Coulda Been Athletes
Draft & waivers · roster building since 2017

The Draft

Steals, busts, and the waiver wire. A pick's value = how late it went vs. how it produced. Draft returns & waiver moves are 2019+ (player-level data); waiver moves are reconstructed from weekly rosters.

+148
Biggest steal · Drake Maye (2025, Devion)
493
Best waiver pickup · Lamar Jackson (2019, Crock)
231
Worst drop · Jared Goff let go by Devion (2024)
Late-Round Gold

Biggest Steals

draft slot → production
PlayerOwnerSeasonDraftedPtsValue
Drake MayeDevion2025Rd 16 · Pk 1399.2+148
Dak PrescottFrost2025Rd 14 · Pk 8391.1+134
Dak PrescottMeek2019Rd 14 · Pk 9360.2+134
Justin HerbertManny2025Rd 15 · Pk 2351.9+130
Kyler MurrayChengy2019Rd 14 · Pk 7308.3+129
Dak PrescottBryan2023Rd 14 · Pk 3348.1+126
Tom BradyManny2021Rd 13 · Pk 5429.7+123
Brock PurdyBryan2024Rd 14 · Pk 10276.7+121
Brock PurdyDez2025Rd 16 · Pk 3218.2+117
Josh AllenCrock2020Rd 12 · Pk 10444.8+117
Courtland SuttonTyler2019Rd 16 · Pk 5215.2+110
Kyle Pitts Sr.Marcus2025Rd 16 · Pk 5201.0+110
Reach Of The Year

Biggest Busts

draft slot → production
PlayerOwnerSeasonDraftedPtsValue
Saquon BarkleyCrock2020Rd 1 · Pk 215.4-145
Christian McCaffreyCrock2024Rd 1 · Pk 347.8-132
Antonio BrownFrance2019Rd 2 · Pk 316.1-127
Nick ChubbBryan2023Rd 2 · Pk 325.1-124
J.K. DobbinsCrock2021Rd 4 · Pk 50.0-122
Malik NabersDez2025Rd 1 · Pk 859.1-119
Javonte WilliamsDez2022Rd 3 · Pk 242.0-116
Isiah PachecoChengy2024Rd 2 · Pk 656.9-113
Courtland SuttonChengy2020Rd 4 · Pk 79.6-112
Tyreek HillManny2025Rd 3 · Pk 255.5-110
Elijah MitchellChengy2022Rd 4 · Pk 626.1-109
Zamir WhiteDevion2024Rd 5 · Pk 221.5-105
Off The Scrap Heap

Best Waiver Pickups

undrafted · 2019+
PlayerOwnerSeasonPts for owner
Lamar JacksonCrock2019492.7
Baker MayfieldDevion2024402.5
Brock PurdyManny2023337.1
Ben RoethlisbergerBryan2020333.2
Jameis WinstonTyler2019328.5
Ryan TannehillDevion2020321.8
Josh AllenFrost2019310.4
Caleb WilliamsFrost2025307.4
Matthew StaffordMeek2025295.0
Kirk CousinsDevion2021281.1
Puka NacuaDevion2023274.5
Geno SmithDonte2022262.4

Players nobody drafted that year, ranked by the points they scored for the owner who grabbed them. The waiver-wire heists.

The Ones That Got Away

Worst Drops

estimated
PlayerDropped bySeasonPts missed
Jared GoffDevion2024230.5
Jared GoffChengy2025226.1
Chase BrownBryan2024216.5
Justin JeffersonDevion2020214.4
Jared GoffBeav2025200.0
Brock PurdyDez2025197.4
Tua TagovailoaDonte2022197.4
Darnell MooneyMeek2024194.7
Jordan LoveMeek2025193.9
Kenneth Walker IIIBeav2022193.1
RJ HarveyBeav2025191.0
Jared GoffMarcus2025187.6

Points a player scored after the owner cut them loose to the waiver wire — detected trades excluded. Reconstructed from weekly rosters (ESPN exposes no transaction log for this league), so it's an estimate; player-for-pick trades can read as drops.

Should've Kept Him

Trades That Backfired

estimated
PlayerTraded away byToSeasonPts after
Josh AllenDezMeek2021428.5
Josh AllenDezMeek2023424.5
Lamar JacksonMeekDez2023383.7
Jayden DanielsMannyMeek2024332.9
Dak PrescottFrostCrawf2021285.7
Tyreek HillMeekFrost2020274.3
Aaron RodgersMeekChengy2019274.1
Kyler MurrayChengyFrost2019266.3
Stefon DiggsFrostManny2020259.2
Derrick HenryBryanMeek2020255.6
Lamar JacksonMeekDez2021254.0
Leonard FournetteDezMeek2021246.7

Players shipped in a trade who then piled up points for their new team. A trade is inferred when a player moved the opposite way between the same two owners the same week — so a lopsided-looking deal here may have brought back real value the other way.

Who Drafts Best

Draft Grades

cumulative value · 2019+
OwnerPicksAvg / pickTotal value
DT48+21+1000
Crawf80+5+379
AJ32+8+245
Frost112+2+220
Beav64+3+213
Manny96+1+120
Bryan800+36
Majae32-1-42
Tyler16-3-50
Marcus16-5-82
France16-5-83
Devion96-1-105
Chengy112-1-110
Donte16-13-204
Meek112-3-302
Crock112-5-537
Dez80-8-602
Pick By Pick

Draft Board

Partial data
202520242023202220212020201920182017
PickOwnerPlayerPtsValue
1.01FrostDavid Johnson——
1.02DevionLe'Veon Bell——
1.03AJJulio Jones——
1.04MeekAntonio Brown——
1.05ChengyOdell Beckham Jr.——
1.06TylerMike Evans——
1.07CrockLeSean McCoy——
1.08MeekMelvin Gordon——
1.09MannyJordy Nelson——
1.10FranceDez Bryant——
2.01FranceA.J. Green——
2.02MannyMichael Thomas——
2.03DTJordan Howard——
2.04CrockDevonta Freeman——
2.05DevionJay Ajayi——
2.06ChengyAaron Rodgers——
2.07DTTodd Gurley II——
2.08AJDeMarco Murray——
2.09TylerAmari Cooper——
2.10FrostBrandin Cooks——
3.01DevionT.Y. Hilton——
3.02TylerRob Gronkowski——
3.03AJLeonard Fournette——
3.04MeekEzekiel Elliott——
3.05ChengyDeAndre Hopkins——
3.06FrostDemaryius Thomas——
3.07CrockIsaiah Crowell——
3.08DTDoug Baldwin——
3.09MannyAlshon Jeffery——
3.10FranceTravis Kelce——
4.01FranceJarvis Landry——
4.02MannyChristian McCaffrey——
4.03DTKeenan Allen——
4.04CrockJordan Reed——
4.05TylerLamar Miller——
4.06ChengyMarshawn Lynch——
4.07DTTerrelle Pryor Sr.——
4.08AJMichael Crabtree——
4.09TylerTyreek Hill——
4.10DevionDavante Adams——
5.01DevionTom Brady——
5.02TylerDalvin Cook——
5.03AJGreg Olsen——
5.04MeekBilal Powell——
5.05ChengyTyler Eifert——
5.06FrostJimmy Graham——
5.07CrockLarry Fitzgerald——
5.08DTGolden Tate——
5.09MannyDelanie Walker——
5.10FranceKelvin Benjamin——
6.01FranceCam Newton——
6.02MannyMark Ingram——
6.03DTDanny Woodhead——
6.04CrockMartavis Bryant——
6.05FrostC.J. Anderson——
6.06ChengyBroncos D/ST——
6.07MeekWillie Snead——
6.08AJMatt Ryan——
6.09TylerDrew Brees——
6.10DevionKareem Hunt——
7.01DevionDeVante Parker——
7.02TylerAdrian Peterson——
7.03AJTexans D/ST——
7.04MeekKyle Rudolph——
7.05ChengyEmmanuel Sanders——
7.06FrostAllen Robinson——
7.07CrockStefon Diggs——
7.08DTCarlos Hyde——
7.09MannySammy Watkins——
7.10FranceDerek Carr——
8.01FranceSeahawks D/ST——
8.02MannyBrandon Marshall——
8.03DTTy Montgomery——
8.04CrockAmeer Abdullah——
8.05FrostMike Gillislee——
8.06ChengyFrank Gore——
8.07MeekMarcus Mariota——
8.08AJTheo Riddick——
8.09FrostRussell Wilson——
8.10DevionJoe Mixon——
9.01DevionHunter Henry——
9.02TylerJustin Tucker——
9.03AJBen Roethlisberger——
9.04MeekJamison Crowder——
9.05ChengyJameis Winston——
9.06FrostMartellus Bennett——
9.07CrockDoug Martin——
9.08DTZach Ertz——
9.09MannyKirk Cousins——
9.10FranceEddie Lacy——
10.01FranceGiants D/ST——
10.02MannyVikings D/ST——
10.03DTCardinals D/ST——
10.04CrockJeremy Maclin——
10.05FrostTevin Coleman——
10.06ChengyEric Decker——
10.07MeekJason Witten——
10.08AJDeSean Jackson——
10.09TylerCameron Brate——
10.10DevionSterling Shepard——
11.01DevionEvan Engram——
11.02TylerCorey Davis——
11.03AJJack Doyle——
11.04MeekPatriots D/ST——
11.05ChengyEric Ebron——
11.06FrostRandall Cobb——
11.07CrockChris Hogan——
11.08DTPhilip Rivers——
11.09MannyDarren McFadden——
11.10FranceO.J. Howard——
12.01FrancePaul Perkins——
12.02MannyKevin White——
12.03DTDonte Moncrief——
12.04CrockCorey Coleman——
12.05FrostAndrew Luck——
12.06ChengyRob Kelley——
12.07MeekTerrance West——
12.08AJDuke Johnson Jr.——
12.09TylerJames White——
12.10DevionRex Burkhead——
13.01DevionMatt Bryant——
13.02TylerChiefs D/ST——
13.03AJJohn Brown——
13.04MeekStephen Gostkowski——
13.05ChengyKenny Britt——
13.06FrostLeGarrette Blount——
13.07CrockMatthew Stafford——
13.08MeekCameron Meredith——
13.09MannyCarson Wentz——
13.10FranceC.J. Prosise——
14.01FranceGiovani Bernard——
14.02MannyDan Bailey——
14.03DTEli Manning——
14.04CrockCoby Fleener——
14.05FrostPierre Garcon——
14.06ChengyAdam Vinatieri——
14.07MeekTed Ginn Jr.——
14.08AJMarvin Jones Jr.——
14.09TylerCooper Kupp——
14.10DevionAdam Thielen——
15.01DevionAlex Smith——
15.02TylerAndy Dalton——
15.03AJJared Cook——
15.04MeekDerrick Henry——
15.05ChengyJordan Matthews——
15.06FrostPanthers D/ST——
15.07CrockMatt Prater——
15.08DTZay Jones——
15.09MannyMatt Forte——
15.10FranceSpencer Ware——
16.01FranceDustin Hopkins——
16.02MannyDarren Sproles——
16.03DTMason Crosby——
16.04CrockChargers D/ST——
16.05FrostWil Lutz——
16.06ChengyFalcons D/ST——
16.07MeekRishard Matthews——
16.08AJCairo Santos——
16.09TylerBuccaneers D/ST——
16.10DevionJaguars D/ST——

Player-level scoring starts in 2019, so this draft shows the board only — no returns.