Can you pick the winning side of the trade?
Set up a draft trade, then we'll randomly sample historical players drafted around each pick (±3 picks by default). You'll see one side's players and must decide: take them or take the mystery side? Players with less than 4 years are projected to a 4-year career value (still developing). Can you identify which side got more value?
Approximate Value (AV) is Pro Football Reference's method for estimating a player's value to their team in a given season. It's calculated using stats, playing time, awards, and team success. Think of it as a single number summarizing "how much did this player contribute?"
Career AV (dr_av) is the sum across a player's entire NFL career, regardless of which teams they played for. This measures overall player quality: who turned out to be the better player? A Hall of Fame career: 100-150+ AV. Solid career: 40-80 AV. Bust: under 20 AV.
In game mode, players drafted 2023+ are projected to 4-year values since their careers are incomplete. This levels the playing field when comparing young players to veterans.