Ultimate Team remains one of the most popular game modes in Madden NFL 26. Players are able to handcraft their entire team, play matches against real opponents, and complete challenges against AI to earn more rewards. You’re able to build your team using player cards, all of which feature different stats and abilities for the individual player. As such, it’s crucial to know which cards are the best so you can build out your team the right way.
However, Ultimate Team in Madden 26 features thousands of cards, so it can take you ages to figure out which ones are worth your time and which ones you can just sell off or discard. Fortunately, the Madden community has been hard at work since the launch of the game to determine the best overall cards in Ultimate Team. Below, you can see a list of the eight best cards you can currently use in the mode.
We’ll count down the cards in no particular order. These cards also won’t just be 99 OVR-rated cards; instead, we’ve opted to highlight value cards that are easy to get and feature solid players.
Devon Witherspoon (85 OVR)
First up, we have Devon Witherspoon. Specifically, Witherspoon’s 85 OVR card is one of the best value cornerbacks you can currently have on your team. Madden 26 isn’t too kind to cornerbacks, as they consistently get tormented by just about any wide receiver. So, it’s vital to have a solid cornerback on both sides of the field, and with Witherspoon, you should have a solid chance at stopping an opponent’s receivers. Witherspoon has 85 speed, 82 agility, and 86 acceleration, so he definitely has the stats to keep up with most players he’ll line up across from.
Xavier Worthy (79 OVR)
This is the card everyone in the Ultimate Team community has been talking about since Madden 26 was released. As we just mentioned, cornerbacks are very weak in this game, and a speedy receiver with good route-running, like Xavier Worthy, is one of the most valuable additions to any team. Worthy is one of the fastest receivers in the game, even with his 79 OVR card, and features terrific route-running across the board. While he’s not going to muscle his way through any catches, his speed is so lethal that he likely won’t have any defender near him to pry the ball free.
Jaylen Waddle (85 OVR)
Speaking of speedy receivers, next up we have Jaylen Waddle. Waddle is another receiver with fantastic speed, but his 85 OVR card features even better route-running than the Xavier Worthy card we just talked about. The main difference is that Waddle has one less speed point, but that shouldn’t matter too much when you’re dusting defensive backs with crisp routes. To boot, Waddle also has 88 agility, 86 acceleration, and solid catching stats that will always make him an enticing option on passing plays.
Chase Brown (82 OVR)
Let’s talk about the running position in Ultimate Team. As per usual, you mainly want a running back with some quickness, as that’s going to offer the best bang-for-your-buck, especially when playing online head-to-head. While you can always go with a top running back such as Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry, you can often find terrific value at this position. Chase Brown’s 82 OVR-rated card epitomizes value, as it’s not difficult to get and can entirely change your offense.
Brown has a solid 85 speed stat to go along with great acceleration (87) and solid rushing stats all the way around. He’s also a threat as a receiver out of the backfield, as he has decent route-running stats and catching ability.
Brian Burns (86 OVR)
Sticking with the theme of speed in Ultimate Team, you always want a quick edge rusher on your defensive line. Brian Burns’ 86 OVR card can give you just that on the right side. Burns has 82 speed, which is above average for an edge rusher in this OVR range, and can blaze through any offensive line you’ll face in Madden 26. Burns notably has a 78 block shed stat, meaning he’ll be able to get off those lineman blocks fairly often. Overall, Burns is a great foundational card on your defense, and he can carry you through a solid chunk of your early-mid game.
Baker Mayfield (86 OVR)
We couldn’t leave the quarterback position off this list, and Baker Mayfield has quickly become the most popular QB in Ultimate Team. This is largely due to the fact that shorter quarterbacks have been struggling early on in Madden 26, and with Baker’s 6’1″ frame, he doesn’t have to overcome those challenges. Mayfield also offers one of the quickest releases in Ultimate Team, making him a great option for both short and long passes.
Jake Elliott (81 OVR)
Every team needs a kicker in Madden 26, and Jake Elliott is a player that you can always rely on in Ultimate Team. While Brandon Aubrey’s 82 OVR-rated card is arguably the best option at the kicking position, Elliott is slightly easier to get, and there’s no noticeable drop-off in terms of stats. Both kickers have the same kicking power and will net you very similar performance.
And that’s going to do it for our best cards in Madden 26 Ultimate Team. Is there a card you’ve been using constantly so far? Let us know down in the comments below.
