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
1.01DTLe'Veon Bell——
1.02MeekTodd Gurley II——
1.03FrostDavid Johnson——
1.04FranceEzekiel Elliott——
1.05DevionAlvin Kamara——
1.06ChengyAntonio Brown——
1.07TylerSaquon Barkley——
1.08MajaeLeonard Fournette——
1.09MeekOdell Beckham Jr.——
1.10MannyDeAndre Hopkins——
2.01FrostJulio Jones——
2.02DTKeenan Allen——
2.03MajaeDalvin Cook——
2.04TylerKareem Hunt——
2.05ChengyMelvin Gordon——
2.06DevionMichael Thomas——
2.07FranceAaron Rodgers——
2.08MannyDavante Adams——
2.09CrockDevonta Freeman——
2.10CrockChristian McCaffrey——
3.01CrockJordan Howard——
3.02CrockRob Gronkowski——
3.03MannyMike Evans——
3.04FranceA.J. Green——
3.05DevionTravis Kelce——
3.06ChengyTyreek Hill——
3.07TylerLeSean McCoy——
3.08MajaeZach Ertz——
3.09MeekAdam Thielen——
3.10FrostStefon Diggs——
4.01MannyAlex Collins——
4.02CrockLarry Fitzgerald——
4.03MajaeT.Y. Hilton——
4.04TylerDemaryius Thomas——
4.05ChengyJoe Mixon——
4.06DevionChris Hogan——
4.07FranceJosh Gordon——
4.08FrostAmari Cooper——
4.09DTDoug Baldwin——
4.10CrockJarvis Landry——
5.01MeekJerick McKinnon——
5.02CrockRoyce Freeman——
5.03MannyMarshawn Lynch——
5.04FranceDerrick Henry——
5.05DTTom Brady——
5.06CrockCam Newton——
5.07TylerAllen Robinson——
5.08MajaeDeshaun Watson——
5.09MeekGolden Tate——
5.10MannyBrandin Cooks——
6.01FrostJuJu Smith-Schuster——
6.02DevionDion Lewis——
6.03MajaeMarvin Jones Jr.——
6.04TylerGreg Olsen——
6.05ChengyRussell Wilson——
6.06MannyCorey Davis——
6.07FranceKenyan Drake——
6.08FrostLamar Miller——
6.09MeekCarson Wentz——
6.10ChengyJimmy Graham——
7.01ChengyRobert Woods——
7.02MannyDelanie Walker——
7.03DevionDuke Johnson Jr.——
7.04FranceAlshon Jeffery——
7.05DevionEvan Engram——
7.06ChengyJay Ajayi——
7.07TylerEmmanuel Sanders——
7.08MajaeSammy Watkins——
7.09DevionCooper Kupp——
7.10DTMark Ingram II——
8.01FrostJulian Edelman——
8.02MeekJordan Reed——
8.03MajaeChris Thompson——
8.04TylerJaguars D/ST——
8.05ChengyKyle Rudolph——
8.06DevionKirk Cousins——
8.07FranceMichael Crabtree——
8.08CrockRex Burkhead——
8.09FrostTevin Coleman——
8.10DTJack Doyle——
9.01DTRandall Cobb——
9.02MannyJamaal Williams——
9.03DevionWill Fuller V——
9.04FranceIsaiah Crowell——
9.05DevionJames White——
9.06ChengyEagles D/ST——
9.07TylerDevin Funchess——
9.08MajaeTarik Cohen——
9.09MeekRobby Anderson——
9.10DTBen Roethlisberger——
10.01MannyDavid Njoku——
10.02DTMarquise Goodwin——
10.03MajaeJordy Nelson——
10.04TylerKerryon Johnson——
10.05ChengyPierre Garcon——
10.06MannyRams D/ST——
10.07FranceCarlos Hyde——
10.08FrostAndrew Luck——
10.09MeekVikings D/ST——
10.10DTDrew Brees——
11.01CrockRashaad Penny——
11.02DTChris Carson——
11.03FrostTrey Burton——
11.04FranceJamison Crowder——
11.05DTSterling Shepard——
11.06ChengyAdrian Peterson——
11.07TylerRonald Jones——
11.08MajaeKelvin Benjamin——
11.09MeekPhilip Rivers——
11.10MannyMatthew Stafford——
12.01DTPeyton Barber——
12.02CrockMike Williams——
12.03MajaeJosh Doctson——
12.04TylerKenny Stills——
12.05CrockDJ Moore——
12.06DevionMarlon Mack——
12.07FranceDeVante Parker——
12.08CrockTyler Lockett——
12.09FrostBilal Powell——
12.10CrockNelson Agholor——
13.01FrostJared Goff——
13.02MannyAaron Jones——
13.03FrostTheo Riddick——
13.04FranceSony Michel——
13.05DevionGreg Zuerlein——
13.06ChengyPatrick Mahomes——
13.07TylerMatt Ryan——
13.08MajaeJustin Tucker——
13.09MeekMarqise Lee——
13.10MannyStephen Gostkowski——
14.01MannyTy Montgomery——
14.02MeekLatavius Murray——
14.03MajaeRavens D/ST——
14.04TylerJimmy Garoppolo——
14.05ChengyMohamed Sanu——
14.06DevionPatriots D/ST——
14.07FranceCharles Clay——
14.08FrostBroncos D/ST——
14.09MeekAustin Hooper——
14.10FrostWil Lutz——
15.01CrockPanthers D/ST——
15.02DTChargers D/ST——
15.03FrostGeronimo Allison——
15.04FranceTexans D/ST——
15.05DevionKenny Golladay——
15.06ChengyChris Boswell——
15.07TylerCameron Brate——
15.08MajaeJavorius Allen——
15.09MeekMatt Prater——
15.10MannyMarcus Mariota——
16.01CrockAdam Vinatieri——
16.02MeekDez Bryant——
16.03MajaeGiovani Bernard——
16.04TylerMatt Bryant——
16.05ChengySaints D/ST——
16.06DevionMitchell Trubisky——
16.07FranceRobbie Gould——
16.08MeekDevontae Booker——
16.09DTBenjamin Watson——
16.10DTHarrison Butker——

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