With another fantastically fun day of fantasy football on the horizon on Sunday, the DraftKings Dream Stream is set to help you get ready for all the action with a full schedule of six Madden sims this Saturday, including the three-game featured classic slate, beginning at 6 p.m. ET. The first game in the main contest is an AFC slugfest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. In primetime at 8 p.m. ET, the Dallas Cowboys host the Kansas City Chiefs in their third matchup over the past few weeks. On Madden After Dark, the Baltimore Ravens are in a great matchup as they head to the virtual Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions.
An important note to remember is that each roster is not impacted by COVID-19 opt-outs or injuries and the highest-rated options are at the top of the depth charts. The roster for each team includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season and you can find the game settings, depth charts, abilities and X-factors for each team in Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page.
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Quarterback
Stud
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys, $8,600 — Both Mahomes and Lamar Jackson ($8,400) are plays with extremely high ceilings and are priced up accordingly on this slate. I’m leaning toward Mahomes even though he’s in a slightly tougher matchup because he has been the more consistent of the two options and has the ability to totally dominate any game with his 99 overall rating. Mahomes is coming off an incredible game against the Patriots in his most recent sim, when he threw for four touchdowns and 370 yards and even added another rushing score to get to 42.5 DKFP. He has averaged 290.4 passing yards per sim over his 25 contests in Madden 21 and thrown 56 touchdowns while running for nine more scores. Mahomes and the Chiefs split their home-and-home with Dallas a couple of weeks ago, and the star QB produced 21.58 DKFP and 28.76 DKFP. He’s almost a lock for over 21 DKFP every time he’s on the field and that low bust potential is what ultimately makes him the stronger play than Jackson, who matches his high ceiling but doesn’t have the same floor.
Other Option — Lamar Jackson ($8,400)
Value
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs, $6,300 — Dak threw a pair of touchdowns in each of his earlier games against the Chiefs, producing 14.1 DKFP and 17.76 DKFP. However, he struggled badly in his most recent sim against the Saints, finishing with just 6.24 DKFP as the Cowboys managed just seven points. He should be able to bounce back in this matchup, though, and showed a high ceiling in his earlier sims. He had 33.42 DKFP against the Rams a few sims ago and has reached at least 18 DKFP in 12 of his 23 sims in Madden 21. He’s not quite in the same league as Jackson and Mahomes, but going with him at QB gives you $2K more to spend on your other roster spots.
Other Option — Cam Newton ($6,000)
Running Back
Stud
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs, $7,300 — Not only does Dallas get Dak back healthy in these sims, their offensive line is back to 100% as well which makes Zeke a much more attractive option. He has found the end zone in five straight sims, including each of his earlier matchups with Kansas City, producing 29.0 DKFP in the Cowboys’ win and 11.9 DKFP in the Cowboys’ loss. Elliott has 21 touchdowns in 23 sims overall and has averaged over 80 rushing yards per contest. He’s clearly the top RB on this slate, so pay up for him if you have the salary.
Other Option — Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($6,400)
Value
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions, $3,600 — Dobbins makes a ton of sense to play under $4K whenever the Ravens are on the slate and you need to counterbalance some expensive options. He is both the power back and the third-down back for the Ravens, so even though he isn’t the RB1, he usually gets plenty of opportunities. He has averaged 7.4 DKFP per contest since stepping into his new specialty roles in the latest roster update 17 sims ago. Over his past five games, he has 13 catches for 114 yards, so he can chip in some solid PPR production even when he isn’t able to find the end zone. The Lions’ run defense has been dismal in Madden like in real life, so Baltimore should be able to put up a big number on them in Madden After Dark with Dobbins one of the options getting plenty of chances to produce.
Other Options — James White ($4,600), D’Andre Swift ($4,200)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys, $7,900 — Hill has been one of the elite WRs in all of Madden 21, which isn’t surprising since he is the fastest player in all of Madden with his 99 speed rating and also has an X-factor that makes him better at routes that give him a chance to run after the catch. Hill has gotten steady volume, averaging 6.2 catches per contest for 89.0 yards per sim and a total of 20 touchdowns in 25 contests. One of those scores came in the Chiefs’ win over Dallas when he hauled in eight catches for 141 yards and 31.1 DKFP. Hill had 10 catches in his most recent sim and has produced over 19 DKFP in three straight and 14-of-25 since the upgrade to Madden 21. Like Mahomes and Zeke, he comes at a premium price but also brings a high ceiling and a good chance for a monster game.
Other Option — JuJu Smith-Schuster ($7,100), Amari Cooper ($6,600)
Value
Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots, $5,500 — While there may not be a ton of offense since both the Patriots and Steelers have highly-rated defenses in Madden 21, there are a couple of plays from the early game that come with a high ceiling. Johnson has shown he can offer nice upside in his role as the Steelers’ WR2 and has at least three catches in four straight and seven of his past eight games. He had seven catches, 74 yards and two touchdowns for 26.4 DKFP against the Panthers on Wednesday and has over 14 DKFP in three straight sims to raise his average to 12.2 DKFP in Madden 21. Six of Johnson’s seven touchdowns have come at home, where he is averaging 13.9 DKFP per sim coming into this home matchup against the Patriots.
Willie Snead IV, Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions, $3,900 — Snead is a nice value play to consider based on his volume in Baltimore’s passing game. Out of the slot, he has produced at least four catches in four straight sims averaging 52.0 yards per contest and grabbing his fifth touchdown in his 22 games in Madden 21. Snead has a good ceiling if he stays so involved and has over 9.0 DKFP in four of his past five contests.
Other Options — Marvin Jones Jr. ($4,900), N’Keal Harry ($4,500), Demarcus Robinson ($3,700)
Tight End
Stud
T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions vs. Baltimore Ravens, $5,400 — Travis Kelce ($6,300) is always a great option, but since there are so many high-priced options it may be hard to fit him under your salary cap on this slate. He had two so-so games against Dallas, so instead I like the pivot to Hockenson, who has also been very productive lately and is in a good matchup against Baltimore, which has been good against WR but struggled vs. TE. I also think the Lions will be trying to rally from behind, so they may have to go pass-heavy against the Ravens. Hockenson is coming off an eight-catch game against the Bengals, which was his second straight sim with over 23 DKFP. He has produced over 11 DKFP in five of his past six games and is averaging an impressive 4.9 catches for 53.7 yards per contest.
Other Options — Travis Kelce ($6,300), Eric Ebron ($5,000)
Value
Devin Asiasi, New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers, $4,000 — While the rookie TE has landed on IR and not caught a pass all season in real life, he remains a solid option in Madden 21, averaging 9.3 DKFP per game. He has at least three catches in six straight sims and multiple catches in 22-of-24 sims overall along with five touchdowns. He had a touchdown and 15.2 DKFP against the Chiefs in his most recent sim and will look to continue his good bargain production in this matchup with the Steelers.
Other Option — Blake Jarwin ($3,700)
DST
Stud
Steelers DST vs. New England Patriots, $3,000 — The Steelers have 44 sacks in their 22 sims and have forced 15 turnovers. Even without a defensive touchdown, they have been able to average 4.9 DKFP per contest. They had 6.0 DKFP in their most recent sim, which was a 42-23 win over the Panthers on Wednesday, and they now have at least 5.0 DKFP in four straight games coming into this matchup with Cam Newton ($6,000) and the Patriots.
Other Options — Patriots ($2,900)
Value
Ravens DST at Detroit Lions, $2,700 — The Ravens have actually outdone their division rival with 45 sacks in their 22 sims but have only forced seven turnovers. They have two defensive touchdowns as well, including one in their most recent contest, when they beat the Colts, 31-17, and had 12.0 DKFP for their DST. Baltimore gets a great matchup against the Lions, who have 20 scored points or fewer in four of their past five sims.
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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.