We’re one week down in the 2025 NFL season—and the fantasy football season—but let’s rewind to around this time last week. You had your fantasy football draft and think you did an incredible job, then you see your draft grade. It’s a D+. Your confidence is shattered. But should it be?
As described in our latest YouTube video, having a bad fantasy football draft grade can actually be a good sign that you’re on your way to the fantasy playoffs.
The People Agree
We posted a meme on our Instagram page, which racked up over one million views and hundreds of comments. It’s about how when you get a bad grade from a mainstream site like ESPN or Yahoo, you’re feeling good because you know it means you’re headed to the fantasy playoffs. Basically, the draft grades are incredibly inaccurate, and everyone agrees in the comments.
Users commented things like draft grades are the “Inverse Cramer” of the fantasy world, and that they were devastated to get a high draft grade.
A Flawed Foundation
So, why are fantasy football draft grades from ESPN and other sites so inaccurate? It’s because the grades are built on a flawed foundation of inaccurate analyst rankings. Think about it: Where has Derrick Henry been ranked each year for the past several years? Never high enough, and if you drafted him you were obviously very happy with it. Yet, the draft grades would deem your selection of Henry in the first or early second round as a “reach.”
These rankings are the basis for the draft grade algorithms. If the foundation is off, as they have been—as proven by our experiences, the experiences of Fantasy Consigliere members, and those of many commenters—then the draft grades will be off.
Did You Draft a Good Team?
Of course, no one can really predict how a season will turn out. But how can you determine if you might have a championship-caliber fantasy roster? Our recommendation is to trust your gut and bet on the talent. If you acquire the most talented players for your fantasy roster, chances are things will work out in the end. That means not worrying too much about where players are ranked on mainstream sites while drafting your squad.
Watch on YouTube
You can check out the meme and some of the top comments from it in our latest YouTube video. So, if you got a bad fantasy draft grade, don’t fret. If anything, it could mean a fantasy championship is in your future.
Watch the full video on YouTube, and subscribe to Wolf Sports on YouTube for more content like this.