diff --git a/app/services/__tests__/qualifying-points-discord.server.test.ts b/app/services/__tests__/qualifying-points-discord.server.test.ts
index d65d823..d258f92 100644
--- a/app/services/__tests__/qualifying-points-discord.server.test.ts
+++ b/app/services/__tests__/qualifying-points-discord.server.test.ts
@@ -373,6 +373,29 @@ describe("notifyQualifyingPointsUpdate", () => {
     expect(call.eliminated).toEqual([]);
   });
 
+  it("short-circuits before the QP-total/season lookups when nothing drafted is involved", async () => {
+    // A knockout occurred but the player isn't drafted in any league. The notifier
+    // is invoked (the sync fires it on any elimination) but must not run the rest
+    // of its query battery just to send nothing.
+    const db = makeDb({
+      draftPicks: { findMany: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]) },
+    });
+
+    await notifyQualifyingPointsUpdate(
+      SPORTS_SEASON_ID,
+      SCORING_EVENT_ID,
+      db as never,
+      new Set(["p-nonexistent"]),
+      new Set(["p-undrafted"])
+    );
+
+    expect(db.query.draftPicks.findMany).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(db.query.seasonParticipantQualifyingTotals.findMany).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(db.query.seasons.findMany).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(db.query.seasonParticipants.findMany).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(sendQualifyingPointsUpdateNotification).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("fires when a drafted player is knocked out even though no QP changed", async () => {
     const db = makeDbWithEliminated();
 
diff --git a/app/services/qualifying-points-discord.server.ts b/app/services/qualifying-points-discord.server.ts
index 8584c0f..5601b57 100644
--- a/app/services/qualifying-points-discord.server.ts
+++ b/app/services/qualifying-points-discord.server.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,34 @@ export async function notifyQualifyingPointsUpdate(
 
   if (qpEarnedById.size === 0 && eliminatedIds.size === 0) return;
 
+  const seasonIds = seasonSports.map((s) => s.seasonId);
+
+  // Batch-fetch all draft picks for all leagues at once, grouped by season.
+  // Fetched before the remaining lookups so we can short-circuit when nothing
+  // that happened this sync was actually drafted: during a Grand Slam's early
+  // rounds most eliminated players are undrafted, and the notifier now fires on
+  // every sync that has any elimination — no point running the rest of the
+  // queries just to send nothing.
+  const allPicks = await db.query.draftPicks.findMany({
+    where: inArray(schema.draftPicks.seasonId, seasonIds),
+    with: { team: true },
+  });
+  const picksBySeasonId = new Map<string, (typeof allPicks)[number][]>();
+  const draftedParticipantIds = new Set<string>();
+  for (const pick of allPicks) {
+    draftedParticipantIds.add(pick.participantId);
+    const bucket = picksBySeasonId.get(pick.seasonId);
+    if (bucket) {
+      bucket.push(pick);
+    } else {
+      picksBySeasonId.set(pick.seasonId, [pick]);
+    }
+  }
+
+  const hasDraftedQP = [...qpEarnedById.keys()].some((id) => draftedParticipantIds.has(id));
+  const hasDraftedEliminated = [...eliminatedIds].some((id) => draftedParticipantIds.has(id));
+  if (!hasDraftedQP && !hasDraftedEliminated) return;
+
   // Current running QP totals for the season
   const qpTotals = await db.query.seasonParticipantQualifyingTotals.findMany({
     where: eq(schema.seasonParticipantQualifyingTotals.sportsSeasonId, sportsSeasonId),
@@ -67,8 +95,6 @@ export async function notifyQualifyingPointsUpdate(
     qpTotals.map((t) => [t.participantId, parseFloat(t.totalQualifyingPoints)])
   );
 
-  const seasonIds = seasonSports.map((s) => s.seasonId);
-
   // Batch-fetch all season + league metadata in one query
   const seasons = await db.query.seasons.findMany({
     where: inArray(schema.seasons.id, seasonIds),
@@ -76,21 +102,6 @@ export async function notifyQualifyingPointsUpdate(
   });
   const seasonMap = new Map(seasons.map((s) => [s.id, s]));
 
-  // Batch-fetch all draft picks for all leagues at once, grouped by season
-  const allPicks = await db.query.draftPicks.findMany({
-    where: inArray(schema.draftPicks.seasonId, seasonIds),
-    with: { team: true },
-  });
-  const picksBySeasonId = new Map<string, (typeof allPicks)[number][]>();
-  for (const pick of allPicks) {
-    const bucket = picksBySeasonId.get(pick.seasonId);
-    if (bucket) {
-      bucket.push(pick);
-    } else {
-      picksBySeasonId.set(pick.seasonId, [pick]);
-    }
-  }
-
   // Batch-fetch participant display names once (same participants across all leagues)
   const allParticipantIds = [...new Set([...qpEarnedById.keys(), ...eliminatedIds])];
   const participants = await db.query.seasonParticipants.findMany({