Saturday brings another six great Madden sims to the DraftKings Dream Stream, giving everyone plenty of chances to play free or paid fantasy football contests based on the results of the simulated games. The final three games of the schedule make up the featured late classic slate, which gets underway at 6 p.m. ET with an AFC East clash between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. In the primetime contest, the New York Giants will host the New Orleans Saints at 8 p.m. ET and we close out the night with another good AFC matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots from virtual Foxboro.
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
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, $6,700 — The Dolphins announced that Tua will be their starter in real life next week when they return from their bye, but he has already been under center for 10 sims in Madden 21. He has averaged 19.2 DKFP in those contests, which is more than any other QB on the slate. He has had a few impressive outings with over 25 DKFP in four of those 10 contests, including each of his two most recent sims. He threw three touchdowns and had 26.16 DKFP against the Chargers followed by 28.62 DKFP with one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns against the Texans. He hasn’t typically run for a ton of yards, averaging just 23.3 rushing yards but has been a very effective passer, producing 221.9 passing yards per game along with his 17 passing scores. While the Bills do have a strong secondary, they have not been especially difficult to score points on, allowing 21 points or more in three straight and seven of their past eight sims.
Other Options — Josh Allen ($7,000), Cam Newton ($6,300)
Value
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at New York Giants, $5,900 — Brees is the biggest name of the QBs on this slate, but he’s very affordable since his results lately have been uneven. He had struggled with just one touchdown pass in three games before bouncing back with a much better performance in his most recent contest which was against the Chiefs. He had 301 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas City, finishing with a solid 28.84 DKFP. Before that game, he only had reached 20 DKFP one time in his previous 10 games, but he obviously still has the upside to go off as well. Against the Giants, he should be in a solid spot to produce another good game and is a nice value play under $6K.
Other Option — Philip Rivers ($5,700)
Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints at New York Giants, $7,300 — Kamara is up to 994 yards in his 17 sims in Madden 21 and should easily reach the 1,000-yard mark in this game against the Giants, who have struggled against the run in these sims. Kamara is a reliable option since he has had success as both a rusher and receiver, scoring 14 touchdowns in his 17 sims and averaging 58.5 rushing yards and 27.3 receiving yards on 3.9 catches per contest. He was held to just 9.5 DKFP against the Chiefs, which was just his second game in 17 sims with under 10 DKFP. He’s typically very reliable and brings a nice upside as well, which he showed off with over 22 DKFP in five of those 17 contests.
Other Options — Saquon Barkley ($7,900), Matt Breida ($6,400)
Value
Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins, $5,700 — Singletary gets most of the work in the Bills’ backfield, serving as both the RB and the third-down back. He hasn’t had quite the ceiling that Kamara brings but has been a reliable contributor at a lower level. Singletary has double-digit DKFP in five of his past six games and has scored six touchdowns in his 14 sims overall while averaging 54.1 rushing yards per game. He had 18.1 DKFP a few contests ago against the Colts and should have even more of a chance to go off against Miami. He was limited against them in the teams’ first meeting, but he was also in more of a timeshare at that point than he is with our current roster update. He has the potential to keep up with the more expensive options since he does get most of the work, meaning he comes with less risk than the other options below $6K.
Other Option — Sony Michel ($4,900), Marlon Mack ($4,100)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints at New York Giants, $7,200 — The Saints’ star WR won’t be available for this weekend’s game against the Panthers in real life, but he will be suiting up and ready to roll for this contest against the Giants in simland. He is the only WR in all of Madden 21 with a perfect 99 overall rating and he has lived up to that rating with an average of 18.0 DKFP. No other WR on this slate has averaged 15.0 DKFP or more, so he’s clearly the top option of those available in these contests. He is coming off a great game against the Chiefs when he hauled in seven catches for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns for 30.6 DKFP He has at least six catches in three straight and is averaging 5.3 catches for 85.8 yards per contest over his 17 sims. The Giants don’t have a CB rated 80 overall or higher, so Thomas will have a significant advantage over anyone trying to cover him in this matchup.
Other Options — Stefon Diggs ($7,000), Darius Slayton ($5,900)
Value
N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts, $4,900 — Harry is officially the Patriots’ WR1 on the depth chart and has put up solid production in these sims along with a high ceiling. He is coming off a few quiet games, which has kept his salary low, but he went off for over 21 DKFP three times in a four-game stretch before his current slump. He has been held to three catches or fewer and under 9.0 DKFP in three straight games, but I think he should be in line for a bounceback performance against the Colts. He has a ton of upside if he gets significant volume against Indy.
Albert Wilson, Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, $3,200 — Since the COVID opt-outs have returned, Wilson is the Dolphins’ WR2 and has been fairly involved in their game plan. He has at least three catches in four straight sims and is averaging 2.8 catches for 32.9 yards per contest. His best game during that stretch was a 12.9-DKFP performance against Washington, so his ceiling isn’t extremely high. However, he will almost certainly get you some production at this extremely affordable salary. He makes a lot of sense as a punt play, especially if Tre’Davious White locks down DeVante Parker ($6,100) and forces more work to go his way.
Other Options — Parris Campbell ($5,300), Emmanuel Sanders ($4,300), Damiere Byrd ($3,500)
Tight End
Stud
Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, $5,700 — Gesicki should continue to be a key target in the Dolphins’ offense and gets a favorable matchup against the Bills, who have struggled against TEs in these sims. Gesicki has scored four touchdowns in his past four games, producing over 19 DKFP in three of those contests. He has surged along with Tua over the past few games, and the two make a nice QB-TE stack on this slate.
Other Option — Jared Cook ($4,500)
Value
Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots, $3,800 — Burton has been a nice option since taking over as TE1 for the Colts in the most recent roster update. He has at least four catches in six of his eight most recent sims with an average of 10.0 DKFP over those contests. He still hasn’t found the end zone yet but has been getting enough volume to still be worth a look, especially with a salary under $4K.
Other Options — Devin Asiasi ($4,000), Lee Smith ($3,400)
DST
Stud
Patriots DST vs. Indianapolis Colts, $3,000 — The Patriots have forced 20 turnovers in their 17 sims with an even split of 10 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries. They have scored three defensive touchdowns and piled up 23 sacks to produce 5.2 DKFP per contest. They have been even better at home, where they have put up 5.8 DKFP per game coming into this matchup with the Colts, who have been inconsistent offensively under Philip Rivers.
Other Option — Saints ($2,900)
Value
Dolphins DST at Buffalo Bills, $2,700 — The Dolphins have a solid 30 sacks in their 16 games but have only been able to force four turnovers. They don’t have a defensive touchdown yet, but they do get a nice matchup against the Bills, whose offense has often stalled out in these Madden 21 sims. If you need the extra salary to pay up in other spots, the Dolphins are a solid punt at this spot with some upside due to their pass rush.
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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.