Fantasy Forum: Finding Keepers: 09/20/2010

Fantasy Forum: Finding Keepers: 09/20/2010

Unfortunately for most fantasy baseball managers, the season has already come to an end and it's time to start focusing on next season and that brings us to the issue of "keepers". Now for discussion sake, we will talk about keeper leagues with the simple rule of "you get to carry over X amount of players on your roster". I've seen and been part of leagues where the rules for keepers is more complex than Euler's formula.

How do you evaluate keepers on your roster? Simply the five highest-ranked players? Do you factor in position scarcity? Does Derek Jeter become a keeper based on being the fourth-best shortstop option (statistically) even though he is ranked 102 overall (per Yahoo!)? Category balance (a HR guy, SB guy, SP ace, elite closer for SV)? Do you prefer to use keepers on the "next great thing" like stashing a Posey, Santana or Strasburg on your roster for the potential to your roster? Or do you play fantasy baseball to own all your hometown favorites (I'm talking to you Cubs and White Sox fans)?

I'd love to hear your opinion on how you go about evaluating who to keep and some strategies for managers in keeper leagues for the first time.

Over the next few weeks I am going to go team-by-team identifying keeper options (called "Finding Keepers") and why, so keep an eye out for those articles.