2015 Keeper Selections
Le’Veon Bell (top 5 RB)
The Horsemen were approached by Legs With Holes mere hours before the 2015 Keeper Ceremony not to trade away Le’Veon Bell, but to explain how terrible the ESPN rankings by which keeper tiers are set had overvalued Bell and Adrian Peterson. Among vulgarities, he spouted that “any list that ranks a player with a 4 game suspension [in] its top 5 or has Adrian Peterson in the top 5 is CLEARLY flawed and premature.” The management of the Horsemen felt there was clearly a case of a team undervaluing one of its greatest assets… not only was he unaware of the length of the suspension, but after missing out on the playoffs he was also unaware of how completely dominant Bell had been. LWH then proposed a trade to acquire Emmanuel Sanders, Matt Forte and a 1st round pick for Le’Veon Bell and Sammy Watkins. The Horsemen felt Sammy Watkins was garbage and Sanders had another year left in him, so they eventually settled on Matt Forte for Le’Veon Bell and a 1st round pick. The aging Matt Forte started 39 games for the Horsemen and led in all-time scoring with 538 total points, averaging 13.9 points per start. He will be sorely missed, but it was time to start a new chapter. Bell finished 2014 as the #2 RB.
Antonio Brown (top 5 WR)
The 2013 COL draft was a fruitful one for the wide receiver position of the Electric Horsemen, and with the downfall of Victor Cruz just a year away it couldn’t have come at a better time. Antonio Brown comes into 2015 with 22 starts under his belt, and while this is less than Julio Jones and Victor Cruz, his stellar 15 points per start and 330 total points leads all receivers. His #1 WR finish in 2014 certainly established him as a sure keeper for the Horsemen.
Julio Jones (top 15 WR)
Drafted in the 3rd round, Julio is the only remaining Horseman from the 2012 draft class after the loss of Matt Forte in the offseason. He enters 2015 as the #5 scorer in Horseman history and the #2 WR all-time. Injuries have plagued him the last 2 years, but prior to injury he was a nearly unstoppable force. He put it all out there in the first round of the playoffs and finished with 31 points and a hip injury… a hip injury that would take him out of the championship and cost the Horsemen the title. He ended the year as the #6 overall wide receiver and looks to improve on that finish this year. He was franchised by the Horsemen at the 2015 keeper ceremony.
Emmanuel Sanders (top 15 WR)
Paired with Antonio Brown in the 2013 draft class, Sanders has been a tried and true flex player over the past couple years and a competent fill-in for the oft-injured Julio Jones. With only 11 starts, he still ranks as the fourth highest scoring receiver for the Horsemen with 112 points, but is 3rd in average points per start at 10.8. He ended his historic 2015 year as the #8 overall WR.
Alfred Morris (top 15 RB)
While he wasn’t part of the 2012 draft class, Alfred has been a staple of the Horseman offense since the beginning. Acquired off waivers before the start to the season, he is probably the biggest steal in the history of the league. A true bellcow, he has more starts than any Horseman in history (40) and has only missed 5 games in the history of the franchise – including his bye weeks. Despite the struggles of the Redskins, he finished the year as the #12 running back.
Frank Gore (outside top 15 RB)
In order to get within the keeper cap, the Horsemen had to make a move to get rid of the contract of Lamar Miller who was ranked in the top 15 of ESPN’s initial rankings. Miller for Hyde trade talks broke down and it seemed like the Horsemen were going to have to settle with releasing Miller and keeping Jonathan Stewart. As the keeper deadline approached, the aging Extreme Baby Throwers and Electric Horsemen were able to make a deal – trading Frank Gore and a 1st round pick for Lamar Miller and a 2nd round pick. Gore finished as the #17 running back in fantasy football last year, but looks to return to form in 2015.