Keeper Rulebook

You keep one player from last year. Here's exactly what it costs and who's eligible.

You get to keep one player from the previous year.
For the player you keep, you forfeit the round in which they were drafted in 2025-26.
Players drafted in rounds 1 through 3 are not eligible to be kept.
If you kept the same player in both 2024-25 and 2025-26, they are ineligible to keep again (no three-peat).
If you keep the same player you kept last year, you lose three rounds earlier than where they were drafted last year (e.g. a R9 keeper now costs R6).
A previous keeper drafted in rounds 4-6 is not eligible this year (the −3 surcharge would drop them into rounds 1-3). A first-time draft pick in rounds 4-6 is eligible this year, but would not qualify as a keeper next year (per rule 2).
If you keep a player you did not draft, you lose the round they were drafted by the previous owner last year.
If you keep a player you did not draft and who was not drafted by any owner (a free agent), you lose your last pick (R18).

Quick reference

Situation	Keeper cost	Eligible?
You drafted them, rounds 4-18	Their draft round	Yes
You drafted them, rounds 1-3	—	No (rule 3)
You kept them last year (was R7+)	Draft round − 3	Yes
You kept them last year (was R4-6)	—	No (rule 6)
Kept 2 years straight (24-25 & 25-26)	—	No (rule 4)
Traded/claimed, drafted by prior owner	Prior owner's draft round	Yes (if R4+)
Undrafted free agent	Last pick (R18)	Yes

Want to see how every rule shakes out across all 12 rosters? The Keeper Value Analysis applies all of this automatically and flags each ineligible player with the rule that blocks them.