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Balladex / Methodology / Power rankings and team grades
Methodology · Reviewed October 20, 2026

How the Balladex power rankings and team grades work

Teams are ranked by point differential. Each team also gets a letter grade from its win percentage. The records and points are real; the order, grade and tiers are Balladex's model.

By Beau Thoutt · Used on NBA power rankings, NFL power rankings

Inputs to the Power rankings and team grades

  • Live ESPN standings: wins, losses, ties, points scored and points allowed.

How the power rankings are ordered

  • NBA: teams are sorted by average point differential per game. Offense and defense ranks come from points scored and allowed per game.
  • NFL: teams are sorted by total season point differential.

NBA team grade thresholds

  • A+ at a .720 win percentage or better, A at .640, A- at .570, B+ at .520, B at .480, B- at .430, C+ at .370, C at .300, C- at .240, and D below .240.
  • Tiers by rank: 1–3 Title favorites, 4–8 Contenders, 9–16 Playoff picture, 17–22 Play-in hunt, 23–30 Rebuilding. Before title odds publish, the top tier is labeled "Top tier".

NFL team grade thresholds

  • A+ at a .800 win percentage or better, A at .700, A- at .600, B+ at .550, B at .500, B- at .450, C+ at .400, C at .300, C- at .200, and D below .200. A tie counts as half a win.
  • Tiers by rank: 1–4 Super Bowl favorites, 5–12 Contenders, 13–20 In the mix, 21–32 Rebuilding.

Known limitations

  • The ranking uses point differential and the grade uses win percentage, so a team can rank high and grade modestly, or the reverse.
  • Neither is adjusted for opponent strength, pace or injuries.
  • Early in a season a handful of games decides the order.

Power rankings and team grades: frequently asked questions

How are the Balladex power rankings calculated?

Teams are ordered by point differential from live ESPN standings: average per game in the NBA, season total in the NFL. A separate A–F grade comes from win percentage.

What win percentage earns an A in the NBA?

An A needs a .640 win percentage and an A+ needs .720. A B is .480 or better, a C .300 or better, and a D is anything below .240.

What win percentage earns an A in the NFL?

An A needs a .700 win percentage and an A+ needs .800. A B is .500 or better, a C .300 or better, and a D is anything below .200.

Why is a team ranked above a team with a better record?

The order is by point differential, not record. A team that wins by large margins can outrank a team with more wins but closer games.

Other Balladex models

  • Balladex Impact index — A 0–99 composite of an NBA player's skill ratings plus a capped bonus for major honors.
  • MVP odds — NBA and NFL MVP ladders: a production-based score per contender, turned into probabilities across the field.
  • Title and Super Bowl odds — NBA title odds from a team rating (last season, roster talent, this season) run through the bracket; Super Bowl odds from point differential.
  • Fantasy projections — Forward-looking fantasy points, value over replacement, tiers and a model draft round for NFL and NBA.
  • Compare verdict — Head-to-head verdicts: who leads in more shared stat categories, and which pairs get a page.
  • NFL production index — A cross-position NFL rating: each player's production as a percentile of his position, curved to 20–99.
Source. Transcribed from lib/nbaModel.js (getStandings, gradeOf); lib/nflStandings.js (getNflStandings, gradeOf); app/[sport]/power/page.js; components/NflPower.jsx in the Balladex codebase. Found an error? Email hello@balladex.com. See the full methodology, including data sources and the corrections policy.