Draft Grades
What are Draft Grades?
Draft Grades evaluate every draft pick in your league's history based on the value the selected player actually produced relative to expectations for that draft position. Each pick receives a letter grade from A+ to F, and each manager receives an overall draft grade based on the weighted average of their individual picks.
Unlike pre-draft grades from media outlets that predict value, League History draft grades are calculated retroactively using actual season performance. They answer: "Given where you picked, did you get good value?"
How individual picks are graded
Pick Quality Score
Each pick is evaluated against what similar draft capital has historically produced. A first-round pick is expected to return more value than a tenth-round pick. The Pick Quality Score measures whether a pick overperformed or underperformed that expectation.
- Yahoo leagues: Pick Quality Score is expressed as a percentile (0-100) against other picks at the same draft position
- Sleeper leagues: Pick Quality Z-Score normalizes against the distribution of outcomes at that pick range
LAMAR-based value
The primary value input is the player's LAMAR over the season following the draft. A first-round pick who produces elite LAMAR gets a high grade. A first-round pick who busts gets a low grade. A late-round pick who produces even moderate LAMAR gets a high grade because expectations were low.
Letter grades
Individual picks are graded on the standard academic scale:
| Grade | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A+ / A / A- | Exceptional value for draft position |
| B+ / B / B- | Above-average return |
| C+ / C / C- | Met expectations |
| D+ / D / D- | Below expectations |
| F | Significant underperformance |
Additional pick metrics
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| LAMAR/$ (Auction) | LAMAR per dollar spent — draft efficiency in auction leagues |
| LAMAR/Pick (Snake) | LAMAR per pick invested — draft efficiency in snake leagues |
| Expected LAMAR | The LAMAR a typical player drafted at that position would produce |
| Value Z-Score | Standardized value compared to the league's draft class |
| Breakout | Pick significantly outperformed ADP expectations |
| Bust | Pick significantly underperformed ADP expectations |
Manager draft grades
Each manager's overall draft grade is a GPA-weighted average of their individual pick grades, converted back to a letter grade.
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| Manager Draft GPA | Average GPA across all picks (4.0 scale) |
| Manager Draft Grade | Letter grade from GPA |
| Career Draft GPA | Multi-year weighted average across all seasons drafted |
| Manager Draft Percentile | How the manager ranks against other managers in the league |
Career Draft GPA tracks whether a manager is consistently a good drafter or whether they had one lucky year. Managers with high career GPA are finding value year after year, not just hitting on a single pick.
Auction vs. Snake
The grading system adapts to the draft format:
- Auction drafts: Value is measured against cost (LAMAR per dollar). Overpaying for a good player can still be a bad grade.
- Snake drafts: Value is measured against draft position. A steal in the 8th round matters more than a safe pick in the 1st.
Draft format is detected per year, so leagues that switch formats between seasons are graded correctly for each.
See draft grades in your league
Import your league for free to see every draft pick in your league's history graded — and find out who's been the best drafter across all your seasons.
Related — Roster Management
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