Best lineup strategy for 49ers vs. Chargers Madden simulation Showdown

The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers will face off in a Madden sim Monday 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

Mike Williams ($10,200)

Williams has been one of the top WRs in Madden sim land since its inception a few months ago. For the Chargers, Williams has been the WR1 as opposed to during the regular season when Keenan Allen usually occupies that spot. So for Showdown sims, we almost have to play Mike Will despite the price, which is actually still really solid.

Fade of the Game

Jimmy Garoppolo ($10,800)

You know me, I hate to play QBs in these simulations. They just don’t get to the ceiling we want consistently. I’m a bit worried about Jimmy G because the matchup is solid against the Chargers. Still, this is a really high price for any QB and there’s a better chance of Jimmy G busting than him going bonkers against the Chargers. So I’ll be cautious and spending elsewhere, mostly at RB for San Fran.

Value Picks

Austin Ekeler ($3,000) — It’s always a good option to go with the cheap RB in the FLEX spot. Ekeler is a great play mostly because of his role as the 3rd-down back, plus Melvin Gordon has been really awful in Madden simulations overall. He’s had some decent games, but generally isn’t worth spending the cash. So Ekeler is the better play.

49ers D/ST ($3,400) — I’ve seen the Chargers offense struggle in these simulations, so going with the Niners D/ST isn’t a bad play. They should go low owned in the FLEX and we get a ton of salary saving. If you want to go all-in on a Niners stack and then play somebody like Ekeler, that could be the way to go.