The bye weeks are here, and Week 5 is where Guillotine League strategy starts pulling hard away from traditional fantasy football. Only two teams are on a bye this week, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Carolina Panthers, but that short list still forces some of the toughest roster decisions of the season so far.
In a normal fantasy league, you barely think twice about carrying a good player through his bye. You know he’s coming back. There’s no reason to panic.
A Guillotine League (also called a Chop League) works differently.
Every week, the lowest-scoring team gets eliminated, and that entire roster dumps straight into the player pool. Suddenly the waiver wire fills with talent you’d never see available in a standard league. At the same time, bye weeks force you to burn valuable roster spots on players who aren’t even suiting up.
So heading into Week 5, the question is simple: who is actually worth keeping through the bye?
For me, the list is short. A few players I absolutely want to hold. A few I’m willing to cut without hesitation. And one player, Travis Kelce, whose status depends entirely on the rest of your roster.
Let’s break it down.
Why Bye Weeks Change Everything in a Guillotine League
This is the stretch where Guillotine fantasy football strategy becomes critical.
In a traditional league, you can stash players. In a Chop League, every roster spot needs a clear purpose.
If your quarterback is on a bye, you’re carrying a zero. If your running back is hurt, that’s another zero. If your tight end is sitting out, you have a hole that has to be filled. Meanwhile, the team that just got chopped is about to flood the waiver wire with an entire roster.
That creates opportunity.
The managers who survive aren’t always the ones with the biggest names. They’re the ones who keep improving their roster while staying off the chopping block. That means I’m not keeping anyone just because I recognize the name on the jersey.
Week 5 Guillotine Keeps
Kenneth Walker: KEEP
Kenneth Walker is staying on my Guillotine roster, and the bye doesn’t change that.
Yes, he gives me nothing in Week 5. I’m still willing to spend the roster spot because of what Walker can deliver when he returns. This is a key distinction in Guillotine strategy: you don’t blindly carry every player through a bye, but you also don’t cut a running back who could become one of the most valuable pieces on your team just because he has one week off.
Walker has the kind of upside I’m prepared to wait for. If another manager wants to cut him to free up a spot, I’ll gladly scoop him up.
Chuba Hubbard: KEEP
Chuba Hubbard is another easy keep.
Carolina is on the bye, but I’m not giving away a starting running back just because he isn’t playing this week. Running back depth becomes extremely valuable as a Guillotine League gets smaller.
Every week, players get injured. Every week, somebody gets eliminated. Every week, another manager is forced into a desperate lineup call. That’s when having legitimate starting running backs on your roster pays off. Hubbard is exactly the type of player I want sitting on my bench when the Panthers return.
Tetairoa McMillan: KEEP
I’m also keeping Tetairoa McMillan.
He’s a young receiver with enough upside that I don’t want to hand him back to the league. In a Chop League, you don’t just want safe, steady players. Eventually you need guys capable of putting up a massive score and saving your season.
McMillan has that ceiling. If I cut him and another manager grabs him, I could end up watching the breakout game I was waiting for while I’m stuck trying to survive with someone else. That’s not a gamble I’m willing to take.
Travis Kelce: KEEP, Unless Covering the Bye Takes Two Roster Spots
Travis Kelce is a keep for me, unless holding him creates a problem with your Week 5 lineup.
The Chiefs are on a bye, so Kelce gives you zero points this week. But I don’t want to cut him just because of that.
The only reason I’d cut Kelce is if keeping him forces me to use two roster spots on other tight ends just to cover the position this week. Here’s the rule:
- One replacement tight end covers it? Keep Kelce.
- Need two tight ends to cover the bye? Cut Kelce and use those roster spots elsewhere.
Kelce is too valuable to give away over a single bye week. But if keeping him means spending multiple roster spots just to survive Week 5, the math changes. In a Guillotine League, sometimes the right move is making the painful cut before somebody else gets chopped and hands you a better option.
Week 5 Guillotine Cuts
Patrick Mahomes: CUT
Now we get to one of the more uncomfortable calls. Patrick Mahomes is a player I’m willing to cut.
Yes, I said it, especially with all the uncertainty in the Chiefs’ wide receiver room right now.
Mahomes is one of the biggest names in fantasy football, but this isn’t a normal league. The Chiefs are on the bye, and Mahomes isn’t scoring for you this week. If I have another quarterback who can put up points and I need the roster spot, I’m not protecting him because of the name on the jersey.
That’s one of the biggest mistakes managers make in Guillotine fantasy football: getting attached to the player instead of thinking about the roster. If Mahomes hits the waiver wire, somebody will want him. Maybe that somebody is you, later. Right now, if I need the spot, Mahomes can go.
Bryce Young: CUT
I’m also cutting Bryce Young.
His recent production has been interesting, but I’m not convinced enough to spend a valuable Guillotine roster spot waiting for him to become something more. That’s the difference between dynasty and Guillotine. In dynasty, you can wait. In a Guillotine League, you’re trying to survive Sunday.
I need players I trust to deliver a competitive score every week. Bryce isn’t there for me right now.
Jalen Coker: CUT
I’m moving on from Jalen Coker as well.
Coker has shown flashes, but the last few weeks haven’t given me enough confidence to keep using a roster spot on him. This isn’t an argument against Coker as a player. It’s an argument about the format.
In dynasty, I could easily hold him. In a deeper redraft league, I might wait. In a Guillotine League, I’m looking at every roster spot differently. If I’m carrying Coker, what am I giving up? Right now, I’d rather take a chance on somebody else.
Rashee Rice: CUT If You Need the Roster Spot
Rashee Rice is the difficult one. The talent isn’t the issue. The injury is.
In a normal fantasy league, I’m much more willing to wait on a player like Rice. In a Chop League, the entire point is survival. If you have enough depth to stash him, that’s one thing. If keeping him forces you to start somebody you don’t trust because you’ve run out of usable roster spots, cut him.
This is where Guillotine managers have to stop thinking about what a player could do later and start thinking about what the roster needs right now.
The Guillotine Rule: Don’t Be Afraid to Cut Good Players
This is the biggest lesson heading into Week 5. You are going to cut good players. That’s part of Guillotine fantasy football.
You’re going to see somebody on the waiver wire and think, “There’s no way that guy should be available.” Then you’ll have to decide how much FAAB to spend on him. You’re going to see a big-name player sitting on your bench during a bye and wonder whether you can afford to keep him. Eventually, you’re going to have to let somebody go.
That’s what makes Guillotine Leagues so different. You’re not trying to build the perfect team. You’re trying to build a team that survives.
Week 5 Guillotine League Keeps and Cuts at a Glance
KEEP
- Kenneth Walker: Too much upside to give away.
- Chuba Hubbard: A starting running back worth carrying through the bye.
- Tetairoa McMillan: A young receiver with the upside to win you a week.
- Travis Kelce: Keep him if one replacement tight end can cover the bye.
CUT
- Patrick Mahomes: Not protecting the name if I need the roster spot, especially with the Chiefs’ receiver uncertainty.
- Bryce Young: Not enough weekly confidence.
- Jalen Coker: Too inconsistent to wait around for.
- Rashee Rice: The injury makes him expendable if you need the spot.
The important part isn’t whether you agree with every name. It’s the thought process. Who can help you survive this week? Who can you afford to wait on? And who is taking up a roster spot that could go to somebody who actually plays?
Those are the questions that matter in Guillotine League strategy.
Week 5 Is Here. The Chop Is Coming.
This is where the season starts getting serious. The bye weeks are forcing difficult decisions. The waiver wire is getting stronger. Injuries are piling up. And every Sunday, another Guillotine manager is going home.
So look at your roster:
- Don’t protect players just because they’re famous.
- Don’t hold somebody just because you drafted him.
- Don’t be afraid to make the move that feels uncomfortable.
In a Guillotine League, the goal isn’t to have the best roster on paper. The goal is to still have a roster when everybody else has been chopped.
Guillotine League Week 5: Frequently Asked Questions
Which teams are on a bye in Week 5?
The Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers are the only two teams on a bye in Week 5.
Should I keep Travis Kelce through his bye in a Guillotine League?
Yes, if one replacement tight end can cover Week 5. If you’d need to use two roster spots on tight ends to get through the bye, cutting Kelce becomes the better move.
Should I cut Patrick Mahomes in a Guillotine League?
If you have another quarterback who can score this week and you need the roster spot, yes. In a Guillotine League, roster spots matter more than name value, and Mahomes gives you nothing during the Chiefs’ bye.
How do bye weeks affect Guillotine League strategy?
Because one team is eliminated every week, every roster spot has to help you survive. Bye weeks force you to decide which players are worth a zero this week, and which ones should be cut to make room for players who will actually play.
What is a Guillotine League in fantasy football?
A Guillotine League, also called a Chop League, eliminates the lowest-scoring team every week. That team’s entire roster is released into the free-agent pool, and the last team standing wins.
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