Guillotine Leagues Draft Strategy: Good Players With Even Better Opening Schedules for 2025

In the heyday of the funk-fueled R&B scene of the 1970s, there were few bands bigger than The Commodores. 

In the early days, The Commodores were blending rock and funk into boogie-shakin' dance anthems. But before long, Nicole Richie's dad, a guy named Lionel, was exerting his influence as a crooner, and the band shifted to his trademark melancholy ballads. Commercially, it was a great idea, even if those songs sound like elevator music to my ears.

Even back in 1977, when approximately 34 people were playing fantasy football, The Commodores had the right idea, with "Easy," when he sang "Easy like Sunday morning."  

In fantasy football, your Sundays should be easy. 

Richie opened "Easy" with the lyrics, "I know it sounds funny, but I just can't stand the pain." Was he talking about the heartbreak of ending a romantic relationship? Or was he talking about the anguish of a Week 1 guillotine chopping? Over the years, Richie has steadfastly refused to answer this critical question, but everyone who's been chopped in September knows the answer.

Guillotine players, your focus should always be no further than the next three or four weeks. You're playing to stay alive now. By October, your roster is going to look different anyway, so you should focus on September.

Below, you'll find the players with the easiest September schedules. Even if you're already considering these players, nudge them up a few spots. Their strong play in September will help you save your FAAB for future months, when you'll need the money more.

For a full look at who has the easiest (and toughest) schedules for 2025, check out our comprehensive fantasy football strength of schedule tool.

Jalen Hurts | QB | PHI

September Schedule: vs DAL, at KC, vs LAR, at TB

If you've checked out my official Guillotine Leagues™ rankings, you may have noticed that Jalen Hurts is my top-ranked quarterback, a strong difference from the standard redraft fantasy football rankings of my Fantasy Life comrades. There are two key reasons: the tush push and Hurts' easy schedule to start the season. 

Last year, thanks to the tush push, Hurts simply didn't have dud games, finishing as QB19 or better in every full game, which is amazing. Dude never got you chopped.

Hurts' September schedule looks conducive to a hot start.

• Week 1 vs DAL: Last year, the Cowboys allowed the most fantasy points to quarterbacks, 20.8 per game. Very salient to Hurts in particular, the Cowboys allowed the most quarterback rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. In his one game against the Cowboys last year, Hurts scored four touchdowns.
• Week 2 at KC: The Chiefs were an above-average pass defense last year, but they got hit hard by rushing quarterbacks, ranking 25th in yards allowed. And Hurts killed them in the Super Bowl, running for 72 yards and a touchdown.
• Week 3 vs LAR: Last year's Rams allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, including the fifth-most touchdown passes, 29. In fairness, I'll note that they contained Hurts last year, holding him to 179 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, and just 39 scoreless rushing yards.
• Week 4 at TB: The Bucs secondary was battered by injury last year and should be better this season. But even so, they allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, so an improvement may only take them to a middle-of-the-pack ranking.  Hurts ran for a touchdown against the Bucs last year.

James Conner | RB | ARI

September Schedule: at NO, vs CAR, at SF, vs SEA

I keep waiting for the wheels to come off James Conner, but (thankfully) it never happens. We saw few, if any, signs of decline from Conner last season. He finished third-best in avoided tackle rate (28.8%), which accelerates to No. 1 if we tighten the radius to players with at least 160 carries. His 4.6 yards per carry ranked 13th-best and was the second-highest of his career. He's coming off a career high 236 carries—but that's a very reasonable number for an NFL starter, and his 1,663 career touches pale in comparison to other 30-year-olds, like Alvin Kamara.

• Week 1 at NO: This year doesn't look any better than last season, and the Saints are charging toward 1.01 in the NFL draft next April. New Orleans allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to runners, including a league-worst 18 rushing touchdowns.
• Week 2 vs CAR: The Panthers allowed the most fantasy points to runners last year, and it wasn't close. They gave up 500 more rushing yards than the next-worst team. Carolina needed offseason help at multiple positions, but didn't meaningfully address their defensive front four in the offseason.
• Week 3 at SF:  Quietly, the Niners devolved into a leaky run defense last year, ranking 28th in fantasy points allowed and 28th in PFF's run defense. John Lynch put first- and second-round draft picks into the defensive line, but as rookies, they may not make a noticeable impact in their first month of action.
• Week 4 vs SEA: Seattle was a middle-of-the-pack run defense, ranking 16th in fantasy points allowed to runners. The team put nine of 11 draft picks into its offense, so I don't see much changing this year.

DJ Moore | WR | CHI 

September Schedule: vs MIN, at DET, vs DAL, at LV)

Despite the extremely inconsistent play of quarterback Caleb Williams, DJ Moore was a shockingly safe guillotine receiver. He scored double-digit fantasy points in 13 of 17 games and finished with the 21st-best Utilization Score among wideouts. Most promisingly, Moore was pelted by targets down the stretch, averaging 10 per game from 13 forward, when Williams was playing his best. 

• Week 1 vs MIN: The Vikings allowed the fourth-most passing yards last year and turned over two starting cornerbacks and a starting safety in the offseason. If journeyman cornerback Jeff Okudah is going to see any meaningful action, Moore's looking at a massively exploitable matchup.
• Week 2 at DET: Last year's stats are a little deceiving for Detroit, since they suffered through one of the most horrific runs of injuries I've ever seen on one side of the ball. With everyone healthy and the addition of star cornerback D.J. Reed, the Lions will improve from their 32nd ranking in yards allowed to receivers. Moore was targeted 26 (!) times in the Bears' two games against the Lions.
• Week 3 vs DAL: The Cowboys allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers last year, in part because of the torn ACL suffered by cornerback Trevon Diggs. Diggs may not be recovered enough to start the season.
• Week 4 at LV: You know it's an easy schedule when the Raiders are the toughest defense Chicago will see in the opening month. Las Vegas replaced big chunks of their defense, including two new free-agent cornerbacks and a rookie, Darien Porter, who might need to start.

Hunter Henry | TE | NE

September Schedule: vs LV, at MIA, vs PIT, vs CAR

I never advocate for sloughing the tight end position in a guillotine league, but someone's gotta pick the 18th tight end, and maybe that's you. Hunter Henry is going off the board at ADP TE19, but you could skate by for the opening month with Henry.

• Week 1 vs LV: You'd think practicing against Brock Bowers every day would have made the Raiders a better tight end defense. But the Raiders historically refuse to grasp competency. They allowed the third-most tight end fantasy points, the fifth-most yards, and the second-most touchdowns. An overhauled defense could struggle to gel early in the season.
• Week 2 at MIA: On the full year, Miami ranked in the bottom half in receptions, yards, and fantasy points allowed to tight ends. And they got much worse as the season went along, getting gouged by Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, and George Kittle down the stretch. Hunter Henry posted 5-44-0 when these teams met last year, and those 9.4 fantasy points can keep you alive in Week 2.
• Week 3 vs PIT: The Steelers ranked 23rd in fantasy points allowed to tight ends last year, and only the Bengals gave up more receptions to the position.
• Week 4 vs CAR: You won't be shocked to learn the Panthers were a really bad tight end defense last year. They allowed a league-worst 11 tight end touchdowns, nine of which came after Week 7. Even Kyle Pitts notched a 70-yard game. 

If you made it this far, you're the kind of person who'd love to read about the toughest September schedules.

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