{
  "slug": "fantasy-keeper-value-calculator",
  "title": "Fantasy Keeper Value Calculator",
  "heading": "Fantasy Keeper League Value Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fantasy-keeper-value-calculator",
  "summary": "Compare a player's keeper cost against their expected draft-round value.",
  "description": "Keeper leagues let you retain a player for the following season at a cost, usually tied to the round they were drafted or acquired in, and the core decision every offseason is whether that cost is a bargain or a trap relative to where the player would actually be drafted next year. This calculator compares your keeper cost (as a draft round or auction dollar amount) against your projection of the player's actual value next season, expressed the same way, and computes the surplus or deficit value of keeping them. A player kept for a 9th-round cost who projects as a 3rd-round talent next year is a clear, strong keep; a player kept at a 2nd-round cost who's trending toward replacement-level production is a decision to let go and redraft someone cheaper. This is most useful for redraft-adjacent keeper formats with round-based costs; full dynasty valuation involves more long-term asset considerations this tool doesn't attempt to capture.",
  "formula": "Surplus rounds = keeper cost round − projected actual round next season (positive surplus means the player is cheaper than their expected value, a good keep).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=fantasy-keeper-value-calculator",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "keeperRound",
      "label": "Keeper cost (round)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 9,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 20
    },
    {
      "id": "projectedRound",
      "label": "Projected actual draft round next season",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": 20
    },
    {
      "id": "totalRounds",
      "label": "Total draft rounds in your league",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 5,
      "max": 25
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "surplusRounds",
      "label": "Surplus rounds of value",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "surplusPercent",
      "label": "Surplus as % of total draft",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Keeper cost (round): 9",
      "Projected actual draft round next season: 3",
      "Total draft rounds in your league: 15"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Surplus rounds of value: 6",
      "Surplus as % of total draft: 40.0%"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter keeper cost (round).",
      "Enter projected actual draft round next season.",
      "Enter total draft rounds in your league.",
      "Read your surplus rounds of value on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "keeperRound": 5,
        "projectedRound": 2,
        "totalRounds": 9
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "keeperRound": 9,
        "projectedRound": 3,
        "totalRounds": 15
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "keeperRound": 14,
        "projectedRound": 5,
        "totalRounds": 24
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What surplus counts as a clear keep?",
      "a": "A surplus of 2+ rounds (keeper cost meaningfully cheaper than projected actual draft position) is generally considered a strong, obvious keep in most round-based keeper formats. A surplus near zero is a toss-up that depends on positional need and available alternatives; a negative surplus (paying more than projected value) usually means you're better off drafting fresh."
    },
    {
      "q": "How do I project a player's 'actual round' next season?",
      "a": "Use expert consensus rankings or average draft position (ADP) tools published before your league's draft window as a proxy, since these already fold in projected role, health outlook, and situation change. Adjust manually for league-specific scoring quirks your platform's rankings might not weight the same way your league does."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does this work for dynasty leagues?",
      "a": "It works as a rough one-year snapshot, but dynasty keeper decisions usually also weigh multi-year asset value, player age curve, and draft pick value you'd give up, which this single-season round-surplus model doesn't capture. Treat this as a redraft/keeper-league tool rather than a full dynasty asset valuation."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fantasy-auction-budget-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fantasy-league-payout-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/dfs-breakeven-roi-calculator"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Fantasy Keeper Value Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fantasy-keeper-value-calculator)"
}