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Madden Stream Picks: Top DraftKings Fantasy Football DFS Targets, Values for October 19

Zach Thompson gives his top studs and value plays at each position for Monday’s two-game Madden Stream DraftKings slate, which starts at 12:00 p.m. ET.

With a Monday Night Football doubleheader on tap to wrap up Week 6 in the NFL, there is an abbreviated, two-game slate of Madden 21 sims on the DraftKings Dream Stream to help you start the week off right before special editions of “The Sweat” and “Leaderboard Live.” The Madden action kicks off at 12:00 p.m. ET when the Jets head to the Mile High City to take on the Broncos. In another AFC matchup, the Titans go on the road at 2:00 p.m. ET to take on the Patriots in virtual New England.

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.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: Madden Stream $4K Early Bird Special [$1K to 1st] and your FREE lineups here: Madden Stream $500 FREE Contest.


Put your DraftKings daily fantasy football skills to the test against Jim Cramer, his followers and other members of the DraftKings Playbook community! Check out the new Cramer’s Cash Contest and get ready to set your lineup for Week 7.


Quarterback

Stud

Cam Newton, New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans, $6,700 — Newton and the Patriots haven’t faced the Titans in the Madden 21 sims yet, and even though it isn’t an ideal matchup, he remain the top QB on the board. Cam has thrown two touchdowns in each of his past three games and has added three rushing scores over his past six games to help him total over 17 DKFP in each of those six contests. He doesn’t usually pile up a ton of rushing yards but does get meaningful work around the goal line. His dual-threat production raises both his ceiling and his floor, and he definitely makes the most sense if you have the salary available to pay up for your QB.

Other Option — Ryan Tannehill ($6,100)

Value

Drew Lock, Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets, $5,800 — Lock and the Broncos beat the Jets in a Madden 21 sim four contests ago, cruising to a 31-14 victory. In that game, Lock threw for 260 yards, a touchdown and 13.4 DKFP. He has been held under 15 DKFP in four straight, but before that he had over 15 DKFP in five straight, highlighted by a 35.3-DKFP performance against the Titans. He has a favorable matchup against the Jets and will look to add to his total of 20 touchdowns in 13 sims. He has a much higher chance of busting than Cam, so he’s a high-risk play even on this limited slate. He does come at nice savings, though, which could allow you to fit more stars in at other spots.


Running Back

Stud

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots, $8,000 — Henry was the fantasy hero of Week 6 in the real world, and he has also been excellent in the Madden 21 sims since he is now the third-down back for the Titans in addition to his RB1 role. In Madden 2020 he lost work to Dion Lewis, but now he gets almost all the touches in Tennessee’s backfield. Henry is averaging 22.6 DKFP per contest in his 13 Madden 21 sims as a result and has scored 12 touchdowns while averaging 82.0 rushing yards and 34.3 receiving yards on 4.8 catches per contest. The added volume as a receiver gives him an even higher ceiling against the Patriots, who have sometimes struggled to limit star RBs in these sims.

Other Options — Le’Veon Bell ($6,700), Phillip Lindsay ($6,200)

Value

James White, New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans, $5,300 — The only team on this limited slate with a significant timeshare in the backfield is the Patriots, who rotate White and Sony Michel ($4,800). While each option has had big games, White is the more reliable play of the two and is usually very involved as a receiver. He is averaging 3.2 catches per contest and is coming off a big game against the Raiders, in which he totaled 20.1 DKFP on six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 rushing yards. He has that kind of potential depending on gameflow and almost always finds a way to contribute on some level.

Other Option — Melvin Gordon III ($4,400)


Wide Receiver

Stud

Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets, $6,400 — Even with Courtland Sutton ($6,000) healthy and available, Jeudy has been an excellent option in the Madden sims and has played a big role in Denver’s passing game. The rookie is averaging 4.3 catches for 61.4 yards per sim and has found the end zone six times. He is coming off a very busy day against the Texans when he caught a sim-season-high 10 passes for 112 yards. His 24.2 DKFP gave him over 14 DKFP in five straight games and eight of his past nine. While he isn’t even the WR1 for the Broncos, he has gotten enough work as the WR2 to deserve a look as a solid play over $6K on this limited slate.

Other Options — Julian Edelman ($6,200), Jamison Crowder ($5,700)

Value

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots, $5,300 — Davis has also had success as the Titans’ WR2 and has posted over 17 DKFP in three of his past four games with at least five catches for 70 yards in each of those three performances. Davis has busted a few times, but he usually is able to find success when WR1 A.J. Brown ($4,400) is locked up by an elite CB like Stephon Gilmore, who could shut down Brown in this contest, leaving Davis to carry the load on the other side.

Damiere Byrd, New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans, $3,800 — Byrd is the Patriots’ WR3 but brings nice upside due to his 94 speed rating. He has averaged 9.0 DKFP in his games with a catch, but he has been shut out a few times as well. He found the end zone in two of his past three contests, though, and now has multiple catches in six straight games since stepping into his WR3 role. He has over 12 DKFP in four of those six games, which is very nice return for a play under $4K.

Other Options — N’Keal Harry ($5,000), Tim Patrick ($3,000)


Tight End

Stud

Chris Herndon, New York Jets at Denver Broncos, $5,300 — Herndon and the rest of the Jets continue to struggle in real life, but the TE has been a solid sim option with an average of 4.8 catches for 48.4 yards per contest in his 13 sims along with six touchdowns. He had seven catches, 72 yards and 14.2 DKFP against the Broncos in their recent meeting and is a solid TE to target again in this rematch.

Other Option — Jonnu Smith ($4,900)

Value

Devin Asiasi, New England Patriots vs. Tennessee Titans, $4,300 — Asiasi has also been a much better fantasy option in simland than in real life and has been a regular part of the Patriots’ attack in Madden. The rookie is averaging 4.3 catches for 45.6 yards per sim and has been involved in each one of New England’s 16 Madden 21 sims. He has a great route tree from the Patriots’ playbook that made Ben Watson a Madden 2020 legend, so he has been able to maximize his 66 overall rating and 81 speed rating and still produce a solid 9.9 DKFP per contest.

Other Option — Noah Fant ($3,500)


DST

Stud

Titans DST at New England Patriots, $3,200 — The Titans’ DST has been excellent at rushing the passer, producing an impressive 34 sacks in their 13 sims. They have also forced 10 turnovers and scored three defensive touchdowns, helping them average 5.8 DKFP per contest. They have done most of that damage at home, but they have a very small sample size on the road since this will be just their fifth road sim. They have at least three sacks in seven straight sims and will look to continue to get after the QB as they try to chase down Cam.

Other Option — Patriots ($3,000)

Value

Broncos DST vs. New York Jets, $2,600 — The Broncos are healthy on defense in these sims meaning Von Miller, A.J. Bouye and Jurrell Casey are all available and in their spots as key contributors. They have been able to produce 20 sacks in 13 games along with eight takeaways, a safety and two defensive touchdowns. They have a great matchup against the Jets and bring plenty of upside as the cheapest DST play on this limited slate.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: Madden Stream $4K Early Bird Special [$1K to 1st] and your FREE lineups here: Madden Stream $500 FREE Contest.


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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.