Keepers, Sleepers and Busts

Any good fantasy football enthusiast will tell you the key to winning on the fantasy level is a successful draft. And to pull off a successful draft, you must be a bit of a prognosticator when it comes to evaluating talent. In other words, you must have a certain "feel" for which players are on the rise and which are on the decline.

Certainly age is a key factor in making these determinations, but there are many other signs to look for that may indicate an upswing or downswing as compared to prior year's performances. Something as simple as being put into a new system, whether it be by switching teams or a change in coaching staff, can do wonders for a player's career.

Another scenario to keep an eye out for is the young player that simply has "emerging superstar" written all over him.

And there's always the case of players simply coming into their own after gaining experience. Picking those guys, however, can sometimes be more of an art than a science.

These are About Football's top sleepers for 2006. Read more...

Equally important as being able to pick the sleepers out of your fantasy football draft is the ability to spot the busts. There are many reasons a player can bust, including, but not limited to, age, injury, and changes in coaching staff. Free agents often struggle with new teams, especially if they are forced into new roles, such as going from one team's No. 2 receiver to another's No. 1. Also, be a little leery of players coming off knee injuries. Coaching changes at the coordinator positions is also worth noting.

With that in mind, here are my fantasy football busts for 2006. Read more...

One of the more challenging systems of fantasy football is the Keeper league in which a player is allowed to keep a predetermined number of players on their roster from the year before. Most league rules allow only a handful of players to be retained by each team from year to year.

The following list ranks the top 50 fantasy football keepers for 2006. Read more...