Gridiron Ratings: A Better Way to Draft

by Jun 22, 2025

For as long as there’s been fantasy football, there’ve been players looking for an edge. Gridiron Ratings is built in that same spirit, giving you the tools to outsmart your league, not just outguess them.

Sure, we offer standard rankings like every other fantasy site. But our real power lies in how we evaluate players, not just rank them. We break down fantasy value into four core components:

  • Performance

  • Consistency

  • Availability

  • Average Draft Position (ADP)

Together, these four factors produce an Overall Rating a Madden-style 1–99 score that helps you easily compare and stack players. It’s a better way to build a draft board and a smarter way to make decisions all season long.

Performance Rating: How a Player Produces

This is the core of our system how a player scores fantasy points. Performance Ratings are built by measuring individual stats like yards, touchdowns, receptions, and tackles against benchmark numbers from the last five years.

Let’s say we’re grading a quarterback on passing touchdowns:

If the 5-year average leader threw 40 TDs and your QB is projected for 40+, he scores a “99” in that metric.

If he’s projected for 25? That earns a “63.”

Each stat is benchmarked and weighted to create a complete Performance Rating. The higher the rating, the more reliable the player’s production.

Why it matters: This rating gives you historical context how well a player stacks up to the best at his position over time.

Consistency Rating: When the Points Come

Scoring 30 points one week and 4 the next won’t win you many leagues. That’s why we created the Consistency Rating, using a stat called the Coefficient of Variation (CV). It measures how much a player’s weekly production fluctuates compared to their average.

We translate that into a 1–99 scale:

  • 99 = Elite week-to-week stability (think 2023 CMC or 2022 Mahomes)

  • 50–70 = Average volatility

  • 1–25 = Boom-or-bust lottery tickets

We even break this down into passing yards, touchdowns, and total fantasy points.

Why it matters: You need lineup confidence. Consistent players are safer flex options, better waiver stashes, and sneakier trade targets.

Availability Rating: Can They Stay on the Field?

It’s simple: The best ability is availability. If a player isn’t available, he can’t help you win.

We track games missed due to injury, suspension, or contract disputes. Our Availability Rating is based on a rolling 3-year average.

Why it matters: You can’t afford to spend premium picks on players who won’t be there. Availability helps identify risks and insulates your roster from early-season headaches.

Average Draft Position (ADP) Rating: Are You Paying the Right Price?

We calculate an ADP Rating by comparing a player’s projected fantasy points to the expected output from his draft slot.

Let’s break it down:

  • Matt Ryan (2018): Projected for ~19 PPG, drafted at ADP 106 → ADP Rating of 81 → Overall Rating: 99

  • Russell Wilson (2018): Same 19 PPG projection, but drafted at ADP 49 → ADP Rating of 55 → Overall Rating: 84
    (Matt Ryan also finished as QB2 that year while Russell Wilson was QB9)

Same production, wildly different value.

We use consensus ADP from sites like ESPN, Yahoo, MFL, FFPC, and Fantasy Football Calculator. QBs get special scoring adjustments to level the playing field across positions.

Why it matters: This helps you find value, not just talent. You’re not just drafting players you’re managing value.

The Overall Rating: Your Fantasy North Star

This is where it all comes together. We combine Performance, Opportunity, Availability, and ADP into one Madden-style Overall Rating. It’s the simplest way to answer a complex question:

Is this player a smart investment at his cost?

For example:

Let’s flash back to 2024, you’re at pick 48 you’re staring at the player list:

  • Trey McBride – ADP: 49, Overall Rating: 93
  • D’andre swift – ADP: 55, Overall Rating: 80
  • Aaron Jones – ADP 51, Overall Rating: 87

The ADP’s being this close means that it was McBride/Jones in a toss up.  Many drafters will over index RB here and pass on the TE.  However at the time the Performance ratings for these players put McBride at TE3-5 depending on your scoring.  The overall rating makes this an easy pick of McBride and then Jones if you’re in a typical snake draft.

While Jones and Swift finished with similar end of season stats (Jones was RB18 and Swift RB19) McBride may have been the difference of going to the playoffs or not.

Pro Tip: Always draft players in a way that respects their ADP. A “99” Overall doesn’t mean reach 40 spots early, it means they’re a screaming value at their ADP.

Ready to Build a Smarter Draft Board?

Gridiron Ratings was built for fantasy players who want more than just rankings. Our system gives you:

✅ Context on player performance
✅ Confidence in week-to-week consistency
✅ Clarity around coaching and opportunity
✅ Smarter draft-day value decisions

If you ever have questions or feedback, reach out anytime via chat, email, or social.

Let’s win some championships.

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