Commentary

Fantasy football keeper rankings

Updated: August 28, 2011, 6:47 PM ET
By Christopher Harris | ESPN.com

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The following rankings apply to keeper leagues, with one eye on this season and the other on longer-term value. Specifically, I kept a three-year window in mind, leading to the perennial challenge when drafting in a fantasy league in which players are kept: How do you evaluate winning in 2011 while also tilting the table slightly in favor of NFL players whose future might be even brighter than their present? I started with my top 200 rankings for re-draft leagues, and probably focused about half on '11 and half on the two seasons that will follow. As a result, you'll find older players -- especially running backs verging on being 30 years old -- have taken a tumble. As much as they might help you this season, they're not likely to be attractive keepers. And as for prospects for whom I have much hope, they got a boost, although hopefully not so much that they'll overburden your fantasy team as you go for it this season.

Christopher Harris 2011 Fantasy Football Top 200 Keepers

  Rank by: Top 300 | QB | RB | WR | TE | K | DST | IDP | PPR | TD-only
  More: The TMR Top 250 | The Christopher Harris Top 200 | Christopher Harris' Keeper Ranks
Rank Player Positional Rank Age Bye
1 Adrian Peterson, MIN RB1 26 9
2 Chris Johnson, TEN RB2 25 6
3 Arian Foster, HOU RB3 25 11
4 Jamaal Charles, KC RB4 24 6
5 Ray Rice, BAL RB5 24 5
6 Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC RB6 26 9
7 Aaron Rodgers, GB QB1 27 8
8 LeSean McCoy, PHI RB7 23 7
9 Rashard Mendenhall, PIT RB8 24 11
10 Calvin Johnson, DET WR1 25 9
11 Darren McFadden, OAK RB9 23 8
12 Larry Fitzgerald, ARI WR2 27 6
13 Andre Johnson, HOU WR3 30 11
14 Hakeem Nicks, NYG WR4 23 7
15 Matt Forte, CHI RB10 25 8
16 Greg Jennings, GB WR5 27 8
17 Mike Wallace, PIT WR6 25 11
18 Roddy White, ATL WR7 29 8
19 Drew Brees, NO QB2 32 11
20 Philip Rivers, SD QB3 29 6
21 Frank Gore, SF RB11 28 7
22 DeSean Jackson, PHI WR8 24 7
23 Michael Turner, ATL RB12 29 8
24 Jahvid Best, DET RB13 22 9
25 Dez Bryant, DAL WR9 22 5
26 Vincent Jackson, SD WR10 28 6
27 Michael Vick, PHI QB4 31 7
28 Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG RB14 25 7
29 DeAngelo Williams, CAR RB15 28 9
30 Tom Brady, NE QB5 34 7
31 Miles Austin, DAL WR11 27 5
32 Dwayne Bowe, KC WR12 26 6
33 Shonn Greene, NYJ RB16 26 8
34 Peyton Hillis, CLE RB17 25 5
35 Steven Jackson, STL RB18 28 5
36 Jonathan Stewart, CAR RB19 24 9
37 Felix Jones, DAL RB20 24 5
38 Mike Williams, TB WR13 24 8
39 LeGarrette Blount, TB RB21 24 8
40 Jeremy Maclin, PHI WR14 23 7
41 Peyton Manning, IND QB6 35 11
42 Kenny Britt, TEN WR15 22 6
43 Santonio Holmes, NYJ WR16 27 8
44 Jermichael Finley, GB TE1 24 8
45 Tony Romo, DAL QB7 31 5
46 Knowshon Moreno, DEN RB22 24 6
47 Matt Schaub, HOU QB8 30 11
48 Brandon Marshall, MIA WR17 27 5
49 Antonio Gates, SD TE2 31 6
50 Reggie Wayne, IND WR18 32 11
51 Beanie Wells, ARI RB23 23 6
52 Dallas Clark, IND TE3 32 11
53 Marques Colston, NO WR19 28 11
54 Wes Welker, NE WR20 30 7
55 Austin Collie, IND WR21 25 11
56 Mario Manningham, NYG WR22 25 7
57 Sidney Rice, SEA WR23 24 6
58 Josh Freeman, TB QB9 23 8
59 Mark Ingram, NO RB24 21 11
60 BenJarvus Green-Ellis, NE RB25 26 7
61 Percy Harvin, MIN WR24 23 9
62 Ryan Mathews, SD RB26 24 6
63 C.J. Spiller, BUF RB27 24 7
64 Steve Johnson, BUF WR25 25 7
65 Vernon Davis, SF TE4 27 7
66 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT QB10 29 11
67 Anquan Boldin, BAL WR26 30 5
68 Jason Witten, DAL TE5 29 5
69 James Starks, GB RB28 25 8
70 Matt Ryan, ATL QB11 26 8
71 Ryan Grant, GB RB29 28 8
72 Daniel Thomas, MIA RB30 23 5
73 Owen Daniels, HOU TE6 28 11
74 Marshawn Lynch, SEA RB31 25 6
75 Brandon Lloyd, DEN WR27 30 6
76 Robert Meachem, NO WR28 26 11
77 Pierre Garcon, IND WR29 25 11
78 Mike Tolbert, SD RB32 25 6
79 A.J. Green, CIN WR30 23 7
80 Julio Jones, ATL WR31 22 8
81 Cedric Benson, CIN RB33 28 7
82 Roy Helu, WAS RB34 22 5
83 Pierre Thomas, NO RB35 26 11
84 Steve Smith, CAR WR32 32 9
85 Matthew Stafford, DET QB12 23 9
86 Eli Manning, NYG QB13 30 7
87 Santana Moss, WAS WR33 32 5
88 Jimmy Graham, NO TE7 24 11
89 Fred Jackson, BUF RB36 30 7
90 Brandon Jacobs, NYG RB37 29 7
91 Michael Bush, OAK RB38 27 8
92 Joseph Addai, IND RB39 28 11
93 Johnny Knox, CHI WR34 24 8
94 Sam Bradford, STL QB14 23 5
95 Lance Moore, NO WR35 27 11
96 Tim Hightower, WAS RB40 25 5
97 Mike Thomas, JAC WR36 24 9
98 Joe Flacco, BAL QB15 26 5
99 Marcedes Lewis, JAC TE8 27 9
100 Michael Crabtree, SF WR37 23 7
101 Chad Ochocinco, NE WR38 33 7
102 Green Bay Packers, GB DEF1 n/a 8
103 Malcom Floyd, SD WR39 29 6
104 Ben Tate, HOU RB41 23 11
105 Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT DEF2 n/a 11
106 Braylon Edwards, SF WR40 28 7
107 Jordy Nelson, GB WR41 26 8
108 James Jones, GB WR42 27 8
109 Willis McGahee, DEN RB42 29 6
110 New York Jets, NYJ DEF3 n/a 8
111 Philadelphia Eagles, PHI DEF4 n/a 7
112 Reggie Bush, MIA RB43 26 5
113 Greg Olsen, CAR TE9 26 9
114 Rashad Jennings, JAC RB44 26 9
115 Jacoby Ford, OAK WR43 24 8
116 Kevin Kolb, ARI QB16 27 6
117 Ryan Torain, WAS RB45 25 5
118 Plaxico Burress, NYJ WR44 34 8
119 LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ RB46 32 8
120 Kellen Winslow, TB TE10 28 8
121 Emmanuel Sanders, PIT WR45 24 11
122 Mark Sanchez, NYJ QB17 24 8
123 Zach Miller, SEA TE11 25 6
124 Lee Evans, BAL WR46 30 5
125 Baltimore Ravens, BAL DEF5 n/a 5
126 Delone Carter, IND RB47 24 11
127 Greg Little, CLE WR47 22 5
128 Danny Woodhead, NE RB48 26 7
129 Jerome Harrison, DET RB49 28 9
130 Kendall Hunter, SF RB50 22 7
131 Montario Hardesty, CLE RB51 24 5
132 Thomas Jones, KC RB52 33 6
133 Jay Cutler, CHI QB18 28 8
134 Mike Williams, SEA WR48 27 6
135 Chicago Bears, CHI DEF6 n/a 8
136 Brandon Pettigrew, DET TE12 26 9
137 Darren Sproles, NO RB53 28 11
138 Jason Snelling, ATL RB54 27 8
139 Davone Bess, MIA WR49 25 5
140 Mike Sims-Walker, STL WR50 26 5
141 New Orleans Saints, NO DEF7 n/a 11
142 Atlanta Falcons, ATL DEF8 n/a 8
143 Ronnie Brown, PHI RB55 29 7
144 Aaron Hernandez, NE TE13 21 7
145 Rob Gronkowski, NE TE14 22 7
146 Chris Cooley, WAS TE15 29 5
147 Bernard Scott, CIN RB56 27 7
148 Danny Amendola, STL WR51 25 5
149 New England Patriots, NE DEF9 n/a 7
150 San Diego Chargers, SD DEF10 n/a 6
151 Nate Kaeding, SD K1 29 6
152 Neil Rackers, HOU K2 35 11
153 Josh Brown, STL K3 32 5
154 Rob Bironas, TEN K4 33 6
155 Stephen Gostkowski, NE K5 27 7
156 Garrett Hartley, NO K6 25 11
157 Billy Cundiff, BAL K7 31 5
158 Mason Crosby, GB K8 26 8
159 Alex Henery, PHI K9 24 7
160 Nick Folk, NYJ K10 26 8
161 Nate Burleson, DET WR52 30 9
162 DeMarco Murray, DAL RB57 23 5
163 Roy Williams, CHI WR53 29 8
164 Anthony Dixon, SF RB58 23 7
165 Matt Cassel, KC QB19 29 6
166 Steve Breaston, KC WR54 28 6
167 Jerome Simpson, CIN WR55 25 7
168 Mike Goodson, CAR RB59 24 9
169 Jacoby Jones, HOU WR56 27 11
170 Toby Gerhart, MIN RB60 24 9
171 Andre Roberts, ARI WR57 23 6
172 Stevan Ridley, NE RB61 22 7
173 Deion Branch, NE WR58 32 7
174 Hines Ward, PIT WR59 35 11
175 Ricky Williams, BAL RB62 34 5
176 Denarius Moore, OAK WR60 22 8
177 Justin Forsett, SEA RB63 25 6
178 Kansas City Chiefs, KC DEF11 n/a 6
179 Dustin Keller, NYJ TE16 26 8
180 Tony Moeaki, KC TE17 24 6
181 Javon Ringer, TEN RB64 24 6
182 Jared Cook, TEN TE18 24 6
183 Earl Bennett, CHI WR61 24 8
184 Donald Driver, GB WR62 36 8
185 Derrick Mason, NYJ WR63 37 8
186 Isaac Redman, PIT RB65 26 11
187 Detroit Lions, DET DEF12 n/a 9
188 Lance Kendricks, STL TE19 23 5
189 Shane Vereen, NE RB66 22 7
190 Torrey Smith, BAL WR64 22 5
191 Bernard Berrian, MIN WR65 30 9
192 Derrick Ward, HOU RB67 30 11
193 Ben Watson, CLE TE20 30 5
194 Brandon Gibson, STL WR66 24 5
195 Anthony Armstrong, WAS WR67 28 5
196 Leonard Hankerson, WAS WR68 23 5
197 Kyle Orton, DEN QB20 28 6
198 Cecil Shorts, JAC WR69 23 9
199 Sebastian Janikowski, OAK K11 33 8
200 Robbie Gould, CHI K12 29 8
Rankings based on 10-team ESPN standard league with 16-player rosters, starting one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one running back/wide receiver, a tight end, a team defense and a kicker.

Christopher Harris is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He is a six-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association award winner. You can ask him questions at www.facebook.com/writerboy.

Christopher Harris | email

Fantasy
  • Senior writer for ESPN.com
  • Six-time Fantasy Sports Writing Association award winner
  • Author of "The Big Clear," a noir thriller

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