KEEPER RULES
Reward the pick. Raise the price. Keep the league moving.
“Dynasties are not built in one season. They are built one great decision at a time.”
CPC-201 • VERSION 1.0
KEEPER RULES
“A great pick should matter for more than one season.”
Why We Have Keeper Rules
Keeper rules reward owners who draft well, find value after the draft, and think farther ahead than Sunday morning.
A great player can become part of a franchise for years, but keeping him gets more expensive every season. That balance lets owners build something without letting the same stars disappear forever.
The rules are simple on purpose: keep up to three players, pay the correct draft price, and do not expect a loophole to become a strategy.
201.1 Number of Keepers
Each franchise may keep up to three players each season.
Keeping fewer than three is allowed. Keeping more than three is not.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “If three is not enough, draft better.” |
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201.2 Keeper Cost
A kept player costs one draft round earlier than his keeper cost from the previous season.
| Previous Cost | New Keeper Cost |
|---|---|
| 8th Round | 7th Round |
| 5th Round | 4th Round |
| 2nd Round | 1st Round |
The cost continues to move up one round every season the player is kept.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “The longer you keep a superstar, the more expensive he gets. That is the deal.” |
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201.3 Free-Agent Keepers
Any player acquired through free agency may be kept the following season for a 7th-round pick, regardless of whether he was originally drafted.
Once a player reaches free agency, his old draft position and prior keeper designation no longer matter.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “Sometimes championships are won on the waiver wire. If you found the diamond, you get to keep it.” |
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201.4 Released Players
The moment a player is released, he loses his existing keeper value.
If that player is added from free agency, his new keeper cost is a 7th-round pick under Section 201.3.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “Once you kick him to the curb, you do not get to complain when someone else takes him home.” |
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201.5 Keeper Value in Trades
Keeper value follows the player in every trade.
The receiving owner inherits the player’s current keeper cost and the same one-round escalation in future seasons.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “You are trading the player and the price tag. No renegotiating after the deal.” |
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201.6 Multiple Keepers in the Same Round
Two keepers cannot use the same draft pick. When multiple keepers carry the same cost, the additional keepers move upward into the next earlier rounds.
| Keeper | Starting Cost | Final Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Player A | 5th Round | 5th Round |
| Player B | 5th Round | 4th Round |
| Player C | 5th Round | 3rd Round |
The cascade continues until every keeper has a separate draft round.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “Nice try. We already thought of that one.” |
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201.7 Missing Draft Picks
If an owner no longer holds the pick required for a keeper, that keeper moves to the next earlier pick the owner does hold.
Trading away a draft pick does not erase the keeper cost.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “Trading away the bill does not make dinner free.” |
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201.8 First-Round Keepers
A player whose keeper cost reaches the 1st round requires a 1st-round pick.
An owner who traded away every 1st-round pick must acquire one before the keeper deadline or release the player back into the draft pool.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “You cannot trade away your first and then act surprised when your first-round keeper still costs a first.” |
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201.9 Keeper Deadline
Keeper selections are due August 1.
Owners may change those selections through August 15. After August 15, keepers are final unless the Commissioners approve an exception.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “If you forget to submit your keepers, expect a public bitch slap from the Commissioners before expecting sympathy.” |
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201.10 New Owners
A replacement owner inherits the franchise exactly as it stands, including its roster, keeper values, and draft picks.
Taking over a franchise does not reset its keeper costs.
| COMMISSIONER'S NOTE “You inherited the team. That includes the good decisions and the dumb ones.” |
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One Last Thing...
You will hit on some. You will miss on plenty. The fun is pretending you knew the difference all along.
CASTLE PEAK CRUSADERS The Best Damn Fantasy Football League Around