Get fired up for some Friday night football on the DraftKings Dream Stream! The first Friday of October brings another full slate of six games throughout the day, including the final three games of the day, which makes up the featured 6:00 p.m. ET slate. The Chiefs are visiting the Steelers to get that slate underway in a rematch of a game that was part of the Madden 21 tournament. At 8 p.m. ET, the Packers are visiting virtual Arizona to take on the Cardinals in a primetime NFC matchup, and at 10 p.m. ET, the slate wraps up with the Saints visiting the Ravens in another rematch of a sim that took place just a few sims ago.
The roster for each team now 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
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers, $8,000 — Mahomes is the only QB in the exclusive 99 club in Madden 21, and he has lived up to that perfect overall rating by averaging an impressive 24.3 DKFP over his 12 sims in Madden 21. He has thrown 26 touchdowns and run for four more while averaging 284.1 passing yards per contest. He has been on fire lately with over 25 DKFP in four straight, capped by 39.8 DKFP in his most recent sim, when he led the Chiefs past the Ravens, 35-10. In that game, Mahomes accounted for all five scores, throwing for 315 yards and four touchdowns and adding the other touchdown on the ground with 22 rushing yards. He didn’t have a great game in his first matchup with the Steelers, who are loaded with defensive talent, but he has been so outstanding lately that his ceiling is too good to pass up at this point.
Other Option — Lamar Jackson ($7,800)
Value
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals, $6,400 — Mahomes’ recent run of monster performances will likely make him a very popular play, but if you’re looking to pivot to a QB with potentially lower ownership but nice upside, check out Rodgers as he leads the Packers to the desert. Rodgers has thrown 19 touchdowns in his 10 sims and had exactly two touchdown passes in seven straight games before throwing just one against the Saints in his most recent contest. Rodgers is averaging just under 20 DKFP per game in Madden 21 with 245.3 passing yards per contest. He should be able to find some space to work with against the Cardinals and has the upside to hit over 21 DKFP, which he has done in three of his past five games.
Other Option — Drew Brees ($6,000)
Running Back
Stud
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals, $7,000 — While Alvin Kamara ($8,100) is always a threat to have a huge game, his matchup against the Ravens is a tough one. I think Jones is actually the better play for the salary at $7K as he takes on the Cardinals. Jones has yet to hit the 100-yard rushing bonus but has posted over 80 yards four times in his 10 sims including 96 yards in his most recent contest, which was against Kamara’s Saints. He has at least one touchdown and at least 14.0 DKFP in four straight games and is averaging almost four catches per game during that span. His extra production as a receiving option makes him an elite option in Madden 21 after sharing the workload on third down in Madden 2020. Now he gets all the work in the Green Bay backfield, making him a strong play in this favorable matchup.
Other Options — Alvin Kamara ($8,100), Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($6,400)
Value
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints, $3,500 — Dobbins continues to be a great play in the Ravens’ run-heavy offense and offers great production at this affordable salary, which allows you to pay up in other places. Dobbins is the third-down and power back for the Ravens and has averaged 7.2 DKFP per sim since moving into those roles four games ago. He has found the end zone one time in those games while averaging 15.5 rushing yards and 21.5 receiving yards per game. Dobbins does have some risk since his timeshare can shift from game-to-game, but he also has a great amount of upside for a player under $4K since he will get a few touches every game and has the ratings to make big plays.
Other Options — Mark Ingram II ($5,200), Jaylen Samuels ($3,900)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers, $7,700 — Hill has been getting a ton of targets from Mahomes ever since the sims moved to Madden 21 and has turned those targets into over 20 DKFP per game. Hill is averaging 6.3 catches for 86.2 yards per contest and has found the end zone 11 times in 12 sims. He had three touchdowns against the Ravens in his most recent sim for 33.5 DKFP and has now posted over 17 DKFP in four straight games and 9-of-12 overall. His 99 speed rating and “RAC’em Up” X-factor make him a monster after the catch, and he has been too productive to fade despite this matchup with the Steelers.
Other Option — Michael Thomas ($6,900), Davante Adams ($6,500)
Value
Devin Funchess, Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals, $5,900 — Funchess has returned in the most recent roster update along with all the other COVID-19 opt outs. He stepped right into a large role as the Packers’ WR2 and has been excellent, averaging 18.0 DKFP per sim. Funchess came back to earth a bit with just two catches for eight yards in his most recent sim, but before that he had 14.2 DKFP, 31.6 DKFP and 23.3 DKFP in his three games as a starter. He should be in a good bounce-back matchup against the Cardinals, and his salary has dipped back below $6K.
Willie Snead IV, Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints, $3,400 — Snead’s involvement has been a little inconsistent since the Ravens like to rely heavily on their running game. However, the slot receiver is in a good matchup against his former team, the Saints, who he had four catches against in their recent matchup. Snead has at least three receptions in six of his past seven games and is averaging 3.3 catches per game over his nine sims in Madden 21 while scoring three touchdowns as well.
Other Options — Diontae Johnson ($3,800), Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($3,100)
Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers, $6,700 — Kelce has been the best TE in Madden 21 by a wide margin, averaging 19.7 DKFP over his 12 sims. He is averaging 7.0 catches for 80.3 yards per contest and has found the end zone eight times. It’s amazing that both he and Hill have been able to sustain such high volume, but there’s no arguing with the tandem’s massive production. Kelce had 11 catches for 138 yards and 27.8 DKFP in his first matchup with the Steelers. His high volume makes him a low-risk option while also giving him a very high ceiling, particularly given this matchup.
Other Options— Jared Cook ($4,500), Eric Ebron ($4,300)
Value
Maxx Williams, Arizona Cardinals vs. Green Bay Packers, $3,400 — Williams is a solid cheap play if you want to go with a second TE in your flex spot or decide to pay up elsewhere and pass on Kelce. He has averaged 3.8 catches for 35.3 yards per sim and has at least three catches in three of his past four games. He hasn’t found the end zone yet, and the Cardinals’ offense hasn’t been nearly as productive in Madden as it has been so far this season in real life. Still, Williams is involved enough to be a solid option since he gets looks every game. If the Packers’ elite CBs continue the slow start for DeAndre Hopkins ($6,300), Williams could get even more attention from Kyler Murray ($7,200).
Other Option— Mark Andrews ($3,900)
DST
Stud
Chiefs DST at Pittsburgh Steelers, $2,900 — Along with all their offensive success, the Chiefs have been getting great work from their defense in Madden 21. Kansas City has forced eight turnovers and piled up 23 sacks in their 12 sims while scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns. The team had five sacks against Pittsburgh and finished with 9.0 DKFP in this matchup during the Madden 21 tournament. Especially since the Chiefs tend to get out to an early lead, the defense can typically focus on the pass rush which usually leads to a long day for QBs with inconsistent offensive lines like Pittsburgh’s.
Value
Packers DST at Arizona Cardinals, $2,700 — The Packers’ DST has been very solid in their 10 sims with five takeaways, 14 sacks and two defensive touchdowns helping them to average 4.8 DKFP per sim. As mentioned above, the Cardinals’ offense has struggled in simland, averaging just 16.3 points per game and scoring under 20 points in each of their past five contests. Murray has had some fumbling issues and has turned the ball over four times in eight sims just by himself. Based on their matchup, Green Bay should be in a good spot and even comes a little cheaper than the Chiefs, offering a $200 savings.
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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.