Madden Stream: Saints vs. Giants DraftKings Showdown Strategies, Depth Charts and Captain’s Picks

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 Saints and Giants game that’ll take place at 4 p.m. ET Monday afternoon.

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LIVE at 10 p.m. ET

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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

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SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Saints

Drew Brees ($11,000) is not only the most expensive player in this game but he has the highest DKFP average amongst the pool. We’re starting to see quarterbacks pass the 50 touchdowns thrown threshold and Brees is one of them, with 53. He’s averaging 244 passing yards as well and should easily boost that number against a very poor Giants secondary. Both QBs in this sim are extremely viable options, but I’m really digging going against the Giants’ corners, whose “highest-rated” is a 71 in DeAndre Baker. Not exactly much to fear here.

With that idea that the Giants’ secondary is nothing more than putrid, best of luck trying to stop Michael Thomas ($10,400). As you can imagine, he’s been seeing some heavy volume in this offense, averaging 4.9 receptions, 74 yards and has scored 17 times. He’s coming off one of his best games of the sim season in which he went for 162 yards on eight receptions and scored a touchdown, good for 33.7 DKFP. Of course, he’s one of the highest-rated players in this game at 99, joining the likes of four others in all of Madden. Against this secondary, Thomas would be a very tough fade for me. Jared Cook ($7,600) has actually been the volume king in this offense, averaging a whopping 5.5 receptions to go with 59 yards and 10 touchdowns scored. The receptions are great, but Cook isn’t gaining the yardage you’d expect for someone seeing as many looks as he is. Regardless, he could easily be more expensive than he currently is. One other receiver that has been really crushing these sims for the Saints has been Ted Ginn Jr. ($5,600). Don’t let his mid-tier salary fool you, as he’s averaging 3.7 receptions, 52 yards and 15 touchdowns (!) scored. He’s scored in three of his past five games and his 92 speed rating is one of the best in this game. Tre’Quan Smith ($5,000) is a bit too pricey for my liking, as he’s gone four games without making a single catch, driving down his average to 3.2 receptions and 39 yards per game with only three touchdowns scored.

Alvin Kamara ($9,600) will be another popular option on this slate and for good reason. He handles almost all the rushing attempts, averaging 61.1 yards per game and he’ll catch out of the backfield as well. In total, Kamara has scored 23 times and has done so with 16 on the ground and seven through the air, making him a legitimate duel threat in both facets of the game.

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Giants

In the majority of the simulations, Daniel Jones ($10,600) would be an easy player to lock into your lineup. He’s been great through 27 games, averaging 243 passing yards with 49 touchdowns thrown and seven interceptions. He doesn’t run as much as you’d expect with a total of just 76 rushing yards and two touchdowns, so that’s one kink in his game. The problem here is, I really want to pay up for Brees and Thomas, so using Jones as well devastates my remaining salary for my other flex spots. Jones will likely be much lower owned than both Brees and Thomas, so the appeal to be contrarian is alive and well.

Jones has done a good job at spreading the ball around, but the player that has gotten the ball the most consistently has been Evan Engram ($7,800). Entering this game, he’s averaging 4.5 receptions for 53 yards and 11 touchdowns scored. I feel like the touchdown total could easily be higher but you’re getting good volume with him regardless, although Cook is seeing more at $200 less. Darius Slayton ($6,200) and his 93 speed, which is the best amongst the offensive players, saw a $600 bump up in his salary for this game after scoring 23.1 DKFP against the Ravens. He has to be considered one of the best overall plays on the Giants because of his speed while averaging 3.6 receptions, 57.5 yards and 11 touchdowns scored. Again, it’s just tough to not want to go full board on the Saints with how bad the Giants’ secondary is. Golden Tate ($8,400) is likely a fade for me based on his salary alone. He is the WR1 on this team and his volume is good, averaging 3.7 receptions and 49 yards with 14 touchdowns scored. However, you can get similar production at $2,200 less with Slayton. Sterling Shepard ($4,200) is your potential salary saving option with his three receptions and 43 yards per game. He’s fairly inconsistent, but you’re not going to find many options that are under $5K.

Saquon Barkley ($8,800) is cheaper than Kamara, which will likely be quite appealing for people constructing their rosters. He’s averaging 62.8 yards on the ground and 24.1 through the air, scoring a combined 13 touchdowns. The Saints do have a good defensive line, so I worry about what Barkley can truly contribute to this game. If he’s not catching out of the backfield, this could be a really tough spot for him. Barkley has posted as many as six receptions in a game so the potential is there.

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THE OUTCOME

The Saints offer the most appealing Captain options in this game by far. You can go with the obvious choice of Drew Brees ($16,500 CP), but you’re also paying the highest premium amongst all the players. I think one of the more enticing options is Jared Cook ($11,400 CP), as he’s the sixth-most expensive option but he’s seeing the highest volume of all the players in this game. Ted Ginn Jr. ($8,400) will be a very low-owned Captain, but he also has some of the highest touchdown potential in this game as well.

Final Score: Saints 30, Giants 21

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DEPTH CHARTS

Saints

Giants

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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.