Best lineup strategy for Panthers vs. Cardinals Madden simulation Showdown

The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will face off in a Madden sim Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET. We break down the ideal Showdown lineup strategy for the DFS contest. You can set your lineup and play at DraftKings before kickoff.

Captain’s Picks

Curtis Samuel ($10,200)

So I’ve been calling some of these suckers and the last time I watched the Panthers simulation, Samuel had an insane acrobatic catch followed by four broken tackles en route to a huge TD. That type of upside is why I’m cool captaining him in this Showdown. He’s been quiet the past two sims, but if Samuel doesn’t have to deal with Patrick Peterson, he’s got a nice ceiling.

Panthers D ($6,300)

The Cardinals offense has been awful in these simulations. The Cards have scored a combined 18 points in the past three games and the Panthers have a sneaky underrated defense in Madden. Luke Keuchly is an absolute monster and the secondary is pretty solid as well. I could see Carolina getting plenty of pressure on Kyler Murray and their D makes for an interesting leverage captain.

FLEX Men

Christian Kirk ($5,800)

While I think the Panthers defense will perform in this one, I can see the Cards passing game getting things going a bit. Arizona’s issues were more in the run game and red zone than anything. Moving the ball isn’t a problem. Kirk is a decent value given he’s gone over double digit fantasy points in three of five games.

Damiere Byrd ($3,600)

It’s been three games since Byrd went bonkers against the Buccaneers in a simulation I also called. Byrd had two long TDs in that contest and ended up breaking the slate. Cheap WRs are always appealing and Byrd should, at the very least, get a handful of targets. His ceiling is high.