OT: Fantasy Football "Keeper League"

[Coachmarkos]

This is an idea I've been kicking around for a while, but I've never done it, although I know they exist.

The frustrating thing about Fantasy, for me anyway, is it almost always seems to come down to just plain old luck.
(I still remember the year my Father rode Mark Rypien to the fantasy title).

A key injury here, or there, and your entire season is ruined. And how many times have we seen one of the worst players in the league just completely luck out and win the title? (Like the guy who always gets 8th or 9th...and then has a steamroller of a team one year and destroys everyone)

So, I was looking for a way to make fantasy football fun again... thinking of starting my own keeper league, and looking for advice on how to go about it? Any good rules and/or guidelines that people use or have used?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

[cyberbolt]

I've run a keeper league for about 7 years now, coach. Everyone has different rules, but ours are pretty standard; 2 keepers maximum, you can't keep the same player in consecutive years, no players drafted in the first 3 rounds can be kept (keeps your "studs" in the pool every year). If you pick up a player on waivers and he blows up, you sacrifice a third round pick the next year.

[Fleet]

Due to the amount of money my leagues are we dont use keepers. I play in a couple free leagues. Wouldnt mind a free keeper league.

[Coachmarkos]

I've run a keeper league for about 7 years now, coach. Everyone has different rules, but ours are pretty standard; 2 keepers maximum, you can't keep the same player in consecutive years, no players drafted in the first 3 rounds can be kept (keeps your "studs" in the pool every year). If you pick up a player on waivers and he blows up, you sacrifice a third round pick the next year.

See I'm looking at going MUCH more into the "Keeper" aspect of it... Keep like 12 players, but you have to keep them under the salary cap (whatever that would be), and you'd have to agree on a website with appropriate fantasy "Salaries" ...Keep them at their original salary for like 4 years...after that long, you can pay them if/what they "Move Up".

I think this would make it fun... at least trying to keep players under the cap, and also...trying to select rookies out of the draft that will turn out to be bargains down the road.

[cyberbolt]

See I'm looking at going MUCH more into the "Keeper" aspect of it... Keep like 12 players, but you have to keep them under the salary cap (whatever that would be), and you'd have to agree on a website with appropriate fantasy "Salaries" ...Keep them at their original salary for like 4 years...after that long, you can pay them if/what they "Move Up".

I think this would make it fun... at least trying to keep players under the cap, and also...trying to select rookies out of the draft that will turn out to be bargains down the road.

That's a dynasty league, something I've never done.

[pumpkinhead80]

i'm not sure on how all those types of rules work exactly, only ever played the basic setup on yahoo, etc.

[Blue Thunder]

This is an idea I've been kicking around for a while, but I've never done it, although I know they exist.

The frustrating thing about Fantasy, for me anyway, is it almost always seems to come down to just plain old luck.
(I still remember the year my Father rode Mark Rypien to the fantasy title).

A key injury here, or there, and your entire season is ruined. And how many times have we seen one of the worst players in the league just completely luck out and win the title? (Like the guy who always gets 8th or 9th...and then has a steamroller of a team one year and destroys everyone)

So, I was looking for a way to make fantasy football fun again... thinking of starting my own keeper league, and looking for advice on how to go about it? Any good rules and/or guidelines that people use or have used?

Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Coach,

I've got a lot of experience with commishing fantasy football leagues of various types and I'm willing to help you out with any questions you might have for starting a keeper league. Here's the leagues that I'm in:

1. My local keeper league has been going since 2002. I'm the commish. We have the option of keeping two, three, or four players. If you keep four, then you are set for the draft. If you keep two or three, then you get to add either one or two players through a conditional draft, which is prior to the actual draft. That way everyone goes into the draft with four players.

2. I have also been in a 32-team league (since it's inception in 2002) that is like a combination of a keeper and a dynasty league. I have been a co-commish since 2006. It takes four of us co-commishes to stay on top of this league. Roster size is 16 and it is an IDP (Individual Defensive Player) league, but you can only keep 8. No more than 5 on offense or 5 on defense. Also, no one that was drafted in the first 3 rounds can be kept. That makes most of the best players eligible to be drafted each year and really rewards those owners with a keen eye for young talent. It also makes 4th round picks VERY valuable. We use Team QB and Team K so that way everyone is guaranteed to have exactly one of each. Also, TMQB and TMK can't be kept. The scoring is set up so that you can be strong on either offense or defense and just so-so on the other and still be very competitive. There is a ton of strategy and a lot of trading and this would be my favorite league if it weren't for the fact that I like to try to beat my local buddies in the first league listed.

3 and 4. I am also in two Zealots leagues for several years. Each league is a 53-man roster IDP league. This is a dynasty league (keep all your players) with a rookie draft each May. With a 53-man roster, you are really looking for diamonds in the rough.

5 and 6. I also run the free LiveWire (live draft) and Thunder & Lightning (autodraft) leagues on Yahoo and have done this since the days of the Chargerfans.net board. IOW, a LONG time! These leagues are simply redraft only.

Here are links to each of the leagues that I've listed above. Feel free to browse around.

1. http://www27.myfantasyleague.com/2013/home/31698
2. http://www22.myfantasyleague.com/2013/home/25780#0
3. http://www4.myfantasyleague.com/2013/home/32817#0
4. http://www4.myfantasyleague.com/2013/home/45890#0

I am the Texas Thunderbolts in league 1 and the Chargers (of course) in leagues 2, 3, and 4.

[Savage Lizard]

We do our re-draft keeper leagues with up to three keepers. Anyone kept drops two rounds from the previous draft, so if you get a good player in the 7th round, you would have to give up your 5th pick this year to keep him. Nobody from the first two rounds can be kept, and nobody can be kept back to back years.