesting.
I'll run through the most commonly-cut players and some FAB advice, as usual, but the strategy becomes more and more context-dependent as we meander through the late stages of the season. And it's critical that you audit the FAB budgets remaining for your competitors. It's not unlike poker, where a good player is constantly reevaluating the chip dynamics of the table, who's deep and who's thin. Leverage is everything.
In most leagues the waiver wire will be especially rich every week onward, as the cut teams become stronger and stronger. It's also more plausible to find useful players on the wire for nothing, players who would never be free agents in a casual league. Remember, your manager pool keeps shrinking in size.
You always audit every injury closely, but also pay keen attention to bye weeks. There are still 10 NFL teams who have not hit their holiday yet. This has to be factored into your strategy.
Understanding FAB recommendationsProactive: This means you highly covet this player, perhaps might even need this player. I realize these offers might not win if someone in your league is going all in, but as described above, that can be short-sighted in this format with how much talent is available each week.
Reactive: This means you desire the player but the cost has to make sense for your short- or long-term strategy.
Keep Them Honest: This is an offer that is not designed to win, but might surprisingly land a player if your opponents are distracted by other talent available or unexpectedly passive that week. I often compare notes with other experienced Guillotine League players and we're surprised at how often the "Keep Them Honest" bids actually win (this is also a portable strategy for regular season-long leagues; you never know when strange market behavior will come about).
Finally, understand that the FAB recommendations are with the assumption that you won't be making offers for every available player.
Week 10's top-10 players on eliminated teamsAgain, the FAB buckets are an extremely loose guide. Play the hand you're dealt, and consider what's around you. You know your league dynamics better than an outsider ever could.
1. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings (23% of eliminated teams)I've been very patient with the Minnesota passing game all year, because I have such trust in head coach Kevin O'Connell. But we're into November and it's time to get nervous. Jefferson was available in my Guillotine League a week ago and I made a competitive bid, but I didn't go all-in.
FAB Recommendation:
$200 proactive
$165 reactive
$90 keep them honest
Nobody saw the ambush coming at Miami, but the Buffalo offense also seems to be missing something. Cook only has two showings outside the top 20 all year, so he deserves a mulligan.
FAB Recommendation:
$220 proactive
$185 reactive
$100 keep them honest
Variance is a crazy thing in this fantasy game - Bowers broke football in Week 9 (12-137-3) then was erased in Week 10 (1-31-0). Dallas is a good Week 11 draw, and obviously tight end is not a deep position.
FAB Recommendation:
$200 proactive
$165 reactive
$90 keep them honest
A pesky bye week kicked out some of the Chase managers, an inconvenient fact of life. Chase has been money with Joe Flacco, and we might see Joe Burrow later this month. Carnival life for the win.
FAB Recommendation:
$250 proactive
$185 reactive
$135 keep them honest
He remains a sublime talent, but Tyler Allgeier looms as a goal-line vulture. At least Atlanta's bye week is out of the way, and the usage tree here is especially narrow.
FAB Recommendation:
$220 proactive
$185 reactive
$110 keep them honest
His weekly receiving work keeps him relevant, but it's hard to unsee that Brian Robinson Jr. has been the team's best running threat all season. McCaffrey still has plenty of floor and ceiling because Kyle Shanahan will continue to deploy him outside the numbers.
FAB Recommendation:
$210 proactive
$175 reactive
$100 keep them honest
It's one thing to struggle against a defense like Houston, but the face plant against the Raiders was not expected. The Chiefs will challenge him in Week 11, and then the Broncos take a bye. In this format, you need to have a stronger quarterback - especially this late in the season.
FAB Recommendation:
$20 proactive
$10 reactive
$2-4 keep them honest
He didn't go bonkers in Week 10, but a RB20 finish isn't an embarrassment, either. Barkley's season has mostly been a case study in regression. Detroit is a difficult Week 11 draw, but the schedule is super-friendly after that.
FAB Recommendation:
$200 proactive
$165 reactive
$90 keep them honest
He has just two touchdowns in his past four games, a notable thing because we know Henry is never going to do much in the passing game. The Browns are a Week 11 challenge, but two Cincinnati games aren't far off.
FAB Recommendation:
$190 proactive
$155 reactive
$80 keep them honest
Bye-week planning is obviously a big thing in the Guillotine League streets. Higgins has a 14-261-4 line over the last three weeks, the upcoming schedule looks good and Joe Burrow might be returning soon. Even as the team's No. 2 wideout, he's worth a competitive offer.
FAB Recommendation:
$135 proactive
$70 reactive
$25-30 keep them honest