The Top 7 NFL Players You Should Grab for Your Keeper Leagues

If you're a fan of both fantasy football and slow-burn satisfaction, then keeper leagues are probably your thing. Not only do keeper leagues let you draft for this season, but they also give you the opportunity to scoop up players with which to build for the future.

Today, we're going to take a look at some future stars who are worth picking up and stashing for your keeper league.

Since we're focusing on the future here, we won't be going with obvious choices such as Antonio Brown, Julio Jones or even rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott. Yes, these are guys whom we would love to keep on our team for the next several seasons, but we're looking more toward value picks here.

After all, today's late-round pick can be tomorrow's fantasy superstar.

We're going to be focusing on players who should be available late in fantasy drafts or even in free agency and have the potential to be impact starters by the end of the 2016 season. These rookies and emerging players might not be in the spotlight now but could be legitimate stars by the time next year's draft season rolls around.

We'll be making our choices based on factors such as player potential, team fit, positional competition and team makeup.

Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans

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Derrick Henry could be Tennessee's workhorse in the near future.

Former Alabama star and Tennessee Titans rookie running back Derrick Henry doesn't quite possess the allure of fellow rookie Elliott. While Elliott is expected to be the workhorse for the Dallas Cowboys this season, Henry is expected to be the No. 2 back behind DeMarco Murray for the Titans.

Of course, this is why Henry can be had for a lower investment than Elliott can. His average draft position (ADP) for points-per-reception leagues (PPR) is currently 37th among running backs, while Elliott has a 4.3 ADP among running backs.

This means that while Elliott is trending as a possible first-round fantasy pick, Henry can probably be grabbed in the middle or late rounds of your fantasy draft. He might not be an immediate starter as a rookie, but don't be surprised if Henry surpasses Murray as Tennessee's lead back by Year 2.

Both Murray and Henry have performed well this preseason, but it's worth noting that Henry seems further along in his rookie development than one might have originally thought. Pro Football Focus rated him first overall among all NFL running backs for the preseason.

Murray will have three years remaining on his current contract after this season, but the Titans may be inclined to phase him out next year. Releasing him before the start of the 2018 season would save the team $3 million in guaranteed money. One way to begin pushing Murray out would be to make him the backup to Henry in 2017.

Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

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Tyler Boyd could emerge as A.J. Green's top running mate this season.

The Cincinnati Bengals drafted former Pitt receiver Tyler Boyd in the second round in order to provide star pass-catcher A.J. Green with a young and talented complement.

While we've seen Green's receiving partners gain quite a bit of attention in the past—Marvin Jones got a five-year, $40 million deal with the Detroit Lions in free agency this offseason—Boyd hasn't been garnering as much fantasy attention as some of the other rookie receivers.

Boyd's ADP currently sits at just 60.3 among wide receivers.

This season, Boyd appears bound for the slot receiver role while veteran Brandon LaFell lines up opposite Green. Boyd has impressed during training camp and has done some solid work in the preseason, though, and his eventual future could see him as Green's running mate.

"Seemingly every day during camp, Boyd has made a play to make coaches take notice," Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote of Boyd during the summer.

Pro Football Focus rated Boyd 29th overall among NFL receivers for his time with the starting offense through the first three weeks of the preseason. If Boyd continues to play well, in the slot or otherwise, he should see his role in the Bengals passing attack grow.

LaFell is only in Cincinnati on a one-year deal. If Boyd manages to impress enough this season, the Bengals could decide to make him the No. 2 receiver and to let LaFell go elsewhere. Boyd's current fantasy value probably isn't even close to what it will be in 2017.

Tajae Sharpe, WR, Tennessee Titans

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Rookie Tajae Sharpe might be Tennessee's top receiver early this season.

Titans rookie receiver Tajae Sharpe isn't the fantasy secret he might have been shortly after he was selected in the fifth round. The Massachusetts product quickly inserted himself into Tennessee's starting lineup and might already be the team's top receiver.

Sharpe was second in the preseason for the Titans with nine receptions and has an impressive 163 preseason yards for those efforts. Pro Football Focus graded him fourth overall among all NFL receivers for the preseason.

Though he has been touted as a "fantasy sleeper" for much of the past month, the fantasy demand for Sharpe hasn't risen quite as much as one might expect. His ADP currently sits at just 55.8 among wide receivers in PPR formats. This feels criminally low for a guy who is looking like Tennessee's No. 1 receiver.

If Sharpe isn't the team's top pass-catcher out of the gate, he likely will be by season's end. Depending on the numbers he manages to put up as a rookie, he could enter the 2017 fantasy draft season as a top-20 or even top-15 receiver.

Buying low on Sharpe now could pay huge fantasy dividends down the road.

Paxton Lynch, QB, Denver Broncos

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Paxton Lynch is the future at quarterback for the Broncos.

The Denver Broncos have named second-year quarterback Trevor Siemian the team's Week 1 starter. This means that rookie first-round pick Paxton Lynch doesn't have a ton of value to open the season.

However, Lynch has a higher ceiling than Siemian and is clearly the future at the quarterback position in Denver. If Lynch can continue adjusting to the NFL at a rapid pace, that future could come at some point this season.

The 6'7", rocket-armed Memphis product has performed well in the preseason this year. He has gone 40-of-68 for 458 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. Pro Football Focus rated him 41st overall among all quarterbacks who played in the preseason.

It's not to difficult to believe Lynch will be ready to go sooner than later.

Once Lynch does take over the starting job, he should have some upper-level fantasy value because of the talent around him. The Broncos boast top-tier receivers such as Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas, young pass-catching tight end Virgil Green and a number of talented running backs.

Despite there being a plethora of issues at quarterback, the Broncos passing offense still ranked 14th in the NFL last season (248.1 passing yards per game). If Lynch can begin to realize his potential, the passing attack can be much better.

You should be able to buy Lynch low right now because of his situation, but he should be starting by next season and may have the highest upside of any of this year's rookie signal-callers.

Virgil Green, TE, Denver Broncos

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Tight end Virgil Green should emerge as a pass-catching threat in Denver.

Since we're talking about the future of Denver's passing game, it's worth taking a look at sixth-year tight end Virgil Green.

Sure, the Nevada product has been in the league for some time and has little fantasy production to show for it (35 career receptions for 379 yards), but he appears to be on the verge of a breakout season.

As eighth-year tight end Gary Barnidge showed in 2015, it's never too late to have one of those.

Green spent most of his time working behind Owen Daniels last season, amassing two receptions and 173 yards in limited action. Daniels is gone now, though, and the Broncos have been working hard to prepare Green to be the team's biggest option at tight end.

In the preseason, Green tied for the lead in Denver with 10 receptions and had 97 yards and a score to show for it. Pro Football Focus rated Green third in receiving among all tight ends for the preseason.

Green may not be quite as fast as he was coming out of college—he ran a 4.64-second 40 at the scouting combine—but is still a mismatch for many defenders. He and Lynch could grow together to form a capable quarterback-end duo.

Green's ADP is currently just 29.3rd among tight ends for PPR leagues. His status as a keeper option is relative, of course, because you probably aren't keeping tight ends unless you're in a deep-keeper or dynasty league. We wanted a tight end on our list, though, and Green could be the one whose fantasy value increases the most between this year and next.

Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints

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Michael Thomas might just be the Saints' top receiver by the end of his rookie season.

If you've done some studying for this year's fantasy season, you're probably familiar with New Orleans Saints rookie Michael Thomas. The Saints took the 6'3", 212-pound pass-catcher in the second round of the draft, partly to help replace Marques Colston on the perimeter of the team's passing attack.

All Thomas has done since being drafted is impress. His performances in training camp have even prompted Saints head coach Sean Payton to champion Thomas as a fantasy option.

"Listen, I think he’s gonna contribute early," Payton said, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. "I don’t follow fantasy football, but shoot, I’d try to have him. I think he’s gonna do well."

Of course, it's going to take time for Thomas to fully adjust to the pro game. He's probably going to begin his career behind Brandin Cooks and Willie Snead in the receiver pecking order. However, his size and ability to make the tough catch should earn him an ever-increasing role as the season continues.

By next season, Thomas might even be able to claim the title of Drew Brees' go-to target. With Brees consistently being one of the league leaders in passing, we shouldn't have to tell you what that means for Thomas' fantasy potential.

Thomas' ADP is currently just 49.5 among wide receivers for PPR formats. By next year, he could be a top-10 or top-15 fantasy receiver. Grabbing him now should be a wise investment.

Sterling Shepard, WR, New York Giants

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Sterling Shepard already appears to be the No. 2 receiver in New York.

New York Giants rookie receiver Sterling Shepard has a lot of appeal as the pass-catcher working opposite Odell Beckham Jr.—in fact, he may be the most high-profile keeper option on our list. Even his new running mate believes the Oklahoma product is headed for big things.

“I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but he’s going to be a special player,” Beckham said of Shepard, per Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. “Kind of want to keep him on the down low for right now, so that way he just jumps out the first couple games and has some big plays, touchdowns, all of that.”

Even with big expectations looming, Shepard is only trending as a mid-round pick. His current ADP is just 40th among wide receivers in PPR formats. He'll probably begin the season as a low-end fantasy starter or flex option. As he continues to adjust to the pro game and learns how to better take advantage of the single coverage created by Beckham's on-field presence, however, Shepard should evolve into more of a fantasy star.

It's hard to imagine that Shepard will actually be producing fantasy numbers at Beckham's level by Year 2, but he could be close. He certainly looks like a mid-round pick now and a possible second-round value by 2017.

All ADP rankings via FantasyPros.com. All contract information via Spotrac.com.