SO let’s talk Draft Picks Round 1 & 2 Strategy

Posts: 3

Hope everyone’s having a productive, grinding kind of Saturday as we push through the 50 Draft Picks wins. Let’s talk strategy to make this go by as fast as possible.

Team Info:
I’m running a 97 OVR squad (still trying to figure out a solid coin-making system—no luck yet 🤷‍♂️). Also, I’m NMS.

Offense:

I don’t usually return the opening kick far—just enough to get started.
Run a vertical route and chuck it deep. Try to get two 25+ yard passes per drive.
Punch it in for the TD.

2-Point Conversion:
Go for it every time. Run your go-to play. I personally love Jet Touch Pass vs CPU, but hey, do you, boo.

Onside Kick:

Use a low kick.
Push the left stick to the left.
Stop the kick bar all the way to the left, then let it rise just under the arrow.
Cross your fingers.

Defense:

Pinch the line, press coverage, go man-to-man, blitz heavy.
Aim for sacks and fumbles—they’re only an 86 OVR team.
I’m not the best at user picks (especially post-nerf of the old "punt return man vs 4 verts" CPU trick from past Maddens), so I just focus on pressure.

Final Thoughts:

If everything clicks, I’m averaging about 3 minutes per game. With non-stop gameplay, that’s around 2.5 to 3 hours for all 50 wins.

Then… we wait for 4/29 to be completely disappointed by the locker pulls. 😅

Happy grinding!

Got something better? Let’s hear it. What’s your strategy?

Posts: 132

I throw a bomb. Corner kick to cpu. Mid blitz them into a safety. Throw another bomb. Game over.

Posts: 216

Take opening kick, run backwards (I go out at the 1 every single time). You want 3 (or 4, if you can swing it) 25+ and the TD +2. Way to get to 4 is get your first three 25+, but NOT score. Then on 1st down, pick a run play and run backwards so that you can get the 4th 25+ for your TD play. Then get your 2. That's 8 + 6 + 2 = 16.

Now, kick deep, but no touchback. If you can kick it deep enough that they don't set the wedge up directly in front of the KR, then click on and hit stick. If you can manage this, it's almost always a fumble. Game's over right there.

Sometimes the wedge is set up in front of returner or you flub the hit stick, so play defense. In this scenario, one sack or fumble ends the game. Pick your favorite zero blitz, press, shade down and hope your rush gets home (user the man that's assigned to RB, and try to take away any quick pass, or pick it off if he throws it). If you didn't get the fourth 25, you'll need a second sack unless it's a sack fumble for the first one.

Posts: 113

Jcvols said:

I throw a bomb. Corner kick to cpu. Mid blitz them into a safety. Throw another bomb. Game over.

This!! 50 times and I’m done. Not going to bother with round 1 after grinding round 2 first

Posts: 741

Jcvols said:

I throw a bomb. Corner kick to cpu. Mid blitz them into a safety. Throw another bomb. Game over.

This is my strategy too. Works pretty well 4 out of 5 times. Only once did I give up a 25 yard pass giving the CPU 2pts and making the game longer.

Posts: 420

onside kicks don't work for this never get one

have a pretty good TD return rate on kicks

bomb td

safety sacks

fg or bomb

Posts: 1

Return opening kickoff, go for two, recover onside, throw a one play vertical TD, go for two. Repeat

Posts: 1

everyone hating or trying to criticize you for helping the community. you're a gem. even tho i already got my 50 wins, people like you make this community better

Posts: 32

opening kickoff. down it at 5 or so. couple of 25+ plays. score. 2 point conversion. onside kick. score on the next play. if not defense sack. play it out.

Posts: 81

#10

FloorGeneral said:

Take opening kick, run backwards (I go out at the 1 every single time). You want 3 (or 4, if you can swing it) 25+ and the TD +2. Way to get to 4 is get your first three 25+, but NOT score. Then on 1st down, pick a run play and run backwards so that you can get the 4th 25+ for your TD play. Then get your 2. That's 8 + 6 + 2 = 16.

Now, kick deep, but no touchback. If you can kick it deep enough that they don't set the wedge up directly in front of the KR, then click on and hit stick. If you can manage this, it's almost always a fumble. Game's over right there.

Sometimes the wedge is set up in front of returner or you flub the hit stick, so play defense. In this scenario, one sack or fumble ends the game. Pick your favorite zero blitz, press, shade down and hope your rush gets home (user the man that's assigned to RB, and try to take away any quick pass, or pick it off if he throws it). If you didn't get the fourth 25, you'll need a second sack unless it's a sack fumble for the first one.

That literally takes more time to read than housing the kick, clamping on d, then scoring again(if you don’t ff)

Posts: 10

#11

For round 1,

I fair catch kick off. Throw bomb and kick XP. That gives me 9 pts. Then I squid kickoff and try to force fumble on hit stick. If successful, I either return fumble for TD and game is over or i recover and score TD next play. If im unsuccessful, I just mid blitz on defense and either end the game by getting the sacks/fumbles or just score on bomb next offensive possession to win.

For round 2, I try to implement the same policy but it's a bit harder because the cpu doesn't fumble and is quicker with it's decision making so it usually takes me 2 offensive possessions. Either way, games dont take longer than 5 minutes for me.