What is a guillotine league in fantasy football?
A guillotine league is an elimination format where the lowest-scoring team each week is cut, and its entire roster is released to the waiver wire.
Every week the team with the fewest points is 'chopped' and removed from the league, with its players going back into the free-agent pool for survivors to claim.
In an 18-team guillotine league, you don't play head-to-head — you simply must avoid finishing last in total points any given week. As teams are eliminated, their stars flood waivers, so managing your FAAB to scoop up those released players is central to surviving deep into the season.
Guillotine leagues are high-stress and waiver-driven. Every week is a must-win, and the constantly refreshing free-agent pool makes roster management far more active than a typical league.