You can get warmed up for Sunday of Week 5 in the NFL season by checking out a full day of Madden sims on the DraftKings Dream Stream this Saturday with six games kicking off throughout the day, each with its own single-game Showdown contests. The first three games are also part of the early classic slate, which starts at 12:00 p.m. ET, and the later three games are featured in the 6:00 p.m. ET classic slate, which is the focus of this post. The late slate kicks off with a good matchup between the Titans and the Chargers in virtual Los Angeles. The 8:00 p.m. ET primetime game features the 49ers visiting the Steelers and the final game of the night is the Ravens in action as Lamar Jackson ($7,400) goes head-to-head with Dak Prescott ($7,200) and the Cowboys on Madden After Dark.
The roster for each team includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season and you can find the depth charts, abilities and X-factors for Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page. The rosters have also been adjusted to get the best players on the field and will not be impacted by any COVID-19 opt-outs or injuries.
Check out the daily DraftKings Madden Stream contests lobby with paid contests for real cash prizes now available alongside free contests. Each simulation will be played out computer vs. computer via an online Madden Stream using Madden 21. In this format, you can enjoy watching the game stream on the DraftKings YouTube channel, the DK Live app (download here) or right here in this post.
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Quarterback
Stud
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, $7,400 — Jackson had a rough game on Thursday against the Chiefs, totaling just 7.56 DKFP as Baltimore scored just three points. He should be able to bounce back, though, since he is still averaging 22.7 DKFP per sim and has totaled 14 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns in his 12 sims in Madden 21. He is also averaging 81.1 rushing yards per game and had a massive 36.16-DKFP performance highlighted by 124 rushing yards just the game before the letdown against the Chiefs. Jackson hasn’t faced Dallas in these sims, but he has an extremely high ceiling due to his rushing production and makes the most sense if you’re paying up for a QB on this three-game slate.
Other Options — Dak Prescott ($7,200), Justin Herbert ($6,600)
Value
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers, $5,900 — The value QB options aren’t great on this slate, as all three have struggled at times in Madden 21. Roethlisberger has been a little better lately with at least 17 DKFP in three of his past four games. He has totaled 12 touchdowns in his 12 sims while also throwing seven interceptions, which is a much higher total than most QBs in Madden. He has averaged 241.6 passing yards per game, though, which isn’t bad at all for a yardage mark. He will have to face the 49ers on this slate, which is a tough spot, but he still has the most potential of the three cheap plays since he usually gets yards and has the occasional burst of production.
Other Option — Ryan Tannehill ($6,100), Jimmy Garoppolo ($5,500)
Running Back
Stud
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers at Pittsburgh Steelers, $7,800 — The RBs on this three-game slate are some of the best in all of Madden and there are four truly elite options to choose from. They’re all in relatively tough matchups, but I think Mostert has been the best of the bunch and usually gets a reliably heavy workload in the 49ers’ game plan. Mostert has averaged 21.4 DKFP in his 12 Madden 21 sims with 15 touchdowns in those games and averages of 76.8 rushing yards and 26.7 receiving yards per game. He piled up 172 yards on his way to 32.5 DKFP in his most recent sim and has posted over 19 DKFP in seven of his past eight contests.
Other Options — Derrick Henry ($8,000), Austin Ekeler ($7,600)
Value
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, $3,800 — With those elite options soaking up almost all the work in their backfields, there aren’t a ton of options on the value side of things who are consistently involved. Dobbins is one exception, though, since he serves as both the third-down and power back for Baltimore. He has been in those roles for seven games and has averaged 7.4 DKFP per sim. Most of that work has come through the air, as he has averaged 2.7 catches for 21.1 yards per contest while adding 17.1 yards per game on the ground along with his lone Madden touchdown. He has over 6.5 DKFP in four straight and six of seven sims in his new roles, so he is a cheap way to be sure you get something from your RB slot if you can’t pay up for two of the four RBs over $7K.
Other Option — Jaylen Samuels ($4,800)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens, $6,900 — Since there is so much star power at RB, the elite-WR market is a little thin on this slate while there are plenty of good value options. If you are going to pay up at this spot, though, the top option by a wide margin is Cooper. In his 11 sims, Cooper has averaged 19.8 DKFP by finding the end zone nine times and averaging 5.3 catches for 85.5 yards per sim. He had 26.3 DKFP against the Patriots in his most recent outing and has posted over 15 DKFP in three of his past four sims. Cooper has shown a very high ceiling with 45.3 DKFP in a three-touchdown performance against the Bears and his upside and consistency make him my favorite stud target at WR.
Other Option — JuJu Smith-Schuster ($6,500), Michael Gallup ($5,500)
Value
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans, $4,700 — Allen is incredibly affordable for a WR1 and significantly cheaper than Mike Williams ($6,400), who is behind him on the depth chart. Allen is coming off a very nice sim, in which he had nine catches for 67 yards and 15.7 DKFP. It was only his third sim in Madden 21 with double-digit DKFP and he only has two touchdowns as well. Normally, his ratings and X-factor make him a top option, but he has struggled to this point in Madden 21. He has the potential to go off for a monster game and costs under $5K, so it’s hard to pass him up even though he hasn’t quite clicked yet with rookie QB Justin Herbert ($6,600) in simland.
Willie Snead IV, Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, $3,600 — Snead is usually involved in the Ravens’ offense and has three catches or more in five of his past six games. He also has three touchdowns in his 12 sims, helping him to average 7.5 DKFP per contest. He doesn’t have a ton of upside but also is relatively low-risk since the volume seems to be reliable, even if it isn’t massive. Snead should have space to operate against the Cowboys’ secondary which sometimes struggles with slot receivers.
Other Options — Marquise Brown ($4,500) A.J. Brown ($4,400), Joe Reed ($3,500)
Tight End
Stud
Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers, $5,200 — Ebron and the Steelers will go up against the other top option at TE, as they host George Kittle ($5,900) and the 49ers. I actually like the matchup a little better for Ebron, though, and will take the savings and go with him. He has been red-hot lately with three straight games over 12 DKFP while averaging 20.3 DKFP per sim on 7.3 catches for 80.0 yards per game over that stretch. He has averaged a healthy 11.7 DKFP in his 12 sims overall and become a big part of the Steelers’ passing attack.
Other Options— George Kittle ($5,900), Blake Jarwin ($4,600)
Value
Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Tennessee Titans, $4,200 — Since Justin Herbert stepped in as starting QB for the Chargers in these sims, Henry has been a solid option at TE, posting over 9.0 DKFP in four of seven games including a 16.0-DKFP performance against the Bengals. Tennessee’s defense has been good against the run and decent against WRs but has often struggled with TEs, so Henry should be in a good spot to produce solid returns at just over $4K.
Other Option— Mark Andrews ($4,400)
DST
Stud
Chargers DST vs. Tennessee Titans, $3,100 — The Chargers’ DST was expected to be very good this season but has been limited by injuries in real life. In simland, though, they have lived up to that expectation coming into this favorable matchup against the Titans, who have struggled offensively with the exception of Derrick Henry ($8,000). Los Angeles has forced eight turnovers in its 13 sims and scored a defensive touchdown, but most of the production has come from its pass rush, which has piled up 31 sacks so far, including multiple sacks in six straight.
Value
49ers DST at Pittsburgh Steelers, $2,700 — The 49ers have highly-rated players throughout their defense and usually do an excellent job limiting their opponents’ scoring. They have also forced a turnover in three straight games, bringing their total to seven in their 12 sims so far in Madden 21. They also have a solid 22 sacks in 12 games and should be able to shut down the inconsistent Steelers’ offense.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Z.Thompson) 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.