Fantasy Keeper Value Calculator
Determines whether keeping a player in a keeper league is worth it by comparing their keeper cost to market value, projected output, age upside, and positional scarcity. Use this before your keeper deadline to maximize roster efficiency.
About this calculator
Keeper value in fantasy football goes beyond simple projected points — it factors in the discount (or premium) you pay relative to the open market, a player's remaining upside based on age, and how scarce their position is in the upcoming draft. The formula is: Keeper Value = ((marketValue − keeperCost) + (projectedPoints / 10) × ((30 − playerAge) / 10)) × positionDepth. The first term captures the raw cost savings or cost penalty versus drafting that player fresh. The second term rewards younger players with more projected peak seasons ahead. Multiplying by positionDepth scales the entire score upward when good players at that position are rare in the draft pool. A higher final score means keeping the player is strongly justified; a negative score suggests releasing them and spending the pick elsewhere.
How to use
Suppose you're deciding whether to keep a 24-year-old WR projected for 280 points. His keeper cost is $20 and his expected draft market value is $35. Position depth is set to 1.2 (WR is relatively scarce in your league). Step 1: Cost savings = $35 − $20 = $15. Step 2: Age-adjusted points = (280 / 10) × ((30 − 24) / 10) = 28 × 0.6 = 16.8. Step 3: Sum = $15 + 16.8 = 31.8. Step 4: Multiply by depth = 31.8 × 1.2 = 38.16. A score of 38.16 is strong — keep this player.
Frequently asked questions
How do I determine what keeper cost to enter if my league uses draft rounds instead of dollars?
Many keeper leagues assign a cost equal to one round earlier than the player was drafted the previous year. Convert this to an approximate dollar value using your league's typical auction values for that round — for example, a 3rd-round pick might equate to roughly $30 in a $200 budget auction. Alternatively, enter the round number directly and set marketValue to the equivalent round number for an apples-to-apples comparison. The key is consistency: use the same unit for both keeperCost and marketValue so the cost-savings term is meaningful.
What does positionDepth represent and what values should I use?
Position depth reflects how difficult it is to find a comparable player at that position in the open draft. A value of 1.0 means average scarcity, values above 1.0 (e.g., 1.3–1.5) indicate a thin position where keeping is more valuable, and values below 1.0 (e.g., 0.8) indicate a deep position where alternatives are plentiful. You can gauge this by counting how many elite options remain available if you release the player. Running back tends to score higher here due to volatility and injury risk; tight end also scores high in single-TE leagues.
Why does player age matter in keeper league valuation?
In keeper leagues, you're not just buying one season — you're potentially locking in a player for multiple years. A 22-year-old entering his prime is far more valuable to keep long-term than a 29-year-old in decline, even if their projected points for the current season are identical. The formula uses the expression (30 − playerAge) / 10 as a youth multiplier, which peaks for very young players and fades toward zero as players approach 30. This reflects the reality that older players carry greater regression risk and are less likely to produce surplus value in future keeper seasons.