We’re all in need of some entertainment during these times of the unknown. DraftKings is doing its part by offering Madden simulations with a variety of teams going at it. For this piece, we’ll focus on the Eagles vs. Bears game, which starts at 6:00 p.m. ET Monday, July 13.
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Note: All salaries will be Flex prices unless noted as Captain’s Pick prices.
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Philadephia Eagles
While Carson Wentz ($11,200) isn’t throwing for a ton of yards each game, he’s been getting the ball into the end zone on a very consistent basis. Entering this game, Wentz has thrown for 63 touchdowns and only nine interceptions through 34 games. He’s averaging 237 passing yards, which isn’t bad for a QB, but not when considering how expensive he is. Nonetheless, he has plenty of weapons at his disposal to reach the end zone. With the extreme boom-or-bust Mitch Trubisky on the other side of the ball, I expect Wentz to be a popular option.
Wentz has spread the ball around fairly evenly, but Zach Ertz ($8,800) continues to be a volume king. Ertz is averaging just over five receptions and 63.5 yards per game with 15 touchdowns. Over his past five games, Ertz has scored three touchdowns and averaged 12.4 DKFP in that span. If you’re taking an Eagles receiver or even a few, he’s the one you start with. Alshon Jeffery ($9,400) hasn’t been far behind Ertz in terms of DKFP production but he’s not nearly seeing the volume that Ertz is. Jeffery is seeing just over four receptions and 54.2 yards per game but does own the touchdown advantage at 20. While he’s a bit pricey, the Bears don’t exactly have a ton of players you’re paying up for, so I don’t deem it impossible to pay up for most of these Eagles players. DeSean Jackson ($7,400) has the speed but doesn’t get the volume, seeing just 3.4 receptions per game. He certainly has the capability to get downfield and take some deep shots but he’s a bit too pricey for my taste. He’s also too close in salary to other players I’d rather use my salary on. Nelson Agholor ($4,800) is cheap enough to consider and is seeing some good numbers given how cheap he is. He’s averaging 3.9 receptions and 51.8 yards per game but only has eight touchdowns scored. Still, he’s cheap enough that it wouldn’t take much to get a return on the investment. Finally, Miles Sanders ($8,000) is widely considered the king of this offense, as he’ll handle the carries and catch out of the backfield, leading to him averaging 88.2 scrimmage yards per game with 19 touchdowns scored. He is someone you should be locking in immediately.
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Bears
The Bears are a tough team to get excited about overall. Mitch Trubisky ($10,600) has the highest DKFP average in this game at 20.5, which is extremely impressive when you consider some of the elite players that are averaging over 20 DKFP per game. It comes in large part because of his rushing ability, as he’s averaging 50.1 yards per game with 12 touchdowns. Through the air, his numbers aren’t nearly as impressive with just 187.5 passing yards and 51 touchdowns in 34 games. The Eagles are certainly a team you want to attack through the air, so the lack of throwing from Trubisky could be slightly concerning. Regardless, I expect him to be one of if not the highest-owned player in this game.
None of Trubisky’s receivers are doing anything impressive overall. I mean when your WR1 in Allen Robinson ($10,200) is leading Chicago’s receivers with a 12.9 DKFP average, that’s a good indication. He’s the most expensive receiver in this game, which makes no sense, especially when you consider he’s seeing just 3.6 receptions and 53 yards per game. He has scored 18 times, which is completely keeping him relevant in these sims but watch out if he doesn’t get into the end zone. When he doesn’t score, he is easily in single-digit fantasy point territory. Taylor Gabriel ($6,200) always is my favorite play on the Bears because of his price. He’s got good speed and 13 touchdowns to his credit despite not making a catch in three of the Bears’ 34 games. His volume is dicey at 2.6 receptions per game but this has to be expected with this offense. Trey Burton ($7,000) WOULD be my favorite play but he doesn’t score nearly enough. His seven touchdowns are extremely unimpressive for someone that’s made at least one reception in each simulation. He’s averaging just over four per game and 48.6 yards but his lack of scoring really hurts his value. The best bang for your buck continues to be Tarik Cohen ($2,400) as the RB2 continues to catch out of the backfield and take a handful of carries. At his salary, to be averaging just under 10 DKFP per game is just too good to ignore.
The Outcome
This game isn’t filled with a bunch of playmakers, at least in the simulated world. Rolling with a captain pick, you can never go wrong with Miles Sanders ($12,000 CP) but almost everyone is going to have the same idea, especially with this being a single-entry contest. If you want to go a bit off the board, I do like using Taylor Gabriel ($9,300 CP) and hoping his speed comes through to bring a long touchdown in. Tarik Cohen ($3,600 CP) gives you the best value captain to use, but again his ownership will likely follow.
Final Score: Eagles 21 Bears 17
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is steveazors) 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.