While an auction league may be the purest form of fantasy football leagues, being able to play general manager is easily the most fun. See, it is easy to do a little studying, have a decent draft, and make smart moves during the season to put yourself in a position for a championship, but it is a whole different ballgame when you play for this year as well as deep into the future.

The beloved keeper is something that is ultra popular in fantasy baseball and carries the same concept in fantasy football. In fact, given how top-heavy fantasy football is, keepers could make or break your team on a year-to-year basis. Below are several tips and strategies that you should use as you head into your keeper league draft and throughout the 2015 season.

1. Format

As always, knowing the format and setup to your league is of utmost importance. When it comes to keepers, you need to be clear headed into the season exactly how many players you’re allowed to hang on to. Some leagues may allow you to keep one player at each position, while others leagues give you the freedom to keep two players maximum. Being clear about league settings will go a long way towards keeper league glory.

2. Year One

If you are in a startup keeper league, this is where it all begins. How you draft in your inaugural season will set the table for the next several years. If your league allows you to keep three players per year, this is where you will attempt to load up on premium talent. That means, you need to come out of your first two rounds with two stud running backs or an elite running back and premier wideout—think Eddie Lacy and Mike Evans.

After building a strong nucleus, you want to continue to load up as many low risk, high reward players at the running back and wide receivers as you can find. Sprinkle in upside and an above average quarterback and there is little doubt that you’ll be off to a strong start. Coming out of the gate on fire leaves room for minor rough patches. Avoiding the dreaded extended valleys is critical to success.

3. The Dreaded Age Factor

In keeper leagues, there is always a group of owners that looks at age before anything else. This is one of the most annoying traits you can have as a serious fantasy player. While the chances of it happening are slim, the goal of any fantasy league is to win every single year. In a figurative sense, trading away well-established stud workhorses for age and upside is flat out idiotic.

Could T.J. Yeldon breakout this season and finish as a top-10 running back? Of course he could. Is it possible that at age 30, Adrian Peterson’s days of being the crème de la crème as a running back are over? Most definitely. Obviously, you would never take Yeldon in the first round this year, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t skip out on Peterson in favor of a younger player and then target Yeldon later on.

In 2015, I’m treating a guy like Adrian Peterson as one of the top players in the league. I don’t care if he’s 30 years old and neither should you. See, like Aaliyah once said, “Age Ain’t Nothin’ But a Number.” Peterson may be on the backside of his career, but that certainly doesn’t mean he’s running low on fumes. You take his elite numbers for the next year or two and regroup when the time comes.

Other consensus first round picks that fall into this category: Marshawn Lynch, Jamaal Charles, and DeMarco Murray.

4. Kickers and Defense Still Don’t Matter 

I find it slightly eccentric when kickers or defenses are taken before the final two rounds of a draft. What is the point? I think of both positions as punt worthy and treat them as such. While you should already be following this line of thinking, it is worth pointing out that it is even more important to fade these two roster spots in keeper leagues.

Instead of thinking you’ve got a leg up on the competition by drafting the Seahawks’ defense in the 11th round, it’d be much wiser to take a rookie with upside at a premium position in that spot. A player like David Cobb comes to mind. Currently, he’s dealing with a calf injury that could keep him out of action during Week 1. Even with an injury, he has plenty of value in keeper leagues due to his situation. With Bishop Sankey as his only real competition, it is only going to be a matter of time before he is Tennessee’s feature running back.

When it’s all said and done, you’ll still probably end up with the Cardinals’ or Jets’ defense three rounds later. Add to that the fact that you could have a strong RB2 for the next several seasons and this entire scenario works out well.

5. Dynasty Leagues

If you want to take a keeper league to the next—and highest—level, it may be time to join a dynasty league. The most important facet of the dynasty format is being a completely committed owner in a league with likeminded players. This is, without question, the absolute best way to play. In a perfect league, you would draft Melvin Gordon this season, roster him for the next ten years, and hopefully pick up a couple of championships along the way.

While standard keeper leagues allow you to keep a couple of players max, dynasty leagues give you the freedom to compile the most dominate roster imaginable by excellent drafting and shrewd trading. This truly separates the men from the boys.

As previously mentioned in this article, I am a strong advocate for winning now. During the inaugural draft of a dynasty league, you are on an even playing field with every single owner. What that means is that you should draft with every intention to win your league.

Now, post-draft is a different story. Even with a strong draft on paper, other factors will come into play including under-performing players, suspensions, and injuries. If you are a casualty of the unknowns, you will then have to make a choice whether to stock up on young talent or stand pat and wait for next season. To be clear, this doesn’t just mean in year one. You can have a dominant team for several seasons before the inevitable rebuilding process begins.

Here are a few words of advice regarding getting younger if you’re involved in a lost season and you see the writing on the wall. First off, move your older veterans that are still producing. Steve Smith and Anquan Boldin are two players that come to mind that still put up relatively strong numbers, but are close to the end of the road. Another glaring name in that category is Peyton Manning. If you are playing for next season, trade away older, performing veterans while you still can. 

Another category of players to move is players valued based solely on their name. At one time, Larry Fitzgerald was one of the best wideouts in the NFL, but in recent seasons he has been a shell of his former self. His ineffectiveness isn’t completely his fault, but he is the one who suffers overall. Fitzgerald is prime example of a player that should be moved for a future piece or draft pick if your team falters.

If you are a few years into your dynasty league, don’t be afraid to move a big name, first-round player for several future pieces. If you are honest with yourself and know that you don’t have a chance, pull the trigger on a couple of highly touted rookies with upside. Using this season as an example, Jamaal Charles would have likely landed a combination of Amari Cooper and T.J. Yeldon. That’s a strong haul for the future.

Finally, in dynasty leagues with deep rosters, it is crucial to look ahead and pay close attention to depth charts. Last season, the Packers drafted Davante Adams, but he didn’t play much until the latter part of the season. Now, with Jordy Nelson out for the year, Adams is locked into a starting job. Patience is a virtue and it can also catapult your fantasy team to the next level.

If you’ve been a life-long redraft player, I strongly recommend mixing in a keeper league or even better, a dynasty league. While it is satisfying to win any league, it’s even more fulfilling to be the dominate supremacy for multiple years. Dynasty leagues aren’t learned overnight, but once you win, they are the greatest sense of accomplishment in the fantasy football universe.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my five-part Draft Strategy series. Feel free to comment below. Have a great season!