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Best lineup strategy for Falcons vs. Texans Madden simulation Showdown

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

DeAndre Hopkins #10 of the Houston Texans celebrates a touchdown reception by teammate Kenny Stills #12 (not pictured) during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on December 15, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

The The Atlanta Falcons head south to Houston to take on the Texans in tonight’s simulated Madden 20 game at 8 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.

Captain’s Picks

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Texans ($15,600)

If you area Texans fan, seeing Nuk still in Houston is bittersweet after Bill O’Brien gave him away for a song, but we might as well take advantage of the highest Madden rated player in this matchup and the No. 2 rated wide receiver in the game. Desmond Trufant is the best cornerback for Atlanta, but is at an 81 rating in man coverage, lower than both of the Texans cornerbacks.

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons ($14,100)

Ryan and Deshaun Watson are very close in Madden ratings, with Ryan one point ahead of him overall. In normal fantasy, Watson would usually be my choice, but I can’t rely on the simulation using Watson enough as a runner while Ryan has better ratings as a passer and is slightly cheaper.

Flex Picks

Austin Hooper, TE, Falcons ($8,800)

Hooper’s awareness rating is only behind Hopkins and Julio Jones while Matt Ryan is one of the better rated quarterbacks in accuracy underneath. Hooper was on track for a top tight end fantasy season before injuries stifled his numbers, but he is healthy in the simulation and should be a reliable receiver in PPR scoring tonight.

Will Fuller, WR, Texans ($6,800)

Fuller has the best speed rating of the receivers going and gets a weak Falcons pass defense that should have their best defenses up for Hopkins. In these shorter simulated games, I want a receiver who can take the top off a defense quickly and get big points. And, we get to play using a healthy Fuller, which is always a question mark in real life.