Fantasy Football: 6 Keeper Guidelines To Keep In Mind

Darren McFadden always has the potential to repeat his 2010 performance of almost 1,700 combined yards and 10 total TDs. But even if the Oakland Raiders hadn’t just signed Maurice Jones-Drew, I wouldn’t keep McFadden. That’s an obvious example, but remember that you want a full season out of your kept player or players. Make sure they don’t have a track record of missing too many games.

Tom Brady was a perennial top-five QB until he wasn’t. I would be lying if I told you that I knew Brady was going to disappoint last year. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I suspected. An elite player can succeed without a lot of talented teammates, but it’s much more difficult. Cam Newton having no solid WRs and Eric Decker catching passes from Geno Smith scare me. Know what circumstances have changed in the offseason before you keep someone.

This is a general assessment that can encompass a variety of concerns. One risk I already mentioned is injury. Another is off-field issues like Justin Blackmon’s suspension. Risks can even be murky accusations, like DeSean Jackson’s gang affiliation. I don’t know if and how involved he is in the gang, but I would take this into account when deciding whether to keep him. Find out as much as you can about a player’s on and off-field risks.

Know the risks, but also weigh them against the rewards. Some leagues keep a player in the round in which they were drafted last year, or for the auction price paid the previous season. For example, if you drafted David Wilson in the second round last year, that’s a risky keeper for the price. But if somehow you could keep him as your eighth-round pick, a lot changes. Take a chance on a high-risk, high-reward player if the value is there.

If you had to pick between Adrian Peterson and Calvin Johnson as your keeper, which player would you keep? That depends. Do you play in a deep 16-team league where bell cow RBs are hard to come by? Is your league PPR? What if your league starts two RBs but three WRs? Your decision should never be based solely on player performance. Know which positions your league values, as well as which players are likely to be kept by other teams.

Let’s say that your league allows you to keep only two players, but you have Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles and LeSean McCoy. Regardless of which two players you keep of those three options, why let the third go to waste? If your league allows it, make an offseason trade for a draft pick or auction dollars. Someone will get that player anyway next year, so why not get something out of him while you can? Your trash could be someone else's treasure.