Fantasy Football Keeper Rules
League Structure
8-team league
4 teams make the playoffs
Zoom Link for Draft
Team Composition
1 QB
2 RB
2 WR
1 TE
2 FLEX (RB/WR/TE)
1 K
1 DEF
5 Bench slots
1 IR slot
Keepers
General
2 keeper slots per team
You're not required to keep any players
No player drafted in the 1st or 2nd round may be kept the next year, regardless if they were dropped or traded
Player's keeper cost is 1 round higher than where they were drafted the year before
Example: A keeper drafted in the 10th round would cost a 9th round pick the following year
Waiver wire adds are counted as final round picks and start at a 14th round cost
Players can be kept for a maximum of 3 years after their draft year (4 years total)
Keeper status, years kept, and the original draft round transfer with trades
Example: If you trade for a player who was originally drafted in the 5th round, keeping that player the following year would cost you a 4th round pick, regardless of what round pick you traded away to acquire them
If you've traded away the pick that a keeper would cost, they'll cost the next highest pick
If you don't have any higher picks, that player cannot be kept
Example: If you trade away your 3rd round pick and want to keep a player who was drafted in the 4th, since the 3rd is not available, he would cost a 2nd. If you do not have a 1st or 2nd round pick, then that player can't be kept.
If you have multiple draft picks in a round for a keeper, it will be assigned to your latest pick of that round
Example: If you have picks 3.3 and 3.7, your keeper will go in 3.7
Keeper Cost Determination:
For drafted players:
Cost is 1 round higher than their original draft round
Example: A 5th round pick would cost a 4th round pick to keep the following year
For undrafted free agents or waiver wire pickups:
Initial cost is a 14th round pick
Cost increases by 1 round each year they are kept
For players who have been dropped and re-acquired:
Cost is based on their original entry into the league that season, not when they were re-acquired
Example: If Caleb Williams was drafted in the 14th round, dropped, and then picked up from waivers, his keeper cost would be a 13th round pick the following year
Examples:
A 3rd round pick this year that was dropped to the waiver wire and picked up:
Keep for 2025-2026: Costs a 2nd round pick
Keep for 2026-2027: Costs a 1st round pick
Keep for 2027-2028: Cannot be kept (would require a "0th round pick")
An undrafted free agent picked up from waivers drafted during the 2024-2025 season:
Keep for 2025-2026: Costs a 14th round pick
Keep for 2026-2027: Costs a 13th round pick
Keep for 2027-2028: Costs a 12th round pick (final year of eligibility)
Important Notes:
If you've traded away the pick that a keeper would cost, they'll cost the next highest pick
If you don't have any higher picks, that player cannot be kept
If you have multiple draft picks in a round for a keeper, it will be assigned to your latest pick of that round
Keeper costs reset each year for non-kept players, but the history of kept players remains intact
When trading, it's crucial to accurately represent a player's keeper status and cost
Misrepresenting a player's keeper eligibility or cost can be grounds for trade veto
The commissioner reserves the right to verify that both parties understand the keeper implications of a trade
Either party can back out of a trade if keeper values were misrepresented
Trading
Draft pick trading is allowed with conditions:
You must always have at least 1 pick within the first 2 rounds
You must always have at least 12 of your own picks remaining
All draft pick trading must be completed before the end of week 6
You can only trade picks for the current season and one season ahead
If you trade a pick for the following season, you are obligated to pay dues for that season
Normal trade deadline is week 10
Owners are encouraged to shop players around for better offers
There is no limit on the number of trades a team can make
Draft
Snake draft format
For the inaugural season, draft order will be randomized
This will be released at 4:30 PM ET two hours prior to the 6:30 PM ET draft time.
In subsequent seasons, order determined by playoffs, consolation bracket, and toilet bowl:
Playoff teams draft in reverse order of finish (champion picks last)
Non-playoff teams compete in toilet bowl for draft position
Winner of the toilet bowl gets the 1st overall pick
Remaining non-playoff teams draft in order of toilet bowl finish
Playoffs
Top 4 teams by record make the playoffs
Playoffs last three weeks: Weeks 15, 16, and 17
Two-week championship (Weeks 16 and 17)
Playoff seeding is reseeded each round, so the higher-seeded team always plays the lower-seeded team
Toilet Bowl
Teams that don't make the playoffs compete in the toilet bowl
Winner of the toilet bowl gets the 1st overall pick in next year's draft
Remaining non-playoff teams draft in order of toilet bowl finish
Lineup Changes
Lineups lock individually at scheduled game time for each player
Waivers and Free Agency
Free Agent Acquisition Budget (FAAB) system
Each team starts with a $100 FAAB budget for the season
FAAB bids are processed on a continuous basis (players process as soon as their waiver period ends)
$0 bids are allowed
Unused FAAB does not roll over to the next season
FAAB Tiebreaker: Resets each week to inverse order of standings
No limit on season acquisitions
For more information on why FAAB is used, see: Why Your League Needs to Change to FAAB
Scoring
1 PPR (Points Per Reception) scoring
All other scoring settings follow Sleeper.com default rules
For full details on Sleeper's default 1 PPR scoring, please refer to the Sleeper app or website
Tiebreakers
Tiebreakers follow default Sleeper rules
League Dues and Payouts
League dues are $50 per team per season
Dues are not required to be paid in advance, as league members know each other
However, if you trade a pick for a future season, you are obligated to pay dues for that season
Failure to not pay obligation will result in dismissal from both leagues.
Payout structure:
1st Place: $250 (62.5% of total pot)
2nd Place: $100 (25% of total pot)
3rd Place: $50 (12.5% of total pot)
Rule Changes
Proposal Period:
League members can propose rule changes from the end of the fantasy season until 30 days before the next season's draft.
All proposals must be submitted in writing to the league commissioner and shared with all league members.
Discussion Period:
A 14-day discussion period follows each proposal, allowing league members to debate the merits of the change.
The proposer may modify their proposal based on feedback during this period.
Voting Process:
After the discussion period, a 7-day voting period begins.
All league members must vote either "For," "Against," or "Abstain" on each proposal.
Votes are submitted privately to the commissioner to prevent influence.
Approval Threshold:
A proposal passes if it receives at least 6 "For" votes out of the 8 team owners (75% majority).
Abstentions do not count towards the total votes needed for approval.
Implementation:
Approved changes take effect in the upcoming season unless otherwise specified in the proposal.
The commissioner updates the league constitution with any approved changes within 7 days of the vote conclusion.
Emergency Changes:
For unforeseen circumstances requiring immediate action, the commissioner may propose an emergency rule change.
Emergency proposals require a unanimous 8/8 vote to pass and take immediate effect.
Veto Power:
The commissioner reserves the right to veto any rule change that fundamentally alters the nature of the league or could threaten its long-term viability.
A commissioner veto can be overridden by a unanimous 7/7 vote from the other league members.
Rule Change Moratorium:
Once a rule change is approved or rejected, it cannot be proposed again for two full seasons unless there are significant new circumstances.
Transparency:
The commissioner will maintain a public log of all proposed changes, voting results, and implemented rules to ensure transparency in the process.
Note: These rules are subject to league vote and may be amended before the start of each season.