With real-life sports in the midst of an extended time out, DraftKings has been helping to fill the void with some very entertaining simulated sports action. Each day, there are six Madden Streams and eight free contests, with a single-game Showdown for each game along with a pair of classic contests. Each of the simulations is played out via an online Madden Stream using Madden 2020 with rosters and ratings from the end of the 2019-20 season. In this format, you can enjoy watching the game stream on the DraftKings YouTube channel, the DK Live app or right here in this post. Follow along to watch your fantasy team rack up some big fantasy points.

Friday night’s primetime matchup should be a good one between the NFC West leading 49ers and their division rivals in Seattle. The Seahawks have been a disappointment overall in these sims but still have some attractive fantasy options. As a team, they’re just 12-23 compared to an impressive 24-11 record for San Francisco. These two teams did meet before, but it was all the way back in the first sim for each of these teams. The Seahawks pulled out a narrow 10-7 victory in that contest in which the TE for each team had the only touchdown. Since then, quarters have been lengthened and the game has been changed to arcade mode to allow for more big plays and increased fantasy production. How will those changes impact this game and can the Seahawks upset their division-leader a second time? Since it is the primetime game, this game is also the featured five-entry max contest, so who should be in your single-game Showdown lineups? I’ll pick the winner and break down the options below.

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Showdown Strategy

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers have relied on a strong defense and an excellent run game for their success in these sims. They haven’t used a backfield rotation, though, instead relying heavily on Tevin Coleman ($8,600). Despite a mediocre 82 overall rating based on his 93 speed rating, 92 acceleration and 93 agility, he has consistently been a top fantasy option in the Madden universe due to his high volume, favorable playbook and great blocking. He has averaged 17.4 DKFP per sim on 80.8 rushing yards and 15.0 receiving yards per game along with 28 touchdowns. He has gone off for at least 19 DKFP 12 times in his 35 sims, showing off his high ceiling along with his reliable workload that makes him low-risk. Coleman should be able to get things rolling against Seattle, who has struggled to stop top RBs all sim season long.

The highest-rated player on the 49ers offense isn’t Coleman, though, it’s TE George Kittle ($9,200) with his 97 overall rating. Kittle is also the only player on the offense with “X-Factor” status with his ”Rac ‘Em Up” ability, which when active increases his success rate on RAC catches against single coverage. He has to make multiple 20-plus yard receptions to activate that X-Factor, but will be a beast if he gets in the zone. Kittle’s Superstar abilities of “Route Apprentice” and “Double-Move Elite” make him a big-time threat anywhere on the field, and he has been a yardage monster, averaging over 73 yards per sim with a high volume of over 5.0 catches per contest. He hasn’t scored a ton of touchdowns with just 11 on the year, but he always finds a way to get involved in the passing attack. He had the only touchdown for the 49ers in the first meeting between these teams and finished with 18.6 DKFP.

With Coleman raking in the touchdowns, there have been fewer opportunities for QB Jimmy Garoppolo ($11,400), who is the most expensive San Francisco player on the board. He has 59 touchdowns in 35 sims and is averaging just under 250 passing yards and 17.2 DKFP per contest. Jimmy G has been better lately with over 18 DKFP in three straight games, and he does have a pretty good matchup against the Seahawks. The problem is that he just isn’t as dynamic as his counterpart with his rushing production. As a result, Garoppolo is the second-best QB option in this sim and doesn’t have to be squeezed into all your lineups. He probably should be in some of your five entries, but he’s a nice-to-have not a must-play.

When Jimmy G does look to his WR, he has some good options. Emmanuel Sanders ($10,200) serves as his WR1 with a strong 89 overall rating. Sanders does have 15 touchdowns on the season but only has averaged 3.9 catches per sim and has been held under 5.0 DKFP in three of his past five. He does have a high ceiling and upside but also a very low floor for a player over $10K. If you’re looking for a 49ers WR, I actually prefer saving salary and going with Deebo Samuel ($5,800), who has lots of upside due to his 92 speed rating even though he only has a 79 overall rating. He has hauled in 14 touchdown catches and is averaging just under 12 DKFP per contest. He had eight catches for 136 yards, two touchdowns and 36.6 DKFP in his most recent game against the Patriots, and his salary dropped $1,000 following that despite this being a much easier matchup. He’s a great value play and will likely be in lots of lineups against a struggling Seattle secondary. Don’t forget about WR3 Kendrick Bourne ($4,800), since Jimmy G never forgets to go his way in the red zone. Bourne has 14 touchdowns and is averaging just under 10 DKFP per sim. He doesn’t usually get the volume of Sanders or Samuel, but he has been getting plenty of looks lately with five catches in three straight contests. If you have the salary, I prefer Samuel, but Bourne is a solid play under $5K if you already have Deebo or are looking to spend a little less.

The 49ers’ DST ($3,400) is packed with elite talent, led by Richard Sherman and Nick Bosa, who both are X-Factor Superstars with playmaking ability. They’re joined by two other players on defense with Superstar abilities in DE Dee Ford and MLB Fred Warner. However, they haven’t been the most productive fantasy unit with just 14 takeaways and 60 sacks in 35 sims for an average of 4.4 DKFP. The unit is deep and low-risk since they hardly ever give up big points, but they don’t make enough splash plays to have a high ceiling on a regular basis. If you have the salary, I’d go with Robbie Gould ($4,000) as a value instead, since he is averaging almost 8.0 DKFP per sim as one of the best kickers in all of Madden.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks haven’t been consistent in these sims, but that hasn’t taken any of the star-power or fantasy production away from QB Russell Wilson ($13,000). He is one of the few players in all of Madden averaging over 20 DKFP per sim with his 22.2 DKFP average and has produced over 18 DKFP in four straight sims and 13 of his past 14. He has the unique X-Factor called “Blitz Radar” which enables him to see all blitzers after the snap after he activates the power with multiple scrambles of over 10 yards. His superstar abilities of “Escape Artist,” “Agile Extender” and “Dashing Deadeye” show off his precision and success on the move. Wilson is averaging 47.4 rushing yards in addition to his 217.8 passing yards per contest and has added 12 rushing scores to his 53 passing touchdowns. He should be able to find success even in a tough matchup against San Francisco. Pretty much all of Seattle’s offense comes from him one way or the other, so for the Seahawks to pull of another upset, they’ll need him to come up large once again.

The Seahawks’ WRs have been inconsistent, but have high ceilings since they’re so fast. WR1 Tyler Lockett ($8,000) has a strong 88 overall rating and a 93 speed rating. He’s very affordable for a WR1 at just $8K but could be locked down by Sherman depending on how the 49ers choose to deploy their CB1. Lockett has 17 touchdowns in these sims and has exactly five catches in four straight sims. WR2 DK Metcalf ($6,800) is also a speedster with his 95 speed rating, which makes him a great value option to consider since he has such a high ceiling with his 80 overall rating. He does tend to be boom-or-bust, but his “booms” have resulted in over 28 DKFP in six games over 26 DKFP in his 35 sims. He had 28.1 DKFP against the Chiefs three sims ago and then hung 31.2 DKFP on the Packers in his most recent outing. There are times where he disappears, but when he’s involved he’s always a big-play threat. The Seahawks add even more speed when WR3 Josh Gordon ($4,400) is in the formation with his 78 overall rating and 91 speed rating. He is also boom-or-bust and a little big-play reliant, especially with his low 65 awareness rating. He had over 100 yards against the Packers as well on his way to 19.8 DKFP. He has double-digit DKFP in five straight games but only in 11 of the Seahawks’ 35 sims overall. Bourne is a slightly safer play at about the same salary, but Gordon has more upside due to his speed.

Another key part of the Seahawks’ passing game is TE Will Dissly ($7,400), who has a nice 80 overall rating, which puts him even with Metcalf. He doesn’t have the speedy upside of Metcalf and of those WRs, but he is usually very involved as a possession option and has scored 12 touchdowns while averaging just over 10 DKFP per contest. In dual-TE sets, Jacob Hollister ($2,400) also gets involved with catches in just over half of the Seahawks’ sims.

Although Seattle does like to run the ball, they split up the workload, so they don’t have an elite option like Coleman. Their RB1 is Chris Carson ($5,200), who has had a few big games but overall has been a disappointment, averaging just 5.3 DKFP. His ratings aren’t bad at all but he loses work to third-down back C.J. Prosise ($2,800), who actually makes a lot of sense as a value play if you need a punt play. Prosise had a touchdown in each of his past two games to produce 17.5 DKFP and 7.1 DKFP. He gets a few carries and has a few catches in almost every sim and can get even more work if Seattle is playing from behind and relying more on pass-focused formations.

The Seahawks’ DST ($3,200) doesn’t have the depth of San Francisco but does force more turnovers, mostly thanks to X-Factor Superstar LB Bobby Wagner and his 98 overall rating, along with the X-Factor of “Shutdown” and superstar abilities of “Tackle Supreme” and “Enforcer,” which make him almost impossible to fake out or break tackles against. Seattle has recovered 26 fumbles in their 35 sims to go with 47 sacks and three defensive touchdowns for an average of 4.3 DKFP per contest. While they aren’t as safe a play as the 49ers’ DST, they do create more big plays and therefore have a higher ceiling.

The Outcome

For your Captain’s Pick, the big names to consider are Russell Wilson ($19,500 CP) and Tevin Coleman ($12,900 CP), who both have incredibly high ceilings and offer consistent production as well. If you’re looking for a high ceiling and willing to assume more risk, you could also give DK Metcalf ($10,200 CP), Deebo Samuel ($8,700 CP) or even Josh Gordon ($6,600 CP) a look, although there’s a higher chance that they will bust and leave you without much to show for your top spot. There’s even an argument for the Seahawks’ DST ($4,800 CP) if you are looking to stack up your flex spots with top-priced options and think Seattle will be able to force some turnovers.

The defenses in this game are both big-hitting, but Seattle has been prone to giving up big plays. Even though they do create more turnovers, the 49ers’ defense has been better at limiting opponents, and I think they’ll slow down Wilson just enough to go into Seattle and get a tough divisional road win. Coleman will likely be the workhorse for San Francisco, and I expect the 49ers to ride him to a victory in the virtual Pacific Northwest.

Final Score: 49ers 20, Seahawks 16

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Depth Charts

49ers

Seahawks

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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.