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
1.01MeekChristian McCaffrey127.5-86
1.02DevionDalvin Cook202.1-48
1.03FrostAlvin Kamara219.5-41
1.04ChengyEzekiel Elliott244.1-26
1.05DezDerrick Henry200.3-47
1.06CrockTravis Kelce253.4-21
1.07BryanNick Chubb213.3-39
1.08MannySaquon Barkley141.7-72
1.09MeekDavante Adams341.8-2
1.10CrawfTyreek Hill298.3-8
2.01CrawfStefon Diggs264.4-14
2.02DTJonathan Taylor371.6+4
2.03DezAaron Jones230.0-24
2.04BryanAustin Ekeler315.9+1
2.05CrockAntonio Gibson208.0-32
2.06MannyDeAndre Hopkins147.2-60
2.07DTNajee Harris295.2-2
2.08FrostCalvin Ridley71.1-97
2.09DevionJoe Mixon290.9-1
2.10DTJustin Jefferson314.3+5
3.01DTDK Metcalf234.5-12
3.02DevionDarren Waller131.3-61
3.03DevionKeenan Allen250.6-5
3.04ChengyA.J. Brown167.1-40
3.05MannyJosh Jacobs204.6-23
3.06CrockClyde Edwards-Helaire119.6-68
3.07BryanDavid Montgomery187.1-31
3.08MannyMike Evans237.6-4
3.09DTMiles Sanders119.2-66
3.10CrawfTerry McLaurin204.2-19
4.01CrawfChris Carson48.1-95
4.02MeekAllen Robinson II69.9-84
4.03DezRobert Woods138.2-49
4.04BryanAdam Thielen200.8-17
4.05CrockJ.K. Dobbins0.0-122
4.06MannyCeeDee Lamb229.3-2
4.07ChengyJames Robinson174.9-25
4.08FrostPatrick Mahomes405.5+33
4.09FrostGeorge Kittle195.0-17
4.10ChengyKyle Pitts176.8-21
5.01DTAmari Cooper191.6-16
5.02FrostCooper Kupp422.9+38
5.03FrostDiontae Johnson265.3+19
5.04ChengyKareem Hunt110.0-57
5.05DezChris Godwin247.4+16
5.06CrockTyler Lockett219.4+1
5.07BryanJulio Jones64.6-70
5.08DezOdell Beckham Jr.125.3-40
5.09MeekLamar Jackson274.0+26
5.10CrawfD'Andre Swift196.3-5
6.01CrawfMark Andrews289.6+30
6.02MeekBrandon Aiyuk124.4-38
6.03DezJosh Allen447.7+52
6.04BryanKyler Murray329.4+42
6.05CrockDJ Moore223.5+15
6.06MannyT.J. Hockenson145.3-21
6.07ChengyCourtland Sutton149.3-17
6.08FrostMike Davis79.5-55
6.09DevionMyles Gaskin169.6-4
6.10MeekChase Edmonds144.3-19
7.01DTTee Higgins223.1+20
7.02DevionRussell Wilson242.1+31
7.03FrostJuJu Smith-Schuster34.8-72
7.04ChengyChase Claypool149.6-9
7.05MannyDarrell Henderson Jr.163.4-1
7.06CrockDamien Harris197.8+12
7.07BryanJerry Jeudy80.0-45
7.08DezRobby Anderson50.7-57
7.09ChengyTrey Sermon21.8-75
7.10CrawfMichael Thomas0.0-87
8.01CrawfRaheem Mostert2.0-84
8.02MeekKenny Golladay61.2-48
8.03DezLogan Thomas53.6-50
8.04BryanWilliam Fuller V8.6-75
8.05CrockLaviska Shenault Jr.45.7-56
8.06MannyJa'Marr Chase307.0+59
8.07ChengyDeebo Samuel315.0+63
8.08DevionTyler Boyd122.8-14
8.09DevionBuccaneers D/ST118.0-17
8.10DTAaron Rodgers389.1+74
9.01DTJustin Herbert423.3+78
9.02DevionNoah Fant156.4+14
9.03FrostDJ Chark Jr.34.4-53
9.04MeekAntonio Brown124.1-7
9.05MannyMatthew Stafford388.2+78
9.06CrockCorey Davis102.7-17
9.07BryanSony Michel99.5-19
9.08DezSteelers D/ST48.0-39
9.09ChengyJoe Burrow310.0+73
9.10CrawfMelvin Gordon III180.5+31
10.01CrawfJavonte Williams198.5+38
10.02MeekBrandin Cooks230.2+56
10.03DezLeonard Fournette257.6+67
10.04BryanCurtis Samuel6.7-56
10.05CrockMarquez Callaway17.4-52
10.06MannyRavens D/ST48.0-31
10.07ChengyDeVonta Smith180.5+38
10.08FrostGus Edwards0.0-59
10.09DevionMichael Pittman Jr.220.2+56
10.10ChengyJames Conner230.4+65
11.01DTJarvis Landry114.5+2
11.02DevionZack Moss89.1-8
11.03FrostDak Prescott352.8+94
11.04DTJalen Hurts344.2+94
11.05MannyJaylen Waddle233.1+71
11.06CrockMichael Carter139.7+25
11.07BryanRonald Jones II23.8-36
11.08MannyKenyan Drake102.5+4
11.09MeekDallas Goedert150.4+37
11.10CrawfDarnell Mooney93.4+2
12.01CrawfCommanders D/ST3.0-43
12.02MeekAJ Dillon130.3+27
12.03DezMarquise Brown223.6+74
12.04BryanRobert Tonyan42.8-19
12.05CrockRussell Gage83.8+4
12.06MannyJustin Tucker152.0+45
12.07MeekIrv Smith Jr.0.0-40
12.08FrostHarrison Butker125.0+29
12.09DevionMarvin Jones Jr.117.9+22
12.10ChengyRams D/ST64.0+2
13.01DTMike Gesicki161.8+54
13.02DevionYounghoe Koo32.0-16
13.03FrostJ.D. McKissic127.9+37
13.04ChengyJason Sanders21.0-21
13.05MannyTom Brady429.7+123
13.06CrockTrevor Lawrence25.1-16
13.07BryanJason Myers4.0-25
13.08MannyBlake Jarwin5.0-23
13.09MeekTyler Higbee98.8+22
13.10CrawfRyan Tannehill275.1+108
14.01CrawfJamaal Williams113.6+31
14.02MeekBroncos D/ST62.0+13
14.03DezPhillip Lindsay18.3-13
14.04BryanBrowns D/ST31.0-6
14.05CrockTrey Lance51.5+11
14.06DezJonnu Smith28.4-5
14.07ChengyRob Gronkowski152.5+67
14.08FrostJakobi Meyers156.0+69
14.09DevionJames White31.20
14.10DTMichael Gallup92.5+31
15.01DT49ers D/ST78.0+27
15.02DevionCole Beasley119.7+49
15.03FrostColts D/ST102.0+38
15.04ChengyTony Pollard163.6+79
15.05DezBills D/ST131.0+61
15.06CrockPatriots D/ST145.0+68
15.07BryanMecole Hardman32.7+10
15.08DezMike Williams222.7+106
15.09MeekMarlon Mack0.4-7
15.10CrawfT.Y. Hilton12.0+2
16.01CrawfMatt Prater55.0+29
16.02MeekGreg Zuerlein47.0+23
16.03DezMatt Gay149.0+78
16.04BryanEvan Engram3.2+1
16.05CrockRodrigo Blankenship41.0+21
16.06MannyNelson Agholor45.9+26
16.07DTNyheim Hines108.7+55
16.08FrostLatavius Murray57.0+37
16.09DevionSam Darnold43.6+27
16.10DTBrandon McManus117.0+62