Use the following trick to get your favorite or created players on a franchise cheaply. It takes some time, but always works. Select the team that you want to use in franchise mode. Then, make all of the players you want to be on that team have a zero rating by changing their stats. Put all of those players on the team you want to use in the franchise mode. Save this roster or you will have to do it all over again if you make a mistake. You can now set all of the players' stats to maximum if you desired (but it will be difficult to re-sign them). Set the stats however you desire, then go into franchise mode and select that team. All of your favorite players should now be signed for very cheap. However, the years on the contract seem to be random though.