Madden 2002 question

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Did you play via the fantasy draft? That mode has me hooked. Just out of curiosity, who did you draft high? Personally, I went with LT Jeff Ogen (sp) and built up my O-line and on defense established my secondary with CB Donnie Abraham and SS Marvin Harrison.

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

Well, my PS2 is with my brother at home while I'm at school, so I haven't been able to play a lot of 2002.  However, the coolest thing about 2002 is the expansion draft.  The fact that you can play as the Texans, and draft unprotected players, and all that good stuff is amaizing attention to detail.

 

If you wanna drop down to 2001 (on the PS1 I have at school), I had a really sweet team at one point.  I had Donovan McNabb, Eddie George, Shawn Bryson, Terrell Owens, Torry Holt, Tim Dwight, Kyle Brady, Jon Jansen, Korey Stringer, Tim Ruddy, Adam Timmerman (and another guard who escapes me); Ted Washington, Dan Wilkinson, John Abraham, Brian Urlacher, Takeo Spikes, Derrick Brooks, Champ Bailey, Kim Herring, a couple of other defenders that escape me right now; and Jason Elam.  Here's a quick tip (I think this works for 2002, as well):  don't pick a punter until your very last pick.  Just pick a really good kicker, and have him punt.  You'll be able to get a good skill position player in his stead, and get great punting to boot.  Elam was able to regularly rip off 63-yarders in the air with no problems.

 

Would you LOOK at those linebackers!?  Brooks on the weakside, Abraham strongside, Urlacher strongside middle, and Spikes weakside middle.  NASTY.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Interesting, I didn't think about the old "kicker/punter" trick you said. I have Martin Gramatica (sp) and Scott Player doing the work.

 

My backfield has Lamar Smith (power), Mike Alstott (power), Johnny Morton (speed) and some power guy I just drafted. I get good blocking WRs and TEs and it's three yards and a cloud of dust.

 

After this franchise mode is over (2 years down, 28 to go) I'm probably going to create a team and make them the expansion team.

[Guest Canadian Gangsta]

I drafted Warren Sapp, Brian Urlacher, Muhsin Muhammad, Wayne Chrebet, and Jerome Bettis high.  My QB is Michael Vick.  He's not the greatest passer, but he gets the job done.  Plus, he can run like a mofo.  And I assume his ratings will go up (I'm still in the first season).

[Guest DrTom]

Yes, Vick's ratings do go up (I'm currently in the seventh season of a franchise my roommate and I are doing), but I think he plateaus in the mid-80's, which was a little disappointing.

 

I always took a franchise running back with my first-round pick in the fantasy draft.  When I picked really high I went with MARSHALL MARSHALL MARSHALL~! who is just crazy good in the game.  Picking later in the first round, I was still left with quality backs like Eddie George, Corey Dillon, and Stephen Davis.  I would always make sure I had a good offensive line (especially at Center and Tackles; Guards rated in the 70s work just fine), at least one very good receiver, and a good tight end.  I never neglected my defense, either, and they usually ended up pretty good.  I picked Urlacher in the second round once (he goes to overall 99 in the second season), and I routinely picked John Lynch in the early rounds, too.

 

What I've found more satisfying than fantasy draft mode, though, is taking a scrubby team in Franchise mode and trying to build a winner with them.  You inherit their cap problems, overpaid veterans, weaknesses at various positions, etc.  My roommate and I have done this for seven seasons now (he's had Seattle the whole time, while I'm currently in my fourth season with the 49ers, having "resigned" from the Lions and Giants).  Our restriction was that the initial team selected had to be one that had not made the playoffs in the last four years.  (Teams you moved to after resigning were not restricted, since your choices are few.)  We also do this in another franchise with a third player, where I'm in my fourth season with the Cardinals, whom I've coached the whole time.

 

We sim all the games and just concentrate on the franchise-building aspects of the game.  It's very rewarding if you like playing that kind of game.  I think Madden is a very fun game to sit down and *play*, but I think the GM aspect appeals to me more.  Give it a try sometime if you're a fan of Franchise mode in general.

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

Here's another real good tip for fantasy drafts:  watch a couple of them first.  The computer will usually take players in the same round every time the draft is played out (though not in exactly the same order), so let the computer run a couple of drafts.  Stick yourself in there as any team, pick best available, and make a note of who the computer picks in what round at the end.  You'll get an idea of who'll be on the board when you come around, so you'll know when to pick guys at the last possible second.  Obviously, you're going to have an idea of who's going to be first-rounders anyway, but this helps a GREAT deal for getting the guy you want in the 8th or 9th round.  You might also see a couple of steals in the later rounds you weren't thinking about.