The Broncos beat Kansas City to end their eight-year losing streak against their divisional rival. If you were ever in the market for some KC talent, this is your week. Patrick Mahomes’ flu game wasn’t quite like Michael Jordan’s. A lot of quarterbacks got banged up as well, which affected not only their stock but the offensive pieces around them.
It’s also worth mentioning, sadly, that I got chopped in the 2023 Fantasy Index Guillotine League. It always feels bad getting chopped with 75 percent of your budget still, but that’s life. Thanks to everyone who joined, and congrats to everyone still alive. I can’t wait to see who is crowned the winner. Now, let’s make the best waiver wire bids on the most chopped players going into Week 9.
Big-Name Players Chopped after Week 8:
Patrick Mahomes (bid 15 percent)
Mahomes had the worst performance of his career on Sunday. While the Broncos’ defense has looked better since their 70-point beat down by the Miami Dolphins, I’m chalking this one up to Mahomes being sick. Mahomes is as safe as they come, especially for a quarterback who uses his legs sparingly.
Davante Adams (bid 11 percent)
I’m not sure how much longer I can stand up for Adams. It’s not him, it’s the dysfunctional Las Vegas Raiders’ offense. I was willing to look away when the backup quarterbacks were in, but on Monday night, we saw Jimmy Garoppolo just flat out miss Adams on multiple throws. Adams is 53rd in fantasy points among wide receivers over the past month. If you’re buying him, you’re doing so on the whim that the offense gets it back together.
Lamar Jackson (bid 14 percent)
Dual-threat quarterbacks are idolized in guillotine leagues because of their high floors. If they didn’t have a good day passing, they can make that up on the ground, and vice versa. You would have hoped for a better day at the office for Lamar against the Cardinals, but they Gus Edwards run all over them for 3 TDs. Lamar is still the quarterback four on the season, with some matchups that should be shootouts coming up soon.
Cooper Kupp (bid 16 percent)
Back-to-back down weeks for Kupp. If you watch the tape, it’s not him. Two weeks ago, it was his teammate, Puka Nacua, that was gobbling up all the yards (yes, it’s officially November, so Thanksgiving puns will be coming in waves). Last week, Matthew Stafford got injured, and the Rams played a tough defense at Dallas. I’m recommending a lower bid on Kupp because it’s unlikely Stafford suits up in Week 9 when they have their bye in Week 10. Assuming everything checks out for Stafford, and he’s ready to roll in Week 11, you’ve likely got a steal with Kupp.
Tony Pollard (bid 11 percent)
Week 1 was the last time Pollard got into the end zone. If you’ve had him, you’ve felt that, but many people may not have so here’s your warning. The Cowboys have been in some weird game scripts this season: either completely blowing out a team or being completely blown out. The good news is that Pollard is the man in Dallas and he is past his bye. The bad news is that his schedule for the rest of season doesn't favor running backs.
Travis Kelce (bid 25 percent)
Kelce still had a decent game considering the numbers Mahomes put up, but you’ve got to shake it off. Kelce is the number one tight end. The Chiefs have a bye in Week 10, but after that, he’s locked into your lineup for the rest of the season.
Isiah Pacheco (bid 11 percent)
I once heard someone say that Pacheco looks like he’s running with the star power from Super Mario, and I can’t unsee it. While his running style may be unique, he’s been a top running back so far this season. He’s in the top 13 in rushing attempts, yards and targets for the running back position. The touchdowns haven’t really come his way, but he’s getting bell-cow usage on one of the top offenses in the NFL, and with his remaining schedule, the touchdowns will be coming soon enough.
Puka Nacua (bid 12 percent)
I’m lower on Puka than I am on Kupp because I believe the Stafford injury hurts him more than it does Kupp. Puka has been a focal point of the offense and has been hyper-targeted. I’m not sure what that looks like without Stafford under center. We got a one-quarter sample size to work with of Rams’ backup quarterback, Brett Rypien, while Stafford was out with an injury. In that one quarter, Rypien targeted Kupp four times, while Puka got just one target. I’m in the camp that his quarterback returns sooner rather than later, but while Stafford is out of the lineup, the passing volume might not be there for both great wide receivers.
Stefon Diggs (bid 25 percent)
Let me make it simple: Diggs leads the NFL in targets with 88, he hasn’t had a game under 10 fantasy points in half-PPR leagues, he is 4th in receiving yards, and he is 3rd in touchdowns. Diggs is as safe as they come, and his ceiling is extremely high because he is tied to Josh Allen. Don’t overthink spending a lot of your budget on Diggs.
Team Assumptions:
The bid amounts are subject to how your team is doing. If you are cruising along just fine, your team is a top-half team, and you’ve sustained minimal injuries, congratulations. The bids I recommend should be lowered by roughly 5-8 percent. If your team was nearly chopped this week, you’re dealing with serious injuries, or you simply won’t get any points out of the player you’ve got to start, consider going above these recommended bids by 5-8 percent. If you’re in the middle of the pack, feel free to bid as recommended. For a more detailed and tailored recommendation amount, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. I do a guillotine league post every Tuesday morning. You show me your team and which players are available, and I recommend amounts to bid.
—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