As a PVP feature, the goal of Madden NFL 26 UT mode is to collect fantasy players and build the best possible team. When collecting players, players first consider their rating, as it often represents the ceiling of their abilities. Secondly, their specific stats are considered, and finally, their overall abilities.

Player abilities can sometimes be even more important than their attributes, as they provide powerful, game-changing temporary perks and permanent skill enhancements that can significantly improve a player's performance and give you an advantage over your opponents. Players with exceptional abilities are clearly worth investing your MUT 26 coins in. So, what exactly constitutes an exceptional ability?

How Do Ability Points Work?

Before discussing the best abilities, let's first discuss how player abilities work and why they're important.

Abilities are special traits that players can equip to provide unique in-game advantages beyond basic stats, such as activating specific moves or enhancing performance in key situations like the red zone. These are crucial for consistently winning games and outperforming opponents.

You can activate these abilities by navigating to Abilities and X-Factors section in Team Settings and selecting the players you want to equip. Keep in mind that there are a limited number of ability slots available on both offense and defense. This is to prevent you from equipping every player with powerful abilities, which would make your team overwhelmingly dominant and difficult to counter. Because of this limitation, it's crucial to select truly powerful and useful abilities.

Quarterback

Pocket Deadeye

Any ability that increases throwing accuracy is extremely useful, and Pocket Deadeye is undoubtedly the best. Only 16 quarterbacks possess this ability, the lowest of which is 80 OVR Jalen Hurts, a highly rated pre-order card that is untradeable. The only one that can be traded is 85 OVR Anthony Richardson, currently valued at around 90,000 MUT 26 coins.

Inside Deadeye and Lofting Deadeye are also good value options, the latter being particularly useful for long passes.

QB Playmaker

This skill is superior to the standard Playmaker. It allows the receiver to instantly change direction, making it particularly effective for creating offensive opportunities and extremely difficult to defend. It's especially suitable for players who enjoy broken plays.

Conductor

This is perhaps the most unbalanced skill in the game, as it allows for unlimited offensive play changes. Of course, it requires a considerable amount of AP.

Players with both Pocket Deadeye and QB Playmaker are undoubtedly the best, but currently no quarterback in the game possesses both.

Running Back

Balance Beam

This skill allows running backs to avoid being tripped while running with the ball. At only 1 AP, it's a cost-effective and very useful skill.

Spin Cycle

Spin Cycle is particularly effective when used by tall players, allowing receivers to break free from tackles. However, it's not very effective against average running backs like Christian McCaffrey.

Backfield Mismatch And Matchup Nightmare

Both of these abilities are suitable for receiver-focused running backs. They help them run better after breaking out of the backfield, especially when being covered in man-to-man coverage.

Goal Line Blocker

Provides improved run blocking within the 5-yard line, making it very useful for attacking the scoring zone. Use it if you have many AP remaining.

Wide Receiver / Tight End

Route Technician

This is one of the strongest receiver abilities in the game, allowing them to defeat man-to-man coverage. However, before using this ability, it's best to play in practice mode to see which specific routes it works on, as it doesn't cover all routes.

Spin Cycle

This ability is also extremely effective for taller wide receivers, allowing them to break free from tackles and create terrifying post-catch drives.

Grab-N-Go And Human Joystick

These two skills are very similar. They both improve your ability to turn after catching the ball. If your player's stats in this area are low, equip them with this ability.

Offensive Line

Post Up

This is the best blocking skill, providing the most consistent blocking effect. It's recommended to prioritize it at center, left tackle, and right tackle. If skill points are limited, it's also a good option for left guard and right guard.

Identifier

This skill allows you to see which player the defender is controlling, and it only costs 2 points, making it a very useful skill.

Defensive Line

Double Or Nothing

This is the best skill for defensive linemen to gain a frenzy of pass rushing, allowing them to generate intense pressure. However, only 15 players currently have this ability, and their pass rushing stats aren't particularly high.

Among the tradable players, 87 OVR Derrick Brooks is the easiest to acquire, costing around 220,000 MUT 26 coins. Jonathan Allen and Dre Greenlaw in Field Pass also have this ability.

Inside Stuff

Inside Stuff allows your defenders to escape the action faster and only costs 2 AP, making it particularly useful when you need to strengthen run defense or red zone defense.

Secondary And Linebackers

Pick Artist

Pick Artist allows your backfield players to more flexibly defend against offensive players who break through tackles. It is currently the top skill on defense. Equipping as many players in the backfield with this skill as possible is the best strategy.

Flat Zone KO

Flat Zone KO is extremely effective in red zone defense. Think of it as a skill that triggers based on the field grid, rather than requiring players to stand in a specific area.

On defense, Pick Artist is your primary skill to invest in, while on offense, Pocket Deadeye is your primary skill to invest in. You'll need to choose your key skills based on your available AP and playstyle. The effectiveness of many skills is closely tied to player size, so you can experiment and adjust them based on your strategy.

While there are many MUT 26 players with these key skills, players with low OVRs often struggle to deliver satisfactory results. Meanwhile, players with high OVRs are often worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of coins.

If you're missing certain players, your offense or defense might be vulnerable, leading to a loss that's unfortunate. Therefore, you can buy Madden NFL 26 coins at utnice.com and secure the key players you need as soon as possible to secure your victory.

The long-awaited Madden NFL 26 Season 2 has finally arrived. In addition to introducing new players, it also brings a series of major updates to gameplay and other aspects, adding many new and powerful players.

Season 2 launched on September 17th and runs until October 21st, giving you time to upgrade your Field Pass. You can get some 83 OVR players for free and upgrade one of them to 88 OVR using tokens. So, which of these players is worth upgrading? Let's take a look at Field Pass rewards and player reviews.

Madden NFL 26 Season 2 Pass

• 2: 70+ Pack
• 3: Random Strategy Item
• 4: 110 Season Tickets
• 5: Rare Option Pack
• 6: 83 OVR Season 2 Player Fantasy Pack
• 7: 110 Season Tickets
• 8: 5,000 Coins
• 9: Rare Option Pack
• 10: 84 OVR S2 Upgrade Token (Esc 88)
• 11: 5,000 Coins
• 12: 150 Season Tickets
• 13: Season 2 Uniform Pack
• 14: 150 Season Tickets
• 15: Rare Option Pack
• 16: 83 OVR Season 2 Player Fantasy Pack
• 17: Season 3 XP Token
• 18: 10,000 Coins
• 19: Rare Option Pack
• 20: 85 OVR S2 Upgrade Token
• 21: 10,000 Coins
• 22: 230 Season Tickets
• 23: Random Strategy Item
• 24: 230 Season Tickets
• 25: Rare Option Pack
• 26: 83 OVR Season 2 Player Fantasy Pack
• 27: 290 Season Tickets
• 28: 10,000 Coins
• 29: Epic Option Pack
• 30: 86 OVR S2 Upgrade Token
• 31: 10,000 Coins
• 32: 315 Season Tickets
• 33: Season 2 Uniform Pack
• 34: 365 Season Tickets
• 35: Epic Option Pack
• 36: 83 OVR Season 2 Player Fantasy Pack
• 37: 415 Season Tickets
• 38: 15,000 Coins
• 39: Legendary Option Pack
• 40: 87 OVR S2 Upgrade Token
• 41: 10,000 Coins
• 42: Epic Option Pack
• 43: Random Strategy Item
• 44: Season 3 XP Token
• 45: 88 OVR S2 Upgrade Token

The rewards for the Madden NFL 26 Season 2 Pass are quite impressive. In addition to Madden NFL 26 coins and card packs, the upgrade to an 88 OVR free player is worth tens of thousands of coins.

Cam Ward | 88 OVR QT

• SPD: 81
• THP: 93
• SAC: 91
• MAC: 89
• DAC: 86
• TUP: 88
• RUN: 89
• PAC: 89

Cam Ward's stats are very solid, with 93 Throwing Power, 91 Short Passing, 89 Medium Passing, and 86 Long Passing. His weakness may be his slowness. Even if you don't upgrade to 88 OVR, it's easy to increase Throwing Power to above 90 with chemistry bonuses.

Overall, he's one of the most versatile quarterbacks, particularly suitable for free-to-play players or those with weaker lineups.

Jonathan Allen | 88 OVR DT

• SPD: 70
• ACC: 73
• STR: 92
• TAK: 92
• PRC: 87
• BSH: 85
• PMV: 91
• FMV: 84

Jonathan Allen is a very solid and powerful interior defender. While he lacks speed, his excellent attributes, such as 92 Strength, 92 Tackle, 84 Pass-rush Avoidance, and 91 Pass-rush Power, are more than enough to handle most interior defensive duties.

Armand Membou | 88 OVR RT

• STR: 90
• AWF: 81
• PBK: 91
• PBP: 91
• PBF: 92
• RBK: 88
• RBP: 89
• RBF: 90

Armand Membou is undoubtedly one of the top picks, primarily because right tackles are very scarce among free agents right now, with most being left tackles. Furthermore, his 90 strength, 91 pass blocking, and 88 run blocking are excellent attributes for a right tackle. If you upgrade him to 88 OVR, you won't need to use Madden 26 coins for right tackles for a long time.

Dre Greenlaw | 88 OVR WILL

• SPD: 85
• ACC: 87
• STR: 70
• TAK: 90
• PRC: 88
• BSH: 84
• ZCV: 91
• MCV: 87

Dre Greenlaw is perhaps one of the best Coverage style linebackers in the entire game. His 85 speed, 87 acceleration, 90 tackling, 87 man coverage, and 91 zone coverage make him a very well-rounded player, making him a strong contender for a priority upgrade. If you just need a free left tackle, then Dre Greenlaw might be your first choice.

Carlton Davis III | 88 OVR CB

• SPD: 88
• ACC: 88
• AGI: 79
• JMP: 80
• PRC: 89
• MCV: 90
• ZCV: 91
• PRS: 93

Carlton Davis III has excellent attributes and is a valuable addition to the cornerback position. He also looks very good on a themed team. On any 50/50 theme team, he'll be enhanced to a 90-speed defensive back. The only problem is that when you fully upgrade Carlton Davis, his 88 Speed ​​might behind other top defensive backs, but he's still a top-tier option.

Based on the above, the top recommended players are Armand Membou, Dre Greenlaw, and Carlton Davis III. If you don't want to waste NFL 26 coins on an interior defender, you can also upgrade Jonathan Allen, but he's not an excellent option compared to other players.

Season 2 Events

Besides the pass, Season 2 will feature several new events that will unlock powerful players for your Ultimate Team:

• Unstoppable: Starting September 18th, players can obtain and upgrade an 88 overall player for free, including Josh Jacobs, DK Metcalf, Justin Reid, and more.
• Unreal Moments: Starting October 2nd, a brand-new promotion featuring player cards based on highlights from NFL history.
• Most Feared: Starting October 16th, the grand finale of Season 2, this Halloween-themed promotion is a favorite for many players.

That's a rough outline of what's available for Season 2. These free players are all excellent, and we hope you'll find the players you're looking for to strengthen your team.

With each big run, you see their silhouettes whizzing by. In an instant, they flash through the crowd with unstoppable pace, their power and speed tearing through the defense's defense. They are the primary implementers and practitioners of a team's ground offense—the running backs.

Speed isn't the only requirement for a running back, but it's the most fundamental. The faster the running back, the more yards they can rush. If you want to focus on the ground offense, the running back is the core of your play. So if you're looking to use Madden 26 coins to acquire a fast running back, what are your options?

No.10 Isiah Pacheco 83 OVR

• Speed: 93
• Acceleration: 95
• Strength: 80
• Agility: 86
• Awareness: 83
• Jumping: 84
• Injury: 88
• Stamina: 91
• Toughness: 89

Isiah Pacheco is a promising running back prospect. He proved his ability in 2024, but a leg injury cut short his career. He has since returned from injury and remains fearless on the field, engaging in physical contact without fear.

No.9 Breece Hall 84 OVR

• Speed: 93
• Acceleration: 92
• Strength: 76
• Agility: 90
• Awareness: 81
• Jumping: 92
• Injury: 89
• Stamina: 90
• Toughness: 90

New York Jets' Breece Hall is embroiled in trade rumors. He didn't perform well in 2024, and the Jets plan to focus on developing second-year running back Braelon Allen.

No.8 Derrick Henry 98 OVR

• Speed: 93
• Acceleration: 87
• Strength: 87
• Agility: 83
• Awareness: 97
• Jumping: 88
• Injury: 96
• Stamina: 92
• Toughness: 97

Derrick Henry is a typical power running back. While his speed isn't particularly high compared to other running backs, he has a strong ability to break tackles. Because of his strong frame, he can even gain two yards after being tackled. Power-oriented running backs are typically suited to short-yardage offenses, using powerful rushing formations to gain yards. Agility-oriented running backs, on the other hand, excel at using their speed and ability to evade tackles and gain yards.

No.7 Velus Jones Jr. 69 OVR

• Speed: 94
• Acceleration: 95
• Strength: 64
• Agility: 80
• Awareness: 67
• Jumping: 81
• Injury: 92
• Stamina: 79
• Toughness: 82

Velus Jones Jr. is considered tall for a running back, but his 5'10" frame doesn't give him a strength advantage, and instead makes him more vulnerable to being tackled by other players. Velus Jones Jr. is only just passable as a running back. If your team needs a speedy but less important running back, you might consider him, allowing you to use your MUT 26 coins on developing other key players.

No.6 Kenneth Walker III 88 OVR

• Speed: 94
• Acceleration: 94
• Strength: 81
• Agility: 92
• Awareness: 84
• Jumping: 83
• Injury: 84
• Stamina: 90
• Toughness: 92

Seattle Seahawks' Kenneth Walker suffered a recurrence of a foot injury during training camp and missed the preseason. In his absence, Seahawks rushed for 268 yards against Chiefs in the preseason, with rookie running back Damien Martinez and others handling the pressure.

Kenneth Walker III is still working through his rehab and has occasionally shown flashes of his explosiveness and impressive speed. Coach Mike Macdonald didn't give up on him despite Kenneth Walker III's absence, retaining him as the starting running back.

No.5 Keaton Mitchell 74 OVR

• Speed: 94
• Acceleration: 95
• Strength: 60
• Agility: 82
• Awareness: 71
• Jumping: 90
• Injury: 85
• Stamina: 86
• Toughness: 79

Keaton Mitchell rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown against Colts in the preseason opener, earning him player of the year honors. However, he subsequently suffered a hamstring injury and missed the following game. Coach John Harbaugh stated that he could be back as early as this week and at the latest for the opener, emphasizing that the injury is not serious.

No.4 Saquon Barkley 99 OVR

• Speed: 95
• Acceleration: 94
• Strength: 81
• Agility: 95
• Awareness: 9
• Jumping: 96
• Injury: 91
• Stamina: 94
• Toughness: 90

Saquon Barkley led Eagles to a Super Bowl victory in the 2024 season with a dominant 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him Offensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Pro selection.

Saquon Barkley's "reverse hurdle" to avoid the pocket in Week 9 against the Jaguars was featured on the game's cover and became one of the most iconic moments of the season. He's undoubtedly one of the fastest and strongest running backs in the game, and acquiring him will require a considerable amount of NFL 26 coins.

No.3 Jahmyr Gibbs 95 OVR

• Speed: 95
• Acceleration: 94
• Strength: 72
• Agility: 93
• Awareness: 89
• Jumping: 81
• Injury: 90
• Stamina: 85
• Toughness: 84

Jahmyr Gibbs, standing at 175cm, is a classic speed-focused running back. In the 2024 season, he rushed for 1,412 yards (5.6 yards per carry), 16 rushing touchdowns, and caught 52 passes for 517 yards, becoming the core of Detroit Lions' offense and currently one of the top five running backs in NFL.

No.2 Bhayshul Tuten 75 OVR

• Speed: 95
• Acceleration: 96
• Strength: 75
• Agility: 90
• Awareness: 58
• Jumping: 94
• Injury: 88
• Stamina: 89
• Toughness: 87

Bhayshul Tuten was a fourth-round pick in 2025. In the preseason opener against Steelers, he rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown on six carries and caught two passes for 16 yards, showcasing his receiving ability. He also performed well in the recent game against Saints. The Jaguars are in desperate need of a running back to help them overcome last year's poor start, and Bhayshul Tuten may be their hope.

No.1 De'Von Achane 85 OVR

• Speed: 96
• Acceleration: 94
• Strength: 68
• Agility: 91
• Awareness: 78
• Jumping: 82
• Injury: 90
• Stamina: 84
• Toughness: 87

De'Von Achane is both a running back and an elite track and field athlete. His college personal bests were 10.14 in the 100 meters and 20.31 in the 200 meters, so it's no surprise that he boasts the fastest speed.

However, De'Von Achane suffered a lower extremity soft tissue injury during the preseason. Coach Mike McDaniel stated that he will be out for several days to several weeks, but is expected to return for the regular season opener in September.

The above are the top ten running backs in Madden 26. Whether you plan to execute ground tactics or use aerial passing tactics, an agile running back can always bring a sense of urgency to the opponent and even disrupt the opponent's defense, so I hope the above content can help you build your team.