Ron'S ADVICE
For many of us, the ability to run a professional football team is something that we can only dream about. Well, not anymore, thanks to fantasy football. Fantasy football leagues allows this dream to become a virtual reality. Within the game, players can compose their own team of athletes in order to compete against both friends and strangers. This game is extremely popular and, thanks to its popularity, there are a wide variety of league types and durations associated with it, one example of this is seen within Keeper Leagues.
Keeper leagues are the complete opposite of one of the latest trends to emerge out of fantasy football; daily and weekly fantasy football leagues. However, these leagues have been around for a while and are not dwindling in popularity. This type of league represents an opportunity for participants to experience more manager and/or coach intensity. This provides a more enjoyable, as well as realistic, experience for the fact it emulates that of running an actual pro team, without having to come out of pocket to do it. These leagues operate seamlessly alongside of the short-term, one-week matchup style of fantasy football. It is nice to have a long-term vested interest in players as well as a disposable approach.
Keeper leagues are, in fact, extremely easy to define. By definition, they are any league where team owners will keep one player all the way up to their whole team of players for the next season and, possibly, beyond. A common attribute from many leagues is a contract length. This setting determines how many years a player can be owned by one team before having to be traded or released. The number of contract years and number of players are settings that are specific to Keeper leagues and will vary from league to league.
The Keeper league settings will tend to alter your drafting strategy. If you are able to keep a majority of players for 3 or more years, you may end up drafting rookies late in the draft that aren’t expected to contribute for a season or two but have a chance to be a real stud. It is common in the NFL for a team to draft an “heir apparent”. If you can afford to have a player occupy a bench spot for, potentially, an entire season or more, your risk could pay huge dividends for a low draft pick down the road, much like in real life.
Keeper leagues are definitely worth a try, especially if you are already an experienced fantasy football participant. They are great for those who enjoy their season more when owning their favorite players, are looking for a bit more of a strategic challenge and prefer a way of getting more actively involved in the game. Plus, putting together a great team may allow you to establish a dynasty that rules your league for many seasons.