In 2015, 25 total players were kept, barely over two per team. It’s the lowest amount of keepers the league has kept since 2007. Yet, we still went into panic mode, declaring all the stars were gone before the draft even begun. However, that’s why we play the game. Yes, one keeper earned first-team All-Robio, three earned second-team, while two others brought home a third-team award,but overall only a little more than half proved to be worthy starters last year. Here are those keepers…ranked.
1. DeAndre Hopkins, WR-HOU (Rich B)
Round 13 | Rank #3 | Points: 2,958
Now this is how you use the redshirt. Burrier snagged the rookie wide receiver and slapped the redshirt on him in 2013. That season, he did little, except occasionally flash some brilliance. Rich kept him in 2014 and he supplanted Andre Johnson as the top target in Houston, finishing 11th. Then this past season, Hopkins exploded. He scored five 300+ games and earned his first All-Robio award (second team, finishing 3rd among all receivers). Best yet, Rich gets him for one more year deep in the draft.
2. Odell Beckham, WR-NYG (Griff)
Round 14 | Rank #4 | Points: 2,914
Expected to be the best wide receiver in football, Beckham actually got off to a slow start (at least to his standard). He failed to hit 100 three times in his first seven games, yet occasionally demonstrated what could be done with a pair of 300+ games. However, against the Saints awful secondary, he exploded in week eight with 130 yards and three touchdowns. From there, the Giants top target was on target, averaging 326 PPG in his final seven. Sadly, he blew an opportunity to help win a championship for Griff, getting suspended after the Josh Norman fiasco. In the end, he earned his first All-Robio award (second team), finishing fourth among all receivers. Best part for Griff, he can keep Beckham one more season.
3. Chris Ivory, RB-NYJ (Rob M)
Round 13 | Rank #5 | Points: 2,450
For the first five weeks of the season, few were better. With a decent quarterback now running the show, Ivory found plenty of room to roam. In three of his first four games he finished with 320, 392 and 452 points. Down the stretch, he would slow, breaking 100 yards rushing just once, but he hit 200+ three times and managed to hang on to his first ever All-Robio award (third team). Masterson will have a tough decision in 2016. Ivory is off to Jacksonville and still has one year of keeper eligibility left, but Rob also has Jeremy Maclin (received in a trade with me last year). He can also be kept in round 13.
4. Mark Ingram, RB-NO (Rob M)
Round 10 | Rank #4 | Points: 2,698
Masterson goes back-to-back in my keeper rankings. If you asked me who was better, Ivory or Ingram, straight up, I’d pick the latter, but Ivory goes one spot higher because he was kept three rounds later. Still, Ingram was arguable one of the most consistently quiet backs last season. He only broke 100 yards rushing once all year (143 vs the Colts in week seven) and that’s the only time the Saints running back broke 300 fantasy points, but he did break 200+ fantasy points seven times, coming up just short (scoring over 190+) three more times. That kind of production earned Ingram a second-team All-Robio award, the first in his career. Sadly, he was injured in the season’s final week and couldn’t help Masterson get past the quarterfinals. There is good news though…if Rob wants him again in round ten, he can have him one more season, unless he decides to go Thomas Rawls three rounds earlier. Tough decisions.
5. Lamar Miller, RB-MIA (Bob)
Round 9 | Rank #6 | Points: 2,442
His career started slowly, which explains why Bob was able to land Miller in round nine last season. However, after a solid 2014 where he finished #12 among all backs, Miller took another leap forward, earning his first All-Robio award (third team) last year. Ironically, a year after Le’Veon Bell replaced Miller in the starting lineup, Miller actually had to step in once Bell went out for the season in 2015. It looked like it wouldn’t be a step down, as Miller had averaged 333 PPG in weeks 6-10. However, down the stretch the Fins running back was inconsistent, struggling to stay on the field and came up small in Bob’s semifinals loss (48 fantasy points). Still, with a move to Houston, Miller could be another solid keeper if Bob wants him. Bob can have him for one more year in round nine or Russell Wilson in round ten for two more seasons.
6. Tom Brady, QB-NE (Eric)
Round 5 | Rank #1 | Points: 4,282
The only keeper to actually finish first at his position, Brady was a late dump trade grab by Eric the previous season. It clearly paid off, which was pretty amazing since Brady was suppose to be suspended for four games. Instead, the suspension that eventually was postponed, motivated the Patriots quarterback and he exploded out of the gate. He hit 300+ in his first eight games (half of those were 400+). Down the stretch he looked nearly human, failing to hit 300 in four of Eric’s final five games. Still, he managed to hold off Cam Newton for the top spot at quarterback, earning the league MVP. Eric can keep him for one more season, although this year he really will miss the season’s first four games.
7. Jonathan Stewart, RB-CAR (Rich C/Jeff)
Round 12 | Rank #9 | Points: 2,298
For the first month of the season, Stewart looked like the typical shitty Stewart (despite DeAngelo Williams no longer taking up space in the backfield). He never topped 70 yards rushing and scored no touchdowns. Calderon saw no reason to keep him, so when Carolina went on their bye, he cut him for tight end, Eric Ebron. Meanwhile, Jeff was having mucho trouble at the running back spot. CJ Anderson was a bust and then Jamaal Charles went out for the year. So he went and spent $3 on Jon Stewart and it paid off. In his nine games with Jeff, Stewart average a solid 228 PPG, helping to get Jeff back to the post-season.
8. Russell Wilson, QB-SEA (Molly/Bob)
Round 10 | Rank #6 | Points: 3,560
For eight weeks, Wilson didn’t put up the best numbers. His line couldn’t protect him and his receivers couldn’t create space, yet the Seahawks quarterback still averaged 230 PPG. Not great, but cut worthy? Well, with Seattle on a bye, Molly had enough and let Wilson go, picking up the Cowboys defense. For a full week, Wilson sat on the wire, until Bob, struggling at the quarterback spot, grabbed him. In week ten, he scored a decent 274 points, but no one could see what was coming next. Over the next five weeks, no player was better, as Wilson scored over 500 in three straight games, averaging 474 PPG. Bob eventually fell in the semifinals, but don’t lay any blame on Wilson, who scored 418 points. If Bob wants Wilson in 2016, he can have him in round 10.
9. Jeremy Maclin, WR-KC (Robio/Rob M)
Round 13 | Rank #17 | Points: 1,990
Because he was playing in Kansas City and because Alex Smith is a terrible quarterback, Maclin was unable to duplicate what he did in Philadelphia in 2014 (whe he finished 5th). While he occasionally delivered a 342-pt game (in week three) or a 380-pt effort (in week 12), Maclin also had major flops. In weeks 6-11, he averaged just 79.5 PPG in four games. Because I was planning on keeping Jordy Nelson in category three in 2016, I shipped Maclin off to Masterson for tight end, Travis Kelce. Rob can keep Maclin in round 13.
10. Mike Evans, WR-TB (Colby)
Round 8 | Rank #22 | Points: 1,850
After an amazing rookie season, where he scored nearly 2,300 points and finished #12 among all receivers, great things were expected for the Buccaneers receiver in his sophomore campaign. Yet, after becoming a late week one scratch and then getting shutout in week two, Colby had to be panicking. For the next six weeks, he was inconsistent (three 200+ games, three games below 100) as he dealt with a rookie quarterback. Yet, down the stretch, Evans found his groove and was a big reason for Colby’s semifinals upset over Bob, when he caught nine balls for 157 yards (314 fantasy points). Heading into 2016, Colby can have him for one more season. Two years ago he relied on touchdowns (12). Last year it was yards (1,206), but only had three scores. In season three, can he put both together to make himself an elite pair of hands?
11. Matt Forte, RB-CHI (Rich B)
Round 1 | Rank #12| Points: 2,116
Over the last seven years, few have been better than Forte. Thanks to his ability as a receiver out of the backfield, the Bears running back has delivered three 2nd-team All-Robio awards and one third-team. This past season, despite missing three games due to injury, Forte still finished as a low-end RB1, breaking 200+ points eight times (in a full season), producing 1,287 total yards. Yet, was that the last time we’ll see great things from Forte? The Bears seem to think so, as they let Forte walk to the Jets. He’s a 30-year-old back with a lot of mileage? I don’t see Burrier keeping him yet again, but does he have one more good year in him in a offense that loves to run the ball?
12. T.Y. Hilton, WR-IND (Molly)
Round 5 | Rank #16 | Points: 2,010
After earning a third-team All-Robio award in 2015, it’s hard not to look at Hilton’s 2015 and not declare it a disappointment. Yet, when you consider what a train wreck the Colts offense was, with arguable the worst offensive line, no other receiver capable of catching a ball and Andrew Luck inability to stay on the field, I’d argue that finishing 16th among all receivers is a God-send.
13. Philip Rivers, QB-SD (Matt)
Round 10 | Rank #8 | Points: 3,302
Does it seem like every year Matt has kept a good quarterback deep in the draft, yet still drafted another one earlier, only to watch the one he kept, out-perform the one he drafted? Well, this is actually the fourth time this has happened. Matt used an 8th round pick to land Matt Stafford, two years removed from a third-team All-Robio award. Yet, Stafford was terrible for most of the season, while Rivers proved to be the better starter and was Matt’s starting arm until Stafford got hot at the end.
14. James Starks, RB-GB (Matt)
Round 14 | Rank #23 | Points: 1,712
Matt goes back-to-back, but he can’t be too happy about this one. He ended up keeping both Packers running backs: Eddie Lacy in round four, then Starks deep in the draft as a smart handcuff. Yet, Lacy was overweight and lazy and barely could muster 50 yards per game. In fact, at times, despite not starting, Starks out-produced Lacy, which was unfortunate for Matt. This left him guessing which back would score the most fantasy points each week and too often, he failed to guess correctly. In 2016, Matt won’t have to make that decision if he doesn’t want to, since he can’t keep Lacy anymore, so he doesn’t have to draft Starks.
15. Jeremy Hill, RB-CIN (Rich C)
Round 5 | Rank #22 | Points: 1,784
After a strong finish to the 2014 season, Jeremy Hill was named the starter in Cincinnati and it appeared Calderon’s decision to draft him in the fifth (and Carlos Hyde one round later) would be the kind of decision that would reward Rich for seasons to come. Well, not so much. Instead, the tatum combined to be arguably the league’s biggest disappointments. While Hyde had the decency to go out injured for the year, Hill couldn’t produce as a starter and was unable to keep Gio Bernard on the bench.
16. Le’Veon Bell, RB-PIT (Bob/Rich C)
Round 2 | Rank #29 | Points: 1,564
Suspended for the season’s first two games, Bob didn’t hesitate to keep Bell, a player he landed in a late-season trade the previous year with Jeff. Good thing too, because after coming back, Bell exploded back onto the scene with three straight 300+ games. In fact, Bell would average 290 PPG until suddenly in week eight, he was gone, tearing his ACL. Sadly for Bob, despite the fact DeAngelo Williams performed great in weeks one and two, Bob did not have him on his roster. Without Bell’s handcuff, Bob would lose his first game of the year the following week and would finish the year 3-3, losing in the semifinals to Colby. Have to believe if Bell didn’t get hurt, the results would have been different. In the end, because he knew he had Todd Gurley in round four, Bob shipped Bell off to Calderon for Dez Bryant. Rich can keep Bell for one more season, as long as he can ignore his four-game suspension to open the year.
17. C.J. Anderson, RB-DEN (Jeff)
Round 6 | Rank #27 | Points: 1,604
After fantastic finish to his rookie year, Anderson was expected to be one of the elite backs in the NFL, yet he proved to be one of the bigger busts, failing to crack 100 fantasy points in his first three games, Sharing time with Ronnie Hillman, Anderson didn’t break 100 yards or score his first touchdown until week eight against the Packers and then followed that up with a 76-point and 18-point performance. Jeff had no choice but to bench Anderson. Of course, thanks to weeks 15 and 16 of the NFL season, where Anderson combined to rush for 168 yards, scoring twice, he’s once again a popular sleeper pick. Will Jeff roll the dice on the Broncos back again?
18. Sammy Watkins, WR-BUF (Eric)
Round 10 | Rank #30| Points: 1,630
Struggling to stay healthy, Watkins missed four of his team’s first seven games and didn’t manage to break 200 fantasy points until week nine. That week he produced 396-fantasy points, which screamed “start him.” Yet, his follow-up act was a combined 6 catches for 53 yards in his next two games. Yet, by season’s end, Watkins finally looked healthy and finally looked like the guy the Bills had thought they drafted. In his final six games in the NFL regular season, he averaged a solid 287 PPG. Of course four of those games came after Eric’s season was over, so that might explain why he’s ranked so low in these rankings.
19. Alshon Jeffery, WR-CHI (Colby)
Round 15 | Rank #37 | Points: 1,500
After Eric cut Jeffery early in the 2013 campaign, Colby picked him up and the Bears receiver has been nothing short of magical for him. After earning third-team All-Robio that first year, he still managed to finish 13th in 2014, despite injury issues. With one more year of keeper eligibility, watching Jeffery making a leap to elite wouldn’t have surprised many. Yet, once again injuries hampered him. He missed a month of football in weeks 2-6, before exploding back onto the field, averaging a studly 316 fantasy points in his first three contests back. However, after getting knocked out of week ten and missing the following week, he managed to only put up one more 200+ game (274 in the quarterfinals). When Colby rolled into the finals after upsetting Bob, he couldn’t rely on Jeffery, who would miss his final game for the Quarter Pounders because of another injury.
20. Jordan Matthews, WR-PHI (Don)
Round 7 | Rank #33 | Points: 1,532
The only keeper kept by Don in 2015, the Eagles receiver looked like a decent keep, when he came out of the gate with back-to-back 200+ games. However, the quarterback spot was a problem all season for Philly and the second year receiver failed to break 100 fantasy points in four out of his next five games. Don had no choice but to bench him. Eventually he made his way back into Don’s starting lineup, but that probably said more about how bad Don’s receiving core was. For the remainder of the fantasy season, he never could catch more the 3-4 balls per game, until it was too late. In the NFL’s final three regular season games, Matthews exploded, averaging 291 PPG, which couldn’t have made Don too happy.
21. Carlos Hyde, RB-SF (Rich C)
Round 6 | Rank #47 | Points: 1,226
After earning his first title in 2013, Calderon rolled the dice and grabbed a pair of unproven, non-starting backs in rounds five (Hill) and six (Hyde). He also drafted Freeman in Atlanta, but he was soon let go. The move didn’t really pay off in 2014. Hill certainly took off, but Hyde never escaped Frank Gore’s shadow. Yet, with Gore gone, it appeared Rich had a young, dangerous backfield in 2015. Then the season started. I already documented Hill’s struggles, but Hyde also had his problems. Of course, he started the season like a champ, with 182 total yards and two scores, producing 484 fantasy points in week one. He looked like a beast, but it was a fluke. Behind a bad 49ers offensive line, it would take Hyde four more games to score another 484 points and in week seven his season game to an end, after a foot injury against the Seahawks.
22. Brandon LaFell, WR-CAR (Eric)
Round 14 | Rank #81 | Points: 738
After a 74-catch, 953 yards and seven touchdown season in 2013, LaFell looked like a possible steal once we knew he was returning to New England. He was the best outside threat Tom Brady had had since Randy Moss. Yet, he began the year on the IR, missing the season’s first five games. Once he was back, he failed to hit 100 fantasy points (7 times) more than he broke 200 (once). He remained on Eric’s roster all season long, although I couldn’t tell you why.
23. Jamaal Charles, RB-KC (Jeff)
Round 1 | Rank #27 | Points: 1,322
With a backfield duo that consisted of C.J. Anderson and Jamaal Charles, Jeff looked stacked with one of the best running back tandems in the league. Yet, while Anderson didn’t live up to his part, Charles, who became the earliest keeper in league history (second overall pick), produced like he was expected to. Through four games, he was well on his way to an All-Robio award, averaging 283 PPG. Yet, in week five, he tore his ACL and his season ended just like that.
24. Marshawn Lynch, RB-SEA (Rob M)
Round 1 | Rank #48 | Points: 1,194
For at least three years in a row, a hot topic of conversation centered around Marshawn Lynch. When would the wheels fall off? This was a guy who had touched the ball 300+ times for four straight seasons and never ran the ball without trying to make contact with someone. Yet, every year he proved the doubters wrong, so I can understand why Masterson kept him with the sixth overall pick. Unfortunately for Rob, this was the year the wheels fell off. Lynch would miss two games early, parts of two others and struggled to dominate like he had in the past. He rushed for over 80 yards just once all season before getting knocked out for the year (and for his career) in week ten against Arizona. Luckily for Rob, he managed to get Thomas Rawls, although after a hot start to his career, he was knocked out for the season with an ankle injury.
25. Eddie Lacy, RB-GB (Matt)
Round 4 | Rank #35 | Points: 1,412
And here we are…last place. Why does Eddie Lacy deserve to be last? Certainly, others had worse overall numbers. True. But first, draft position matters. It’s one thing if someone like C.J. Anderson or Carlos Hyde fails, they were both middle round/category two keepers. They hurt, but it’s not like Jeff or Calderon wasted a high pick on them. Hyde cost Matt a fourth round pick. When picking in the fourth, you’re picking important starters. Secondly, unlike players like Hyde, Lynch or Charles, Lacy wasn’t derailed by injury. At least those teams could accept those players were gone and try to move forward without them. For Lacy, it was never an injury. He was just fat and lazy and couldn’t outproduce his backup. Every week Matt was forced to make a decision on which Packer running back to start and more often than not, he guessed incorrectly. And it wasn’t always Matt’s fault. Look at Lacy’s follow-up games.
In week one, Lacy scored 258. The following week, just 18.
In week four, Lacy scored 186. The following week, just 70.
In week eight, Lacy scored 154. The following week, just -10.
In week twelve, Lacy scored 308. The following week, just 2.
In week fourteen, Lacy scored 356. The following week, just 46 (where Matt lost in the semifinals).
Unlike an injured player, where you take the hit and move on. Lacy was the sucker punch that kept on punching. Not a good way to end a three-year run with Neatock.