Commissioner Two Keeper Rules: How to Set Up a Two Keeper Fantasy Football League
The round penalty system for keeper costs: the most common two keeper system assigns a draft round cost based on where the kept player was originally selected. A player drafted in round 5 last year costs a round 4 pick to keep this year (one round of draft advancement as the keeper price). A player drafted in round 8 costs a round 7 pick. This system automatically adjusts keeper value to the player’s production trajectory — a breakout player drafted in round 8 who is now a round 3 value is still a bargain at round 7, while a player who underperformed their round 3 ADP and is now a round 5 value costs round 2 (a bad deal) — which the manager may choose not to keep.
Two Keeper Rules Quick Reference
| Keeper rule scenario | Most common approach | Rationale | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round penalty for keeping | One round earlier than original draft position | Automatically prices keeper value to production trajectory | Flat round cost (e.g., always round 3) — misses the player-specific value calculation |
| First-round keeper restriction | Prohibit round 1 keepers OR charge the first overall pick | No round 0 exists — a first-round keeper cost has to go somewhere | Leaving first-round keeper cost undefined — creates a dispute when someone wants to keep their round 1 pick |
| Multi-year keeper limit | Maximum 2–3 consecutive years | Prevents perpetually cheap keepers from entrenching | Unlimited consecutive years — long-term keepers become so cheap they freeze the draft and destroy parity |
| Undrafted (waiver wire) keeper cost | Last round cost (round 15 or equivalent) | Rewards waiver wire research while keeping a reasonable cost | No undrafted keeper rule — creates a dispute when someone wants to keep their FAAB pickup |
| Keeper deadline | 2–3 weeks before the draft | Allows ADP to absorb keeper decisions before the draft order is set | Same-day keeper deadline on draft day — no time for managers to adjust draft prep |
| Keeper transparency | All keeper declarations public after deadline | Everyone knows which players are off the board | Private keeper declarations — managers can’t prep their draft board accurately |
Setting Keeper Eligibility Rules
First-round keeper restrictions. Most two keeper leagues prohibit keeping players who were drafted in round 1, because the round penalty would advance to round 0 (a pick that does not exist). Some leagues allow first-round keepers but assign them a cost of the first overall pick in the draft — a steep enough cost that most managers would rather take the pick. Other leagues allow unlimited round advancement (a player kept two consecutive years costs a pick two rounds earlier than their original draft position) and simply prohibit keepers when no earlier round exists.
Multi-year keeper limits. Two keeper leagues with no multi-year limit (you can keep any eligible player forever) gradually concentrate on players who have been kept for many years, because the keeper cost becomes extremely cheap relative to market value over time. Limiting keepers to 2–3 consecutive years before a player must be dropped into the draft pool prevents this concentration and keeps the draft more competitive each year.
Handling Undrafted Players and Waiver Wire Finds
Keeper eligibility for undrafted players. Managers who find a breakout player on the waiver wire face a commissioner decision: can undrafted players be kept, and if so, at what round cost? Common solutions are (1) undrafted players can be kept but at a last-round cost (round 15 or however many rounds the draft has); (2) only drafted players can be kept (undrafted pickups are always returned to the draft pool); or (3) undrafted players can be kept at the last-round cost for one year only, preventing perpetually cheap undrafted keepers. Publishing the specific policy for undrafted keepers before any claims are made prevents disputes.
For how two keeper rules connect to full commissioner responsibilities, see: Commissioner Fantasy Football Tips: How to Be a Good Fantasy Football Commissioner.