A keeper league is a fantasy league where each manager can hold over a set number of players from one season to the next, instead of putting every player back in the draft. Before the new draft, you name your keepers, they come off the board, and everyone drafts around them. The league decides how many keepers you get and whether each one costs you a draft pick.
That one rule changes the league from a fresh start every year into a story that carries over. A manager who drafted well last year starts the new season ahead. It is a good rule for a group that stays together and a bad one for a group that changes every year.
How does a keeper league work?
The season cycle looks like this:
- The season ends. The final ladder is set and the league closes the books.
- Managers name their keepers. Each manager picks from their own squad, up to the league’s limit, by a deadline before the draft.
- Keepers come off the board. Those players are locked to their managers and removed from the pool.
- Everyone drafts the rest. The draft runs as normal over the players still available. Where keepers carry a cost, a manager’s keeper takes the draft pick it is priced at.
- The new season starts. Managers hold their keepers and their new draftees together.
Keeper, redraft or dynasty?
The three formats sit on a scale from no memory to total memory.
| Redraft | Keeper | Dynasty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What carries over | Nothing | A few players per manager | Your whole squad |
| Draft each season | Everyone drafts everyone | Everyone drafts what is left | Mostly new talent |
| Best for | Office leagues and new groups | Groups that stay together | Committed groups that want a long game |
| Biggest risk | Little reason to care about next year | A strong squad runs away with the league | New members arrive years behind |
Most workplace and club leagues start as redraft, because a new member can join any year and be level on draft night. Keepers earn their place once the group is stable and wants something to build.
What keeper rules does a league need to settle?
A keeper league has more rules than a redraft league, and every one of them gets argued if it is not written down first.
- How many keepers? Pick a number and hold it. A small cap keeps the draft alive.
- What does a keeper cost? Some leagues keep players for free. Others charge a draft pick, so keeping a star in round three means giving up your round-three pick.
- How long can you keep a player? Without a limit, one star stays forever. Many leagues cap it at a number of seasons.
- What happens to a player who retires or is delisted? A keeper who leaves the competition is gone. Say whether the manager gets the pick back.
- What about a player who changes clubs? Usually nothing changes, because you keep the player, not the club. Write it down anyway.
- When is the deadline? Name a date before the draft and treat it as final. A late keeper decision stalls the whole league.
- Can keepers be traded? If they can, say whether the new owner inherits the keeper cost.
Does a keeper league work for AFL and NRL?
Yes, and the AFL is a good fit. Squads are large, careers run long, and players move clubs, retire and get delisted every year, so a keeper rule gives managers real decisions each off-season. The rules above matter more here than in a sport with a short list, because a manager will hit a retired or delisted keeper in the first year.
Pick the rules before the first draft, not after someone has a delisted star on their keeper list.
Can you run a keeper league on Fanzava?
Not yet. Here is what is planned for Fanzava fantasy, so you can decide if it fits.
- A live draft. Members will pick in turn in a live draft room. Which draft formats a league can choose will be confirmed when fantasy opens.
- A fresh start each season. Keeper and dynasty rules are not part of the first fantasy release, so every season will open with a new draft.
- Not open yet. Fantasy is on a waitlist with no opening date to quote, and the first release is planned for NFL, NHL and MLB draft leagues and a Formula 1 and Supercars garage. AFL and NRL are not in it.
If your group wants a fresh draft each year under your own brand, on the same hub where you already run tipping, that is what the AFL draft league and the NRL draft league pages describe, for when those leagues open. If keepers are the whole point of your league, Fanzava is not the right fit today, and we would rather tell you that now. Whatever your league plays for stays between you and your members.
Want to be told when fantasy opens? Join the waitlist below, or read about fantasy on Fanzava first. If you are still deciding how to run your draft, start with our guide to running an AFL fantasy draft league.
Frequently asked questions
What is a keeper league in fantasy sport?
A league where each manager may hold over a set number of players from one season to the next instead of putting every player back in the draft. The league sets how many, and what each keeper costs.
What is the difference between a keeper league and a dynasty league?
In a keeper league you hold over a few players, usually capped at a small number, and draft the rest fresh. In a dynasty league you keep your whole squad year after year and the draft is mostly for new talent.
What is a redraft league?
A league where every player goes back into the pool each season and everyone drafts from scratch. It is the simplest format and the one most office leagues run.
How many keepers should a league allow?
Fewer than you think. A small number keeps the draft meaningful and stops one strong squad from owning the league for years. Start with two or three, and loosen it once the league has a few seasons behind it.
Can I run a keeper league on Fanzava?
Not yet. Keeper and dynasty rules are not part of the first fantasy release, so each season will start with a new draft. Fantasy is on a waitlist, so join it and we will be in touch about fantasy on your hub.