Getting the best meta players for Madden 22 Ultimate Team is an incredibly challenging and expensive task. You might not be able to get all of these players on your team right off the bat.
You might need to spend some money or grind for months and camp the auction house with your hard-earned coins. This guide will show a full list of players that are simply monsters on the field or they specialize in the position they are playing.
Grabbing just one or two of these players can easily push your team to new heights as these meta players are the best at what they do.
What Are Meta Players?
“Meta” is always defined as the “most effective tactics available”. When it comes to players, these are often understood as the best and most effective players at a certain position that can mesh well with any composition.
Since it is based on tactics, you can have a good General QB like Tom Brady but, your other player’s strengths are designed to make run plays which can render Tom’s ability to throw accurate passes useless.
It can also be based on what the popular player is and counteracting those best players by putting cost effective specialists on them. This makes the meta constantly change throughout the game as what is strong in the past can be immediately counteracted from players who are designed to beat them.
However, there are players that are considered versatile as well as specialists at their position. These players have the highest raw stats needed at their position and it makes them perform better than any other great players at that position.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Tom Brady – 87
Starting off the list, we have Tom Brady, who is highly regarded by the majority as the greatest of all time. Trying to shrug off Father Time as much as he could, Tom Brady still boasts an 87 overall rating at age 44 with this field general QB card.
While his mobility might have decayed over time, his passing and high IQ are still regarded as one of the best in the game. Apart from the Legends cards, Tom Brady is the highest-rated Field General QB in Madden 22 Ultimate Team.
Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes – 88
Patrick Mahomes is the other player that shares the cover for Madden 22 alongside Tom Brady. With the recent loss of the Kansas City Chiefs over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the passing of the torch is still not complete but, Patrick Mahomes’ era is fast approaching.
As he continues to shatter records, he has the 2nd highest overall rating among Improviser QBs. He is behind Russell Wilson’s overall rating of 89.
Patrick Mahomes is one of the most versatile QBs since he combines passing accuracy with some mobility while Russell Wilson’s rating is mostly due to his speed advantage.
QB abilities are also customizable so you can adjust them to your playstyle. There is no best quarterback builds in Ultimate Team but, you can customize it to your team’s playstyle since you will not be able to fully equip your team with the best players.
M22 Reward
San Francisco 79ers’ George Kittle – 91
George Kittle’s overall rating of 91 is tied with 2 other players as the highest-rated card in Madden 22 Ultimate Team. While the other 2 are only gotten from the Legends pack, George Kittle can be obtained through the Seasons pack.
His strengths are mostly on mobility and receiving and he should be considered as second-to-none among all TEs in the game.
MUT22 Season Reward
Miami Dolphins’ Larry Csonka – 91 (Legends)
Larry Csonka is the best-rated player in terms of speed, agility, and acceleration. He has 3 more points in speed and agility compared to George Kittle’s mouthwatering speed already. A Miami Dolphins legend in his own right, this card is mirrored towards Larry Csonka’s prime in the 1970s.
When you need the best FB for your team, you better smash those legends packs or buy them off the auction house (if available).
New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley – 89
Saquon Barkley is one of the youngest and brightest stars in the NFL. In Madden 22 Ultimate Team, he is the fastest HB you can get. If you need someone to run the ball, Saquon Barkley is second to none.
With 88, 88, and 89 stats in speed, acceleration, and agility, respectively, he is a terror on the field when unmarked. If you also need to push for a 1st down with just a couple of yards behind, it would be a safe and wise decision to call a run play for Saquon.
Dallas Cowboys’ Tyron Smith – 89
Tyron Smith’s attributes are all in blocking, strength, and awareness. In fact, his rating on those fields is all above 86, which is why his overall rating is so high (89). If you are looking for the best QB defender for those pesky pass rushes, Tyron Smith will be the best at that role.
While there are a lot of highly-rated players for LTs and RTs, you can have multiple alternatives (or even have all of them on your team) like Jack Conklin, David Bakhtiari, Trent Williams, and Tristan Wirfs.
Most of these players are gotten from the Superstars and Core Elite packs.
Dallas Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware – 89 (Legends)
When it comes to ROLBs, they need a ton of mobility to secure more zones or even blitz the QB. DeMarcus Ware excels in this area because of his mobility. He is the fastest among all the ROLBs and LOLBs in Madden 22 Ultimate Team.
He uses his finesse pass rush moves instead of power pass rush moves to get around. If you are looking to improve your zone coverage defense, DeMarcus Ware is the best at this position.
DeMarcus Ware is incredibly versatile if you want to force turnovers, he can be the man. If you want to get sacks on the QB, he can do that as well.
Denver Broncos’ Von Miller – 89
Just like DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller is also a good alternative to boost your zone defense. The only difference between them is that Von Miller relies on his strength and power pass rush moves instead of his mobility and finesse.
While DeMarcus Ware is the best Speed Rusher player in the game, Von Miller is the best Power Rusher player. Both have their strengths and they can be good on any kind of team as long as you utilize them effectively.
New York Jets’ Darrelle Revis – 89 (Legends)
The fastest CB in Madden 22 Ultimate Team boasts a rating of 89, 89, and 88 on speed, acceleration, and agility, respectively. The cornerback’s role is to boost the defense by stretching their zone coverage on potential leaks.
They can cover anyone since they rely on their speed. When it comes to blitzes, they are also the ones that rush to the QB and put a lot of pressure on the pass.
Darrelle Revis’ specialty is his man-to-man coverage. He can mark anyone with his high awareness and mobility. Once the play is read, you can surely bet on Darrelle to catch and force turnovers on receivers on the play.
Baltimore Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey – 89
Marlon Humphrey is a good alternative to Darrelle Revis. However, even if they have the same overall rating, Marlon is significantly weaker in the position compared to Darrelle Revis.
Since he is a lot slower (still faster than most CBs) than Darrelle, his zone coverage is still up to par with Darrelle’s. Building the Ultimate Team is heavily based on chance so, you might not have the option to get the best players in each position.
Washington Football Team’s Montez Sweat – 89
Montez Sweat plays the LE position and his stats mirror the same as DeMarcus Ware. Their difference is that Montez has significantly lower agility but, his speed and acceleration are good.
For other stats, Montez excels better in tackling and strength compared to DeMarcus Ware. While both are good in their respective positions, it is a matter of preference at this point.
Montez can force turnovers with his tackles while DeMarcus Ware can put more pressure on the QB or cover zones quicker.
Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald – 88
Aaron Donald can be compared to Von Miller as he is also a Power Rusher. However, Aaron Donald is more of a specialist since he lacks the mobility that Von has. In return, he has one of the best ratings in pass rushes (finesse and power), tackling, and strength.
Aaron Donald will stop all the run plays when needed and plays the RE position for your team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Warren Sap – 91 (Legends)
With almost identical stats as Aaron Donald, Warren Sap has even higher strength, tackling, and pass rush moves attributes for a defensive tackle. He plays the DT position and he can pretty much bulldoze his way through anyone with his strength.
Warren Sap is a slightly better run stopper than Aaron Donald because of this but, he is less versatile. Although, if you are team is incredibly stacked, specialists like this can be an X-Factor for your team.
Chicago Bears’ Brandon Marshall – 90 (Legends)
Brandon Marshall’s list of records is strong. He is one of the best WRs to play the game consistently at a high level. This is why he made the all-decade team on his road to winning the Superbowl in 2015.
In Madden 22 Ultimate Team, he has the best stats for any WR player available. He has the best mix of mobility and receiving attributes and should be second to none at this position.
This is going to be an expensive player in the Auction House but, it will surely be worth it.
New Orleans Saints’ Michael Thomas – 89
Obtained through the Superstar pack, Michael Thomas is a slightly worse alternative for Brandon Marshall. His attributes are all top-level for a WR but just a little lower than Brandon’s.
The difference is that Michael Thomas has a slightly better ball carrier stat than Brandon Marshall. This is good for short pass plays but, his receiving is also good so, he can be versatile on the field.
Green Bay Packers’ Davante Adams – 88
Davante Adams is another great WR that specializes in route runs. His jumping, awareness, and receiving stats are all insanely high but, his mobility is lacking compared to all the best WRs. While he is still fast, he is best used for designed routes.
He will probably cost half of what Brandon Marshall or Michael Thomas costs in the Auction House so, Davante Adams will be a cheaper alternative in creating the best meta team for Madden 22 Ultimate Team.
What Makes These Players Meta Cards?
While the meta is highly dependent on your team’s chemistry and fit, these meta players are all great at what they do best. If you are looking to score mostly by standard passes, you can choose to fit Tom Brady with the likes of Davante Adams or Brandon Marshall.
If you would want more versatility in your offense, you can have Patrick Mahomes with Michael Thomas, Brandon Marshall, Saquon Barkley or Larry Csonka. These players simply perform better at their role more than anyone else.
This is what is considered meta and it would be tough to go against a completely stacked team like this. There are no features that signify that a card is meta or not. These are mostly due to the fact that they are just flat out good.
Final Thoughts
While these cards can be the most expensive players in the game, you would need at least a few of them on your team to contend at the top of the rankings. Otherwise, you will be playing at a disadvantage and would have to rely on pure mechanical skill when playing.
It is a good idea to check the auction house as often as you can and you might find one of these meta players selling for cheap. If you want a cheaper alternative to fill some of the roles, you can look for the best cheap players and complete your team.
