A few seasons back, EA Sports started disallowing injured players in all online H2H games. If you want to move an injured player into the starting spot, you’ll have to wait until the end of the NFL season, after the Super Bowl. Madden 18 is no different. In case you haven’t been able to keep up with all the latest injuries, the pros at Madden School have put together a list of injuries with the biggest impact in Madden 18.
These players are sorely missed by their teams. Some of the players to make our list are obvious while others not so much. Regardless, the injuries sustained by our list of players is having a big impact in Madden 18.
Greg Olsen TE Carolina Panthers
The loss of Greg Olsen is huge for any of you who like to play with Carolina. They were one of our most popular teams to use in Madden 18, and even though they’re still effective, they lost a lot of production when Olsen went down for the season. The Panthers offense went from highly dynamic to just sort of average after they lost their all star TE.
Allen Robinson WR Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are a team with a very good overall rating, despite QB Blake Bortles’ low rating, and they have a very talented defense with the potential to win you games. The Jacksonville Jaguars have the same problem as the Bears in that they need their top rated WR, badly. Robinson was rated 87 overall, and those of you who might like playing with the Jags could use his playmaking ability on offense. Robinson’s injury in undoubtedly having a big impact.
Odell Beckham Jr. WR New York Giants
Beckham was, for all intensive purposes, the number one offensive option on the New York Giants offense. With Beckham out for the entire season, the New York Giants are nearly unusable in online H2H matches. With the exception of TE Evan Engram, the Giants offense is incredibly depleted of playmakers. Beckham was a huge loss for any of you who like rolling with the Giants. At a 93 overall rating, Beckham is the highest rated WR to make our list.
JJ Watt DE Houston Texans
Another injury that just happened, and is fresh in everyone’s mind, is JJ Watt being lost for the season. This is a huge blow if you like playing with the Houston Texans. The team was really coming around with Watson making strides in his overall rating and the offense starting to come around. Nonetheless, Watt doesn’t necessarily render the Texans unusable, but his injury definitely hurts. Watt is certainly one of the injured players with the biggest impact in Madden 18.
Julian Edelman WR New England Patriots
An injury that perhaps isn’t so fresh in your mind is the loss of Julian Edelman, WR for the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. Edelman’s presence on offense would make New England nearly unstoppable in online H2H matches. They’re nearly unstoppable as it is, so you can only imagine what Edelman’s presence would give them. Regardless, Edelman’s rating alone makes him a huge loss as he’s the only receiver, other than Gronk, rated higher that 90 that New England has.
David Johnson RB Arizona Cardinals
Arizona was one of the more popular teams to use in online H2H matches before Johnson went down with his wrist injury. He gave the Arizona Cardinal users a huge advantage because of his ability to run and catch the ball and turn those into big plays. Although they still have some weapons on offense, the absence of David Johnson is having a huge impact on the Arizona Cardinals.
Cameron Meredith WR Chicago Bears
The Bears are slowly coming around and have some talented players with decent overall ratings on both offense and defense. The Bears might not be the most popular team in competitive Madden 18 matches, but they have a young offense to build your franchise around, and a talented defense. Their problem is they don’t have any receivers, and that’s what makes Cameron Meredith’s injury so detrimental to those rare Bears users in Madden 18. Meredith is rated an 83 overall which is several points higher than any other receiver on the Chicago Bears roster.
Eric Berry SS Kansas City Chiefs
Even though the Chiefs are the highest rated team in Madden 18, Eric Berry’s injury still has a big impact on the team. Imagine that Kansas City team with Eric Berry available on defense. Berry’s 97 overall rating is the second highest of any player to make our list, and his injury certainly leaves a hole in the Chiefs secondary. For those of you who like to play with the Chiefs, the loss of Eric Berry early on in the season is having a huge impact in Madden 18, regardless of their high overall rating.
Aaron Rodgers QB Green Bay Packers
Clearly, the injury to Aaron Rodgers is having the biggest impact in Madden 18. This is a devastating injury in the online H2H community as the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers are essentially useless. The backup QB, Brett Hundley, isn’t going to get the job done for you with his measly 71 overall rating. It’s a shame given the Packers are one of the teams deepest at WR in Madden 18.
That just about does it for Madden School’s list of injured players with the biggest impact in Madden 18. Which injuries are particularly devastating for you? Maybe the loss of Dalvin Cook makes your list? Share your thoughts with the rest of the Madden School community in the comments section below. Be sure to check back for all the latest Madden 18 tips, tricks, news and expert analysis.
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*intents and purposes, but great write-up