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Thursday night features another great three-game slate with plenty of fantasy options in each matchup. The action starts at 6 p.m. ET when the Seahawks take on the Steelers in virtual Pittsburgh. At 8 p.m., there’s a featured divisional matchup in primetime as the Vikings take on the Packers, and we close out the night with a rematch of Super Bowls 36 and 53 as the Rams visit the Patriots on Madden After Dark.
With so many good options to choose from, I’ve highlighted my favorite stud and value play for each roster spot on this slate below. For more, you can always check out the Madden info page for all the data on player ratings, special abilities and what you can look forward to in upcoming matchups.
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Quarterback
Stud
Tom Brady, NE vs. LAR, $7,500 — Brady has thrown 98 touchdowns in his 45 sims and has multiple scores in 13 straight contests. He doesn’t have quite as high a ceiling as some of the elite rushing options under center, but he is one of the best pure passing QBs in all of Madden. He rarely busts due to his high volume and should be able to find success against the Rams’ secondary that doesn’t have a ton of depth behind Jalen Ramsey. Brady’s consistency gets him the slight edge over the other top-salary studs on this slate.
Other Option — Russell Wilson ($8,100)
Value
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT vs. SEA, $6,500 — The Steelers have been stumbling lately and have lost six straight coming into this matchup. Despite their struggles, Ben has still managed to throw for over 260 yards in three of his past four games and six of his past eight. The Seahawks’ secondary has been one of the most beatable in all of Madden, and Roethlisberger racked up 289 yards against them in their first meeting, although just one touchdown led to just 15.06 DKFP. If he can get another touchdown or two while still producing big yardage totals, Big Ben has the potential to be the top QB on the slate, although he is riskier than Brady if you have the salary to spend up.
Other Option — Jared Goff ($6,000)
Running Back
Stud
Dalvin Cook, MIN at GB ($6,800) — Cook has been one of the few elite RB options in these sims since he is so heavily involved as both a pass-catcher and a ball-carrier. He is averaging 76.9 rushing yards and 15.4 receiving yards for 16.4 DKFP per contest and has scored 31 touchdowns in his 45 sims. Cook has run for 80-plus yards in four straight games and has over 12 DKFP in eight of his past nine. He is always a threat to totally break the slate with a multi-touchdown game and hardly ever busts since he has his PPR production as a safety net.
Other Options — Todd Gurley II ($6,400) James White ($6,100)
Value
Jaylen Samuels, PIT vs. SEA, $3,700 — If you’re going cheap at RB, Samuels is a great way to save some salary since he is heavily involved in the Steelers’ attack as their third-down option. He has scored a touchdown in each of his past two sims and often gets a heavier workload when Pittsburgh is trying to rally from behind, as they have been recently. Samuels is averaging 1.9 catches for 13.2 yards and 22.4 more yards on the ground in his 45 sims for a solid average of 6.1 DKFP per sim. He has a high ceiling as he showed with 21.7 DKFP in his most recent sim, but his real value is that he’s always involved and usually doesn’t bust even though he’s extremely cheap.
Other Option — C.J. Prosise ($3,500)
Wide Receiver
Stud
JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT vs. SEA, $7,000 — Since I like Big Ben as a value play, that means I think he’ll be able to get the ball into the hands of the speedy Smith-Schuster in space against Seattle. Smith-Schuster has at least five catches in seven straight games, including three games with over 30 DKFP and a 51.2-DKFP outburst against the Chiefs. That kind of a ceiling is definitely in play for him any time he takes the field, but his regular involvement is the most encouraging sign that he’ll be worth paying for against the suspect Seahawks’ secondary.
Other Options — Davante Adams ($7,700), Adam Thielen ($6,100)
Value
Mohamed Sanu, NE vs. LAR, $4,500 — The Patriots’ offense spreads the ball around to the different receivers making them good values when they hit but also making them volatile options overall. Sanu should be in a good matchup, though, since he had success against the Rams in his first sim against them, catching five passes for 84 yards, a touchdown and 19.4 DKFP. He has double-digit DKFP in three straight sims and over 20 DKFP in five of his past 15.
Other Options — Brandin Cooks ($5,300), Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,000), Diontae Johnson ($3,500)
Tight End
Stud
Benjamin Watson, NE v.s LAR, $5,100 — Watson has been one of the best TEs in Madden and now his salary is starting to respond to that consistent production. He is the most expensive TE play on the slate and has been amazingly consistent, producing an average of 5.2 catches for 64.1 yards per sim and scoring a total of 19 touchdowns. Watson posted 21.9 DKFP on eight catches for 109 yards in the Patriots first sim meeting with the Rams, and he’ll continue to be a safe option with upside at TE.
Other Option — Vance McDonald ($4,800)
Value
Will Dissly, SEA at PIT, $4,500 — Dissly hasn’t been as consistent as Watson but he has been a regular part of the Seahawks’ offense. He has averaged 3.9 catches for 44.7 yards per sim while scoring 17 touchdowns. He had five catches for 43 yards, a touchdown and 15.3 DKFP in the first meeting between these teams, and he can be a solid alternative to Watson or an option to consider in the flex if you’re going to with two-TE set.
DST
Stud
Vikings DST vs. GB $3,000 — The Vikings’ defense has slowed down a little bit lately with just one takeaway in their four most recent sims, but they have been electric for most of the season, recovering 30 fumbles and making 12 interceptions in their 45 contests while stacking up 99 sacks. They should get to 100 in this one as they try to slow down Aaron Rodgers ($7,200) and the Packers. They have been an elite unit in these sims, especially at home, where they have produced over 7.0 DKFP per sim.
Other Option — Patriots ($3,200)
Value
Seahawks DST at PIT, $2,500 — Seattle has also been a turnover-forcing defense thanks mostly to Bobby Wagner’s work at TE. They have 43 takeaways in their 45 sims to go with three defensive touchdowns and 65 sacks. They haven’t been as elite as the Vikings but can still cause enough big-plays to be worth a look since they’re the cheapest option on the board at just $2.5K.
Other Option — Packers ($2,800)
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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.