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We’re all in need of some entertainment during these times of the unknown. DraftKings is doing its part by offering Madden simulations with a variety of teams going at it. For this piece, we’ll focus on the Chiefs and Steelers game that’ll take place at 8 p.m. ET Thursday evening. The game is this week’s Fantasy Madden Stream Game of the Week, which awards $10K in free prizes.
Set your free to play lineups here: Madden Stream $10K FREE Game of the Week Contest [5 Entry Max] (KC vs PIT)
Madden Stream: Jets vs. Patriots
LIVE at 10 p.m. ET
The settings for this and all other Madden games are as follows:
GAME INFORMATION:
Difficulty: All-Madden
Game Style: Arcade
Event Type: Exhibition
Even Teams: Off
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Accelerated Clock: On
Play Clock: 20 seconds
For all info on settings and upcoming games, click HERE.
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes ($11,800) is by far the most expensive player in this game and rightfully so. He enters this game averaging 19.4 DKFP, 264 passing yards and 50 touchdowns thrown. He doesn’t use his legs as much as we’d like with only 30 rushing yards to his name but he simply hasn’t needed. To be fair, he has been a bit quiet as of late, posting no more than 14 DKFP in two straight games but if anyone can come back and post one of his massive 20+ DKFP games, it’s him.
Tyreek Hill ($10,600) has been the best receiver for Mahomes, entering this game averaging 17.3 DKFP, 4.7 receptions and 68.1 yards. He’s scored 16 times in the process, which isn’t surprising seeing that he has the best speed in all of Madden at 99. Pairing these two guys does prove to be extremely tough for the rest of your lineup normally but the Steelers do provide some solid salary relief with some of their receivers. Next up is Travis Kelce ($9,000), who is simply a volume monster in these games. He’s made a total of 133 receptions through 25 games, averaging 5.3 per game with 70 yards and 10 touchdowns. If Hill is a bit too expensive, Kelce would be a fine consolation prize. While it feels like the Chiefs are simply full of expensive players, Demarcus Robinson ($4,800) does provide some much-needed relief under $5K. He’s completely worth his salary as well, averaging 3.4 receptions with 50.8 yards and eight touchdowns. It’s hard not to want all of the Chiefs players in this game but with the number of looks Robinson get, he’s certainly worth a look.
Damien Williams ($8,200) is one of the rare RB1 that actually worth using. Ironically, he’s cheaper than most at the RB1 position but will catch out of the backfield and handle the groundwork. Through 25 games, Williams is averaging 59.8 rushing and 16.6 through the air while scoring a total of 14 times. Williams rarely is off the field and we don’t even see any of the other running backs take the field. The Steelers do have a fairly good run defense, so keep that in mind, especially if you’re loading up on some of the other more expensive Chief players.
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
Pittsburgh Steelers
We have the benefit of this game being a five-entry max, so we can load up on the Steelers in at least one lineup. If this was a single entry, using Ben Roethlisberger ($11,000 would be a way to be contrarian as if anyone was paying up in the $11K range, they’d be going to Mahomes. With five entries, you’ll still see Roethlisberger at fairly high ownership. He won’t exceed Mahomes, but it’s more than you’d likely expect. Big Ben has struggled as of late but is still averaging 221 passing yards and 47 touchdowns thrown.
JuJu Smith-Schuster ($9,800) has put together strong back-to-back games, making a total of 10 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns in that span. I think this could actually be a fairly tough matchup for him if he ends up getting matched against CB Kendall Fuller, who is rated almost the same as him with a 86 overall and 90 awareness. This, along with the high priced options on the Chiefs, will have me mostly off Smith-Schuster. Instead, I’ll be looking toward some of their value options like James Washington ($5,000) and Dionte Johnson ($4,600). Washington has the advantage with his average of three receptions and 44.8 yards per game to go with 13 touchdowns scored. Johnson is a few hundred less and averaging 2.3 receptions, 40.2 yards and 10 touchdowns. Either one would be a good option to use, especially if salary savings are needed. Vance McDonald ($6,400) continues to be the volume king on this team with his 4.2 receptions and 54.8 yards per game. He’s not nearly getting into the end zone as the other receivers but he consistently involved in this offense and hasn’t gone a game without making a catch, whereas Washington and Johnson have.
After suckering people back in with two straight games of rushing in for a touchdown, James Conner ($7,400) went back to his old ways in the Steelers’ last game against the Falcons by rushing for just 47 yards. He did come out of nowhere to make three catches but only went for 19 yards, giving him 9.6 DKFP on the day. He’s still not worth using even against a Chiefs team that can be generous against the run. Continue to run out Jaylen Samuels ($1,000), who I expect so draw strong ownership in a game where people will be looking for salary relief.
THE OUTCOME
The Chiefs will bring the most popular captain options and it’s easy to see why. I think it’s fair to say who the obvious choices are so if you want to mix it up a bit, I have a couple of options. Demarcus Robinson ($7,200) is still a good option here even if his volume isn’t heavy. Reaching the end zone eight times while gaining over 50 yards per game isn’t too shabby for a cheap captain. The ultimate salary saving captain would be Jaylen Samuels ($1,500). This is not one I would use a lot of but if you truly want to stack your flex spots, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Final Score: Chiefs 27, Steelers 20
DEPTH CHARTS
Chiefs
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Steelers
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Steveazors) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.