Fantasy Football 101: What is a Keeper and Why It Matters

By Jason Bolton September 06, 2024 09:34

Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/USA TODAY Sports

Millions of fans around the world have become engrossed in fantasy football. A passive experience of watching football on TV is converted into an interactive game where fans can run their team. Fantasy Managers select real-life NFL players for their fantasy team, and those individual player performances drive scoring in the same format as actual games. Fantasy football has been around since the 1960s and has become increasingly complex even though it's still built on a simple concept; one wild factor is keeper leagues.

Definition of a Keeper

In fantasy football, a keeper is an individual player a team owner elects to retain on his or her team roster for the following year. In traditional redraft leagues, teams begin each new season with a blank slate, while keeper leagues permit owners to keep specific players. This creates continuity and strategy as owners must juggle immediate success with the big picture.

How Keepers Work

A keeper league allows its teams to hold on to "keep" a certain number of players. The rules can range anywhere from one or two keepers to allowing for half of your roster. Typically, kept players are docked out of the owner's draft picks for the next year, usually in line with where they were originally picked.

Why Keepers Are Important in Fantasy Football

Now, all fantasy football games have turned out to be dynasty or keeper. This forces owners to look downfield and acts as an incentive for them to keep pieces of a team together through ensuing seasons.

Building Team Identity

Keepers allow owners to develop a team style over several seasons. The continuity can enhance the bond between the owner and his players, making the game feel more involved.

Increasing Competition

There is more than a one-year competition for keepers. Owners must look out for future trends, which players will develop or trade potential, and keep the league running competitive throughout the year.

Evaluate Long-term Potential

Experience is also educational, and young players or rookies who have flashed can be reliable resources in the future. Factor in where they fall on the pecking order, their age and skill development curve, and their injury history.

Balance Risk and Reward

You'll likely be tempted to keep high-performing players who carry your rebuilding team, but you risk injury and a performance dip.

Consider Positional Value

What are the recent trends in these contexts, and how might they influence our outlook on higher value positions such as running backs or quarterbacks based on your league format? Determine which positions are tougher to find, then rank your keepers accordingly.

Monitor Offseason Changes

Update yourself with all the off-season changes in their respective leagues, such as shifts in coaching, trades, or team dynamics that could affect them more than what you learn each year.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

It happens to even the most experienced fantasy football managers when it comes time to manage your keepers.

Overvaluing Past Performance

Understand that it's hard to move on from a place that has had success in the past. However, keepers should be judged based on potential future production. Avoid owning players who are likely to be past their prime.

Ignoring Positional Depth

If you ignore position depth, your team will be lopsided. You want to ensure your keepers offer you flexibility with a decent roster for when injury or bye weeks strike.

Neglecting League Rules

There can be league-specific requirements regarding keepers these rules to avoid jail time or not getting anything.

Focusing Solely on Youth

Although they may seem boring, remember the stability veterans can bring to a team.

Keepers are a fundamental aspect of fantasy football, injecting an element of strategy and consequence into the mix. This means all fantasy football enthusiasts can incorporate these tips to ensure their games are a more meaningful and successful experience. Whether a noob or a seasoned veteran, the skill of choosing keepers could make all the difference in your fantasy football career.