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Draft prep: Keeper-league draft advisor for '08

 
 
 

 

Year after year, we're seeing more Fantasy owners join keeper leagues than keep playing in seasonal formats. We've outlined why that's the case, and how you can start your own keeper league, but the bottom line is that people still want to know one thing when it comes to their Fantasy league:

Who are the best players to keep?

With that in mind, we're putting forth a different kind of rankings, one that lists players based on a keeper league where players can be kept into 2008 with no compensation. Apply our rankings to your league, and you'll have a good idea on where we stand on keeper dilemmas you might have with your prominent players. Simply put, this is the order we'd view the top guys at the major Fantasy spots if we were starting fresh in a keeper league, and we'd consider it a solid guide for those owners already in keeper leagues but checking out who they should hang on to for the long-term.

QUARTERBACKS
Rank Player Age Comment
1 Tom Brady 31 Should be a 4,000-yard, 30-TD passer for years to come with the Patriots.
2 Peyton Manning 32 Wouldn't be surprised if you got five more great years out of him.
3 Tony Romo 28 Young, gunning and running, though Terrell Owens' age is an issue.
4 Drew Brees 29 Brees' experience, track record and more-than-capable arm easily puts him here.
5 Carson Palmer 28 For the long haul, Palmer is safest pick at five thanks to the Bengals' bold receiving duo.
6 Derek Anderson 25 Browns' youth, new contract extension makes Anderson appealing.
7 Ben Roethlisberger 26 TD-happy QB has solid corps now and in the future with WRs Holmes and Sweed.
8 Jay Cutler 25 Everyone's familiar with Cutler's short- and long-term potential.
9 Marc Bulger 31 Has the edge thanks to consistent play at home and strong arm.
10 Eli Manning 27 Lock for 20-plus TDs each season and has room to get better.
11 Matt Hasselbeck 32 Quality passer for years -- how many good seasons are left before he slows down?
12 Donovan McNabb 31 Injury history and Kevin Kolb in his rearview are significant issues.
13 Philip Rivers 28 Talent around him is peaking, but he still has potential to reach.
14 Aaron Rodgers 26 Current offense suits him well. Injury history is a slight problem.
15 JaMarcus Russell 23 Tremendous short- and long-term upside but still a No. 2 QB for now.
RUNNING BACKS
Rank Player Age Note
1 Adrian Peterson 23 Age, ability and O-line make Peterson best keeper-league pick, period.
2 Steven Jackson 25 In a contract year now, should be solid for six more seasons.
3 LaDainian Tomlinson 29 Still amazing, but will he be after he turns 30? Is already thinking retirement.
4 Joseph Addai 25 Should see easy defensive coverage so long as Manning is under center.
5 Marshawn Lynch 22 Strong runner should thrive in run-first Buffalo for several seasons.
6 Marion Barber 25 New contract gives security to go along with outstanding Dallas offense.
7 Frank Gore 25 Age puts him ahead of fellow Miami Hurricane. Knee concerns are behind him.
8 Clinton Portis 27 New Washington offense a great fit for Portis' remaining productive years.
9 Brian Westbrook 29 Westbrook's talent great for '08, but long-term future health is cloudy.
10 Maurice Jones-Drew 23 Young, versatile and touchdown-friendly. What more do you want?
11 Darren McFadden 21 Upside pushes the speedy McFadden up high in keeper league drafts.
12 Willis McGahee 26 Should anchor the Ravens offense until his skills deteriorate in four years.
13 Reggie Bush 23 He may never rush for 1,000 yards, but he'll total close to 1,300 yards per season.
14 Larry Johnson 28 Power-running style lends to shorter career, and KC offense is weak.
15 Laurence Maroney 23 Whether it's now or later, Maroney will be a workhorse in the NFL.
16 Ryan Grant 25 Half-season wonder not a lock to play 10 years in Green Bay.
17 Jonathan Stewart 21 Panthers will build around Stewart for a decade. Great goal-line runner.
18 Ronnie Brown 26 His upside is amazing and his knee injury will only limit him through 2008.
19 Jamal Lewis 29 Short-term expectation still gives him value in keeper leagues.
20 Michael Turner 26 Just 226 career carries and the Falcons are improving. Might be solid at 32 years old.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Rank Player Age Note
1 Larry Fitzgerald 25 Has shot at annually getting 100 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
2 Braylon Edwards 25 Exceptional ability and a long-term standout in Cleveland.
3 Randy Moss 31 Getting long in the tooth, but production should remain high with Patriots.
4 Reggie Wayne 29 Wayne is the new No. 1 guy in Indy and will benefit for years playing with Manning.
5 Marques Colston 25 What is Colston capable of doing as he gets older and more experienced?
6 Terrell Owens 34 Age holds Owens out of the top five. He might be productive for 3-4 more years.
7 Steve Smith 29 Another veteran receiver for the win-now Fantasy owner in keeper leagues.
8 Brandon Marshall 24 Thanks to his size and speed, Marshall should be a No. 1 Fantasy option for a while.
9 Andre Johnson 27 Would rank in the top five if he could stay healthy. No one doubts his skills.
10 T.J. Houshmandzadeh 30 In a contract year in '08, Housh should stay consistent for five years.
11 Chad Johnson 30 As long as Johnson is catching 90 passes per year, he'll have a place in Fantasy.
12 Anquan Boldin 27 With a new contract in Boldin's future, the best is yet to come.
13 Roy Williams 26 Williams is due big bucks soon, and his potential still has yet to be tapped.
14 Wes Welker 27 So long as the Pats keep dishing him short screens, Welker will rack up the yards.
15 Calvin Johnson 22 Eventually, Johnson will put the NFL on its ear. You just have to play the waiting game.
16 Plaxico Burress 31 Injuries coupled with age make Burress less than appealing as a top keeper choice.
17 Santonio Holmes 24 No 1,000-yard seasons yet, but Holmes is a terrific deep missle for the Steelers.
18 Dwayne Bowe 23 Great upside for this physical talent, though the KC offense needs development.
19 Greg Jennings 24 Was 2008 brought on by Brett Favre, or is Jennings on the brink of being a stud?
20 Torry Holt 32 Keeper-league owners want him for his play now, but not in three or four years.
TIGHT ENDS
Rank Player Age Note
1 Jason Witten 26 Role in Dallas offense combined with age and versatility makes him the best TE option.
2 Kellen Winslow 25 Microfracture surgery could limit career length. Otherwise, he'd have a case for No. 1.
3 Antonio Gates 28 Should have four good years left assuming he can heal his ailing toe.
4 Chris Cooley 26 With Zorn coaching for at least three seasons, Cooley's stats should be consistently good.
5 Vernon Davis 24 We're still waiting for him to break out, but he's got a lot of time to make it happen.
6 Dallas Clark 29 Fairly injury prone and too close to 30 to be a top-five keeper-league tight end.
7 Zach Miller 22 Should be Raiders' go-to possession guy for years to come.
8 Greg Olsen 23 Lots of upside with Olsen, and not a lot of receivers in Chicago.
9 Tony Gonzalez 32 Still a candidate for 1,000 yards, but for how much longer?
10 Heath Miller 25 The Steel City loves its smashmouth players, and Miller fits the bill.
11 Owen Daniels 25 Daniels has become reliable target for Matt Schaub, and the offense is on the rise.
12 Dustin Keller 23 Athletic rookie should have 800-yard potential for a decade. First year could be rough.
13 Todd Heap 28 Injury prone and the Ravens are rebuilding. Hard to count on him past 2009.
14 Jeremy Shockey 28 Another short-term fix for Fantasy owners. Has 1,000-yard potential, but gets hurt a lot.
15 Tony Scheffler 25 Moderate stats in first two seasons leaves plenty of room for future production.

Do you have a Draft Prep question? Send it to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com and we'll get to as many as we can. Be sure to put Attn: Draft Prep in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.

 
 
 
 
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