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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 Jags and Jets at 12 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
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Madden Stream: 49ers at Chargers
LIVE at 10 p.m. ET
Note: All salaries will be Flex prices unless noted as Captain’s Pick prices
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Jaguars
Gardner Minshew ($10,400) has actually been the slightly better QB play in the Madden sims, averaging 17.7 DKFP. He’s been extremely unpredictable, having some of his best outings in his toughest matchups. More eyes should go to the Jets’ side in this one, so if Minshew’s ownership suffers, he could make for a nice tournament play.
If that’s the case, you almost certainly need to pair Minshew with D.J. Chark ($9,200). Chark’s been the main weapon in every game that Minshew’s gone off in. Since Week 8, Chark has eight games of 20-plus DKFP, including three of 30-plus.
The WR play falls off after Chark, so I’d really recommend finding a way to have enough salary to pay up. Dede Westbrook ($6,600) has four 20-DKFP contests but has much more often led to a bust. I’d rather pay down to the WR3 spot, where Marqise Lee ($4,800) has strung together more solid numbers than Westbrook recently and will be up against a lesser corner.
James O’Shaughnessy ($6,400) has been a surprisingly trustworthy option in Jacksonville’s offense, but we’ve seen that with some unexpected TE stars in the sims. Averaging 12 DKFP and providing a lot of touchdown upside, O’Shaughnessy always makes for a safe play.
Leonard Fournette ($8,400) is one of the rare every-down RB plays in Madden, which makes him valuable. You have to pay for him, but he’s as safe as it gets. Fournette has easy 20-DFKP potential, but rarely flops and gets you fewer than double-digit DKFP.
The Jags can tend to stall offensively, so it’s worth giving Josh Lambo ($3,800) a look for some value. His 7.2-DKFP average is one of the better point-per-dollar plays on the slate.
Jets
Sam Darnold ($11,000) may look like the lesser play on the surface — a worse DKFP average than Minshew, while being more expensive. But the matchup against the Jags is as good as it gets. This should be a ceiling game for Darnold, who just scored 35 DKFP against the Dolphins.
Like stacking the Jags’ top options, I think you need to pay up for Robby Anderson ($10,000) if you roster Darnold. Anderson is hit-or-miss, but this is a matchup he has the ability to dominate. When Darnold goes off, we’ve seen 30- and 40-DKFP games from Anderson.
Jamison Crowder ($7,400) has consistently had good games recently, but he’s a little overpriced now. With so many other high-priced plays I like, we need to draw the line somewhere. Unless he fits as your final piece, this isn’t the right spot to pay for Crowder. He has much too low a floor to justify his salary.
Demaryius Thomas ($5,400) is due to pick his production back up when Crowder does regress, but you’d think that’d mean Thomas would be cheaper in the meantime. He’s not. His salary actually went up. So Thomas makes for a fade in this situation as well.
Ryan Griffin ($6,000) has been a really strong play from the start of the sims and dominant over his past three — including 21 DKFP against Miami and a sim-best 34.6 DKFP against Philadelphia. He’s the mid-priced pass catcher I’d target on the Jets.
Chris Herndon ($2,000) is the backup TE, but has shown some upside from time to time. Without many viable punt plays on the slate, he’s in consideration — especially with so many spots to pay up.
Le’Veon Bell ($9,600) is a similar play to Fournette. However, I’ll lean toward Fournette for a couple of reasons. For starters, I like the savings of $1,200. That’s a big deal. And second, the matchups dictate the Jets breaking this one open through the air.
The Jets’ D/ST ($3,400) has some good playmakers and the Jags can tend to get shut down in certain matchups. Rostering the Jets’ D/ST is another punt consideration.
THE OUTCOME
Final Score: Jaguars 24, Jets 30
This has the potential to be a pretty exciting game. In the end, I think the Jets have an advantage through the air that should be exposed, and help them to the victory. Ideally, you have the salary to captain Sam Darnold ($16,500 CP) or Robby Anderson ($15,000 CP).
DEPTH CHARTS
Jaguars
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Jets
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) 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.