Top 5 Tips for Draft Champions

Draft Champions is a brand-new mode that puts every player on equal ground when putting their team together. Since the rounds are totally random and no two drafts are the same, your results will vary. You may feel very confident about your team after one draft and the next time feel like you made a mistake. No matter what, your team will be able to win games on the field, so stay cool and be ready!

Have a Plan

Knowing what type of team you want to build is extremely important when starting a draft. Although you never know which players will appear, you can ask yourself a few questions about your play style to really have an advantage.

• Is my defensive playbook a 3-4 or 4-3?
• Would I rather be a run-first or pass-first player?
• Which position is the most valuable to me on offense?

• If a certain elite player is available, will I select him even if I already have that position covered and a need at another spot?
• Who would be a fun player to user-control on defense?
• Should I draft based on ratings or based on name recognition?
• How much do I value whether or not a player matches up with my team style?

The best part is that even if you don’t have quite the draft you planned for, you will still have a solid team that can win games.

Set Your Lineup

Now that you have drafted your squad, make sure to get them set up in the optimal positions before heading into a game. By taking the extra second to review your lineup and make adjustments, you can double-check your strengths and weaknesses. If you doubled up on a position, now is the time to make a move and see if you can find a spot in the lineup for both. Picking up two guards or LBs at the same position isn’t a big deal since you can shift them around. You won’t gain the style boost, but they will likely be better than your base player.

Test Everything and Keep Notes

One of the best parts of this mode is finding some talented players that seem to play even better than their ratings! On the flip side, not every elite player will catch every single pass thrown his way. Keep a notebook next to your desk and mark down any time a player makes a big play for your team. If you utilize players out of position, make a note if you feel they improved or declined. Generally, as long as the player fits into the role of the new position, it was worth it to swap positions even if it wasn’t his natural listed spot.

Know Your Holes

With only a 15-round draft and 22 starting spots, your team will ultimately be weak somewhere. Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t get to load your team up quite as you could in Madden Ultimate Team! Your backups will play a big role in the game, and they all have strengths and weaknesses. Focus on bringing out their best talents by getting them in good positions for their skill sets!

Take Your Time

The draft is easily the best part of the new experience, so take your time and enjoy it. You have unlimited time to make a pick, so relax and use all the information available to you. At each new round, review the players you have already selected and make sure to look for some of those deeper hidden ratings on the back of the card. It will take a few rounds, but eventually you will get confident enough to make the pick without having to flip the cards. Until then take a deep breath and take your time!

Remember: There is no wrong pick. Even if you feel you messed up 15 times in a row, your team’s Overall rating will still be high enough to win a game against someone who made 15 “perfect” selections. “Scheme over team!”