Keeper League Decisions: Who to Keep and Who to Cut

Keeper decisions feel emotional — you’re attached to the players who won you games. But a keeper is really just a trade: you’re spending a draft pick to lock a player in. The only question that matters is whether the price beats the cost.

The core rule: keeper value = ADP − keeper cost

If you can keep a player for a 10th-round pick and his ADP says he’ll go in round 3, that’s a massive edge — you’re getting seven rounds of value. If his keeper cost is a 3rd and his ADP is round 3, you’ve gained nothing; just draft him.

Prioritize young, ascending players

The best keepers are cheap and trending up. A breakout second-year player kept at a discount is the foundation of a title team. An aging veteran kept at par is dead weight.

Beware the sunk-cost keep

The player who won you a championship last year owes you nothing next year. Grade the keep on value going forward, not loyalty going backward.

Check your keeper against real ADP

You can’t judge a keeper’s value without knowing where the player will actually be drafted. Use current ADP — and remember it shifts all offseason as news breaks (see what is ADP).

Not sure what a keeper is really worth? Run a mock draft with your keepers locked in and watch how it reshapes the board.