One of the best parts of playing Madden is the ratings updates. EA releases updated player ratings on a weekly basis, and the pros here at Madden School are keeping you in the know with our player ratings breakdowns. Part of staying competitive as a Madden player is knowing the players. Every season, we see our fair share of ratings disappointments (see Cam Newton from ’17). Likewise, we tend see a few surprise breakout players who boost their ratings astronomically. As is the case with every ratings update, there are some winners and some losers. Today, we’re breaking down the Madden 18 week 3 player ratings update. Here are our winners and losers from the most recent Madden 18 player ratings update.
Winners
It’s only week 3, so we don’t want to get too excited, but there are a few players we expect to see on the rise week in and week out in the player ratings. Of course, the success of the team plays a big role in an individual player’s Madden rating. Most times, players from winning teams tend to see their ratings go up, and this season is proving to be no different as most of our winners come from teams who had a strong showing the week before.
Geno Atkins DT Cincinnati Bengals
Geno Atkins saw his rating jump up two points from an 89 to a 91 overall. Two points is nothing to sneeze at when it comes to Madden ratings. How many of you would like to see your favorite team’s quarterback or top wide out jump up two ratings points? No difference here with Atkins given his pass rushing and run stopping abilities. Atkins is certainly the best defensive player on the Bengals squad and he definitely deserves a rating in the 90’s. The hike in his overall rating comes on the heels of a two sack performance against the Houston Texans and Deshaun Watson.
Tarik Cohen RB Chicago Bears
The rookie running back was one of Madden School’s  late round rookie to watch for in Madden 18 to start the season, and we can all see why after the first couple of games this year. Tarik Cohen’s overall rating jumped a whopping four points overall after the first ratings update, and he gets another small boost this week as he goes from 77 overall to a 78 overall. If you like using the Chicago Bears, then you’re definitely enjoying Cohen’s all around offensive explosiveness and playmaking ability. He’s also a great compliment back to the Bears starter, Jordan Howard.
Jack Doyle TE Indianapolis Colts
Jack Doyle has become the number one tight end in Indianapolis after Dwayne Allen’s trade to the New England Patriots in the off season. Doyle saw his overall rating jump three points overall this week from an 81 to an 84 overall. Most of his ratings boost came in the blocking categories as his pass block (PBLK) jumped an amazing nine points. In terms of the more important ratings as they relate to the TE position, Doyle’s catch and route running also saw small boosts as well. With Doyle seeing a ratings hike like this, it gives those of you who like to play with the Colts one more weapon to use in the passing game with Andrew Luck.
Benjamin Watson TE Baltimore Ravens
You have to respect Benjamin Watson given his age, but this ratings boost comes as no surprise after his big game. The veteran saw his overall rating jump up by five points from an 80 to an 85. Watson gives you a nice option down the seam if you like playing with Baltimore, and when you couple him with a deep speed threat like Maclin, the two can give your opponent’s headaches. Watson saw his run block rating (RBLK) jump up an astonishing 11 points from a 66 all the way to a 77. His catch, catch in traffic, and spectacular all saw a small hike as well. Watson is the ageless wonder, but we’ll have to see if his production can keep up with his lofty 85 overall rating.
Losers
As with all the ratings updates, there are plenty of players who saw their overall ratings plummet this week. Heads up to Cowboys fans, look away. Here are just a few of this week’s biggest ratings losers.
Travis Frederick C Dallas Cowboys
Frederick fell off by four points overall. After dropping from a lofty 93 to an 89 overall rating, you have to be disappointed if you’re a fan of using the Cowboys in Madden 18. The veteran center started the year rated among the highest in the league at the position, and even though he, and his O-line counterparts, had a bad game against Denver, Frederick isn’t expected to drop much farther in his overall rating. The worst part of this drop off comes in Frederick’s RBK and PBK ratings. His RBK fell a whopping eight points after the dismal running stats against the Denver Broncos.
Charles Sims III HB Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sims was not only replaced as the starter by Jacquizz Rogers, but he also fell by four points in his overall rating. Sims fell off in every important ratings category for a RB. He lost five points in his ELU and a disappointing six points in his BCV. Those two ratings drop offs definitely hurt Sims and any of you who like to use Tampa Bay in competitive game play. Sims is still fairly decent, but dropping from 82 to a 78 overall hurts, and we might see him go down even more before the season is done.
Zach Miller TE Chicago Bears
The tight ends saw a lot of big movement in this week’s Madden 18 ratings update. Unfortunately for those of you who like using the Chicago Bears, Zach Miller lost four points in his overall rating. He went from an  83 overall down to a 79 overall. The good news about this big drop off is that Miller didn’t see any of his pass catching attributes go down. This drop off comes from an astonishing 14 point drop off in his RBK as it went from a 72 down to a 58.
Jason Pierre Paul LE New York Giants
Pierre Paul has not produced much this season for the Giants pass rush, and his Madden 18 rating suffered as a result. Paul fell off by three points overall this week as he fell from a respectable 88 overall down to an average 85 overall. He really took a hit in some important pass rushing categories such as BSH and FMV. Paul’s BSH attribute fell off by seven points, and that’s bad news for those of you who like playing with that Giants defense. Not only will that effect Paul’s ability to rush the passer, but his ability to get stops in the run game will suffer as well.
That just about does it for our week 3 player ratings update winners and losers. Are there any you think we missed? Who are your biggest winners and losers from the latest roster update? Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
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