What Is Draft Champions?

Implemented in 2015, Draft Champions is a newer way to play, with a ton of features. This free-to-play game mode builds in the excitement of a fantasy football draft with on-the-field Madden NFL action. Players in Draft Champions can choose to compete in a solo draft against the CPU or in a head-to-head (H2H) draft. You start by picking a coach, which gives you the playbooks and team style. From there, the fun begins, and you will draft 15 rounds of players before playing with your team. The more you win, the greater the rewards you can earn!

DRAFT CHAMPIONS CHECKLIST

• Choose Solo or H2H Draft
• Pick Your Coach
• Draft 15 Rounds
• Win to Earn Greater Rewards

WHAT’S NEW IN DRAFT CHAMPIONS?

Ranked Draft Champions (DCR), Play A Friend, H2H, and Solo Draft modes are all back. And, this time with twice as many players available at launch, so expect to see a lot more players in your drafts.

DCR is the first of the highly competitive modes and the best players will be invited to online tournaments that will lead toward the Madden 17 Championship!

DCR has a new Leaderboard where you can see how you stack up against all of the other players in the world. This year there’s also a major focus on community events. Starting September 9, you will have access to FRIDAY NIGHT DRAFTS, which will have all new Solo Drafts, EXCLUSIVE players, and richer rewards. Check your in-game Announcements for details.

Draft On

• Check your base team for sleepers—they may change your draft plan.
• Keep an eye out for legends; drafting one is an excellent way to give your team an identity.

From the Main menu, select the Draft Champions panel to get started building your team. Once you select solo or head-to-head, you can enter a draft and begin selecting your team. The game gives you a starting roster with base players who generally have an Overall rating around 68 to 70. You won’t have enough selections to fully create a lineup, so keep an eye on these players, as they will see the field at some point. All of these players have strengths and weaknesses, so try to get the most out of them if they make the lineup.

Know which positions you need elite talent in, and which ones you don’t value unless something great comes up. If you grab an elite QB but keep a base left tackle, will you have enough time to consistently throw downfield? This is what makes Draft Champions so compelling. Remember that there are no wrong answers.

Team Styles

• The biggest factor in your team’s style is your coach. Each coach grants +50 to style on offense and defense.
• One of the toughest decisions in Draft Champions is choosing between a coach with a good playbook and one with a good style: lean toward playbook!

Building up your team style is a great way to get your team some boosts during gameplay. Keep an eye on the items that you are collecting, and start to build out a lineup. By flipping over an item, you can see how much style it will add to your team. Make sure to get your players in their proper positions to receive the boost. Styles and boosts work the same way as in Madden Ultimate Team, so test them there and find one that you are comfortable with. This way, you can experiment with the effects of style. For example, is a +50 boost enough, or do you like to go higher?

After the Draft

After the draft is complete, you can adjust your lineup and play your Draft Champions game. You can also evaluate your coaching, as well as equipment like uniforms and stadiums. Taking a few seconds to adjust your lineup can pay off significantly once you hit the field. Make sure you get all the talent you selected into the best positions to make plays. If you selected two HBs, consider moving one to receiver if he has a high Catch rating. If you selected two OLBs who play the same side, move the backup to the other side to replace a base-level player.

All of these small tweaks will help you get the most from the lineup once you get on the field. Using the Compare Items option in the Lineup screen is a great way to evaluate players’ abilities and see who matches your team’s play style. Finding good formations is crucial to success.

For example, you want a formation to spread out the defense if you went heavy on receivers, but you’ll need different options for pounding the ball if you chose a halfback and strong offensive line. To help find the best plays in your playbook, check out the play-calling sheets in the Teams chapter.

Your opponent will have some great players but will also be weak at a few positions. Try to target them and get your best talent matched up against their weaker positions, but know that they will do the same.

Using the matchup stick in-game is a good way to keep an eye on these potential ratings mismatches.

The game will keep you updated on your wins and losses. Don’t worry if you take a loss: that just means you get to do another draft! If you keep racking up the wins, you will keep earning better rewards. If you chose the solo challenge route, you need to win three games before you lose one to earn rewards. If you chose head-to-head, you must win four games before you lose one. Once you lose, you get your rewards (depending on how many games you won), and then you draft a new team all over again.

Offensive Styles

• SHORT PASS STYLE boosts Catch in Traffic and Pass Blocking to improve your ability to complete short to intermediate passes.
• LONG PASS STYLE boosts Route Running and Pass Blocking and improves your ability to complete intermediate to deep passes.
• GROUND AND POUND STYLE boosts Trucking and Run Blocking, thus increasing your effectiveness with a power running game plan.
• SPEED RUN STYLE boosts Elusiveness and Run Blocking, increasing the effectiveness of a running game plan built around quickness.

Defensive Styles

• ZONE DEFENSE STYLE boosts Play Recognition and Zone Coverage, so there’s an increased chance of success when you call zone coverage plays.
• MAN DEFENSE STYLE boosts Play Recognition and Man Coverage for an increased chance of success when you call man coverage plays.
• PASS RUSH STYLE boosts Pursuit and Block Shedding, so players blitzing the QB are more likely to escape blocks.
• RUN STUFF STYLE boosts Tackling and Block Shedding, so defenders have a better chance of shutting down plays.
• Don’t forget to optimize your lineup for the 4-3 or 3-4 defense depending on which coach you selected and his playbook.
• You will be able to see your opponent’s best players when loading into the game, so think about how they will use them.