Well this morning was the Keeper Deadline as we're one week away from our fantasy football draft! I can't believe how quickly time has flown since I've opened the league up. I'm pretty antsy and ready to draft and get this season started. Before that, time to analyze everyone's keepers for this year. It wasn't as cookie cutter as I thought it was going to be and there was definitely some surprises. So without further ado....here are the players being kept for the 2016 season!
Leland (No Soup For You)
Keepers: RB Todd Gurley (6th Round)
RB David Johnson (14th Round)
Notable Releases: WR Kelvin Benjamin
Overview: This has been 100000000% the plan since the end of last year. The crazy value Leland gets for Gurley and David Johnson (Both top 3 running backs) is just insane and if they live up to expectations, Leland is already the favorite to repeat as league champion. The only semi interesting thing here is that it put Leland's 2015 stash Kelvin Benjamin back into the pool, but with who he's keeping, who really cares lol.
Mark (Shock The Monkey)
Keepers: WR Alshon Jeffrey (2nd Round)
WR Jarvis Landry (5th Round)
Notable Releases: N/A
Overview: Mark finished 2nd last year with a solid but unspectacular roster, so the keeper prospects were pretty slim. This is basically what I thought Mark would do as it's his best two players on his roster. He doesn't get them at any kind of discount (Both are in the rounds they should be going in) but it's the peace of mind that he won't have to worry about someone else taking them. Jeffrey has as high upside of any receiver, he just needs to stay healthy and in PPR leagues, Jarvis Landry is a damn good receiver who gets peppered with targets. I think it's solid 1-2 punch off the bat with his receiving core, and we'll see what Mark does the build around these guys in the draft.
Eugene (Rocket Man)
Keepers: WR Julio Jones (1st Round)
QB Aaron Rodgers (2nd Round)
Notable Releases: RB Mark Ingram
Overview: For the 3rd year, Eugene's keeping the foundation of his team intact with Jones and Rodgers. It's another move that was basically decided 8 months ago and it's a combo that's led to two straight 3rd place finishes. Eugene's roster should be infinitely better than last year's and the fact the Aaron Rodgers had a down year last year and he still got 3rd is definitely scary. I think Mark Ingram's a notable release because he would've been a 4th round keep and in our draft, he'll more than likely go no later than the 2nd round. Still, you know exactly what you're going to get with Rodgers and Julio and it's hard to let go of that elite talent.
Me (Bay Area Tanners)
Keepers: WR Deandre Hopkins (3rd Round)
WR Devante Parker (13th Round)
Notable Releases: WR Randall Cobb, WR TY Hilton RB Latavius Murray TE Greg Olsen RB Matt Forte
Overview: I'm not gonna lie, I'm not thrilled at all with my second keeper. What good is a keeper if you don't really plan on using him? I was HOPING Parker would at the very least by my flex, but seeing how his preseason went, more than likely I'll have to use a wait and see approach with him. I wish I had better prospects, but the guys I have aren't worth keeping at last year's draft price. If Parker flames out, he only cost a 13th round pick, if he somehow finds a way to live it up to his ADP before the preseason then it'll be a bonus. I just feel like it puts me behind the 8 ball as most everyone is selecting guys that are going to contribute right away. Hopkins of course was a no brainer. Now I really have to nail my draft to have a chance at competing with everyone else.
Dad (Big Bad Bob)
Keepers: QB Cam Newton (9th Round)
RB Jeremy Langford (14th Round)
Notable Releases: RB Thomas Rawls, WR Brandin Cooks, WR Michael Floyd
Overview: Dad actually had a ton of options he could've gone to, but I think he made the right combo choice with Cam and Langford. How can you NOT keep Cam in Round 9?? Too much good of a value to let go. Also both Langford and Rawls have murky situations, but it's clear Langford is the clear cut starter in Chicago and isn't coming off a serious injury like Rawls is. It's also a 14th round keep, so if it doesn't work out for some reason, Dad doesn't lose much out of it. Cooks is interesting but really he'd probably only be saving a round or 2 value at most in our draft. Michael Floyd was also intriguing but again the value of Cam and Langford (and even Rawls) was too good to pass up. I think it's a great start for Dad and we'll see what he does in the 1st round to add to his squad.
Drew (Belfast Bruiser)
Keepers: RB Adrian Peterson (1st Round)
WR Allen Robinson (6th Round)
Notable Releases: WR Demaryius Thomas RB CJ Anderson, WR Amari Cooper QB Tom Brady
Overview: The only real threat to Drew not keeping Allen Robinson was Tom Brady, but as soon as his suspension was reinstated, there was no doubt Drew was keeping Adrian Peterson and Allen Robinson. Peterson's been a "Drew Guy" for years and Allen Robinson had a terrific season and is super great value in round 6. I only put CJ Anderson in the notable releases because once again Yahoo has him ranked high (2nd-3rd round) but there was NO WAY Drew was keeping him in Round 1 ESPECIALLY over AD. Cooper and Thomas are interesting releases that should be snatched up pretty fast, they just didn't offer the value Allen Robinson did. Drew might be able to snatch one back up in Round 2 possibly. Once again, solid picks, and a good start for Drew's team.
Matt (Dr. Light's Robots)
Keepers: WR Jordy Nelson (10th Round)
WR Josh Gordon (14th Round)
Notable Releases: RB Jamaal Charles, WR Odell Beckham Jr, TE Jordan Reed
Overview: So we FINALLY have somewhat a surprise here as Matt decided to pair Jordy Nelson (who was a shoe in keeper in the 10th round) with a guy who has a super high upside but a TON of risk in Josh Gordon. Hey, you gotta be daring to win this league and I think this is a great move made by Matt. Gordon in the 14th round is just too perfect to pass up on and though he's suspended the first four games, you have plenty of picks to shore your depth up until he comes back. He's got WR1 upside. Plus and the biggest reason why Matt can afford to do this, is he picks #1 overall. He's got his pick of anyone he wants that's left. If he wants to keep Beckham in the fold, he can just redraft him, and honestly Beckham is typically a top 3 pick anyways so it's not like he loses any kind of value. Reed had to be a little tempting in the 13th round, but he has his risks too and after two season, Matt's pulling the plug on Jamaal Charles who's coming off a 2nd ACL Tear. At the end of the day definitely a smart move by Matt as he looks to regain his championship form from two seasons ago.
Mike (Woe Is You)
Keepers: WR Keenan Allen (5th Round)
WR Eric Decker (7th Round)
Notable Releases: WR Dez Bryant, WR Jeremy Maclin, QB Russell Wilson, RB LeSean McCoy, RB Arian Foster, QB Andrew Luck, RB Demarco Murray
Overview: Again just like Matt I like what Posey did. Because of his draft position (3rd overall) he decided to release Dez (would've been a 1st rd keep) and keep two solid receivers in Keenan Allen and Eric Decker and keep them late. It's a perfect plan, as now Posey can survey what talent is out there, and if he wanted to he can either redraft Dez or get someone he feels is better. Keenan Allen would've definitely been a late 1st rounder-2nd round pick in my opinion, so to keep him at 5 is great value. I really think the Decker keep is sneaky underrated. Check out Decker's stats last season...I think he's better than people realize. Maclin was another guy who would've been a good keep at his draft position, but he doesn't offer the value Decker and Allen did. Great start to Mike's comeback season.
Alex (Winter is Over)
Keepers: None
Notable Releases: QB Drew Brees WR Brandon Marshall RB Eddie Lacy
Overview: Alex decided to forgo keeping anyone and start out fresh, which is fine, keepers are on option, not mandatory. I understand not wanting to keep Brees and Lacy at their prices, and honestly looking at his roster, it's pretty bare, but one name stands out like a sore thumb...Brandon Marshall. It would've been a 5th round keep and Marshall is at worst a 2nd round guy. You won't get near that kind of talent in the 5th round. Maybe he didn't believe he could replicate his season from last year (he is getting older and dealing with a hip injury) but I thought it'd be worth the risk. Very interesting to see how this strategy works out and how not keeping anyone affects Alex's season.
Albert (Channel 4 News Team)
Keepers: RB Doug Martin (5th Round)
TE Antonio Gates (13th Round)
Notable Releases: WR A.J. Green, TE Rob Gronkowski, WR Sammy Watkins
Overview: Well, I didn't see Albert's 2nd keeper coming. Doug Martin definitely makes sense. He's a top 20 pick (which actually becomes higher in our league due to keepers) so to be able to keep him in the 5th round is definitely great value. For his second keeper, Albert decided to keep Antonio Gates in the 13th round. It's kind of peculiar, especially when you have Gronk at your disposal, but I think Albert was going for value picks and wanting to keep his high picks. Gates might not be a top tier tight end, but he's still solid enough to be a starter and he took care of his tight end position in round 13. Now Albert has to make the most of those early round picks to make the Gates keep worthwhile.
Ryan (Hoosier Daddy)
Keepers: RB Devonta Freeman (9th Round)
RB DeAngelo Williams (14th Round)
Notable Releases: WR Mike Evans
Overview: The Freeman keep was a no brainer since the end of last year. No way you can let him go as a 9th round keeper. The Deangelo keep is interesting because it seems to me it was in anticipation of Le'Veon Bell being available and keeping Williams (with a last round pick) ensures Ryan he'd have the Steelers backfield for the entire season. He was in a unique situation with that move...but now seems like things might not be that simple. Matt's decision to release Beckham adds a wrinkle to the draft. With Beckham's release it means that Matt will have to chose between either Beckham or Zeke Elliott. Add to the fact that now Gronk, Dez and A.J. Green are available and Ryan might be possibly swayed to make a change in plans. The draft just got a lot more interesting. Can't wait to find out what happens!
Mayra (Bigger Balls)
Keepers: WR Antonio Brown (1st Round)
RB Lamar Miller (3rd Round)
Notable Releases: RB Le'Veon Bell
Overview: For months it was a no brainer that Mayra was keeping her Brown/Bell Steelers combo again for a 3rd season together. Than Le'Veon Bell decided to fuck everything up by getting suspended AGAIN for failing to show up for a drug test. Mayra finally had a enough as he's going to miss 3 games and decided to finally cut bait. Where Bell lands could be the most interesting part of this draft. Luckily for Mayra, she had a great backup option in Lamar Miller, who's now a Texan, and is projected to be a top tier running back and it'll only cost her a 3rd round pick (she can thank Mark for that Landry for Miller trade they made last season). Brown is a beast and so combined with Miller, Mayra's ready to put that dreadful last place finish from last season behind her.
