Guilloteenies Offer a Second Chance in the Divisional Round: Load up on Rams and Bears

In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Pristine Auction:

The contest so nice we had to run it twice.

That’s right, there’s no time for licking wounds if you got chopped in the Wild Card Round because our Guilloteenie lobby is packed full of new contests, starting with the Divisional Round.

Here are some angles to consider if you are looking for redemption …

Still wait on QB

There are four QBs—Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye—all going in the Top 12 picks and I think that’s way too expensive. In a four-person single-chop league, let your opponents all go QB early and then you can select whichever of the Top 4 remain with your last-round pick. And in double-chop leagues, it’s still a no-brainer if you look at how 2v2s shake out from an Xfinity Projections standpoint as far as early QB or late QB:

Caleb Williams (16.4) and Demarcus Robinson (5.7) = 22.1
Kyren Williams (13.4) and C.J. Stroud (13.4) = 26.8

Punt TE while you are at it

I know Colston Loveland was a difference maker last week, but there isn’t a huge gap between him and the other TEs this week. In the four-person, I’d try to wait for one of Dalton Schultz or Hunter Henry and in the six-person contests, I like waiting until one of the final rounds for one of the Rams TEs. Speaking of which…

Load up on Bears/Rams

I think there’s a high likelihood that we see some low-scoring, defensive battles this week between BUF/DEN, SF/SE and HOU/NE. If there’s one game that pops off—and the 48.5 total indicates as much—it is going to be this CHI/LAR game. If you are having a tough time deciding who to take, break ties in the direction of this game.

Good luck and see ya in the lobbies.

IS GIBBS OR BIJAN THE EARLY 2026 1.01?

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NFL Offseason Rumors: Harbaugh to Tennessee?

The coaching carousel is turning vigorously, and it looks like it’ll be at least a little while before the first domino falls. With teams exiting the playoffs—or not making them altogether—talk of players changing locations is starting to heat up. Kendall Valenzuela breaks down the NFL rumors, and there are plenty, starting with the possibility that John Harbaugh may end up in Tennessee and make QB Cam Ward a special project:

“Harbaugh could try to mold Ward into a potential “elite” quarterback. The Titans are projected to have over $100 million in cap space and carry the fourth-overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. Ward ranked 35th out of 35 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per dropback and success rate this season, but a big offseason need is more quality pass catchers. Surrounding Ward with a proven head coach, along with a true WR1, could turn this organization around. Let's see if Harbaugh feels the same way.”

It hardly stops there. Kendall sifts through what’s real and what needs to be followed, as the time is drawing near when NFL chatter replaces the action on the field.

COULD AJB & BTJ BE CHANGING ADDRESSES?

Divisional Round Guilloteenie Strategy: Spend Up

You know that strategy in 18-team Guillotine Leagues^TM where it’s imperative to save FAAB dollars in the early portion of the season? That strategy is out the door when it comes to postseason Guilloteenies. With there only being four rounds of NFL playoffs, there’s no time to ration FAAB. The time to spend is now, with the first Guilloteenie waivers hitting today at 3 p.m. ET. And Jake Nagy has strategic suggestions for how to handle waivers and more heading into the Divisional Round, including spending aggressively on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who happened to be one of the most chopped players after Wild Card Weekend:

“Shoutout to those of you who got aggressive in their drafts last week and put JSN on this list in the first place. Fortune favors the bold and if you got chopped, I’m sure you’ve already visited the lobby and re-upped. This matchup worked out great for JSN; he averaged 7.5 receptions for 104 yards against the 49ers this season, and he’s due for a score.”

If you’re reading this it means you survived the first chop in your Guilloteenie. If you got chopped, there’s still more leagues drafting. Read on to make sure you keep surviving.⤵️

COLSTON LOVELAND MAY BE THE TE1 IN THE FIELD

Trivia Time: Bear Market for Magical Endings

Yesterday we asked the question: Which All-Pro receiver set the NFL record receiving yards for an NFL Playoff debut? The correct answer: Calvin Johnson. Megatron made a huge splash in his first career playoff outing, racking up 12 catches, 211 yards and 2 touchdowns in a loss vs. the Saints. Sadly, it was one of just two playoff games in Johnson’s Hall of Fame career. Thomas turned just 4 catches into 204 yards in his postseason debut, while Nacua had 181 yards in his first playoff outing. Moss topped out at 188 receiving yards across his legendary career, but had just 73 yards in his first playoff contest.

And that brings us to today’s trivia question:

Q: The Bears' magic did not end in the regular season. The team picked up its third win when trailing by 10+ points with five minutes left, moving it to 3-3 in that split for the year. The rest of the NFL is 3-158 combined. The Bears ultimately erased an 18-point deficit overall, which was the largest postseason comeback since this squad in 2022:

GOT CHOPPED? YOU CAN CREATE ANOTHER GUILLOTEENIE

Around The Watercooler

The latest fantasy and NFL gossip, news, memes and more from our merry band of football nerds …

🪓 Who should you prioritize on the Guilloteenie waiver wire?

⏰ When do waivers run during the postseason Guilloteenies?

📰 Bad news for the Vikings. Jordan Addison in trouble again. Oof.

🔥 These 5 burning questions … answered.

😎 Yes, it’s cool to take JSN ahead of Puka in a Guilloteenie draft.

🔮 What would the first round look like if you drafted today?

😎 Yes, it’s cool to take JSN ahead of Puka in a Guilloteenie draft.

🤯 There's an incredible stat at the end of this piece. C.J. Stroud & Eli Manning, lol.

🦬 A familiar face returns for the Bills. They need all the help they can get.

🤔 This would be an interesting HC fit for the Ravens. What do you think?

🏈 End of an era for the Steelers. Tomlin goes out with another playoff appearance.

❓ Who are you drafting first among these teammates?