Tigersground.com | Detroit Tigers News, tigers Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>The early-season buy-low and sell-high deals in one-year leagues are less common in keeper formats, where a long-range focus is required to maintain consistent success and brief trends don't prompt as many owners to jump ship and push the panic button.</div>Further, owners in keeper leagues tend to be more committed to their rosters, so a more thorough evaluation process takes place when evaluating talent prior to making a trade.With so many different variations for keeper rules, it's hard to develop a "one size fits all" keeper cheatsheet for every owner. This makes the RotoWire Ask an Expert tool particularly useful, since you can receive unique feedback from our editors regarding the specific parameters of your league. In any case, this list is based on the following criteria (in no particular order of importance):Age - Obviously, a significant factor here as you want to avoid players before they reach their decline in production and also because there's not much of a market for a 41-year-old injured John Smoltz in April, when there simply may not be a next year. Hitters typically reach their peaks in the 25-27 age range, while pitchers are a few years later (28-30). Neither frame is a perfect measure, but being prepared for the decline most players see in their early 30s can yield nice annual results if managed properly.Projected Three-Year Production - Again, I stress the importance that all leagues aren't allowed to hold players this long, or they're limited by a three-year window to keep players. Some leagues allow an owner to keep a player forever, and in some cases that will significantly alter his value with respect to where he's listed below. Within reason, a three-year window is a pretty good long-term measure given how frequently things change (position switches, injuries, new teams, etc.).Position Scarcity - Elite players at the middle infield spots and behind the plate are few and far between. The "next big thing" as far as fantasy owners are concerned is often eligible at a corner infield spot or the outfield, if they're not the flavor-of-the-week arm racking up strikeouts on the bump. It's much easier to stock up on talented hitters at those positions, thus there's added weight for players in the middle infield and behind the plate.Upside - Truthfully, a nice, arbitrary, out clause for me as the list creator. It's a spin-off on the age factor, in that someone like Prince Fielder hasn't hit his peak years yet, but we've already seen elite fantasy production at a young age. By comparison, Mark Teixera is a few years older than Fielder, and we've likely seen his ceiling (e.g. he's currently in his prime), so there's a little bit less to be excited about in the future.With that in mind, here's how things stand in the Top 100. You can view the complete 200-player Keeper Cheatsheet (updated periodically) here, while non-RotoWire subscribers can check us out with a 10-day trial.Let the debates begin!Keeper League Cheat Sheet<ol><li>Ramirez, Hanley (FLA) - Just entering his peak now, and given the Marlins build-it-up, tear-it-down formula, they'll compete again while he's there or move him before it's time to pay up. If "HanRam" sounds too much like ManRam for your liking, just start calling him "The Chalk."</li><li>Utley, Chase (PHI) - Position scarcity strikes again. Hard to believe he's already 29, but the gap between Utley and the field is absolutely huge.</li><li>Rodriguez, Alex (NYY) - For no apparent reason, A-Rod's been alternating human and un-human seasons since joining the Yankees in 2004. His first trip to the DL isn't enough to get ready for the apocalypse.</li><li>Wright, David (NYM) - You can make a compelling argument for him at No. 3, and it might not be much longer before he's dethrones A-Rod.</li><li>Reyes, Jose (NYM) - More speed than "The Chalk," but I'll take the combo of homers, RBI and the simple fact that Ramirez is a better pure hitter than Reyes, and he'll win average, too.</li><li>Pujols, Albert (STL) - Two seasons with OPS below 1.000 in seven full seasons in the majors. Hard to believe he's only 28, but as long as his elbow holds up he's not slowing down anytime soon.</li><li>Holliday, Matt (COL) - Tag line remains the same here: Be prepared for a drop-off if he ever leaves Colorado. He's scheduled to become a free agent after the 2009 season.</li><li>Crawford, Carl (TB) - Probably won't turn into the power threat (30-plus homers) many expected, but has averaged more than 53 steals over six full major league seasons.</li><li>Cabrera, Miguel (DET) - Longer track record in the majors than Ryan Braun and now destined to spend the next several years in Detroit with plenty of talent supporting him in the lineup.</li><li>Braun, Ryan (MIL) - 4:22 BB:K to start 2008 is a reminder he still needs to learn how to adjust to pitching at this level. Move to outfield hurts him slightly, but peak years are just around the corner.</li><li>Sizemore, Grady (CLE) </li><li>Rollins, Jimmy (PHI) </li><li>Fielder, Prince (MIL) </li><li>Upton, B.J. (TB) </li><li>Santana, Johan (NYM) </li><li>Soriano, Alfonso (CHC) </li><li>Suzuki, Ichiro (SEA) </li><li>Howard, Ryan (PHI) </li><li>Upton, Justin (ARI) - On pace for 30-plus homers as a 20-year-old rookie. Hasn't started running on the basepaths yet (no steals). He's the real deal and should already be considered among the game's elite keepers. Beware of potential slumps (9:26 BB:K) given his need to develop a better eye at the plate, but don't be scared away.</li><li>Beltran, Carlos (NYM) </li><li>Granderson, Curtis (DET) </li><li>Teixeira, Mark (ATL) </li><li>Phillips, Brandon (CIN) </li><li>Tulowitzki, Troy (COL) - Assuming his recent leg/hip injury isn't too serious. Early struggles have him tumbling down many one-year sheets, and this could be the last good buy-low opportunity.</li><li>Lee, Derrek (CHC) - Good to see his power has returned now that he's more than a full year removed from wrist troubles. Probably going to be a top-five first baseman through the 2009 season, but window to trade him and get max value will start to close sooner rather than later.</li><li>Berkman, Lance (HOU) </li><li>Peavy, Jake (SD) - Another potential debate: Peavy vs. Webb. Slight lean to Peavy given the age difference and home park. You're certainly not crazy if you prefer Webb.</li><li>Webb, Brandon (ARI) </li><li>Guerrero, Vladimir (LAA) - Somehow, he just turned 32 in February. The stolen bases have fallen in recent years, but the power outage is still a couple of years away.</li><li>Markakis, Nick (BAL) </li><li>Pence, Hunter (HOU) </li><li>Martinez, Victor (CLE) </li><li>Cano, Robinson (NYY) </li><li>Hart, Corey (MIL) </li><li>Rios, Alex (TOR) </li><li>Young, Chris (ARI) </li><li>Martin, Russell (LAD) </li><li>Roberts, Brian (BAL) </li><li>Ortiz, David (BOS) </li><li>Lee, Carlos (HOU) </li><li>Hernandez, Felix (SEA) </li><li>Verlander, Justin (DET) - Another slow starter this season, Verlander has shown a tendency to improve his strikeout rate as the season progresses during his first two campaigns. Also note the .563 strand rate through his first six starts compared to .738 over his first two seasons.</li><li>Francoeur, Jeff (ATL) </li><li>Morneau, Justin (MIN) </li><li>Mauer, Joe (MIN) </li><li>McCann, Brian (ATL) </li><li>Beckett, Josh (BOS) </li><li>Kazmir, Scott (TB) </li><li>Hamels, Cole (PHI) </li><li>Figgins, Chone (LAA) </li><li>Gonzalez, Adrian (SD) </li><li>Gordon, Alex (KC) </li><li>Longoria, Evan (TB) </li><li>Lincecum, Tim (SF) - Playing for the Giants will hurt his win totals for the foreseeable future, but he's flat out filthy and still could get better.</li><li>Gallardo, Yovani (MIL) </li><li>Ramirez, Aramis (CHC) </li><li>Lackey, John (LAA) </li><li>Haren, Dan (ARI) </li><li>Bedard, Erik (SEA) </li><li>Zimmerman, Ryan (WAS) </li><li>Papelbon, Jon (BOS) </li><li>Ramirez, Manny (BOS) </li><li>Swisher, Nick (CWS) </li><li>Dunn, Adam (CIN) </li><li>Matsuzaka, Daisuke (BOS) </li><li>Harang, Aaron (CIN) </li><li>Young, Chris (SD) </li><li>Ordonez, Magglio (DET) </li><li>Encarnacion, Edwin (CIN) </li><li>Sabathia, C.C. (CLE) </li><li>Byrnes, Eric (ARI) </li><li>Bay, Jason (PIT) - Back from the fantasy graveyard, Bay appears to be 100 percent healthy after knee surgery, and he's now active on the basepaths again. There's a very good chance he'll be moved by the Pirates, which should help his overall production.</li><li>Hafner, Travis (CLE) </li><li>Nathan, Joe (MIN) </li><li>Putz, J.J. (SEA) </li><li>Zambrano, Carlos (CHC) </li><li>Sheets, Ben (MIL) </li><li>Jones, Chipper (ATL) - It's tough to gauge if he's ever actually fallen off, given the plethora of injuries that have limited his at-bats throughout his career. At 36, the back end of three-year production window doesn't look entirely promising, while a switch to first base might be on the horizon.</li><li>Hunter, Torii (LAA) </li><li>Hughes, Philip (NYY) </li><li>Buchholz, Clay (BOS) </li><li>Jeter, Derek (NYY) </li><li>Pena, Carlos (TB) </li><li>Guillen, Carlos (DET) - 20/20 guy with a pretty good average. Also on track to gain third-base eligibility after flipping with Miguel Cabrera. He'll turn 33 in September, and it's time to part ways with him for an option with more upside and less of an injury history.</li><li>Kinsler, Ian (TEX) </li><li>Kendrick, Howie (LAA) </li><li>Ellsbury, Jacoby (BOS) </li><li>Furcal, Rafael (LAD) </li><li>Fukudome, Kosuke (CHC) </li><li>Shields, James (TB) </li><li>Chamberlain, Joba (NYY) </li><li>Billingsley, Chad (LAD) </li><li>Cain, Matt (SF) </li><li>Cueto, Johnny (CIN) - Red-hot start set the bar a bit high. One-year leaguers in shallow leagues are already jumping ship, but it's easy to forget the struggles of other young future aces (see: Lincecum, Tim — 2007) when the hype meter goes through the roof.</li><li>Hamilton, Josh (TEX) </li><li>Kemp, Matt (LAD) </li><li>Beltre, Adrian (SEA) </li><li>Votto, Joey (CIN) </li><li>Jones, Adam (BAL) </li><li>Bruce, Jay (CIN) </li></ol>Article first appeared 5/1/08

The early-season buy-low and sell-high deals in one-year leagues are less common in keeper formats, where a long-range focus is required to maintain consistent success and brief trends don't prompt as many owners to jump ship and push the panic button.

Further, owners in keeper leagues tend to be more committed to their rosters, so a more thorough evaluation process takes place when evaluating talent prior to making a trade.

With so many different variations for keeper rules, it's hard to develop a "one size fits all" keeper cheatsheet for every owner. This makes the RotoWire Ask an Expert tool particularly useful, since you can receive unique feedback from our editors regarding the specific parameters of your league. In any case, this list is based on the following criteria (in no particular order of importance):

Age - Obviously, a significant factor here as you want to avoid players before they reach their decline in production and also because there's not much of a market for a 41-year-old injured John Smoltz in April, when there simply may not be a next year. Hitters typically reach their peaks in the 25-27 age range, while pitchers are a few years later (28-30). Neither frame is a perfect measure, but being prepared for the decline most players see in their early 30s can yield nice annual results if managed properly.

Projected Three-Year Production - Again, I stress the importance that all leagues aren't allowed to hold players this long, or they're limited by a three-year window to keep players. Some leagues allow an owner to keep a player forever, and in some cases that will significantly alter his value with respect to where he's listed below. Within reason, a three-year window is a pretty good long-term measure given how frequently things change (position switches, injuries, new teams, etc.).

Position Scarcity - Elite players at the middle infield spots and behind the plate are few and far between. The "next big thing" as far as fantasy owners are concerned is often eligible at a corner infield spot or the outfield, if they're not the flavor-of-the-week arm racking up strikeouts on the bump. It's much easier to stock up on talented hitters at those positions, thus there's added weight for players in the middle infield and behind the plate.

Upside - Truthfully, a nice, arbitrary, out clause for me as the list creator. It's a spin-off on the age factor, in that someone like Prince Fielder hasn't hit his peak years yet, but we've already seen elite fantasy production at a young age. By comparison, Mark Teixera is a few years older than Fielder, and we've likely seen his ceiling (e.g. he's currently in his prime), so there's a little bit less to be excited about in the future.

With that in mind, here's how things stand in the Top 100. You can view the complete 200-player Keeper Cheatsheet (updated periodically) here, while non-RotoWire subscribers can check us out with a 10-day trial.

Let the debates begin!

Keeper League Cheat Sheet

Ramirez, Hanley (FLA) - Just entering his peak now, and given the Marlins build-it-up, tear-it-down formula, they'll compete again while he's there or move him before it's time to pay up. If "HanRam" sounds too much like ManRam for your liking, just start calling him "The Chalk."

Utley, Chase (PHI) - Position scarcity strikes again. Hard to believe he's already 29, but the gap between Utley and the field is absolutely huge.

Rodriguez, Alex (NYY) - For no apparent reason, A-Rod's been alternating human and un-human seasons since joining the Yankees in 2004. His first trip to the DL isn't enough to get ready for the apocalypse.

Wright, David (NYM) - You can make a compelling argument for him at No. 3, and it might not be much longer before he's dethrones A-Rod.

Reyes, Jose (NYM) - More speed than "The Chalk," but I'll take the combo of homers, RBI and the simple fact that Ramirez is a better pure hitter than Reyes, and he'll win average, too.

Pujols, Albert (STL) - Two seasons with OPS below 1.000 in seven full seasons in the majors. Hard to believe he's only 28, but as long as his elbow holds up he's not slowing down anytime soon.

Holliday, Matt (COL) - Tag line remains the same here: Be prepared for a drop-off if he ever leaves Colorado. He's scheduled to become a free agent after the 2009 season.

Crawford, Carl (TB) - Probably won't turn into the power threat (30-plus homers) many expected, but has averaged more than 53 steals over six full major league seasons.

Cabrera, Miguel (DET) - Longer track record in the majors than Ryan Braun and now destined to spend the next several years in Detroit with plenty of talent supporting him in the lineup.

Braun, Ryan (MIL) - 4:22 BB:K to start 2008 is a reminder he still needs to learn how to adjust to pitching at this level. Move to outfield hurts him slightly, but peak years are just around the corner.

Sizemore, Grady (CLE)

Rollins, Jimmy (PHI)

Fielder, Prince (MIL)

Upton, B.J. (TB)

Santana, Johan (NYM)

Soriano, Alfonso (CHC)

Suzuki, Ichiro (SEA)

Howard, Ryan (PHI)

Upton, Justin (ARI) - On pace for 30-plus homers as a 20-year-old rookie. Hasn't started running on the basepaths yet (no steals). He's the real deal and should already be considered among the game's elite keepers. Beware of potential slumps (9:26 BB:K) given his need to develop a better eye at the plate, but don't be scared away.

Beltran, Carlos (NYM)

Granderson, Curtis (DET)

Teixeira, Mark (ATL)

Phillips, Brandon (CIN)

Tulowitzki, Troy (COL) - Assuming his recent leg/hip injury isn't too serious. Early struggles have him tumbling down many one-year sheets, and this could be the last good buy-low opportunity.

Lee, Derrek (CHC) - Good to see his power has returned now that he's more than a full year removed from wrist troubles. Probably going to be a top-five first baseman through the 2009 season, but window to trade him and get max value will start to close sooner rather than later.

Berkman, Lance (HOU)

Peavy, Jake (SD) - Another potential debate: Peavy vs. Webb. Slight lean to Peavy given the age difference and home park. You're certainly not crazy if you prefer Webb.

Webb, Brandon (ARI)

Guerrero, Vladimir (LAA) - Somehow, he just turned 32 in February. The stolen bases have fallen in recent years, but the power outage is still a couple of years away.

Markakis, Nick (BAL)

Pence, Hunter (HOU)

Martinez, Victor (CLE)

Cano, Robinson (NYY)

Hart, Corey (MIL)

Rios, Alex (TOR)

Young, Chris (ARI)

Martin, Russell (LAD)

Roberts, Brian (BAL)

Ortiz, David (BOS)

Lee, Carlos (HOU)

Hernandez, Felix (SEA)

Verlander, Justin (DET) - Another slow starter this season, Verlander has shown a tendency to improve his strikeout rate as the season progresses during his first two campaigns. Also note the .563 strand rate through his first six starts compared to .738 over his first two seasons.

Francoeur, Jeff (ATL)

Morneau, Justin (MIN)

Mauer, Joe (MIN)

McCann, Brian (ATL)

Beckett, Josh (BOS)

Kazmir, Scott (TB)

Hamels, Cole (PHI)

Figgins, Chone (LAA)

Gonzalez, Adrian (SD)

Gordon, Alex (KC)

Longoria, Evan (TB)

Lincecum, Tim (SF) - Playing for the Giants will hurt his win totals for the foreseeable future, but he's flat out filthy and still could get better.

Gallardo, Yovani (MIL)

Ramirez, Aramis (CHC)

Lackey, John (LAA)

Haren, Dan (ARI)

Bedard, Erik (SEA)

Zimmerman, Ryan (WAS)

Papelbon, Jon (BOS)

Ramirez, Manny (BOS)

Swisher, Nick (CWS)

Dunn, Adam (CIN)

Matsuzaka, Daisuke (BOS)

Harang, Aaron (CIN)

Young, Chris (SD)

Ordonez, Magglio (DET)

Encarnacion, Edwin (CIN)

Sabathia, C.C. (CLE)

Byrnes, Eric (ARI)

Bay, Jason (PIT) - Back from the fantasy graveyard, Bay appears to be 100 percent healthy after knee surgery, and he's now active on the basepaths again. There's a very good chance he'll be moved by the Pirates, which should help his overall production.

Hafner, Travis (CLE)

Nathan, Joe (MIN)

Putz, J.J. (SEA)

Zambrano, Carlos (CHC)

Sheets, Ben (MIL)

Jones, Chipper (ATL) - It's tough to gauge if he's ever actually fallen off, given the plethora of injuries that have limited his at-bats throughout his career. At 36, the back end of three-year production window doesn't look entirely promising, while a switch to first base might be on the horizon.

Hunter, Torii (LAA)

Hughes, Philip (NYY)

Buchholz, Clay (BOS)

Jeter, Derek (NYY)

Pena, Carlos (TB)

Guillen, Carlos (DET) - 20/20 guy with a pretty good average. Also on track to gain third-base eligibility after flipping with Miguel Cabrera. He'll turn 33 in September, and it's time to part ways with him for an option with more upside and less of an injury history.

Kinsler, Ian (TEX)

Kendrick, Howie (LAA)

Ellsbury, Jacoby (BOS)

Furcal, Rafael (LAD)

Fukudome, Kosuke (CHC)

Shields, James (TB)

Chamberlain, Joba (NYY)

Billingsley, Chad (LAD)

Cain, Matt (SF)

Cueto, Johnny (CIN) - Red-hot start set the bar a bit high. One-year leaguers in shallow leagues are already jumping ship, but it's easy to forget the struggles of other young future aces (see: Lincecum, Tim — 2007) when the hype meter goes through the roof.

Hamilton, Josh (TEX)

Kemp, Matt (LAD)

Beltre, Adrian (SEA)

Votto, Joey (CIN)

Jones, Adam (BAL)

Bruce, Jay (CIN)

Article first appeared 5/1/08