Guillotine Leagues™️ Fantasy Football Mock Draft: Stocking Up On Running Backs Early

Guillotine Leagues™️ are one of the coolest formats growing in popularity across the fantasy football landscape.

In case you need a refresher, here’s how it works: There are no head-to-head matchups. Instead, every week, the lowest-scoring team gets chopped from the league, and that entire roster goes to the waiver wire. The final team standing wins.

You can start with as many as 18 teams because there are 17 weeks in the fantasy season. But the format is flexible. Want to start with 12 teams? You can do that. Want to start an eight-team league in October? As long as there are weeks left on the NFL calendar, we can Guillotine.

I drafted from the eighth spot in an 18-team Guillotine mock using our state-of-the-art Draft Champion simulator, and I was pretty happy with how the roster came together.

In this format, surviving is the priority. That means floor matters, but you still need players who can give you enough week-winning upside to avoid the chopping block.

Guillotine Leagues Mock Draft From the 1.08

Early Priority: Running Backs

I prioritized running backs early because of the current state of the position. There are only so many true, de facto three-down backs left in the NFL. And in Guillotine Leagues, where you only start two wide receivers, I am more comfortable attacking the other positions once rosters start getting chopped and player pools expand.

I started with Jonathan Taylor. I have some concerns about the Colts offense, but Taylor should get about as many touches as he can physically handle. His ceiling is through the roof, and he has legitimate overall RB1 upside. In a format where one bad week sends you home, I want as many touches as possible from my foundational players.

At pick 29, I took Javonte Williams. Some might view it as a reach, but it may have been my favorite pick of the draft pound for pound.

I have been beating the Williams drum all offseason. Dallas had very little in its running back room, and Williams was a bulldozer last year, ranking near the top of the league in yards after contact per attempt. He is again attached to a Cowboys offense that should continue to be awesome, rank near the top of the league in EPA per play and make plenty of red-zone trips.

Our fantasy football projections have Williams with 1,060 rushing yards, 9.9 rushing touchdowns, 35 catches and another 1.5 receiving scores. That works for me.

When I compare him to backs in his range—Cam Skattebo, Kyren Williams, Travis Etienne and even Breece Hall—I think Williams has fewer red flags. Some of those players face committee concerns, injury questions or simply worse offensive environments. Williams has the best offense of the bunch, and that matters.

Building a Weekly Floor

In Round 3, I got my first receiver in Zay Flowers at pick 44.

Flowers should again be a focal point of Baltimore’s offense. Fantasy Life projects him for 1,136 yards and 117 targets, making him our WR16. He has a nice weekly floor, but there is also a little extra juice in his profile. Flowers can be used creatively and might luck into a rushing touchdown or two.

At pick 65, I added Tony Pollard, then followed with Chris Godwin and Stefon Diggs in the middle rounds.

This is where Guillotine League strategy comes into play. I want volume. I want players who can give me a stable weekly floor and help keep me alive, rather than relying on volatile players who can disappear at the wrong time. I considered Jameson Williams earlier, but he is a little too boom-or-bust for this format.

Godwin should be a chain mover in Tampa Bay, and I would be shocked if he does not see 8 or 9 targets per game. How quickly the public forgot about his last healthy, outstanding season. And with Mike Evans out of the picture, there is plenty of opportunity for Godwin to take on a massive role.

Diggs, meanwhile, landed in a perfect spot with Washington. The Commanders were starving for another target earner. His arrival probably dings Terry McLaurin a little, but Diggs should still be productive.

Fantasy Life projects him for more than 900 yards as WR28, ahead of Davante Adams, Jordyn Tyson and Jameson Williams. At pick 101, I felt like that was a strong value.

Quarterback and Tight End Values

I waited at quarterback and landed Tyler Shough. I love the upside.

After his bye last season, Shough scored at least 16.4 fantasy points in six of seven appearances, including two games above 20 points. For perspective, Jared Goff exceeded 20 fantasy points six times in 2025.

I like the Saints offense in Year 2 under Kellen Moore, and Shough plays in a division that could lead to some fantasy-friendly environments. He gives me enough upside and stability to feel comfortable without paying the premium price at quarterback.

I also waited at tight end and got Travis Kelce. Early reports surrounding Rashee Rice have been unclear, and I am not sure who else is going to consistently earn targets in Kansas City. Kelce may not be the old Kelce, but he should keep plodding along and provide a high weekly floor.

Deebo Samuel was another later pick I liked. San Francisco has been banged up, and Samuel can still be deployed in several ways and has a history of scoring near the goal line. That versatility plays in any format, but especially one where one bad week can send you packing.

Late-Round Contingency Plays

The other thing that fell into my lap organically was bye-week structure. Outside of tight end, the earliest bye among my projected starters is Week 7. Taylor, Williams, and Flowers do not have byes until Weeks 13 and 14, which means my best players should be in the lineup together for most of the season.

Late in the draft, I stashed a few interesting players.

Ray Davis is the No. 2 running back in one of the league’s best offenses after Ty Johnson’s injury.

Malik Washington fell to pick 209. At that point in an 18-team draft, taking a shot on a player who could become Miami’s No. 1 receiver is more than reasonable.

I also took Keenan Allen. Someone will likely be calling his phone as training camp injuries pile up, and I am happy to stash a veteran who could find a meaningful role quickly.

I received a C+ draft grade, but I would be thrilled to walk away with this team in a real Guillotine League. It has a strong running back foundation, high-floor pass catchers, and enough players with touchdown upside to keep me alive week after week.