This will be the next-to-last of the the FAAB Report articles. Thank you for following along. They’re so much fun, and I love hearing that they helped you create a winning bid in your league. We’ve got one more in store that’ll go over the winner of the 2023 Fantasy Index Guillotine League roster, what moves they made, and ultimately, what it takes to be a champion.

It’s still a few weeks away, but it’s coming up fast. I decided that it’s at that point of the season where recommending a bid amount isn’t as helpful as giving you some end-game advice. Since every team is constructed so differently and everyone’s budget isn’t going to allow or require them to bid that much, I figured it could be generalized. Without further ado, here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for the end of the season in a guillotine league.

Acquire Top Players
We’re in Week 12, which means that no one should be streaming the quarterback position since there are only seven teams left in your league. A good rule of thumb is to have a top-5 quarterback and tight end and top 10 wide receivers and running backs. Bonus points to the player if they are already past their bye and have a favorable schedule. At this point in the season, you shouldn’t be rostering backup running backs or players that are depth pieces (unless you have a bye week coming up). If the player wouldn’t start on your roster, then don’t waste your precious budget on them. Pay up for top players when they become available. Which brings me to my next point …

Know Your League’s Rules
This is especially key for those playing on GuillotineLeagues.com. Players on teams that are chopped after the conclusion of Week 14 (going into Week 15) will not be available in free agency. This is actually good news and great for balancing the game. This makes sure that the person who saved the most money doesn’t win the whole thing by getting every single top player. It’s supposed to be a game of strategy with different ways to win, but if the only way to win is by saving all your money and creating a super team, then it doesn’t really open any other doors to viable alternative strategies.

Balancing Your Budget
As I mentioned in the intro, I can’t help you out with exactly what to bid in an article (I can over on Twitter/X: @_ColtWilliams), but I’ll help with a generalization. Look at your opponent’s budget and team. If a star running back just landed on waivers, and they really need running back help as that’s the last piece to their perfect roster puzzle, assume they’ll bid their whole budget, and bid more than them. That goes for a lot of different situations. If you’re not in that position as you’ve blown a lot of your budget to get here, that’s fine too. Just play the shotgun approach: put in bids on every player you’re trying to upgrade your roster with and hope one hits. Don’t be afraid to spend the rest of your budget if it means finishing your end-game team because no future player you would bid on would crack your starting roster anyway.

—Colt Williams

Williams is working towards a degree in economics and statistics at Sonoma State. A United States Air Force veteran, he’s been playing fantasy football since 2012. Follow him on Twitter @_ColtWilliams