There are some things you have to understand before playing Draft Champions. First and foremost it does not play like the other modes it just doesn’t. I don’t know if it is because of the quality of the players you have on the field, the quality of your opponents, or it’s not set at the same difficulty as every other online mode (no one will ever admit that). So make sure above all to bring your patience because things will happen during these games that will leave you staring at your screen in disbelief.
After playing a decent amount of games on the mode this year I have a few observations:
- Picking your legend is a nice change- Being able to build your team around your best player in Draft Champions is great especially if it’s at a key position like QB, RB or WR.
- Teams are generally better- The level of gold and elites in Draft Champions are much better in comparison to last year.
- The running game is overpowered- Now I know this is a statement about Madden 17 in general but Draft Champions is even worse. I was stuck in a book the other day I had no clue what to call on offense and I ran for almost 300 yards with Demarco Murray. It went against everything I believe in offensively but it’s Madden 17 Draft Champions.
- You will get aggressive caught on- While aggressive catch has been mostly a non-issue for me in other game modes in Draft Champions Herman Moore is a God.
The following are some tips I would recommend to help you be successful at Draft Champions:
- Check out your playbooks before picking one- Once the three playbooks show up on the  Draft Champions screen take a step back and go into the playbooks section to find formations you are comfortable in offensively and defensively. There is no worse feeling than being in a book where you have no clue what you are doing on offense or where you can’t stop a nosebleed on defense.
- Get to know your base players- Every year there are hidden gems amongst the base silver/gold players. Make sure to know who these are so that when you have them on your squad you know that is not a position of urgent need. A few I have noticed this year are Trae Waynes, Nigel Bradham and Marc Barron. While these players are not game breakers they are more than serviceable at their positions so you can spend your draft picks on more urgent needs.
- Take away what your opponent likes to do quickly- Now this may sound simple but the truth is most individuals unless they get lucky enough to be able to pick from their favorite playbook will be in the same position as you in Draft Champions. They will probably have one or two things they are comfortable doing and then it’s a free for all. So even if you have to over compensate some take away their initial game plan so that they have to go to their secondary option.
- Don’t get discouraged by a loss- One of the most important things to remember in Draft Champions is that everyone loses. No matter how good you are very few people and by few I just mean Shugz and whatever other aliens are like him have great records at Draft Champions. Be ready to take your loses…learn from them…and move forward.
All and all I would say Draft Champions is a mode that provides some benefits to it as far as qualification because it’s basically free. It also helps you to learn just about every playbook in Madden 17. It is definitely not easy and if you are easily frustrated or discouraged it may not be for you.
If you have any Draft Champions or other game related questions feel free to message me on twitter @gbello28.
Stay tuned as we will cover MUT Salary Cap in our next installment.
Gus
Turf Team