Fantasy Football Keeper League Tips

I been playing in one keeper league for a number of years and have learned some painful lessons along the way with regards to which players to keep on my team (eg. designate as keepers).  My team has suffered mightily when I kept a running back that was past his prime, or a wide-out that was a one year wonder, or a quarterback that couldn't stay healthy.  

In the hopes of saving you all from experiencing some of the same growing pains, I have posited a checklist of things to think about when deciding which players to retain and which ones to drop.  My guides are designed to fit my 12-team, three keeper, auction league; however, I think most of them will work for any type of keeper league.  I have listed them below.  As always, these are my feelings/beliefs, they may not work for your team/league.  Either way, I would love to know what you think.  Let me know via the response section.

1) How many good fantasy years does an athlete have remaining?

2) Will this individual continue to perform?  Is he reliable?

3) Has he reached his potential?

4) Is he injury prone (or prone to getting into off the field issues)?

5) Are there any factors, eg. for a QB-->his offensive line has improved, that will help the player do better this year than last year?

6) How much will it cost to repurchase this player in the auction if I let him go?

Using that set of criteria, I kept Antonio Brown (WR), Beanie Wells (RB), and Ben Roethlisberger (QB).  My final cuts (last two I dropped) were Matt Stafford and Michael Bush.

Clip art courtesy of Microsoft Office.