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
1.01CrawfJa'Marr Chase304.0-18
1.02MannySaquon Barkley238.3-25
1.03FrostBijan Robinson377.5-2
1.04ChengyJahmyr Gibbs356.6-5
1.05CrockChristian McCaffrey412.9+3
1.06MarcusJustin Jefferson187.1-49
1.07BeavCeeDee Lamb211.5-33
1.08DezMalik Nabers59.1-119
1.09MeekBrock Bowers180.2-53
1.10DevionAmon-Ra St. Brown307.1-8
2.01DevionNico Collins232.2-19
2.02MeekPuka Nacua363.0+4
2.03FrostAshton Jeanty236.7-16
2.04BeavA.J. Brown230.3-18
2.05MarcusDe'Von Achane330.8+1
2.06CrockDrake London194.1-34
2.07ChengyBrian Thomas Jr.130.9-70
2.08DezJonathan Taylor368.4+12
2.09MannyJosh Jacobs237.1-9
2.10CrawfChase Brown269.6-3
3.01CrawfDerrick Henry282.90
3.02MannyTyreek Hill55.5-110
3.03FrostBucky Irving129.7-66
3.04MeekKyren Williams254.20
3.05CrockMarvin Harrison Jr.127.8-65
3.06MarcusJosh Allen423.6+25
3.07BeavLamar Jackson230.4-4
3.08DezTee Higgins194.9-21
3.09DezAlvin Kamara100.7-77
3.10DevionLadd McConkey184.9-28
4.01DevionJames Cook III320.7+16
4.02MeekJoe Burrow147.3-47
4.03DezChuba Hubbard121.7-60
4.04BeavDavante Adams224.90
4.05MarcusGarrett Wilson99.5-72
4.06CrockOmarion Hampton137.7-47
4.07ChengyTrey McBride308.4+20
4.08FrostTerry McLaurin104.5-65
4.09MannyJaxon Smith-Njigba363.5+32
4.10CrawfGeorge Kittle155.6-36
5.01CrawfKenneth Walker III178.6-23
5.02MannyJames Conner33.3-100
5.03FrostDK Metcalf191.2-9
5.04ChengyJayden Daniels130.3-44
5.05CrockXavier Worthy103.7-60
5.06MarcusMike Evans81.4-70
5.07BeavTreVeyon Henderson192.9-4
5.08DezBaker Mayfield314.7+32
5.09MeekTony Pollard182.3-11
5.10DevionD'Andre Swift228.8+17
6.01DevionZay Flowers217.5+13
6.02MeekBreece Hall217.7+15
6.03DezCalvin Ridley49.3-82
6.04BeavTetairoa McMillan204.9+12
6.05MarcusIsiah Pacheco65.5-70
6.06CrockGeorge Pickens300.0+36
6.07ChengyAaron Jones Sr.118.7-40
6.08FrostCourtland Sutton222.2+23
6.09MannyDJ Moore170.1-9
6.10CrawfJalen Hurts352.1+49
7.01CrawfDeVonta Smith197.6+14
7.02MannySam LaPorta106.9-40
7.03DezJerry Jeudy58.4-66
7.04ChengyJaylen Waddle196.1+16
7.05CrockEmeka Egbuka199.9+19
7.06MarcusTyrone Tracy Jr.132.9-20
7.07BeavRJ Harvey202.3+24
7.08ChengyJameson Williams214.5+29
7.09DezT.J. Hockenson67.1-53
7.10DevionRashee Rice152.1-7
8.01DevionDavid Montgomery164.4-1
8.02MeekJakobi Meyers166.4+2
8.03FrostJaylen Warren206.2+32
8.04BeavJacory Croskey-Merritt141.4-7
8.05MarcusTravis Kelce189.0+22
8.06CrockRicky Pearsall92.6-34
8.07ChengyMatthew Golden57.1-54
8.08FrostRome Odunze150.10
8.09MannyStefon Diggs188.2+25
8.10CrawfTravis Hunter65.8-44
9.01CrawfJordan Addison137.3-4
9.02MannyCooper Kupp111.4-19
9.03FrostEvan Engram14.9-62
9.04ChengyMichael Pittman Jr.201.3+40
9.05CrockKaleb Johnson-0.1-75
9.06MarcusChris Olave274.0+64
9.07BeavTyler Warren180.9+26
9.08MeekKhalil Shakir168.4+19
9.09MeekJauan Jennings158.7+15
9.10DevionPatrick Mahomes335.7+77
10.01DevionTravis Etienne Jr.253.1+66
10.02MeekZach Charbonnet164.7+21
10.03DezJ.K. Dobbins119.9-3
10.04BeavKeon Coleman83.0-21
10.05MarcusNick Chubb69.1-26
10.06CrockJordan Mason115.7-2
10.07ChengyAustin Ekeler13.1-50
10.08FrostJavonte Williams246.8+72
10.09MannyBo Nix356.3+89
10.10CrawfDeebo Samuel184.1+41
11.01CrawfChris Godwin Jr.83.2-12
11.02MannyRhamondre Stevenson143.5+22
11.03FrostJerome Ford1.5-52
11.04ChengyDarnell Mooney40.4-36
11.05CrockKyler Murray89.8-7
11.06MarcusJayden Reed48.5-30
11.07BeavTank Bigsby1.6-47
11.08DezMark Andrews52.1-25
11.09MeekKeenan Allen174.1+44
11.10DevionJoe Mixon0.0-46
12.01DevionDavid Njoku32.6-32
12.02MeekTrey Benson35.4-29
12.03DezBraelon Allen15.3-31
12.04BeavJosh Downs42.5-25
12.05MarcusCam Skattebo127.7+24
12.06CrockTucker Kraft121.2+22
12.07ChengyBhayshul Tuten80.3-1
12.08FrostHollywood Brown78.2-1
12.09MannyTyler Allgeier80.4+2
12.10CrawfRachaad White115.1+21
13.01CrawfBroncos D/ST124.0+29
13.02MannySteelers D/ST95.0+13
13.03FrostBrandon Aubrey179.8+60
13.04ChengyColston Loveland90.8+13
13.05CrockQuinshon Judkins171.8+59
13.06MarcusRavens D/ST43.0-12
13.07BeavDallas Goedert187.1+72
13.08DezChristian Kirk10.5-21
13.09MeekVikings D/ST75.0+9
13.10DevionTexans D/ST162.0+57
14.01DevionJake Bates58.8+3
14.02MeekChris Boswell138.5+50
14.03DezLions D/ST52.0-1
14.04BeavEagles D/ST120.0+39
14.05MarcusOllie Gordon II14.4-11
14.06CrockCam Little57.3+6
14.07ChengySeahawks D/ST157.0+62
14.08FrostDak Prescott391.1+134
14.09MannyCameron Dicker170.5+72
14.10CrawfNajee Harris11.6-8
15.01CrawfJake Ferguson186.6+84
15.02MannyJustin Herbert351.9+130
15.03FrostBrandon Aiyuk0.0-13
15.04ChengyWil Lutz2.4-9
15.05CrockIsaiah Likely5.9-6
15.06MarcusHarrison Butker83.1+32
15.07BeavTyler Bass0.0-9
15.08DezChase McLaughlin104.2+44
15.09MeekJayden Higgins44.0+12
15.10DevionJaydon Blue4.4-2
16.01DevionDrake Maye399.2+148
16.02MeekDalton Kincaid98.2+44
16.03DezBrock Purdy218.2+117
16.04BeavPackers D/ST67.0+31
16.05MarcusKyle Pitts Sr.201.0+110
16.06CrockPatriots D/ST115.0+56
16.07ChengyBrian Robinson Jr.60.4+31
16.08FrostCardinals D/ST10.0+8
16.09MannyAmari Cooper0.0+3
16.10CrawfKa'imi Fairbairn137.7+77