We are just a few weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training. This will also start the countless hours spent on fantasy baseball mock drafts and research for your 2025 fantasy baseball season. Whether you’re in redraft, keeper or dynasty leagues, it’s best to have a plan in place and have some type of strategy to help guide you to a successful season. For this article, we will focus on a keeper league planner.
I enjoy all leagues, but keeper leagues can make every year your year. Redraft can come down to the draft and dynasty leagues can be more of a yearly rebuild. Keeper leagues give owners a fighting chance year in and year out. Here are a few things to consider going into your fantasy baseball keeper leagues for the 2025 season.
- Fantasy Baseball Draft Rankings
- Fantasy Baseball Research & Advice
- Fantasy Baseball Average Draft Position (ADP)
- Fantasy Baseball News
Fantasy Baseball Keeper Planner
League Rules
Your keeper league could be set up in an auction style, with contracts, a set number of keepers every year or some other creative way. However your league is set up, make sure you have a good understanding of the league rules. Do you have a star player with only one year of eligibility left and you don’t believe you will be super competitive in the upcoming year?
You might want to consider moving that player sooner in the season rather than later. Whether players’ contracts go up in price the longer you keep them is also something to consider. Several different scenarios are possible in keeper leagues. Be sure to understand your league rules and plan accordingly. Having a plan will benefit you more than just a ‘wing it’ strategy year in and year out.
Now or Later
Are you ready to win this season or set for future seasons’ successes? Every fantasy baseball season is a blank slate. You don’t have to decide on your season until late May. Sure, you might have a feeling or that sick-to-your-stomach wave of nausea after your draft, but the fantasy baseball season can be unpredictable. Even if you aren’t planning to be a contender this upcoming season, you still want to put together a competitive team. Also, you might win it all and that early success is a good feeling.
Around the end of May, you still have a couple of months before the league’s trade deadline, and it’s not a bad idea to get ahead of all the trading. Whether you’re optimistic or pessimistic, planning at this point in the season can be crucial. I’ve been in leagues where an owner will make some trades at this point and it doesn’t work out in the next month or so, then they flip those just-acquired players for someone that can help them next year. At this point in the season, you still have options.
League rules play a role here as well. Trading the players you can’t keep after the current season you’re in could get you more in return. If you’re competing, then you don’t want to move them, but offering a star player to some other league owners before telling the whole league of your intentions could be beneficial.
Keeper Age
Younger players go quick in fantasy drafts. A lot of owners will overvalue younger players, and they will overlook and even forget about more seasoned veterans. Players entering their late 20s and mid-30s are less coveted and sometimes forgotten. I completely understand keeping younger players. In theory, you should have several years of remaining competitiveness.
Just remember that these players are less predictable. You know what veteran players can do, and that reliability should not be dismissed. I wouldn’t expect any owners to have a team full of 30-year-old keepers, but having some older experienced players to fill out your keepers is not a bad thing.
Prospects
Everyone likes the new shiny toy. Each season, fantasy owners try to land the next big thing. I’ve seen some owners load up on prospects in hopes that half of them will work out. I encourage owners to use better judgment when it comes to drafting prospects. Instead of swinging for the fences, use a more realistic approach.
Most prospects will take 2-4 years to get the call. I like prospects, but I want players that can get the call this season. You might find yourself drafting lesser-known prospects, but these players can help contribute sooner. If they don’t cut it, you didn’t draft them high, so there is no real loss.
There is just too much uncertainty when it comes to prospects. How many prospects have we seen that haven’t turned out the way everyone expected? You could find yourself sitting on a top prospect to a former top prospect, then maybe a late bloomer to a cautionary tale. If you just can’t help yourself and you must draft a prospect (or prospects), I would suggest drafting hitters. Pitchers come with more injury concerns and will likely take longer to develop in the minors. Hitters, as long as they hit at every level with no obvious problems, are safer picks at their average draft position (ADP).
Positions
When selecting keepers, you want to keep in mind the positions that these players play. Have some of the best pitchers and outfielders? That’s great but what about your infield? You want a diversity of positions. It doesn’t always work out that way, but it will give you the best chance to succeed.
I’m not going to tell you to not keep a certain position, but don’t keep relievers. I’ve come around on catchers, but I still don’t like keeping a catcher. With designated hitters now in both leagues, I can understand it more, but you still have to worry about the extra wear and tear on their bodies. Even having the best relievers in the game concerns me since they could lose their job at any time. It seems like every reliever, even the best ones, can come crashing down.
If you’re starting a keeper league you tend to have to draft these relievers/catchers early and then you feel forced to keep them. I would stay away from the elite players in those positions. For example, if second base is a weak position, your eighth-ranked second baseman might not be a bad choice to keep. Look at your team and other teams in your league and determine the possibilities that will be there for the draft. Knowing this will help you build a better team.
Market Value
Auction leagues are where you could see some type of league inflation when it comes to your players. The biggest thing that you need to remember is that your draft day steals that turn into keepers will have prices that will go up, and you will need to adjust accordingly.
In other leagues, you might find yourself with something like two top-10 first basemen. You could move one and keep two outfielders instead of just one. There are endless scenarios and not every non-keeper player can be traded. If you find yourself with an influx of talented players, why not let that benefit you?
Even if you’re not getting the best market value for the players you trade, something is better than nothing. You will likely only have a couple of options when making these types of offseason trades. You can move one player for a couple of players, assuming in this scenario you need a better group of keepers. Another option is moving a player for draft picks. Teams might not trade you their best pick, but they might not need to either. Getting some fair value will still be beneficial for your team.
Summary
There are different ways to approach a keeper league. I would focus on obtaining the best keepers you can, whether you’re starting a new keeper league or have been in the same league for years. Draft and keep star players and surround them with mediocre players. Have a few prospects, but don’t forget about the veterans. You want a balanced roster so you can compete every year. Try to avoid the must-win years that inevitably cycle through. It’s a more enjoyable experience in your league if you know you have a chance to win. Good luck in 2025.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn