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 McCaffrey405.3-2
1.02CrockBijan Robinson224.2-35
1.03ChengyJustin Jefferson174.2-66
1.04DezJa'Marr Chase266.8-14
1.05CrawfTravis Kelce223.4-33
1.06MannyDavante Adams255.8-17
1.07BeavAustin Ekeler175.5-61
1.08BryanTyreek Hill373.2+2
1.09DevionSaquon Barkley201.5-45
1.10MeekStefon Diggs268.1-7
2.01ChengyTony Pollard208.0-37
2.02DevionAmon-Ra St. Brown319.5+3
2.03BryanNick Chubb25.1-124
2.04BeavDerrick Henry235.4-16
2.05MannyCeeDee Lamb385.7+10
2.06CrawfGarrett Wilson211.8-28
2.07DezCooper Kupp172.4-54
2.08MeekJosh Jacobs185.1-47
2.09FrostA.J. Brown303.7+9
2.10FrostJaylen Waddle204.6-30
3.01DevionJoe Mixon242.3-6
3.02MeekChris Olave226.7-14
3.03FrostPatrick Mahomes347.2+15
3.04DezJosh Allen435.6+23
3.05CrawfTravis Etienne Jr.272.7+10
3.06MannyNajee Harris173.2-44
3.07BeavJalen Hurts414.2+25
3.08BryanDeVonta Smith231.6-5
3.09FrostRhamondre Stevenson145.7-51
3.10ChengyCalvin Ridley213.3-12
4.01MeekAaron Jones119.8-70
4.02FrostJahmyr Gibbs237.1+3
4.03BryanKeenan Allen292.9+22
4.04BeavDK Metcalf229.4-1
4.05MannyTee Higgins141.6-51
4.06CrawfDameon Pierce82.7-80
4.07DezMark Andrews135.4-51
4.08ChengyDeebo Samuel244.5+12
4.09MeekLamar Jackson390.2+35
4.10DevionAmari Cooper239.0+12
5.01FrostT.J. Hockenson221.0+2
5.02FrostDJ Moore288.1+30
5.03FrostDeAndre Hopkins212.00
5.04DezKenneth Walker III192.3-15
5.05CrawfChris Godwin201.7-8
5.06MannyJoe Burrow186.2-17
5.07BeavDallas Goedert136.9-40
5.08BryanBreece Hall265.5+29
5.09DevionDiontae Johnson133.8-42
5.10FrostAlvin Kamara233.0+18
6.01MeekChristian Watson101.3-57
6.02DevionJustin Herbert284.2+39
6.03BryanJustin Fields258.6+32
6.04BeavMike Williams52.2-74
6.05MannyJamaal Williams11.5-94
6.06CrawfMiles Sanders56.2-70
6.07DezJavonte Williams158.7-17
6.08ChengyRachaad White258.6+38
6.09ChengyKyle Pitts132.6-34
6.10CrockDarren Waller103.7-46
7.01CrockJahan Dotson79.7-57
7.02FrostBrandon Aiyuk257.7+40
7.03MeekGeorge Kittle209.2+17
7.04DezTerry McLaurin199.6+9
7.05CrawfDrake London170.3-8
7.06MannyPat Freiermuth65.6-58
7.07BeavAlexander Mattison129.3-28
7.08BryanJames Cook230.5+34
7.09DevionCam Akers46.7-61
7.10ChengyTrevor Lawrence254.2+46
8.01MeekJames Conner177.1+4
8.02DevionTyler Lockett185.3+8
8.03BryanDavid Montgomery203.2+21
8.04BeavGeorge Pickens218.5+33
8.05MannySaints D/ST122.0-25
8.06CrawfMike Evans283.3+62
8.07DezChristian Kirk154.3+1
8.08MeekJonathan Taylor128.8-18
8.09FrostJerry Jeudy124.9-18
8.10CrockJaxon Smith-Njigba145.4-1
9.01CrockJordan Addison209.6+36
9.02FrostIsiah Pacheco219.9+42
9.03ChengyMichael Pittman Jr.248.8+58
9.04DezJ.K. Dobbins11.7-63
9.05CrawfDalvin Cook22.5-54
9.06MannyDaniel Carlson107.0-19
9.07BeavEvan Engram206.4+38
9.08BryanMarquise Brown134.7-2
9.09DevionKhalil Herbert68.4-34
9.10ChengyD'Andre Swift203.3+39
10.01MeekCourtland Sutton189.0+30
10.02DevionAntonio Gibson98.5-17
10.03BryanMichael Thomas89.8-20
10.04BeavNico Collins233.9+63
10.05MannyOdell Beckham Jr.44.6-36
10.06CrawfBrandin Cooks86.5-18
10.07DezJuJu Smith-Schuster16.6-46
10.08ChengySkyy Moore0.4-58
10.09CrockZay Flowers208.4+52
10.10CrockRaheem Mostert271.7+84
11.01CrockSamaje Perine69.5-20
11.02CrockJaylen Warren192.4+44
11.03ChengyElijah Moore68.8-19
11.04DezBrian Robinson Jr.189.6+44
11.05CrawfAJ Dillon117.6+3
11.06MannyMichael Mayer3.3-47
11.07BeavZach Charbonnet98.1-3
11.08BryanQuentin Johnston15.1-38
11.09DevionGabe Davis113.8+6
11.10MeekDavid Njoku142.5+25
12.01MeekTreylon Burks6.2-39
12.02Devion49ers D/ST130.0+18
12.03BryanCole Kmet158.1+38
12.04BeavJakobi Meyers199.0+58
12.05MannyAdam Thielen179.9+49
12.06CrawfJerick McKinnon25.4-20
12.07DezRashaad Penny2.4-38
12.08ChengyDe'Von Achane187.6+56
12.09CrockTank Bigsby0.0-38
12.10CrockJalin Hyatt16.4-25
13.01CrockTank Dell171.0+49
13.02FrostElijah Mitchell19.1-20
13.03ChengyDeshaun Watson82.6+6
13.04DezDalton Kincaid134.9+35
13.05CrawfAaron Rodgers0.0-32
13.06MannyEzekiel Elliott91.6+14
13.07BeavKenny Pickett11.7-21
13.08BryanCowboys D/ST154.0+51
13.09DevionTyler Higbee23.5-9
13.10MeekDamien Harris3.9-21
14.01MeekSteelers D/ST54.0+4
14.02DevionJustin Tucker150.0+54
14.03BryanDak Prescott348.1+126
14.04BeavEvan McPherson83.0+19
14.05MannyJayden Reed133.0+43
14.06CrawfKirk Cousins197.7+79
14.07DezBills D/ST144.0+53
14.08ChengyDolphins D/ST103.0+31
14.09FrostTyler Allgeier123.8+40
14.10CrockGeno Smith51.4+11
15.01CrockPatriots D/ST40.0+7
15.02FrostHarrison Butker145.0+59
15.03ChengyYounghoe Koo42.0+11
15.04DezJake Elliott150.0+66
15.05CrawfJets D/ST92.0+34
15.06MannyLuke Musgrave40.9+13
15.07BeavEagles D/ST79.0+28
15.08BryanTyler Bass124.0+50
15.09DevionTyler Boyd61.9+24
15.10MeekGreg Zuerlein0.0-7
16.01MeekAnthony Richardson78.7+31
16.02DevionGus Edwards145.4+71
16.03BryanDeon Jackson3.8+1
16.04BeavJonathan Mingo16.6+11
16.05MannyZamir White33.8+20
16.06CrawfGraham Gano-2.0-4
16.07DezMichael Gallup3.3+4
16.08ChengyDalton Schultz108.7+54
16.09FrostCommanders D/ST22.0+19
16.10CrockJason Myers21.0+19