Final Keeper--Franklin, Kluber, Brothers, Brantley

[Sour Masher]

Some context--16 team mixed points league, 30 man rosters, $400 cap and 15 keepers. Massive inflation. Keepers due Saturday. Here are my options:

Nick Franklin--$5
Corey Kluber--$8
Michael Brantley--$8
Rex Brothers--$7

I really wish Franklin's situation was settled by now, but it looks like I'll have to decide to keep him or let him go blind at this point. I know the smart play is to go with Brantley or Kluber, but I really like Franklin, and 2b will be the thinnest position in the auction (it will be a really talent rich auction overall this year, but 2b will have Cano and Pedroia, who will both go for more than I want to budget at 2b, and then no one on down to Uggla/Brian Roberts/Rickie Weeks type players).

I need someone to talk me off taking a leap of faith on Franklin being dealt into a starting gig. I have nightmares of letting him go to the auction and him landing in the Yankees line up hitting in that bandbox. I think he'd be great there. That's a gamble though. Brantley and Kluber are more sure things, but neither are particularly sexy keepers, and I am already keeping 5 SPs and 3 OFers.

[axman]

I'd go with Kluber or Brantley. Both should provide some profit. If your points league puts a ton of value in K's like a lot do, Kluber might be a nice keeper.

[joncarlos]

In a vacuum I would keep him but I have a hard time keeping him over Kluber or Brantley.

[pitbull]

If you are in a rebuild I say keep Franklin. If not I agree with the above. Neither are sexy (statwise) but both are productive.

[Sour Masher]

I'd go with Kluber or Brantley. Both should provide some profit. If your points league puts a ton of value in K's like a lot do, Kluber might be a nice keeper.

Yeah, our system heavily favors Ks. I guess this is really a broader question about strategy. I think there is little doubt in my league's scoring system that Kluber represents the best value of this group. But I also have little doubt that if Franklin lands a starting job prior to our 3/30 auction, he would go for more money than Kluber. So, one strategy is to ignore the herd biases toward MIFers and upside and keep the player I think clearly represents the best value right now--Kluber. But since I'd like to end up with both players, I am tempted to keep Franklin, because I think doing so will cost me less for the duo in the end.

Basically, I know my league heavily favors young players with upside and generally disfavors older players trending down and players who outperform their prospect status. There is consistently value to be had in taking the still trending down but value players like Alfonso Soriano or before him Raul Ibanez in my league, or betting on the skills vs the pedigree and hype of a guy like Kluber. My league just doesn't like to go the extra buck on guys like this. But they do overspend on potential and underperforming top 100 prospects in general, hoping to be right on finding a guy who explodes a la Dominic Brown.

So do you all adjust based on such biases by going with the trend to have a shot at those young players with upside, or do you go the other way, ignore that, lose out on getting any of those "look I was right" blue chippers and simply stick with keeping and landing the undervalued, unsexy players?