Best lineup strategy for Broncos vs. Vikings Madden simulation Showdown

The Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings will face off in a Madden sim Saturday at 10:00 p.m. ET. We break down the ideal Showdown lineup strategy for the DFS contest that will be played in the snow. You can set your lineup and play in the DraftKings contest before kickoff.

Captain’s Pick

Noah Fant ($8,400)

Rarely do we get bargains like this at Captain. Fant is a strong play given how the ownership should shake out in this contest. We should see guys like Dalvin Cook, Phillip Lindsay, Courtland Sutton and Adam Thielen go highly owned at Captain. So the leverage and upside we get from Fant is enticing enough to go that route.

Fade of the Game

Kyle Rudolph ($10,200)

There’s barely any reason to play Rudolph in actual fantasy football, so why would we change things up at all in Madden? Rudolph is overpriced and really doesn’t give us much if he can’t find the end zone. I could see this game being low scoring with two decent defenses as well. If that happens, spending this much on Rudolph at Captain or even in the FLEX would be ludicrous.

Value Picks

Tim Patrick ($4,200) — There’s not going to be a ton of value in this contest, so employing stars and scrubs may be the go-to. If not, Patrick is an OK punt play at WR, a position that is usually solid in Madden sims. The Vikings have some issues in the secondary at cornerback, which could be exploited by Patrick.

Vikings D/ST ($3,600) — And if Patrick doesn’t feast, then we can expect the Vikings defense to go to town. Minnesota actually has a good scoring defense — in fantasy that is — so I like going after them as a leverage for value. They’ve got some double-digit upside and the Broncos offense isn’t that talented led by Drew Lock.