Hey guys, it’s Friday, so we’re back with another top 10 list. This week we’re revisiting the top 10 halfbacks in Madden. We last ranked the best HBs back in October, and a lot has changed since then. Here is our current list:
Top 10 HBs in MUT 23
1. 96 OVR Quadfather
Is anyone surprised that A.J. “Quadfather” Dillion is on top of this list? He was so dominant that EA had to nerf him after his release. Even after the nerf, you can run his Freight Train (Quadfather) ability with Persistent for just 3 AP total. With that ability combo, his X-Factor ability is almost always going to be active so you’re going to break the first tackle with the Quadfather more times than you won’t. You probably should have him in your lineup if running the ball is a significant part of your offensive scheme.
2. 96 OVR King Henry
No surprise here either. The two AKA New Class halfbacks are on top of this list. Henry also comes with a special Freight Train ability. The difference is that Henry’s ability deactivates based on a play count instead of tackles for loss like Quadfather’s. It’s also worth mentioning that King Henry gets Short In Elite for 1 AP to help him get separation on routes out of the backfield along with Bruiser for 0 AP in a different slot.
3. 97 OVR Jerome Bettis
Bettis is the best of the non-AKA HBs right now. The Bus has a pretty crazy combination of size, speed, and agility. He’s 256 pounds and has 95 speed, 98 acceleration, 92 ability, and 94 change of direction. If you’re a heavy runner, you can equip Bruiser for 0 AP or you can go with 0 AP Short In Elite if you want to get him involved in your passing game. Bettis can also equip Backfield Master for 1 AP in a separate ability slot. If you’re MUT rich, you could even pick him up just for his 0 AP Goal Line Back ability and only use him inside the 5-yard line.
4. 96 OVR Terrell Davis (Powered Up)
Davis is another great option. He is currently the fastest HB in the game at 96 (tied with 4 others). He also can equip Short In Elite for 0 AP which is great for a halfback that gets a lot of targets out of the backfield. If you’re on last-gen still, Human Joystick for 1 AP is incredibly valuable. It’s just not the same on next-gen, unfortunately. Also, keep in mind that you need to power him up to get his ability discounts since this is a non-LTD Legends player item.
5. 96 OVR Keith Byars
At 6’4”, Byars is the tallest of the elite halfbacks in MUT. Because of his size, he’s able to catch high balls with good aggressive catch animations out of the backfield. We honestly don’t know why he’s 6’4” in MUT when he seems to be listed at 6’1” everywhere else. Byars has the best receiving ratings of any running back in MUT so he’s basically a WR that lines up in the backfield. He can equip Backfield Master for 2 AP or Goal Line Back for 0 AP. In his second custom ability slot, Byars has Bruiser for 1 AP or Evasive for 2 AP.
6. 94 OVR Warrick Dunn
If you need a budget halfback, Warrick Dunn is your man. You can get him for free just by engaging with the Black History Month program. Wizzle breaks down how to earn this player item here. Since Dunn gets all 32 team chems and can get +1 speed from the BHM chem, he is able to hit 99 speed. Like some of the other top HBs in the game, he can equip Short In Elite for 0 AP as well. The only complaint we’ve heard is that he tends to fumble a bit more than other top-tier running backs.
7. 97 OVR Dameon Pierce
There is a lot to like about Pierce’s Weekly Wildcards item. He has 96 speed, 96 acceleration, 98 trucking, and 97 break tackle. That’s a pretty incredible combination. Pierce can equip your choice between Brusier and Goal Line Back, each for 0 AP. In a separate slot he also gets Short In Elite for 1 AP.
8. 97 OVR Austin Ekeler
Ekeler is Matthew Berry’s fantasy football player of the year. You can earn him by completing the set that requires each of Berry’s players of the week from earlier this season. You can find that full list here in our forums. Ekeler has great ability discounts. In his first custom slot, he gets 0 AP Evasive, 0 AP Grab-N-Go, or 1 AP Slot-O-Matic. Grab-N-Go is interesting in that we recently learned it guarantees a perfect pass lead when a player with it equipped is targeted. His second custom ability slot can equip Backfield Master for 1 AP, Route Technician for 2 AP, or Short In Elite for 1 AP.
9. 96 OVR Isiah Pacheco
Pacheco has 95 speed, 97 acceleration, 96 agility and 96 change of direction. All of these ratings combine to make him one of the most elusive halfbacks in MUT right now. He can also equip Backfield Mismatch (0 AP) along with Short In Elite (1 AP) for just 1 AP total.
10. 95 OVR Kenneth Walker III
Walker is another halfback that gets Goal Line Back for 0 AP. His Redux item is also pretty affordable at just over 200k coins on all platforms. If you’re still on last-gen Madden, go with 1 AP Human Joystick as well for a significant upgrade to Walker’s elusiveness.
Give Us Your Feedback
We read all of your comments every week and we love hearing from you. Do you have King Henry over Quadfather? Is someone dominating for you that didn’t even make our list? Let us know in the comments.
Thanks as always to Hurc and Hodgey, along with the pros at Huddle.gg, for their analysis that went into creating this list.
Enjoy the Super Bowl on Sunday and we’ll see you next week with another top 10 list. Have a great weekend!
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