Players who aren't willing to bury money into NBA 2K22's MyTeam mode are probably feeling like there is no way to succeed. The players that appear to be the biggest difference makers are incredibly expensive. Yes, players could just give up and let the whales dominate the game.

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There is another option for those who aren't quitters. It's possible to build up a formidable MyTeam with savvy cards that are just pricey enough to afford with hard work and effort. Doing a detailed breakdown, many of these Sapphire players in NBA 2K22 are even better than the players ranked high above them.

Updated on June 17th, 2022 by Hodey Johns: With so much time since this article's initial release, there has unsurprisingly been a title wave of cards added to the game in the meantime. Many of these cards weren't as enticing as the initial offering, but some of them absolutely belonged on this list. In addition to the new cards, each section has been updated with a chart that gives gamers specific information about ratings on offense, defense, position, and badges. This Sapphire section remains a sweet spot for gamers not looking to go broke in my team yet still allows them to be competitive with the wealthiest players.

10 Jay Williams

There is a reason that it's important to look at the individual statistics instead of reducing it down to overall card rankings and Jay Williams shows gamers why. As the lowest-ranked card on this list, he's also got the most gold badges. His speed and acceleration are both 95, so the man has jets and will burn cards that are "better" than him.

9 Eric Paschall

It would be impossible to find a more balanced card on this list than Eric Paschall. He's split as evenly as possible among all badge categories and his 88 on offensive and 87 on defense also covers any location on the court. As a small forward, Paschall can hold his own against cards well above his ratings.

8 De'Andre Hunter

The 97 defensive rating is the highest of any player on this list. That 39 gold badge count is also the leader for Sapphire players at this rating or higher. As can be safely assumed, De'Andre Hunter has almost every defensive badge there is. Not to be confused for a defensive-only guy, he has a nice mix of badges in the other three categories as well.

7 Davion Mitchell

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Point guards and passers can set gamers back in their wallets if they need a good one. Those who are hoping to keep their wallets intact will love what Davion Mitchell brings to the table due to him having silver or gold in seventeen of the twenty available playmaking badges. Not only can he pass, but that 95 defensive rating assures that he'll be solid on the other end of the floor.

6 Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Thanasis Antetokounmpo holds about half of the badges in the game and has them in gold variety, so he lacks any real weakness. His defense is fantastic, which is perfect for an SG/SF player since there are the two positions that gamers online tend to do most of their scoring with.

5 Dorian Finney-Smith

Only four players rank ahead of Dorian Finney-Smith and their sole advantage over him is that they have legendary badges. Though many gamers may prefer Finney Smith because he has a whopping 38 gold badges. These badges are evenly dispersed among all four areas, giving players who use him confidence that they'll excel in every aspect of the game.

4 Evan Mobley

It's tough to stop a slashing shooting guard on an ideal team, but Evan Mobley is up to the task. It's not just a legendary Rim Protector card, Mobley has an arsenal of badges on the defensive end to stop anybody from scoring in the paint. Unlike many cards in this range, he's also very capable on offense too, especially in the post.

3 Mohamed Bamba

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Mohamed Bamba might not have access to the best playmaking badges in NBA 2K22 but he's not a center for his passing prowess. His legendary Rim Protector badge will stuff even the best players from getting a shot over him. What makes him special is his gold badges that contribute to long-range shooting, quite unexpected for a guy usually regarded as a purely defensive card.

2 CJ McCollum

Some might even put McCollum at the top of this list due to his huge number of gold badges combined with his legendary badge in Volume Shooter. He has no defensive badges, but his offense makes up for it, capable of shooting from deep or driving in and taking it to the game's best centers.

1 Robert Covington

Primarily a power forward, it may seem odd that Robert Covington was given access to the best shooting badges in the game, including two legendary badges for Sniper and Volume Shooter. Gamers that like to turn their tall guys into stretch bigs will be hunting for this card for sure.

NBA 2K22 is available on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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