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 $10K FREE game of the week between the Jaguars and Browns, which starts at 6:00 p.m. ET Monday.
Set your free to play lineups here: Madden Stream $1K FREE Contest (JAX vs CLE)
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Showdown Strategy
Jacksonville Jaguars
Gardner Minshew ($10,200) is coming off one of the worst quarterback performances we’ve seen in these simulations. If you rostered him at his $9K price tag against the Vikings, you got a whopping 0.4 DKFP. No, that’s not a typo. He threw for 60 yards and two interceptions, making it a total disaster. For whatever reason, he earned a $1,200 increase in his salary for this game against the Browns. He’s usually much more reliable than that last game indicates, averaging 14.6 DKFP in five games prior. Don’t be afraid to get him back in your lineup.
As you’d imagine, with only 60 passing yards in his last game, no one on the Jaguars did much of anything. Even still, DJ Chark Jr. ($8,800) remains his most trusted receiver. The speedy WR1 is averaging 3.8 receptions, 64.8 receiving yards and a team-leading 22 touchdowns scored. If anyone is going to score for the Jags, Chark has been the guy to put your trust into. James O’Shaughnessy ($6,400) continues to see the highest volume on this team, as he’s averaging 4.1 receptions, 56.3 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Pairing he and Chark together would get you the majority of this offense and it doesn’t break the bank either. Dede Westbrook ($6,200) remains a bit of a tough sell for me at his salary, as he has made no more than three receptions in five straight games. He’s scored twice in that span but overall, he’s not exactly bringing back the production for someone in a mid-$6K salary range. For that type of work, you may as well just take Marqise Lee ($3,800), who is averaging 2.4 receptions and 32.4 yards at half the price.
Leonard Fournette ($9,400) has been turning in some duds as of late but is still worth using as the RB1 on this team. He’s failed to reach double-digit fantasy points in three of his past five games, a span in which he’s averaging 10.2 DKFP. Nonetheless, you’ll rarely see him off the field and he will catch out of the backfield, making him one of the only running backs to consider in this game.
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Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield ($11,000) along with his WR1 in Odell Beckham Jr. ($10,400) finished Week 31 with the highest DKFP average at 17. Mayfield has been a stud in these simulations and over the five games before entering Week 32 had thrown eight touchdowns while averaging 16.8 DKFP. I don’t mind using either quarterback in this game but would prefer Mayfield if your roster construction allows it. I do realize using him and Beckham will be difficult but the WR1 has been a volume beast, averaging 4.8 receptions, 71.1 yards and 22 touchdowns scored entering Week 32.
While Beckham is the obvious choice to get onto your roster, the Browns do offer some other good options at receiver. David Njoku ($7,000) at tight end has really been getting involved in this offense as of late, making at least five receptions in three of his last five games entering Week 32. Overall, heading into Week 32 he was averaging 4.7 receptions, 57.2 yards but with only six touchdowns scored. The lack of scoring takes away from what would make him a near must roster at this juncture but he’s been great everywhere else. Jarvis Landry ($7,600) is listed as the WR2 on this team but you wouldn’t know it from his recent games, scoring no more than 8.9 DKFP in four straight heading into his most recent game. Landry, like Njoku, doesn’t score often, so in those games when they aren’t reaching the end zone, they have a severely limited ceiling. Damion Ratley ($3,600) looks as if he’d be a nice value but he’s only made a reception in 29 of the Browns’ first 30 games played. I think this game provides enough mid-tier value that you can make a balanced lineup and not find yourself doing any basement dwelling.
Nick Chubb ($9,600) has been a total disaster in these simulations despite scoring 13 times. Yes, he will be on the field the majority of the time but averaging 44.8 rushing yards and 6.9 receiving yards heading into his most recent sim is not going to get it done at his extremely high salary. Kareem Hunt ($5,000) is also an option but he’s only averaging 1.4 receptions per game. He’s simply not getting the type of passing down work we’d expect whereas other RB2 on teams do.
The Outcome
This game doesn’t present many captain options that I love. David Njoku ($10,500 CP) looks to be the best bang for your buck as his volume at his salary will be one of the more efficient options. If you want to pay up, you can always use Odell Beckham Jr ($15,600 CP) as well.
Final Score: Jaguars 21, Browns 24
Depth Charts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Cleveland Browns
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.