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

202520242023202220212020201920182017
PickOwnerPlayerPtsValue
1.01CrockChristian McCaffrey90.4-101
1.02CrockSaquon Barkley15.4-145
1.03MajaeEzekiel Elliott210.6-36
1.04DTAlvin Kamara379.8-3
1.05ChengyMichael Thomas85.9-100
1.06FrostDalvin Cook346.8-5
1.07BryanDerrick Henry309.1-8
1.08DevionJosh Jacobs212.4-28
1.09AJMiles Sanders172.4-48
1.10MannyDeAndre Hopkins287.3-7
2.01MannyNick Chubb195.9-32
2.02AJAaron Jones243.4-13
2.03DevionDavante Adams348.8+3
2.04BryanGeorge Kittle113.3-74
2.05FrostJulio Jones149.1-54
2.06ChengyTravis Kelce318.8+2
2.07MeekClyde Edwards-Helaire178.0-35
2.08MajaeLamar Jackson356.6+9
2.09MeekKenyan Drake186.1-31
2.10MeekTyreek Hill332.9+8
3.01MeekPatrick Mahomes450.4+20
3.02DTJoe Mixon100.6-75
3.03MajaeAustin Ekeler148.2-47
3.04DTChris Godwin160.7-36
3.05DTMike Evans245.0+1
3.06FrostOdell Beckham Jr.86.8-78
3.07BryanAmari Cooper230.7-3
3.08DevionKenny Golladay67.8-90
3.09AJAllen Robinson II261.2+9
3.10MannyLeonard Fournette128.3-52
4.01MannyJuJu Smith-Schuster215.6-3
4.02AJMark Andrews163.4-27
4.03DevionAdam Thielen247.3+10
4.04BryanChris Carson177.5-19
4.05FrostZach Ertz72.9-81
4.06ChengyDavid Johnson160.5-25
4.07ChengyCourtland Sutton9.6-112
4.08MajaeTodd Gurley II151.7-29
4.09MeekLe'Veon Bell74.6-75
4.10MeekDarren Waller256.9+19
5.01MeekRobert Woods239.5+14
5.02DTDJ Moore199.40
5.03MajaeCalvin Ridley278.9+25
5.04ChengyJames Conner156.4-19
5.05ChengyCooper Kupp211.7+8
5.06FrostKeenan Allen249.1+24
5.07BryanTyler Lockett235.4+19
5.08DevionMark Ingram II40.0-86
5.09AJTerry McLaurin209.8+8
5.10MannyT.Y. Hilton92.8-51
6.01MannyTyler Higbee85.0-55
6.02AJDK Metcalf271.2+33
6.03DevionKyler Murray428.0+49
6.04BryanDeshaun Watson403.5+48
6.05FrostMelvin Gordon III179.4+4
6.06ChengyRussell Wilson417.6+51
6.07MeekA.J. Brown219.4+26
6.08MajaeDJ Chark Jr.154.6-6
6.09MeekDevin Singletary101.1-37
6.10CrockJarvis Landry174.6+4
7.01CrockDeVante Parker149.7-7
7.02MeekJonathan Taylor216.4+29
7.03MajaeRonald Jones II176.5+9
7.04DTKareem Hunt214.4+29
7.05DTDak Prescott153.6-1
7.06FrostStefon Diggs321.0+53
7.07BryanD'Andre Swift174.8+12
7.08DevionJack Doyle7.9-85
7.09AJTyler Boyd192.4+21
7.10MannyAaron Rodgers445.3+68
8.01MannyA.J. Green111.3-18
8.02AJDavid Montgomery239.6+46
8.03DevionMarquise Brown144.4+1
8.04BryanRob Gronkowski134.6-4
8.05FrostRaheem Mostert99.7-23
8.06ChengyKerryon Johnson1.4-79
8.07DTTom Brady379.7+69
8.08MajaeWill Fuller V193.9+32
8.09MeekCam Akers59.0-42
8.10CrockMichael Gallup76.2-33
9.01CrockBrandin Cooks194.4+36
9.02MeekMarvin Jones Jr.98.9-17
9.03MajaeEvan Engram138.3+7
9.04DTJulian Edelman57.2-38
9.05ChengyJordan Howard0.0-71
9.06FrostJerry Jeudy131.6+6
9.07BryanChristian Kirk49.0-40
9.08DevionTarik Cohen17.5-57
9.09AJDeebo Samuel81.7-20
9.10MannyHenry Ruggs III80.3-21
10.01MannySteelers D/ST144.0+18
10.02AJMatt Ryan307.7+76
10.03DevionJustin Jefferson219.0+61
10.04BryanBills D/ST37.0-43
10.05FrostPhillip Lindsay44.2-37
10.06ChengySterling Shepard97.4-4
10.07DTDiontae Johnson211.2+59
10.08MajaeJ.K. Dobbins125.0+15
10.09MeekHunter Henry145.3+28
10.10CrockJamison Crowder129.5+19
11.01CrockMarlon Mack8.6-50
11.02MeekWil Lutz107.0+10
11.03MajaeMecole Hardman46.7-26
11.04DTJared Cook70.9-13
11.05ChengyNoah Fant140.5+31
11.06FrostDrew Brees231.4+77
11.07BryanJustin Tucker133.0+28
11.08Devion49ers D/ST47.0-20
11.09AJDarrell Henderson Jr.111.2+19
11.10MannyJames White74.5-5
12.01MannyHarrison Butker123.0+25
12.02AJGolden Tate8.6-39
12.03DevionN'Keal Harry27.7-28
12.04BryanDarius Slayton81.6+4
12.05FrostMatt Breida0.0-41
12.06ChengyCam Newton189.6+67
12.07DTRavens D/ST114.0+30
12.08MajaeGreg Zuerlein45.0-13
12.09MeekColts D/ST105.0+26
12.10CrockJosh Allen444.8+117
13.01CrockChris Herndon9.2-29
13.02MeekCarson Wentz50.7-3
13.03MajaeEmmanuel Sanders109.8+32
13.04DTCeeDee Lamb210.1+84
13.05ChengyRobby Anderson193.7+78
13.06FrostTevin Coleman5.4-28
13.07BryanDaniel Jones0.0-29
13.08DevionMatthew Stafford83.5+20
13.09AJHayden Hurst136.3+52
13.10MannyDeSean Jackson24.8-12
14.01MannyJimmy Garoppolo39.6-4
14.02AJBroncos D/ST29.0-8
14.03DevionMatt Gay0.0-23
14.04BryanBears D/ST36.0-4
14.05FrostJalen Reagor38.0-1
14.06ChengyJohn Brown79.6+24
14.07DTLatavius Murray124.6+53
14.08MajaeSaints D/ST103.0+44
14.09CrockChase Edmonds163.5+81
14.10CrockPreston Williams11.7-8
15.01CrockAntonio Gibson195.1+97
15.02CrockTony Pollard53.0+18
15.03MajaeZack Moss88.3+40
15.04DTT.J. Hockenson159.6+82
15.05ChengyPatriots D/ST50.0+19
15.06FrostSeahawks D/ST46.0+16
15.07BryanJustin Jackson42.1+14
15.08DevionJonnu Smith138.4+73
15.09AJYounghoe Koo154.0+84
15.10MannyJerick McKinnon124.6+66
16.01MannyAustin Hooper54.4+28
16.02AJBaker Mayfield64.1+33
16.03DevionKe'Shawn Vaughn0.0-3
16.04BryanCurtis Samuel84.9+47
16.05FrostZane Gonzalez16.0+9
16.06ChengyMatt Prater62.0+36
16.07DTRobbie Gould20.0+14
16.08MajaeMike Williams102.2+63
16.09CrockVikings D/ST19.0+15
16.10CrockChris Boswell36.0+22