September 6, 2012

Fantasy football has really taken off in the past few years. It seems as though anyone who is a fan of the NFL is also in at least one league to make things interesting. While the most popular method has always been drafting a new team each season, there are a growing number of players who prefer keeper and dynasty leagues.

The main difference in these keeper and dynasty leagues is that owners are treating their team more like an actual franchise. Instead of drafting solely for the 2012 season, the future has to be taken into account. A guy like Peyton Manning will go high in a standard fantasy football league, but owners would be more hesitant to draft him high in a keeper league since he is getting up there in age.

To make things even more difficult, there are many settings in dynasty leagues that can differ from league to league. The first season is pretty straightforward: a draft is held in similar fashion to a standard fantasy draft, and then the season is played out. The first offseason is where things really change though. Now, teams are identifying certain players as their “keepers” (leagues will have set limits on this), and then the rest of the players go back into the pool and are eligible to be picked up by other owners.

Coupled with those eligible players is the new rookie class. Owners now have to make smart decisions as far as who to add to their team for the present and future. For example, this season, Andrew Luck went very high in keeper league drafts, even though few expect him to be anything more than average in 2012.

Much like real football owners, keeper leagues can be very difficult, yet rewarding to manage. Teams have to make harsh decisions sometimes on letting players go, plus they have to be smart with their drafts picks and pick up throughout the season. For the most part, these types of leagues are more competitive because it truly does feel more like an actual team you own. Standard fantasy football leagues are more for those who like the pick up and play style of fantasy football. Plus, anyone can take a look at who will most likely be good in 2012. When you factor in the future, keepers, trades and draft picks, a whole new way to play fantasy football is born.

The above post has been guest written by the guys at FanDuel.com, where you can draft a new team every week to play fantasy football for cash.