diff --git a/backend/espn/logic.py b/backend/espn/logic.py
index 99c9c3c..2caa2ed 100644
--- a/backend/espn/logic.py
+++ b/backend/espn/logic.py
@@ -62,6 +62,23 @@ def _members_by_id(payload: dict) -> dict:
     return members
 
 
+# Per-team waiver priority lives on the team object in ESPN's payload
+# (it is state, not a setting, so it is NOT in the acquisitionSettings
+# block). No recorded payload in this repo carries it yet, so the read
+# is defensive: the canonical key first, then the plausible variants,
+# each accepted only as a plain int. Anything else degrades to None —
+# the rank is ESPN state and is never derived from standings/record.
+_WAIVER_RANK_KEYS = ("waiverRank", "currentWaiverRank", "waiver_rank")
+
+
+def _waiver_rank(team: dict):
+    for key in _WAIVER_RANK_KEYS:
+        value = team.get(key)
+        if isinstance(value, int) and not isinstance(value, bool):
+            return value
+    return None
+
+
 def _slim_team(team: dict, members: dict) -> dict:
     record = ((team.get("record") or {}).get("overall")) or {}
     streak_raw = record.get("streak") or {}
@@ -84,6 +101,7 @@ def _slim_team(team: dict, members: dict) -> dict:
         "points_for": record.get("pointsFor"),
         "points_against": record.get("pointsAgainst"),
         "streak": streak,
+        "waiver_rank": _waiver_rank(team),
     }
 
 
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_espn_logic.py b/backend/tests/test_espn_logic.py
index 74d97ce..238030c 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_espn_logic.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_espn_logic.py
@@ -314,6 +314,32 @@ def test_get_league_acquisition_settings_absent(client):
     }
 
 
+def _payload_with_teams(teams):
+    return dict(LEAGUE_PAYLOAD, teams=teams)
+
+
+def test_get_league_waiver_rank_parsed():
+    teams = [dict(t) for t in LEAGUE_PAYLOAD["teams"]]
+    teams[0]["waiverRank"] = 2
+    teams[1]["currentWaiverRank"] = 1
+    # teams[2] carries no waiver field at all
+    res = logic.get_league(FakeClient(payload=_payload_with_teams(teams)))
+    assert [t["waiver_rank"] for t in res["teams"]] == [2, 1, None]
+    # pre-existing keys are untouched
+    alpha = res["teams"][0]
+    assert alpha["name"] == "Alpha"
+    assert alpha["wins"] == 8
+    assert alpha["streak"] == "W2"
+
+
+def test_get_league_waiver_rank_absent_is_none(client):
+    # the default fixture carries no per-team waiver field: the rank
+    # degrades to None on every team instead of disappearing (and is
+    # never invented from standings or record)
+    res = logic.get_league(client)
+    assert [t["waiver_rank"] for t in res["teams"]] == [None, None, None]
+
+
 def test_get_standings_order_and_rank(client):
     res = logic.get_standings(client)
     assert res["count"] == 3