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The Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots will face off in a Madden sim Wednesday at 6:00 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 Picks
James White ($11,400)
There are some players in these Madden sims I almost always look to target. White is on that list for a number of reasons. He’s really the only RB that matters in the Pats back field most of the time. Sony Michel comes in every so often and in some goal line situations. White has one of the best price/floor/ceiling combinations in sim land. He’s found the end zone in three of four games and has double-digit fantasy points in eight of nine sims.
Phillip Dorsett ($7,200)
There are just too many good options at Captain on the Pats side, though it’s tough for me to completely overlook the Vikings. This pick is between Mohamed Sanu and Dorsett — two similarly priced New England WRs. Dorsett has been slightly better than Sanu with a higher ceiling and better floor the past three games. I’m not sure how the ownership will shake out, but it’s probably heavier on Dorsett. Still, the ceiling is better and we can save some salary for FLEX plays.
FLEX Men
Stefon Diggs ($10,200)
I’m going to start off the FLEX spot with one crazy play and then get into my other favorite play. Diggs is overpriced. Well, sort of. The price is getting a bit better on Diggs since he woke up against the 49ers. Since that game, Diggs is averaging 15.7 fantasy points per sim over a nine-game stretch. So really, the price is fine. He’s a little volatile and this isn’t a great matchup, but Stephon Gilmore likely covers Adam Thielen or the slot man LaQuan Treadwell.
Vikings D/ST ($3,600)
This is my second favorite crazy play in this Showdown. In any Patriots contest, their ownership is going to be heavy. This isn’t a bad contest to get exposure the the Vikings and their defense would be the biggest stretch. It’s played really well though, averaging 8.0 FPPG. Most lineups will stack Tom Brady, Julian Edelman and James White. If you go heavy on Minnesota, a stack with the D/ST and Dalvin Cook isn’t a bad contrarian play.