Keeper leagues are an increasingly popular format in fantasy baseball. They allow managers to retain a certain number of players from one year to the next. Different from re-draft leagues where you have a brand new team each year, you'll be making decisions and looking at fantasy baseball dynasty rankings with several seasons in mind.
One of the most important decisions that managers will make each year is which players to retain, taking into account their MLB projections and the cost to retain that player. Some decisions will be no-brainers, while others will involve researching players at the position using RotoWire's expert advise and tools.
You'll have to consider whether the cost outweighs the reward, and take into account your fantasy baseball league settings. Keepers form the foundation of your team and can boost you toward the top of the projected standings before the draft even begins.
Importance of Keeper Decisions in Fantasy Baseball
Finding a combination of good fantasy baseball players who provide value based on the cost of keeping them is critical to success. It's not an exact science, but the teams that have valuable keepers (not necessarily the best players) tend to perform better each season than those who throw their entire roster back into the draft pool.
There is almost always a cost associated with keeping a player, whether it's losing a draft pick in a certain round or losing the amount of money that the player was auctioned at the previous year. That's why
Keeper leagues are an increasingly popular format in fantasy baseball. They allow managers to retain a certain number of players from one year to the next. Different from re-draft leagues where you have a brand new team each year, you'll be making decisions and looking at fantasy baseball dynasty rankings with several seasons in mind.
One of the most important decisions that managers will make each year is which players to retain, taking into account their MLB projections and the cost to retain that player. Some decisions will be no-brainers, while others will involve researching players at the position using RotoWire's expert advise and tools.
You'll have to consider whether the cost outweighs the reward, and take into account your fantasy baseball league settings. Keepers form the foundation of your team and can boost you toward the top of the projected standings before the draft even begins.
Importance of Keeper Decisions in Fantasy Baseball
Finding a combination of good fantasy baseball players who provide value based on the cost of keeping them is critical to success. It's not an exact science, but the teams that have valuable keepers (not necessarily the best players) tend to perform better each season than those who throw their entire roster back into the draft pool.
There is almost always a cost associated with keeping a player, whether it's losing a draft pick in a certain round or losing the amount of money that the player was auctioned at the previous year. That's why keeper decisions are all about value, and that's where the RotoWire fantasy experts can help you make strong selections.
"Even if one of your league-mates crushes the draft, they going to struggle to beat you if you entered the draft with an extra $50 in value from your keepers, or with multiple early-round talents kept at late-round prices," said RotoWire baseball expert Erik Halterman.
For example, Dodgers star Mookie Betts is a better fantasy player (ranked 26th) than Reds infielder Matt McLain (ranked 139th), but if Betts will cost you a first round pick to keep while McLain costs you a 22nd round pick, some might consider McLain the better keeper option. You'll need to consider MLB player stats and the value a player has with his keeper status, rather than just trying to keep the best players.
How League Rules Shape Keeper Value
All keeper leagues have unique rules around the cost to retain players. This will play an important role in who you ultimately decide to retain heading into the following season. Some leagues allow managers to keep players for a maximum number of years, so if you are deciding between two similar players that cost the same to retain, you'll want to consider whether one player is coming to the end of their fantasy baseball contract or has multiple years left.
League settings in terms of the categories used to determine wins and losses also matter. In an on-base percentage league, players like Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and Cubs outfielder Ian Happ get massive bumps because of their ability to draw walks. In strikeout-heavy leagues, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet goes from a nice first-round keep to arguably one of the best players in the league. RotoWire's fantasy tools can help you figure out which players make sense based on your league.
Balancing Long-Term Upside and Short-Term Production
Some fantasy baseball managers can get lost in looking toward the future and forget that the ultimate goal is still to win a championship in the current season. Dynasty rankings and prospects are great, but you still want to consider 2026 fantasy baseball rankings to build a winner in the present.
Teams that are contending often put all their eggs in one basket and focus solely on winning now, while teams that have no chance of competing will sell off their short-term production for better value with keepers or young players for the future.
Find a balance where you have a couple players on your team that will be keepers in the future, but use the RotoWire tools to help you build a roster with proven talent that will help you compete now.
"I'm primarily evaluating keepers based on how much extra value I'm getting this year alone, though I will, of course, give the edge to a young player with upside whenever it's close, and anyone with genuine star potential should be kept even if they're fairly priced for the upcoming season," Halterman said.
Common Factors That Influence Keeper Choices
Offseason movement like trades and free-agent signings can change the value of your rostered players and keeper decisions. A player who might have been buried on the depth chart for one team being traded to another team that will use him every day increases his value exponentially. Teams playing for the future should pay attention to MLB depth charts to uncover players who may be a year away from getting everyday playing time.
When it comes to the dollars and cents influencing decisions, value remains king.
"When in doubt, keep the cheaper guy. If I can keep a player valued at $22 for $15 or a player valued at $8 for $1, I'm taking the latter player almost every time to give myself more flexibility in the auction," Halterman said.
Changes to league settings, such as your league moving from batting average to on-base percentage as a category, can also swing your keeper decisions. Using RotoWire's custom fantasy baseball rankings will help you see where new rules to your league impact the value of players you're deciding to keep or not.
How Fantasy Managers Approach Keeper Decisions
Fantasy baseball managers have an important decision to make when it comes to keepers and you need to subscribe to RotoWire to be prepared.. Using RotoWire's tools can help you determine both the short-term value and long-term potential of certain players. But it's not always a simple calculation. Use your instincts and follow a few sure-fire guidelines as you decide.
"Make sure to lock up your stars and potential future superstars as long as they're at all affordable. Then, keep any dirt cheap players who are at least slight discounts in order to save money for the auction," Halterman said. "Only then should you move onto the good, but not great, players who you can keep at a modest discount, because you should be able to find similar players for similar prices in the auction if you play your cards right. Having extra budget space to play with makes that easier to do."
Looking at fantasy baseball ADP can help managers decide how a keeper will help this year, and fantasy baseball auction values will help determine whether the dollar amount associated with a keeper is actually worth it. If the cost to keep a player is lower than where he's projected in drafts, you've got good value.
