The point of cup draw "manipulation" is not to face lower level managers: I played only 1 in 24 cups. It's to play semi-active or almost dead teams. As mentioned above, I prefer by miles to play a sleeping team 2 levels above me than an active one from the same. For instance, I'm level 21. In my cup this season, the last 16 was made of 14 teams from 21, 1 from 22 and one from 23. Did not see any 20 or below in ca. 80 teams carefully examined.