While a great number of fantasy football leagues are seasonal, keeper leagues have become much more popular across the fantasy landscape in recent seasons.
These leagues are more in-depth and include a greater long-term commitment. Rather than base value on talent and statistical success alone, keeper leaguers also need to consider a player's age and in some cases, contracts and salaries.
In an effort to help keeper leaguers make their final roster decision before their re-drafts, we've taken a look at all the major offensive skill positions with a focus on five players whose value increased, five players whose value remained stagnant and five players whose value has fallen.
More keepers: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers
On the rise
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Washington Redskins |  Chris Cooley | One of the most productive but underrated tight ends in fantasy football, Cooley recorded 66 receptions with career bests in yards (786) and touchdowns (8) last season. Cooley, who has averaged 65 receptions and 765 yards over the past three seasons, has developed a tremendous rapport with Jason Campbell and is one of Washington's top options in the red zone. At the age of 25, Cooley has already established himself as a reliable option for owners. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Dallas Cowboys |  Jason Witten | Witten turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in fantasy football last season after his 96-reception, 1,145-yard, seven-touchdown performance. He thrived under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who incorporated Witten into a far prominent role in the pass attack. The veteran took full advantage of his opportunities and finished with more fantasy points than Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow, so his increased keeper value is well evident. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Cleveland Browns |  Kellen Winslow | Winslow was a solid keeper candidate headed into last season, and he's just as valuable as we look ahead to 2008. He recorded career bests in yards (1,106) and touchdowns (5), so if anything has value might even be a little greater in fantasy circles. Cleveland's offense clicked with Derek Anderson at the helm, and that meant more opportunities for Winslow. He's the latest of a long line of former Miami Hurricanes to become studs at the NFL and fantasy levels. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Indianapolis Colts |  Dallas Clark | Clark, whose highest receptions total in a season was 37 headed into 2007, went off for 58 catches and a career-best 616 yards. He also led all tight ends with 11 touchdowns. The one downside with the former Iowa standout was that he achieved these numbers, at least in part, due to the absence of Marvin Harrison. When Harrison returns to action in 2008, Clark's opportunities could fall across the board. Still, it's hard to look past him in larger keeper-league formats. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Denver Broncos |  Tony Scheffler | He might not be the next Shannon Sharpe, but Scheffler has shown the skills and abilities to make some noise in fantasy land. He had 49 catches, 549 yard and five touchdowns this season (all career bests), and his rapport with Jay Cutler is apparent. Scheffler should become an even more prominent option in the pass attack this season after the release of Javon Walker, especially in the red zone. That makes him an even more viable keeper in larger leagues. |
No change
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Houston Texans |  Owen Daniels | Though he scored an unimpressive three touchdowns all season, Daniels recorded career bests in receptions (63) and yards (768) in 2007. He finished in the top 10 in fantasy points among tight ends on NFL.com, and Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Kellen Winslow and Antonio Gates were the lone tight ends to finish with more catches. Daniels does have some added value in keeper leagues that reward points for receptions, but his overall stock remains the same. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 San Diego Chargers |  Antonio Gates | Gates had what could be considered a down season in 2007, but he still finished with 75 receptions, 984 yards and nine touchdowns. His lack of reliable production was the real issue, as he failed to score double-digit points on NFL.com in five of his final seven starts of the fantasy season (Weeks 1-16). Still, Gates is without question the top player at his position regardless of the format. That makes him a solid keeper option and an attractive choice in all seasonal drafts. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Kansas City Chiefs |  Tony Gonzalez | Gonzalez quietly had one of the best seasons of his illustrious career in 2007, as he recorded 99 catches for 1,172 yards and five touchdowns for a Kansas City offense that lacked offensive firepower after the loss to Larry Johnson. The All-Pro will be 32 when the 2008 season starts, but he's shown no signs of slowing down between the white lines. While he has averaged fewer touchdowns over the past three seasons, Gonzalez is still a valiant point producer. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 San Francisco 49ers |  Vernon Davis | Davis did show flashes of potential in his second pro season, as he recorded career bests in receptions (52), yards (509) and touchdowns (4), but he also missed time due to injuries for the second consecutive season. He was also inconsistent with 10 single-digit performances based on NFL.com's standard scoring system. There does appear to be hope on the horizon in the form of Mike Martz, who will be his new offensive coordinator, but Davis still has much more to prove between the white lines. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Baltimore Ravens |  Todd Heap | It might seem odd to see Heap on this list after a season that saw him record his worst totals since 2001, but an injured hamstring, not a loss of skills, was to blame. He remains one of the more talented tight ends in the NFL, and he'll be back to 100 percent health in time for the start of the 2008 season. Regardless of the changes in Baltimore, Heap will remain a prominent option in the offensive attack. That means another season with 70 receptions is in the cards. |
Falling down
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Tennessee Titans |  Alge Crumpler | Between the Michael Vick situation, the departure of Bobby Petrino and an offense that was anemic for much of last season, it was no shock to see Crumpler's value tumble. A 67-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 17 made his final 2007 numbers look a little better overall, but he scored double-digit points in a week once all season. His value in seasonal formats did increase when he landed in Tennessee, but his stock in keeper formats has fallen. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Green Bay Packers |  Donald Lee | Whether it's been Keith Jackson, Mark Chmura or Bubba Franks, Green Bay likes to utilize its tight ends in the pass attack. The next in line was Lee, who recorded career bests across the board and found the end zone six times last season. He also finished in the top 10 at his position on NFL.com, but that increase in value will make him more attractive in seasonal, not keeper, formats. Lee also won't have Brett Favre under center, which could hurt his numbers in 2008. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 New Orleans Saints |  Jeremy Shockey | Shockey's 2007 numbers (57 receptions, 619 yards) were right in line with what he has produced for much of his career, but his three scores were his lowest total since 2003. He also missed the final two contests with a fractured fibula, so he still has yet to play a full 16-game season at the NFL level. Shockey does see an increase in draft value with New Orleans, but the bloom has still come off the rose a bit. His keeper value remains limited to leagues with larger rosters. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 Philadelphia Eagles |  L.J. Smith | Smith had turned in consecutive 600-plus yard seasons in Philadelphia, but a sports hernia kept him out of action for a large portion of the 2007 season. He was franchised in the offseason and will remain the team's top tight end on the depth chart, but his lack of production last season did hurt his seasonal and keeper value. He'll have to re-establish himself as a reliable point producer for fantasy footballers to consider him a keeper in the forseeable future. |
| Team | Player | Analysis |
 New England Patriots |  Benjamin Watson | Watson started last season with three touchdowns in his first three starts, but his production tapered off before injuries caught up with him again. As talented as he can be between the white lines, Watson has not been at all durable at the NFL level, and his level of consistent production has to be questioned as well. Watson must also contend with Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney in the pass attack. He should remain a red-zone option for Tom Brady, but Watson shouldn't be seen as a viable keeper choice in fantasy land. |
