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
1.01BryanCeeDee Lamb269.4-21
1.02DevionBijan Robinson318.4-10
1.03CrockChristian McCaffrey47.8-132
1.04CrockTyreek Hill220.2-41
1.05ChengyJa'Marr Chase389.40
1.06DezAmon-Ra St. Brown312.5-7
1.07FrostBreece Hall226.7-33
1.08BeavA.J. Brown226.9-31
1.09MannySaquon Barkley379.3+3
1.10CrawfJustin Jefferson319.1-1
2.01CrawfGarrett Wilson250.8-18
2.02MannyPuka Nacua216.6-36
2.03BeavJonathan Taylor235.7-22
2.04FrostJahmyr Gibbs324.9+5
2.05MeekKyren Williams280.1-3
2.06ChengyIsiah Pacheco56.9-113
2.07MeekMarvin Harrison Jr.183.2-50
2.08DezChris Olave78.7-99
2.09DevionTravis Etienne Jr.121.2-78
2.10BryanMike Evans226.5-21
3.01BryanDavante Adams226.5-20
3.02DevionDrake London244.1-10
3.03MeekMichael Pittman Jr.156.6-59
3.04MeekNico Collins203.8-31
3.05ChengyDerrick Henry322.3+15
3.06DezDJ Moore220.0-20
3.07FrostJosh Jacobs287.5+12
3.08BeavJoe Mixon250.7-2
3.09MannyAlvin Kamara271.3+8
3.10CrawfTravis Kelce197.4-30
4.01CrawfDe'Von Achane283.8+14
4.02MannyKenneth Walker III183.2-35
4.03BeavDK Metcalf182.9-36
4.04FrostDeVonta Smith203.4-22
4.05DezRachaad White199.6-23
4.06ChengyDeebo Samuel Sr.157.6-45
4.07CrockCooper Kupp181.0-34
4.08MeekJames Cook265.9+15
4.09DevionCalvin Ridley190.9-25
4.10BryanPatrick Mahomes344.0+32
5.01BryanSam LaPorta163.3-37
5.02DevionZamir White21.5-105
5.03DezJaylen Waddle144.6-44
5.04MeekZay Flowers216.4-6
5.05ChengyStefon Diggs121.9-51
5.06FrostJalen Hurts354.1+39
5.07FrostMark Andrews173.4-27
5.08BeavLamar Jackson493.4+47
5.09MannyMalik Nabers262.2+24
5.10CrawfBrandon Aiyuk64.4-73
6.01CrawfJosh Allen444.0+48
6.02MeekTrey McBride236.3+18
6.03BeavJames Conner265.8+29
6.04DezAaron Jones233.1+18
6.05DezC.J. Stroud216.6+6
6.06ChengyD'Andre Swift204.0+2
6.07MeekRhamondre Stevenson177.9-16
6.08MeekTee Higgins216.8+11
6.09DevionJavonte Williams147.1-24
6.10BryanNajee Harris195.0-2
7.01BryanDavid Montgomery225.7+18
7.02DevionRashee Rice68.9-60
7.03DezEvan Engram91.5-45
7.04CrockTank Dell120.2-34
7.05ChengyGeorge Pickens167.4-12
7.06MannyAmari Cooper122.7-28
7.07MannyDalton Kincaid100.8-36
7.08BeavKyle Pitts127.7-24
7.09MannyDiontae Johnson87.9-43
7.10CrawfJaxon Smith-Njigba253.7+43
8.01CrawfBrian Robinson Jr.163.2-8
8.02FrostTerry McLaurin257.6+46
8.03BeavKeon Coleman95.8-33
8.04FrostChris Godwin141.8-15
8.05MeekXavier Worthy187.2+10
8.06ChengyJake Ferguson101.2-26
8.07CrockRaheem Mostert55.3-53
8.08CrockGeorge Kittle239.9+45
8.09DevionChristian Kirk70.9-42
8.10BryanJerome Ford134.0-11
9.01BryanZack Moss81.9-35
9.02DevionJayden Reed197.9+23
9.03CrockBlake Corum15.0-68
9.04CrockTyjae Spears61.5-42
9.05ChengyAnthony Richardson74.5-34
9.06MeekNick Chubb63.3-39
9.07FrostKeenan Allen182.9+18
9.08BeavLadd McConkey230.4+51
9.09MannyCourtland Sutton227.5+51
9.10CrawfJaylen Warren122.0-5
10.01CrawfTony Pollard200.5+34
10.02MannyChuba Hubbard249.6+61
10.03BeavZach Charbonnet179.8+21
10.04FrostHollywood Brown18.1-56
10.05DezChristian Watson75.4-23
10.06ChengyRome Odunze145.1+10
10.07CrockKyler Murray309.4+83
10.08MeekDak Prescott144.5+10
10.09DevionJordan Love284.1+83
10.10BryanChase Brown224.9+56
11.01BryanBrian Thomas Jr.272.7+81
11.02DevionDavid Njoku140.4+12
11.03DezDevin Singletary63.7-21
11.04CrockJaleel McLaughlin20.4-44
11.05ChengyJakobi Meyers194.7+42
11.06DezAustin Ekeler127.1+13
11.07FrostGus Edwards48.8-26
11.08BeavJameson Williams208.8+56
11.09MannyJoe Burrow466.8+107
11.10CrawfJordan Addison215.5+59
12.01CrawfJ.K. Dobbins185.3+45
12.02MannyJayden Daniels406.6+108
12.03BeavJonathon Brooks7.5-43
12.04FrostEzekiel Elliott20.3-35
12.05DezT.J. Hockenson85.6+2
12.06ChengyTrey Benson41.9-21
12.07CrockDeAndre Hopkins147.0+33
12.08CrockDarnell Mooney197.2+57
12.09DevionBrock Bowers251.7+91
12.10BryanTy Chandler9.9-34
13.01BryanJets D/ST36.0-18
13.02DevionBrowns D/ST34.0-20
13.03MeekBrandon Aubrey173.0+48
13.04CrockTua Tagovailoa146.7+39
13.05ChengyJustin Tucker84.0+11
13.06DezAdam Thielen110.2+26
13.07FrostHarrison Butker95.0+20
13.08BeavAdonai Mitchell1.2-30
13.09MannyCowboys D/ST61.0+2
13.10CrawfKhalil Shakir173.0+55
14.01CrawfDallas Goedert96.1+26
14.02MannyJake Elliott59.0+4
14.03BeavPat Freiermuth50.1+1
14.04FrostAlexander Mattison91.3+25
14.05DezJustin Herbert83.4+20
14.06ChengyRavens D/ST36.0-3
14.07CrockCaleb Williams24.5-8
14.08Meek49ers D/ST90.0+28
14.09DevionGreg Zuerlein7.0-18
14.10BryanBrock Purdy276.7+121
15.01BryanJerry Jeudy204.9+88
15.02DevionKirk Cousins116.5+43
15.03MeekDalton Schultz27.4-1
15.04CrockKa'imi Fairbairn160.0+64
15.05ChengyJaylen Wright0.4-14
15.06DezEvan McPherson32.0+3
15.07FrostTyler Lockett99.5+43
15.08BeavLions D/ST38.0+10
15.09MannyMike Williams9.3-6
15.10CrawfSeahawks D/ST36.0+11
16.01CrawfYounghoe Koo52.0+20
16.02MannyTyler Allgeier88.6+41
16.03BeavJake Moody71.0+33
16.04FrostBengals D/ST48.0+20
16.05DezSaints D/ST42.0+19
16.06ChengyAaron Rodgers10.6+3
16.07CrockTexans D/ST108.0+56
16.08MeekAntonio Gibson13.9+6
16.09DevionCurtis Samuel0.0-1
16.10BryanCairo Santos24.0+14