Madden 16: Release Date, Top Player Ratings, New Features, Preview and More

Unless you're an Xbox One owner who also subscribes to EA Access, you're probably waiting on August 25 to get your first taste of Madden 16. The wait is almost over, as the official release is only three short days away.

Official Release Date	EA Access Release Date (Xbox One Only)	Platforms
August 25	August 20	PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, XBox One

One of the best things about Madden, and any sports video game, is building a team from scratch with a fantasy draft. Choosing the appropriate players for the desired scheme is both a blast and challenging. There's no right or wrong scheme.  

We've seen pass-happy offenses win Super Bowls, as well as run-heavy attacks. The same can be said on defense, where 3-4 and 4-3 defenses have led the charge to Super Bowl glory. It's really just about having the right players to run your system. It's no different in Madden.

Here's a look at the highest-rated players at each position:

Position	Player	Team	Rating
QB	Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay Packers	99
HB	Marshawn Lynch	Seattle Seahawks	96
WR	Antonio Brown	Pittsburgh Steelers	97
TE	Rob Gronkowski	New England Patriots	99
T	Jason Peters	Philadelphia Eagles	96
G	Marshal Yanda	Baltimore Ravens	98
C	Nick Mangold	New York Jets	95
DE	J.J. Watt	Houston Texans	99
DT	Ndamukong Suh	Miami Dolphins	96
OLB	Von Miller	Denver Broncos	97
OLB	Justin Houston	Kansas City Chiefs	97
MLB	Luke Kuechly	Carolina Panthers	96
CB	Richard Sherman	Seattle Seahawks	97
CB	Darrelle Revis	New York Jets	97
FS	Eric Weddle	San Diego Chargers	96
SS	Kam Chancellor	Seattle Seahawks	94
K	Justin Tucker	Baltimore Ravens	95
K	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots	95
P	Pat McAfee	Indianapolis Colts	95

Player ratings per EASports.com.

Cornerstones

4-3

If you're going to play a 4-3 defense, there are two positions at which you must have elite performers in place. The defensive end and free safety positions will have a great deal of influence on the amount of havoc your defense can create.

Getting pressure on the quarterback is important, and that is usually going to come from your edge-rushers. In the 4-3, that's the defensive ends.

The Seattle Seahawks' Michael Bennett is the highest-rated 4-3 defensive end in the game at 95 overall. His 91 strength and 94 tackling make him stout against the run, but his 94 power move allows him to be a terror as it pertains to pressuring the quarterback.

At free safety, you don't even need to leave the Seahawks roster to find the ideal player. Earl Thomas is the second-highest rated safety in the game at 95, and he's the best in the game in a 4-3 look.

Thomas' range (96 zone coverage and 90 speed) makes him a great fit for a Cover 2 look or any other 4-3 philosophy. 

3-4

You must control the line of scrimmage in a 3-4. A nose tackle and an edge-rusher are paramount.

Truth be told, the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt should be your first defensive pick no matter what scheme you're playing. He's rated a 99 overall with marks that make him a terror off the edge. What makes him especially good in a 3-4 is the fact that he can play all three defensive line positions without concession.

A 99 power-move rating, 98 pursuit, 97 strength, 97 tackle and 97 block shedding give him the versatility to cause issues across the line of scrimmage. I'd actually play Watt at the nose tackle in Madden if I could find a dynamic rusher off the edge.

Rushing the passer is the OLB's primary assignment in this scheme, and the Kansas City Chiefs' Justin Houston is the man to target. He is rated a 97 overall. With 97 pursuit, 92 tackle, 88 play-recognition and 98 finesse-move ratings, Houston is the quintessential pass-rushing OLB in the game along with the Denver Broncos' Von Miller. Houston would be my pick because his durability is better.

Pass-Heavy Attacks

"

#Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is the top rated QB in #Madden16 — http://t.co/fmwFB3PZf9 pic.twitter.com/KRKSr4OYw2

— Milwaukee (@SunTimesMIL) July 22, 2015"

The Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers can do everything you'd ever want a quarterback to do in Madden. He's one of three players in the game to have a 99 overall rating. The reigning MVP can throw it deep (95 deep-throw rating) and accurately (80 deep-throw accuracy). He can also make plays outside of the pocket (88 throw-on-the-run rating). 

If you're planning on throwing the ball a lot, you'll want Rodgers under center. Then again, so will every one else in your draft.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown is the highest-rated receiver in the game at 97 overall, he's not the target a passing offense should have at the top of its list. No receiver, tight end or running back is a tougher matchup than the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski.

Like Rodgers, Gronk is rated a 99 overall. If a linebacker tries to check him, his 82 speed and 87 acceleration will make that a tough task. If a corner or safety lines up with Gronk, his 95 release, 94 spectacular-catch and 98 catch-in-traffic ratings then become the issue.

Because of his many gifts, Gronk is the toughest cover in Madden 16.

Run-Heavy Attacks

Marshawn Lynch is a beast. Then again, you probably already knew that. He's rated a 96 overall in Madden 16, and that's tops at his position. His power ratings (99 stiff arm, 98 trucking and 89 strength) are to be expected, but he's a little more nimble than some might expect.

His straight-line speed isn't that impressive for a running back at 85, but he's shifty. Lynch has a 94 juke-move rating, a 91 elusive and 88 in acceleration. Can you run for 2,000 yards with Lynch in a season with the difficulty level on All-Madden?

If you can, you should then release a YouTube video with highlights and record yourself repeating this phrase: "I appreciate you asking about my stomach."

As good as Lynch is, someone's got to create holes for him. The top run-blocker in the game is the Baltimore Ravens' Marshal Yanda. The big man is rated a 98 overall, and he has a 99 run blocking and 90 strength rating.

Can you find a way to create a team with Lynch running behind Yanda?

Ways to Play

Draft Champions

EA Sports obviously knows that drafting players is a blast. That's the primary focus in Madden's newest mode: Draft Champions. The mode condenses the fantasy football experience into a package that can be played in one night and repeated an unlimited amount of times.

Here's how it works: You're given a chance to select a coach. This decision will determine what playbook your team uses. From there, you'll be given some base players with average ratings.

Then you'll have to upgrade the positions that are most important to your scheme. You do this by drafting star players in a 15-round draft that includes up to three picks per round. The players you can choose from will change every time you play the mode.

One draft might have a number of quarterbacks, while the next might be heavy with elite safeties. You won't know beforehand.

Once you have your team, you're ready to hit the virtual field. The object is to win four games in a row against the CPU or other human Draft Champions players and then advance to the Draft Champions game. The more you win, the more you level up and have the chance to earn rewards for your success.

It's not a totally new concept, but it is one that could be addictive depending on how quickly you can play through the experience. Stay tuned for more on this mode on the day of release and after.

Don't Forget About MUT

Madden Ultimate Team is a huge part of the series. Gamers everywhere enjoy putting together teams of legends and current stars and winning them through virtual card pack openings and purchasing them in the game's auction.

It's back in Madden 16, and this year, the mode will reward gamers who played the mode in Madden 15. Here's a breakdown of what returning MUT players will receive, per Madden Ultimate Team on Twitter:

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some football.

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