Selecting a team is the most important moment of any Madden 24 franchise. Choose wisely and you set yourself up for success all year. Choose poorly and you are destined for mediocrity.
Our goal with these power rankings is to give you an idea of the best teams to take and why. Obviously, your personal preferences will come into play and there is no way we can account for that so please keep that in mind as you are going through this article.
We are also going to assume that your league will last for at least 3+ seasons. The teams best equipped to win right now are often mediocre teams by the 2nd or 3rd year of your franchise.
by Commissioner Jeff
August 1, 2023
You draft the Chiefs for Patrick Mahomes. It really is that simple. He has everything you want in a quarterback and is still young enough where he won’t retire until you go 10+ seasons in franchise mode. Travis Kelce is a really nice piece on offense but he is getting a little old so you may want to trade him early on to try to maximize the value you get back. Isiah Pacheco should be fairly easy to develop into a franchise running back with his 80 overall rating with 93 speed and 95 acceleration. The Chiefs also have a few young receivers that should progress nicely. On defense, DT Chris Jones is an absolute beast. Nick Bolton, Justin Reid, L’Jarius Sneed, and Trent McDuffie are young talented guys in the secondary with good speed ratings so make sure to focus train these guys to maximize their potential.
The reason you choose the Bills for your franchise is purely for Josh Allen. He’s one of the best Madden quarterbacks of all time with 88 speed, 92 acceleration, 99 throw power, and good accuracy ratings. You can truly run any offense you want with Josh Allen. On the offensive side of the ball you have Stefon Diggs who is still an elite wide receiver but is starting to get a little on the older side for what most people want in Madden. Dalton Kincaid is the perfect tight end to develop. As a rookie he has a 76 overall rating, star development trait, and 86 speed. He is definitely a guy you’ll want to focus on progressing early just because his ceiling is limitless. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bills have a lot of weapons. They still have 2 of the best safeties in the game in Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Tre’Davious White is a top 5 cornerback and Von Miller is a dominant pass rusher. The main issue on the defensive side of the ball is a lot of these guys are starting to get to the age where you have to worry about regression. Overall though, the Bills are a top tier team in Madden 24.
The Eagles are a top tier Madden 24 franchise team. On the offensive side of the ball, they are set at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, and tight end for years to come. Jalen Hurts finally received the respect he deserves this year getting superstar abilities. His throw power is a little lacking at 86 but if you can equip him with a pass lead ability, that should really help. A.J. Brown is a 91 overall, Devonta Smith is an 87 overall, and Dallas Goedert is an 89 overall. All of these players should easily get to 95+ within the first couple seasons. The defense has a good mix of some aging veterans who are still really good like Darius Slay, Fletcher Cox, James Bradberry, and Haason Reddick. They also have a ton of young talent to develop like Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, and Kelee Ringo. The most important young player on the Eagles defense is rookie LOLB Nolan Smith. He comes in with 93 speed, 95 acceleration, and a 73 overall rating. If you focus on developing him early on you will end up with a pass rusher rivaling Micah Parsons in just a few short seasons.
The Chargers are a great Madden 24 team to use in Franchise mode. They have a great mix of older/highly rated veterans and younger guys to develop. It is so important to have a young franchise quarterback and the Chargers have one. Justin Herbert is mobile, strong armed, and accurate with really good superstar abilities. Austin Ekeler is a really dangerous Madden running back, and the receivers make up for their lack of speed with their superstar abilities. The defense is really what makes the Chargers stand out though. Pass rushers are the most valuable players on defnese and the Chargers have 2 of the very best in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Derwin James is one of the best safeties in the game and cornerbacks J.C. Jackson and Asante Samuel Jr. can easily turn into one of the best cornerback duos in Madden 24.
The 49ers’ roster is filled with talent at every position except quarterback. This team has 5 players rated above a 95 overall and 4 of them are under 30 years old. That’s absolutely unheard of! If you believe that you can turn Trey Lance into a franchise quarterback, then the 49ers are a no-brainer selection as a top team. That can be a difficult task, but at 23 years old there is still time to do it. The only issue you’ll run into is how you’ll be able to pay all of the talent on the team while staying under the salary cap but that’s a good problem to have. This is a top 5 offense and a top 5 defense with elite players everywhere.
The Ravens are this high almost exclusively because of Lamar Jackson. You can take half the teams in the NFL and if they offered to trade you the top 3 players on their team in exchange for Jackson, you’d laugh and turn them down. 96 speed at quarterback to go along with good throw power and accuracies is just that important in Madden. However, the Ravens still have some really good pieces on their team. Mark Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the game with a 95 overall rating and rookie WR Zay Flowers is a great piece to develop with 93 speed and 77 overall. The Ravens’ defense is still top tier as it seemingly is every year. Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Williams, and Kyle Hamilton are a great young core to build around. When it’s all said and done, you take the Ravens to make sure you get Lamar Jackson. The defense is just a nice bonus.
The Cowboys are a very dangerous Madden 24 team. They have a handful of truly elite players combined with solid players at most positions, and a handful of young guys to develop. Micah Parsons might be the most dangerous defender in all of Madden 24. He is only 24 years old already with an X-Factor ability, 97 overall with 92 speed and 95 acceleration. Within a couple years you should be able to develop him into a 99 overall for all archetypes. Trevon Diggs is another young guy who you really can’t screw up developing and will turn into a shutdown cornerback. Pair those guys with Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard, Ceedee Lamb, and a good offensive line, and you can see why the Cowboys are a top Madden 24 team.
Over the past 2 seasons, the Cincinnati Bengals have lost in the Super Bowl and lost in the AFC conference finals. They are undoubtedly an elite NFL team but they seem to always be criminally underrated in Madden. We’ll start with Joe Burrow who is a consensus top 5 quarterback in the NFL. He has a 95 overall rating and superstar abilities but for some reason the ratings guys at EA will not increase his 87 throw power rating. Luckily he gets a superstar ability that increases his throw velocity but even so the 87 throw power rating limits him a bit. Ja’marr Chase is the perfect Madden wide receiver with an 94 overall rating and 94 speed. That should easily develop into a 99 overall within a season. Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon make it so opposing defenses can’t just key in on Chase making the Bengals offense pretty balanced. The defense has a nice mix of very good current players as well as young players you’ll be able to develop. Trey Hendrickson, Chidobe Awuzie, and Logan Wilson will all cause immediate trouble for offenses. The guy you’ll really want to focus on developing on the defensive side of the ball is rookie cornerback D.J. Turner. You can’t easily develop his 97 speed and 98 acceleration ratings and his overall rating (73) is high enough where he’ll be able to turn into a shutdown cornerback in 2-3 years.
The Colts are maybe the biggest mover between our Madden 23 rankings and this year’s rankings. The main difference? Anthony Richardson. Richardson is the most athletic quarterback prospect to come out of college since Lamar Jackson coming in with 91 speed, 92 acceleration, 95 throw power, and a star development trait. If you can’t turn those raw attributes into a franchise quarterback, then you really shouldn’t be playing Madden. Jonathan Taylor should is still a valuable running back with his overall rating (89), his speed (94), and his age (24). As long as you re-sign him you should have a dominant running back on your team for a long time. This offense has a lot of young weapons to develop with a bunch of young receivers. The defense has a solid core with Shaquille Leonard and DeForest Buckner although you would mostly select the Colts because of their young, high potential offense.
The top reason to choose the Miami Dolphins in franchise mode is speed at the offensive skill positions. You get the 2 fastest wide receivers in all of Madden 24 in Tyreek Hill (99 speed) and Jaylen Waddle (98 speed) and the 2 fastest running backs in Raheem Mostert and Devon Achane (95 speed each). Devon Achane might not have been taken until the 3rd round of the 2023 NFL Draft but he is the most dangerous rookie running back in Madden 24. He comes in with a 76 overall rating, a star development trait, 21 years old, and 95 speed. That is an incredible base to build from. The glaring weakness for the Dolphins is at quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa has a respectable 83 overall rating with star development. Hardcore Madden gamers know that a quarterback either has to have elite speed or elite throw power to be considered great and unfortunately Tua has neither (82 speed, 86 throw power). The Dolphins’ defense is solid if not spectacular led by cornerback Jalen Ramsey but you aren’t taking the Dolphins for defense. If you are someone who doesn’t need an elite quarterback but still wants a fun offense, this is the team for you.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are higher on this list than many might expect but it is for good reason. What they lack in overall rating, they make up for in a roster filled with talented young guys under 25 years old. Trevor Lawrence has all of the potential in the world to become a franchise QB in Madden with his 87 speed, 88 acceleration, and 93 throw power ratings (82 overall). You should have no problem getting him to 95+ overall within a few seasons. Running back Travis Etienne is a prototypical Madden running back who is still young enough to develop into a beast (84 overall, 93 speed, 94 acceleration). Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram are all good enough to be dangerous on offense but likely won’t be able to progress into elite players. You’ll have 3-4 years to draft their replacements. The Jaguars have a lot of young guys on defense with tons of potential like: Josh Allen (OLB), Travon Walker, Tyson Campbell, Devon Hamilton, Devin Lloyd, Foyesade Oluokun, and Andre Cisco. The Jaguars don’t have any players rated higher than an 85 overall but don’t let that fool you. They are a very good team to draft in franchise mode.
The Seahawks are a really good Madden 24 franchise team outside of quarterback. Unfortunately Geno Smith is just too old to be the long-term solution. At running back you have the tandem of Kenneth Walker and rookie Zach Charbonnet, at receiver you have D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and tight end you have 88 speed Noah Fant. You can see that all that’s missing from this offense is a young QB. On the defensive side of the ball Tariq Woolen and rookie Devon Witherspoon will develop into 2 of the best cornerbacks in your league. The older guys like Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams still command a lot of respect from opposing offenses. If the Seahawks fall to you, you’d be lucky to take them.
The Atlanta Falcons have a lot of young pieces to work with if you have the patience to slowly develop the team. Rookie RB Bijan Robinson comes in with a Superstar development trait, and 81 overall rating. You’ll want to immediately make sure he is starting over Cordarrelle Patterson. Then the focus turns to developing 2nd year QB Desmond Ridder. His 88 speed and 91 throw power are both pretty good but neither one is at a level where it will scare your opponents. If you can get lucky with a few speed points and throw power points in progression he can turn into an great Madden quarterback. But be advised, it is a long path to progress a 70 overall rated, normal development quarterback. Kyle Pitts is the best young tight end in Madden 24 by far. If you don’t use a tight end much in your offense, you should be able to field some amazing offers for him from the rest of your league. On the defensive side of the ball you have some playmakers like A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates. The guy you’ll really want to focus on developing is 66 overall MLB Troy Andersen. He may not look that scary now but you can’t teach a linebacker to have 92 speed and 94 acceleration.
The New York Jets are a vastly improved team compared to previous years. Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, and Garrett Wilson all showed amazing promise in their rookie year and were rewarded with significant ratings increases in Madden 24. Despite only have an 86 overall rating, Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in Madden due to his superstar abilities and lightning quick release. You may only get 2 years from him before he retires so unless you are a huge believer in Zach Wilson you may have to draft a franchise quarterback going forward. Quinnen Williams is an absolute beast who should anchor your defensive line for years to come. Overall, the Jets have a lot of really nice young pieces but aren’t a truly elite Madden 24 team.
The highest rated player on the Panthers is only 87 overall. However, what the Panthers lack in overall rating they make up with youth and high upside players. 1st overall pick Bryce Young comes in with a Superstar development trait which should allow you to turn him into an elite quarterback within 3 seasons. Miles Sanders isn’t an elite Madden running back but he’ll get the job done until you are able to draft a replacement. None of the receivers jump out as big time playmakers but you have a nice mix of veterans and younger guys who can develop into solid players. On the defensive side of the ball the Panthers really shine. Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn, and Jeremy Chinn are just a handful of guys who should develop into elite players. At the end of the day you are likely drafting the Panthers for Bryce Young but you’ll also get a few good young players to go along with him.
The Lions at first glance might appear to be a bottom tier team in this year’s game but they have a few players that could hold significant trade value if developed properly. The main reason anyone is going to choose the Lions is for their big 3 playmakers on offense: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyrr Gibbs, and Jameson Williams. Jahmyrr Gibbs is only 21 years old with 94 speed, while Jameson Williams is 22 years old and 98 speed. If you develop these players properly both could be the most feared player at their position in 2-3 years. Don’t sleep on rookie LB Jack Campbell. He comes in at 75 overall, 84 speed and 90 acceleration but his 6’5″ height makes him a very intriguing user defender.
The Cleveland Browns are a solid team although maybe not as elite in Madden 24 as they have been in previous years. Myles Garrett is an absolute beast on the defensive line. He’s only 27 years old and already has a 98 overall with 87 speed, 91 acceleration, 96 strength, and 90+ power moves, finesse moves, and block shed. Nick Chubb is the highest rated running back in Madden 24 at 97 overall with 91 speed and 86 strength but at 27 years old he is bound to start regressing soon. WR Anthony Schwartz is still the perfect receiver to develop (22 years old, 96 speed). Denzel Ward is a young shutdown cornerback with elite speed, and Amari Cooper is a proven stud at receiver. Deshaun Watson may be a little too old (27) to turn into an elite quarterback with his 78 overall rating. His massive contract could get you in trouble but 84 speed and 92 throw power is still pretty dangerous if you want to stick with him. The Browns also have some young players who can develop into the next generation of superstars in CB Greg Newsome and OLB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
The Buccaneers have a ton of talent all over their roster. They just lack those 1 or 2 players that most teams have that can truly strike fear into their opponents. The other issue is that a lot of the team is aging into regression. You’ve got 2 routes to choose if you get the Bucs. Option 1 is dismantle the team for draft picks early on and do a full rebuild. You still have lots of valuable trade assets like Lavonte David, Mike Evans, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr, Chris Godwin, and Jamel Dean. That should get you a huge haul. Option 2 is you trade away draft picks to get an elite older quarterback and try to win now. Either option can work well, it just depends on your personal preference.
The huge draw to draft the Vikings is you get to guarantee that you get Justin Jefferson. It is incredibly rare to have a 99 overall player at only 24 years old. There is a big time appeal to getting the best wide receiver in the league for the next 10+ seasons. The rest of the Vikings team isn’t bad but also isn’t that good. T.J. Hockenson is a beast at 90 overall but Kirk Cousins isn’t the long term answer at quarterback and Alexander Mattison isn’t a playmaker at running back. The defense has some good players but a lot of them are going to hit regression soon like Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter. The Vikings are firmly a middle of the pack Madden 24 franchise team.
The Broncos are a great rebuild candidate for the right owner. They have some young talent but not enough for anyone in your league to reach to select them. Russell Wilson isn’t nearly the Madden quarterback he once was. He’s 34 years old with a big contract and no Superstar or X-Factor abilities. He’ll play better than his 77 overall rating due to his 85 speed and 92 throw power but he isn’t a long term solution in a Madden franchise. There is some young talent on offense with Jerry Jeudy, Javonte Williams, and Greg Dulcich who all should develop well. On defense, the big piece is Patrick Surtain II (94 overall, 93 speed). He is the best young cornerback in Madden 24 and is worth at least a few 1st round picks if you are crazy enough to trade him. FS Justin Simmons (91 overall) can also make an impact on defense but outside of that, you’ll have to completely overhaul the defense.
Anyone who chooses the Green Bay Packers in their franchise takes them for defense and Christian Watson. On the offensive side of the ball, losing Aaron Rodgers really hurts. Jordan Love is 24 years old and only a 70 overall. That is nearly impossible to develop into an elite quarterback in Madden. Aaron Jones is always a dangerous running back but his age is starting to become an issue. At 28 years old, regression will start to hit him right away. Christian Watson is the huge draw for this offense. Don’t let his 77 overall rating fool you. By taking the Packers you get a young 6’4″ receiver with 96 speed. If you really focus on developing him, you’ll have a young Randy Moss on your team in a few years. The Packers defense is still top tier. Jaire Alexander is one of the best young cornerbacks in the game and Eric Stokes, with his 95 speed, can easily be developed into a shutdown corner on the other side. Add into the mix Kenny Clark, Rashaan Gary, De’vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, and rookie Lukas Van Ness and you can see why the Packers have such a dominant Madden defense.
The Washington Commanders have some talented young players but lack a big time playmaker at 2 of the most important position in Madden 24: quarterback or running back. Sam Howell is a 66 overall, normal development quarterback entering his 2nd year. If you are going to try to development him that is going to be a long, hard road. Running back Brian Robinson has a decent overall rating at 79 but at 24 years old and only 88 speed, he will never have the speed/playmaking ability that most Madden gamers want in a running back. The bright spot on offense is wide receiver. Terry McLaurin (92 overall, 94 speed) is an established elite receiver. WR Curtis Samuel (78 overall, 94 speed, 26 years old) has that all important speed rating, and 2nd year Jahan Dotson (77 overall, 92 speed) should be fairly easy to develop into a playmaker. The defense is the clear strength of this team. The Commanders have young playmakers everywhere that should easily develop into 90+ overall players. That includes guys like Chase Young, Kamren Curl, Darrick Forrest, Emmanuel Forbes and Jamin Davis. Veterans like Jonathan Allen, Kendall Fuller, and Da’Ron Payne should carry the defense until the younger guys are ready to take over.
The Saints are a classic example of a really good NFL team that just doesn’t translate all that well into Madden. They’ve got good players at most important positions, but they don’t have the speed to be considered a top team. Alvin Kamara (89 speed) and Michael Thomas (86 speed) would normally contribute to a really dangerous offense but their speed ratings hold them back. You’ll want to try to trade Kamara and Thomas as early as you can to maximize the value you get for them. The crown jewel of the Saints offense is Chris Olave (84 overall, 93 speed, 95 acceleration). Commit to developing him and within a few seasons, he should become a top WR in your league. Derek Carr is a big improvement from last year’s quarterback situation but isn’t the long term solution at quarterback in a Madden franchise. The Saints defense continues to be really good. Demario Davis (90 overall) is an absolute stud, Cameron Jordan (87 overall) is a great defensive lineman, Tyrann Mathieu (91 overall) is still a feared playmaker, and Marshon Lattimore (90 overall) is a shutdown cornerback. The big issue is all of these guys are starting to get old. If you want a team where you can try to win now and then rebuild in a few years, the Saints are a solid pick.
If you are an elite passer who values speed over everything else, the Cardinals could be a good pick for you later in the draft. The key is you need to believe that you can quickly progress Kyler Murray as he is getting to the age where progression starts to get a little more difficult. Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore are 2 burners at wide receiver with 97 speed and 94 speed respectively. Developing them into more than just speedy receivers is important. You’ll want to draft a speedy running back in the 2024 rookie draft to really make this offense scary, Unfortunately, the Cardinals defense just isn’t very good outside of Budda Baker and Isaiah Simmons.
The Raiders are a team you’ll want to avoid unless you are a big time fan. Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs are 2 of the best players at their positions but their skill sets don’t translate that well into Madden purely because they lack top end speed. On defense Maxx Crosby is an absolute stud rated 94 overall and still only 25 year old. Outside of those guys, there really isn’t much to work with here. You’ll have to immediately draft a quarterback as a replacement for Jimmy G which can be a difficult task unless you have a very high first round pick. The under the radar guy you’ll want to focus on developing is rookie CB Jakorian Bennett who at 71 overall has 96 speed and 97 acceleration.
The Titans have 4 players rated above 82 overall: Derrick Henry (94), DeAndre Hopkins (93), Kevin Byard (92), and Jeffrey Simmons (89). All 4 of them are incredible players but the first 3 are all too old to build a franchise around and will immediately start regressing. For a truly elite passer, Malik Willis still has some potential in a Madden franchise with his 90 speed and 94 throw power but his overall rating of 66, his age (24), and his normal development trait make developing him a very difficult task. You may be tempted to develop rookie QB Will Levis instead but he is also 24 years old with a 69 overall rating. And as we know, gaining XP/progression is very difficult after the age of 24. Overall, the Titans work best for someone committed to the running game with Derrick Henry.
The Giants have a few trade pieces but as far as franchise mode goes, this team is in full rebuild mode. There is a ton of buzz around Daniel Jones but the ratings guys are EA aren’t buying it giving him a 75 overall rating and 87 throw power. There really isn’t much you can do with a quarterback that is 26 years old, 75 overall, and doesn’t have superstar/x-factor abilities. Saquon Barkley is still a pretty effective running back in Madden even though he is starting to get older (26 years old). You should be able to get a few years out of him still. Dexter Lawrence is a big time stud on defense and Kayvon Thibodeaux should easily progress into one. Rookie cornerback Deonte Banks will develop into a top 5 cornerback if you focus on him. He comes in with a star development trait, 76 overall rating, and 94 speed. The Giants have some usable pieces but they aren’t a team you’ll be able to win right away with.
The only reason to ever take the Bears in franchise mode is to get Justin Fields. A 24 year old QB with 93 speed and 91 throw power is worth at least a couple 1st round picks in any franchise. The rest of the team, however, is a full rebuild. Outside of MLB Tremaine Edwards and WR D.J. Moore there isn’t anyone on this team who has any value in Madden 24. If you take the Bears, you are betting it all that you can quickly develop Justin Fields. If you aren’t able to, you’ll really struggle to have any success in your league.
The Steelers are a legendary team and compete to make the NFL playoffs every year. Unfortunately, they are not a good Madden 24 team. Kenny Pickett is a 25 year old QB with a 73 overall rating and only 87 throw power. From a franchise mode perspective that is completely unusable. Najee Harris is does have a superstar development trait but runs into a similar problem as Pickett being 25 years old and only having 88 speed. On the defensive side of the ball, the Steelers do have some studs in T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Even so, the Steelers are generally a team you’ll want to avoid in franchise mode.
The Texans have 3 really good young players with huge upside in C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson, and Derek Stingley. If you end up with the Texans, it all comes down to how well you develop those 3 players. LT Laremy Tunsil and FS Jimmy Ward are the only 2 players over 85 overall and the rest of the team is mostly disposable with very few tradeable assets. The Texans really don’t have much to work with and that is why they are rated near the bottom of our list. Avoid them if given the option.
The Rams are not a particularly good team to start a Madden 24 franchise with unless you want to do a full rebuild. Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald are dominant players but they are both in their 30s. After those 2 studs, the next highest rated Ram is only an 82 overall. There aren’t any really exciting young players to develop on the Rams either having traded a couple years of top draft picks for Matthew Stafford. You can likely trade Kupp and Donald for 1-2 1st round draft picks each to teams that are in win now mode and that can give you a head start on a full rebuild.
The Patriots have mediocre players at every position. These players aren’t necessarily bad but at the same time, other owners in your league won’t exactly be hitting you up with trade offers. This team is filled with Bill Belichick type players. Aged 27-34, smart but not particularly athletic, and 75-84 overall. Basically the exact opposite of what you would want as a Madden GM. The only player who really stands out as a guy who can one day become elite is their rookie CB Christian Gonzalez who has a star development trait, 77 overall, and 93 speed. In general, the Patriots are a team you’ll want to avoid unless you are a big time fan.
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