This topic has started to come up on the forums again (and I have the next three days off so I can stay up late without working), so I'm bumping this thread with some tweaks that I have made to my weights since I last posted this. This is not a full set of my revisions, but it's the weights I'm using for key positions right now. The explanations below still apply, and the weights below are still largely relevant and good enough for most beginning owners.
QBs
100 Pass Accuracy, Look Off, Field of Vision; Speed 80; 60 Intelligence, Displine; 30 Arm Strength, Release, Scramble
(Note: In the next iteration of my weights, Arm will go up to 80 and Discipline will drop to 1. I was testing if Discipline affected INT rates. In v.0.4.1, Accuracy and Arm will factor more heavily into INTs. Intelligence will drop to 30.)
RBs
100 Speed, Acceleration; 60 Break Tackle, Carry, Avoid Fumble; 30 Intelligence, Strength
(Note: I'm still going back and forth on Strength. I know it has some affect in the game.)
WRs
100 Speed, Acceleration, Courage, Route Running; 60 Catching, B&R Avoidance; 30 Intelligence
(Note: I could probably drop B&R to 1, but I've seen better separation from players that have it. I don't know how much of this I'm making up in my head though.)
DEs
100 Speed, Acceleration, Strength; 80 Pass Rush; 60 Run Defense; 40 Tackle
(Note: I actually use different weights for LDE and RDE, but basically all I do is swap the Pass Rush and Run Def for RDEs since almost all effective runs go to the weak side.)
DTs
100 Acceleration, Strength; 60 Pass Rush, Run Def; 20 Speed
LBs
100 Speed; 60 Tackle; 25 Acceleration; 15 Run Defense
(Note: Strength varies per LB position. Don't put more than 1 point into pass rush because LBs blitz gaps and rarely engage. If they do engage, they will get eaten in v.0.4.1 in most cases.)
CBs
100 Speed; 80 M2M Cover; 60 Punish; 40 Tackle; 20 Acceleration, Strength, Intelligence, Zone Cover
(Note: I've found that your CB3 and CB4 can be slower than your outside CBs since few plays have the slot guy go deep. That means you can play a 50 SP Nickle with great coverage skills and get a lot of value out of him.)
setherick wrote:
QB
Attributes: Accuracy (100); Speed (66); Look Off, Field of Vision, Scrambling (33)
Analysis: Why speed over scrambling? Easy. Scrambling helps mitigate a passing accuracy penalty for throwing on the move. Speed can completely negate a penalty for being under pressure. Fast QBs can scramble out of pressure, set their feet, and throw without coming back under pressure. Or they can take off running and still pick up positive yards.
RB
Attributes: Speed (100); Carry, Break Tackle, Avoid Fumble (50)
Analysis: The big four. There are some attributes we could talk about here, but they are just flavor if you have the big four. I recommend having a minimum of 75 SP on RBs, but I've seen players get by with less.
WR
Attributes: Route (100); Speed, Catch, Courage (66); B&R Avoid (33); Carry, Break Tackle (16)
Analysis: The jury is still out on speed here. I have had plenty of slow WRs do just fine. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is move RBs with good WR attributes, but slow speed, to WR. I also go back and forth on whether route running or courage is more important. Having both is great, but it's really take your pick.
TE
Attributes: Route (100); Speed, Run Block, Catch, Courage (66); Strength, B&R Avoidance (33)
Analysis: I've gone to a TE centered offense in most of my leagues. For this offense, I need a TE that acts more like a WR than a traditional TE. Run blocking and strength are still important, but pass blocking is not important at all since the TE will be running routes.
FB
Attributes: Run Block, Pass Block (100); Strength (50); Speed (33)
Analysis: These guys block. If you want them to do more, you want a H-back. See below.
H-Back
Attributes: Run Block, Pass Block, Route (100); Speed, Catch, Courage (66); Strength (33)
Analysis: This is not a position that is officially listed in MFN. The best way to consider this position is subbing in for a RB or FB in passing situations. Like subbing in for the RB in the 113 Shotgun HB Flare Short/Medium or the 203 Split Backs short passing play where the RB runs the flat and the FB blocks or runs the short hook. Either way, recognizing the value of the H-Back in these situations can really change your game plan.
OT
Attributes: Pass Block (100); Run Block, Speed (60); Strength (40)
Analysis: I haven't noticed speed making much of a difference on the edge, but I'm leaving it for now. Pass blocking is essential here.
OG
Attributes: Pass Block, Run Block (100); Strength (60); Speed (10)
Analysis: If you can get them, a 100 speed, strength, and run block OG can be your best friend in the run game. However, speed is not usually important, blocking is.
C
Attributes: Short Snapping, Pass Block, Run Block (100); Strength (60); Speed (10)
Analysis: Centers. Otherwise known as guards that snap.
LDE
Attributes: Speed, Pass Rush (100); Tackle (75); Run Defense (50); Strength (25)
Analysis: Your LDE should be your classic edge rusher. Find a 100, 100 player and let him dominate in the passing game.
RDE
Attributes: Speed, Run Defense (100); Tackle (75); Pass Rush (50); Strength (25)
Analysis: I did a lot of extensive scouting for awhile, and I've found that rough 90% of all runs go to the weak side of the line. This means that your RDE should be a run stopper more than a pass rusher. You can always sub one of your back up LDEs in for the RDE in passing situations.
DT
Attributes: Run Defense (100); Tackle, Strength (75); Pass Rush, Speed (50)
Analysis: Let these guys eat space and push the pocket. If they can clear the C or G easily, speed becomes a killer.
LB
Attributes: Tackle (100); Speed (75); Run Defense, Punish (50); Pass Rush (10)
Analysis: Not distinguishing between LB positions is is probably the most controversial part of my weighting system. I do this for good reason. All LB position should be able to tackle and shed a blocker. Why not pass rush though? Because all LBs blitz the gap. You don't need pass rush if you do not engage that often, and the most likely time an LB will engage is with an RB or FB. If your opponent is relying on that to stop your blitz, you've won the blitz anyway.
CB
Attributes: Punish (100); Speed, Tackle (75); M2M Cover (50); Run Defense (10)
Analysis: Punish machines that need enough cover to stay close to a WR. I'm still torn on how much speed matters here since your pass rush should be putting your opponents QB under pressure.
Blitz CB: Speed, Pass Rush (100); Tackle, Run Defense (75); Punish, M2M Cover (50)
Analysis: Another position that is not officially listed in MFN. Consider these types of CBs the ones that sub in on a Nickle CB3 blitz. The game generates a lot of these, so it's always a good idea to keep one on the roster to sub into this role. Fortunately, the best CB blitzes out of the Nickle are either out of the Nickle Blitz or Nickle Strong personnel set. Also useful to sub in for the SS in the 46 SS MLB blitzes.
SS
Attributes: Punish, Tackle (100); Speed (60); M2M cover (50); Zone Cover, Run Defense (25)
Analysis: Like CBs except slower and tankier. A SS with 100 tackle and decent speed should lead your team in tackles. Like LBs, SS mostly blitz the gap, so pass rush is an unused luxury most of the time.
FS
Attributes: Punish, Speed, Tackle (100); Zone Cover (50); M2M Cover (25)
Analysis: I play mostly single high safety so that is the reason for zone over M2M here. The most important thing for the FS though is speed, punish, and tackle. Ideally, the FS will do all three well, but must absolutely do two of the three. I can get by with a slow FS if he can tackle and punish well.
Kick Returner
Attributes: Kick Catch (100); Speed (33); Break Tackle, Carry, Avoid Fumble (16)
Analysis: In v.3.x this position was largely ignored. It was throw the fastest player you had back there and watch him pick up lots of TDs. In v.4, there are still lots of PR TDs and KR TDs to be had, but now, kick catching is absolutely essential. If the player bobbles the kick, he is very slow to take off and will end up fair catching a punt, downing a kick off, or not gaining as many yards as he should.
Last edited at 3/28/2017 11:30 pm
