The DraftKings Dream Stream is back to a full six-game schedule of Madden sims this Tuesday with great contests kicking off throughout the afternoon and evening. The first game on the featured three-game classic slate gets underway at 6:00 p.m. ET, featuring the New Orleans Saints rolling into the virtual Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos. At 8:00 p.m. ET, there’s a battle of the big cats in primetime when the Detroit Lions host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The final game of the night and the biggest matchup of the day is a rematch of the finals from the preseason tournament, as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Atlanta Falcons in a matchup of two of the best fantasy offenses from these Madden sims. Get your popcorn ready!
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.
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 Atlanta Falcons, $8,500 — Mahomes is an obvious choice as the most expensive QB on this slate, but he has been outstanding in these sims, averaging 25.2 DKFP per contest, while no other QB on this slate has averaged within five points of that production. As the only QB in Madden with a perfect 99 overall rating, Mahomes has averaged 289.1 passing yards per sim while throwing 60 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 26 games. On top of that, he has added nine rushing scores as well, which only raises his ceiling even higher. He threw for four touchdowns in each of his two most recent sims for 27.92 DKFP against the Cowboys and 42.5 DKFP against the Patriots. He has over 27 DKFP in five of his past eight games and can break any slate when he’s at his best. Mahomes’ down games are still better than the average for most of the other QBs in action, so paying up for the overwhelming MVP favorite is a strategy you have to at least consider, although you’ll have to manage your cap carefully at other spots.
Other Options — Matt Ryan ($6,500), Drew Brees ($6,300)
Value
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $5,900 — The Lions have been inconsistent in these sims and sometimes been downright bad, but Stafford has also flashed a very high ceiling in a few contests recently. If you catch him on the right game, he could end up being a great bargain under $6K. He threw four touchdowns with 429 passing yards in his most recent sim for 36.16 DKFP in a loss to the Ravens. He also had a huge sim four contests ago, when he posted 33.48 DKFP with four touchdowns against the Dolphins. While he hasn’t been that productive on a regular basis, there is a chance that he has another big game against a woeful Jaguars’ secondary. If he does, you’ll have a lot of salary flexibility to pay up at other positions, since his is more than $2,500 cheaper than Mahomes.
Other Option — Gardner Minshew II ($6,100)
Running Back
Stud
Todd Gurley II, Atlanta Falcons vs. Kansas City Chiefs, $6,300 — Gurley has been excellent for the Falcons in these sims and has been their workhorse back as RB1, third-down and power back. He has piled up 19 touchdowns in his 26 sims and is averaging 4.2 catches per contest out of the backfield for 35.3 receiving yards in addition to his 55.3 rushing yards per contest. He had 19.7 DKFP in the preseason Madden 21 tournament championship game against the Chiefs and has over 16 DKFP in four straight sims coming into this rematch.
Other Options — Alvin Kamara ($7,300), Chris Thompson ($5,700)
Value
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $4,000 — Swift doesn’t have the workload that Gurley has since Adrian Peterson ($3,200) is the Lions’ power back and Kerryon Johnson ($3,400) is the RB1 on their Madden depth chart. Neither of those options have been as productive as the rookie RB, though, since Swift is the third-down back and has produced as a receiver. Swift has averaged 3.7 catches per contest and totaled three touchdowns to help him average 8.2 DKFP per sim. While he does come with risk based on his inconsistent usage, he has the most upside of the value plays at RB on this slate, especially since he’s taking on the Jaguars.
Other Option — Phillip Lindsay ($4,700)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons, $7,800 — Hill doesn’t have a 99 overall rating like his QB or fellow elite-WR Michael Thomas ($7,400), but he does have a 99 speed rating, which makes him great at creating separation both before and after the catch while also giving him an extremely high ceiling. He primarily works out of the slot for the Chiefs, which makes him more dependent on matchups, but his volume has been very consistent. In his 26 sims, he has averaged 6.2 catches per contest for 88.5 yards per game and a total of 22 touchdowns. He didn’t have a score in his first meeting with the Falcons but did produce 139 yards on seven catches for 22.9 DKFP. He has over 19 DKFP in four straight sims and in nine of his past 12. He definitely has the upside to pay up for in this matchup with the Falcons, who have been very beatable by long passes.
Other Option — Michael Thomas ($7,400), Julio Jones ($6,700)
Value
Marvin Jones Jr., Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $4,900 — Jones has found the end zone in three of his four most recent sims and four of his past six. He has scored a total of eight times in his 21 sims while averaging 3.7 catches for 51.0 yards per contest. In this favorable matchup against Jacksonville, he’s a solid play under $5K and comes with nice touchdown-dependent upside.
Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos, $4,300 — Sanders has been a nice value contributor with six catches in each of his two most recent sims. He is the Saints’ WR2 and primary slot option in these sims and has produced 11.1 DKFP per contest. He had five catches for 61 yards and 11.1 DKFP against the Broncos earlier in Madden 21 and should get similar volume, making him solid play in this rematch.
Other Options — Calvin Ridley ($5,300), Tre’Quan Smith ($4,500), Demarcus Robinson ($3,300)
Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons, $6,500 — Even though Hill is getting a ton of volume in the Chiefs’ offense, Kelce still has a heavy workload as well, averaging 6.3 catches for 75.4 yards per sim. He has been a great red zone option, scoring 16 touchdowns in his 26 sims including three in his two most recent contests. He had over 21 DKFP in each of those games and had 18.1 DKFP in his first matchup against the Falcons. He has over 18 DKFP in 14-of-26 sims in Madden 21 and is worth paying all the way up for if you can make his salary work with affordable RB or WRs.
Other Options — T.J. Hockenson ($5,400), Jared Cook ($4,600)
Value
Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions, $4,400 — Eifert has been solid as a frequent checkdown option in the Jaguars’ offense and has averaged 4.6 catches per contest. He has at least three receptions in 21 straight contests, so he’s very low-risk even though his upside isn’t as high as Kelce’s.
Other Option — Noah Fant ($3,900)
DST
Stud
Saints DST at Denver Broncos, $2,800 — I’m not sure why the Saints are so affordable on this slate since they have a pretty favorable matchup with the Broncos and have been productive as a fantasy option. They have 37 sacks and 10 takeaways in their 25 games and posted 7.0 DKFP against the Broncos in their first meeting. In that contest, they picked up three sacks and only allowed seven points. They have been even better on the road than at home, averaging 5.1 DKFP per contest in their 13 road contests.
Other Options — Chiefs ($3,000)
Value
Lions DST vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $2,600 — The Lions have an impressive 40 sacks in their 22 sims along with 10 takeaways. They did get run all over by the Ravens in their most recent game but had at least 5.0 DKFP in four of their previous six contests. The Jaguars probably won’t go off for a huge total, so the Lions’ DST is low risk and also has the ability to put up big numbers.
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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.