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Best lineup strategy for Bears vs. Lions Madden simulation Showdown

We break down the best Showdown lineup strategy for Thursday’s Bears-Lions Madden 20 simulation.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Danny Amendola celebrates with quarterback Matthew Stafford after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in the second quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears head to the Motor City for a rivalry matchup with the Detroit Lions in one of today’s simulated Madden 20 games. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET, and DraftKings will have DFS contests available for the matchup. We broke down the ideal Showdown lineup strategy for the contest, which you can play at DraftKings.

Showdown is one captain with five other players, and the captain counts for 50% additional points. The salary is boosted for the Captain slot to reflect that.

Captain’s Picks

Allen Robinson ($14,700)

This could turn into a defensive battle, but if the Bears are going to move the ball, look for Mitchell Trubisky to force the ball to Robinson as much as he can. Robinson is the highest rated offensive player in this Madden matchup with an 89 rating. The next closest is Kenny Golladay at 86. Robinson finished this past real season with 98 receptions, and I suspect with a healthy Trubisky in this game, he’d see double digit targets.

Matthew Stafford ($15,000)

A healthy Stafford still offers some value, even with only an 82 overall rating. When healthy, he’s a volume machine, and even against a potentially quality Bears defense, there’s a good chance he attempts 35+ passes.

Flex Picks

Danny Amendola ($5,600)

A good QB/WR stack can make all the difference in DFS. If you want to go big with Stafford, there’s nothing wrong with Kenny Golladay or Marvin Jones as the stacked receiver. However, for the price of those two, you’ll be limited elsewhere and that could backfire against a potentially solid Bears defense. On the other hand, DFS runs a PPR standard and Danny Amendola is still a solid pass catcher. He was tied for second with Jones in team receptions, and while he played two more games, he’s still going to see plenty of targets. And more importantly, it opens up money for some other options.

Bears D/ST ($4,400)

If you decide to go with Robinson as your Captain, the Bears defense is worth a look. Four of the top eight Madden ratings in this game belong to Bears defensive players, including three of the top five. They got some solid return work from Cordarrelle Patterson and Tarik Cohen, with each breaking some big returns, so there’s some upside in special teams. D/STs can be limited in value at times, but against Stafford and the Lions, it could be worth a roll of the dice.