5 Players To Downgrade in 2026 Guillotine Leagues™: Which Kyle Pitts Will We Get?

A few days ago, Ian hit on a trio of players he's ranking higher in Guillotine Leagues™ this season than in redraft, and it got me thinking: Who would I rank lower in Guillotine Leagues™ than I would in traditional season-long formats this year?

Five Players I'm Lower On In Guillotine Leagues™ Than Traditional Redraft 2026

Kenneth Gainwell | RB | TB

At this point, who isn't worried about Bucky Irving? Even if head coach Todd Bowles didn't mean to say he could "return in the summer or fall", we still know that when Irving returned last season, he was not the same. He didn't clear 4.2 YPC in any of his 10 games and was just inefficient overall.

Kenneth Gainwell has the chance to hold a true role in this backfield alongside Irving, but committees aren't necessarily something we want to target when it's do-or-die time in Guillotine Leagues™. Gainwell took off from Week 8 onward last season and was a huge factor in the passing game (85 targets, 73 receptions, 483 receiving yards, 3 TDs), but what if this is actually a three-headed monster with Sean Tucker in the fold too? All in all, I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle of what Irving showed us from his rookie season to last year, and with Gainwell there now, along with Tucker still on the roster, this could be a mess for the start of the season.

Malik Nabers | WR | NYG

This one seems simple, but Malik Nabers coming back from his injury scares me enough to push him down the rankings. Nabers wasn't able to solidify any connection with Jaxson Dart last season before going down for the year, plus there's some uncertainty around this offense with a new head coach in John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator.

Realistically, even if Nabers is back for Week 1, we know that he more than likely won't be fully himself out of the gates, plus most receivers see a drop in production after returning from a torn ACL.

Kyle Pitts | TE| ATL

We are always happy when players get paid, but that doesn't mean I'm moving Kyle Pitts up my rankings. From Weeks 12-15 last season, Pitts had 31 catches for 395 yards, the best four-game stretch of his career and the most yards by any Atlanta tight end over four games.

There are quarterback questions entering the 2026 season, but my true concern is what actual version of Pitts fantasy managers are going to get. We know the heights that he can reach, but can he do it consistently? Drake London was injured during the back half of the season, coinciding somewhat with Pitts' big games. It's just enough questions to make me concerned.

Jaguars WRs

Would anyone be shocked if this were a split receiver room in 2026? Could the Jaguars be the Packers of the AFC South? All this doesn't mean I'm out on Parker Washington or Brian Thomas Jr., it just means they are going to be ranked lower heading into the season.

We have Thomas projected for 102 targets, Washington for 98 targets and Jakobi Meyers sitting at 100 targets … way less than ideal!

Washington could be the receiver I'm drafting most here, because the promise he showed last season did not seem like a fluke. When Travis Hunter went down in Week 7 last season, we saw nine healthy games from Washington, and he locked down an 83% route participation rate with a 25% target share and averaged 17.1 fantasy points. But what happens if BTJ settles into this offense and actually shows signs of his 2024 self?

Either way, we don't love any kind of spread-out offense until we have more information on who could be the true alpha here.

Most Rookies

If you're ever drafting with me on Underdog, you know that I am a sucker for those later-round rookies because the upside is so enticing, but here it's almost something to try to avoid.

Sure, rookies can hit their stride early, but many times, it takes them a few weeks to really find their footing, and time is not on your side in this format. Jordyn Tyson or Jadarian Price could project for a big workload, but how many times have we seen rookies take a few weeks to really hit their stride? Others, like Omar Cooper Jr., are just close to total avoids, because you need to stay away from zeros at all costs.

In all, target players with a weekly high floor. If you're in an 18-team league, your goal for Week 1 is to finish 17th or better. In Week 2? You got it, finish 16th or better. Finishing first in any week gains you nothing but a pat on the back (more than likely from yourself because your leaguemates will not care lol).