Making Decisions for Madden 18 Franchise Mode

As the Madden 18 release date, August 25th is quickly approaching, it’s time to talk strategy about how you are going to create the best dynasty franchise mode has ever seen. Whether you are playing in an online league with your friends or an offline franchise where you compete against the CPU, it’s good to go in with a solid game plan.

I’ve continuously reiterated this here at Madden School, but it is important to understand your style of play. Everyone is different and that’s OK. When picking a team, it is also important to understand the circumstances that surround them. Here are some things you must look for when choosing a team.

Roster

I would suggest before choosing a franchise to start with, take an in-depth look at the roster. You have to understand the current state of the team and know the holes before making the decision. For example, say you don’t follow the New York Jets that much but are intrigued by some of the young talents they have on defense in Jamal Adams and Leonard Williams. Which is a great reason to pick the team but it’s also important to look at the offensive side and notice that they are far away from competing.

It’s just the little things that can really make or break franchise mode for you. Once you understand what you are getting yourself into, it will be a lot more fun. Once again, it is all dependent on the roster.

Play Your Strengths

Now, you have a selected roster. The next phase is playing to your strengths. It seems simple but it isn’t. You have to understand the type of playbooks that will also fit your roster (this is easier than it seems). Once you’ve played enough of Madden, you will get a solid understanding of the playbooks that they offer. For example, I know that the Raiders play mostly a base 3-4 defensive scheme in real life and that’s what Madden had for Jack Del Rio’s playbook in Madden 17. But, I personally enjoy more of a base 4-3 scheme because I felt like it utilized Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin better on the EDGE. When I made that decision, my defense as a whole got a lot better because I played to the strength of my pass rushing ability.

Get Guys You Want

This is one of the harder things to do. Trading in Madden games can be a tricky business sometimes. Teams often look for draft capital and I have always been an advocate in obtaining draft capital – not shipping it away. But, on the other side of that, you may want to go grab a dynamic young guy who you know can take your team to the next level. Another example of this for Madden 18 would be getting a speedy WR. Everyone knows that speed kills in Madden games (Hmm . . .Mike Vick Madden 05) so say you have a strong armed QB but want to match speed on the outside for that big play ability. Now, John Ross just broke the 40-yard dash time with 4.22 and figures to have a high speed rating, I am totally OK with going out and giving up some capital to get a playmaker like that. If he is in the correct situation, he could help tremendously and all the guys around him.

Once again, I believe in obtaining draft capital and not giving it away but there are some instances where it is ok. I wouldn’t go too crazy with this either. The Madden draft classes will usually have some guys that could also transform rosters.

Basically, understand the rosters, yourself and be aggressive in getting the guys that can help you create that dynasty. Take notice of their ages as well – An Amari Cooper might be more valuable long-term than let’s say, Antonio Brown. While we are still waiting for news of Madden 18’s official franchise mode, these are just some tips that I have personally used in the past to create a dynasty.

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