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With the 2020 NFL season still a few weeks away, why not fill that football-sized void in your heart with DraftKings’ Madden streams? We’ll be running a featured three-game Classic slate each and every night at 6:00 p.m. ET, with Friday’s matchups consisting of Patriots-Browns, Chiefs-Jaguars and Jets-Saints.
Here’s who you should be targeting.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: Madden Stream $3K Friday Night Special [$1K to 1st]
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
Quarterback
Stud
Patrick Mahomes, KC at JAX, $8,200 - Aside from Lamar Jackson, not a single player in Madden has a higher DFS ceiling than Mahomes. Honestly, the reigning Super Bowl MVP is about the only QB I’d trust in this price range that doesn’t have a rushing component in his game. He just doesn’t need one. Not when he’s thrown for at least three touchdowns in 66.7% of his last 21 starts.
Value
Gardner Minshew, JAX vs. KC, $5,400 - While his actual rating are quite underwhelming, Minshew has demonstrated the ability to go off in certain spots in these simulations. In fact, the rookie QB has managed to exceed 19.0 DKFP in 22 of Jacksonville’s 46 streams, showcasing a level of consistency that’s quite the asset at just above $5K. Plus, Kansas City games usually end up being pretty high-scoring.
Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, NO vs. NYJ, $6,500 - He’s the most expensive running back on the slate for a reason. When you roster Kamara, you’re really getting two different players. You’re getting the guy who has racked up nearly 2,900 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground across 48 simulations and you’re also getting the guy with 124 receptions and another 12 TDs through the air. No one else on Friday comes close to that level of two-pronged production.
Value
Kareem Hunt, CLE vs. NE, $4,400 - This isn’t so much an appreciation of Hunt’s viability as it is a complete lack of options. Even on these small, three-game slates, we tend to get a few committee approaches at the running back position. However, Cleveland is the lone team on Friday that doesn’t have a true “bell cow” back in Madden. Hunt’s legitimately the lone asset at this position with a salary under $5K that is guaranteed a touch. You’d probably be better served finding the money to own Damian Williams ($5,600) or Le’Veon Bell ($5,300).
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, KC at JAX, $7,700 - Let’s not overthink this. The great thing about being the No. 1 receiving option for the team that’s scored the most passing touchdowns in these simulations is that you’re going to have a boatload of end zone trips. Hill leads all wideouts with 43 TDs coming into Friday. Just for fun, he’s happened to score 19 of those in Kansas City’s past 14 streams. These games aren’t correlated, but that definitely gives you a sense of what the speedster is capable of.
Value
Ted Ginn, NO vs. NYJ, $4,300 - While Ginn is the clear second banana to Michael Thomas ($7,200) on the Saints’ depth chart, the production has been amazing at times for the veteran wideout. He’s not the most consistent fantasy asset in the world, but he has eclipsed the 18.0 DKFP plateau 12 times in these simulations and he’s second on his team in touchdown receptions with 24. That’s a lot of ceiling at this price.
Tight End
Stud
Ben Watson, NE at CLE, $5,300 - Allow me to implement a little strategy here. Obviously — salary permitting — you’d be more than welcome to pay up for Travis Kelce ($6,100) here; however, in these 32-minute simulations, you run the risk of getting too much exposure to a single team. Instead, why not save a little money with Watson, who has basically put up the same numbers as Kelce, anyway. While Kansas City’s TE has 252 catches and 22 touchdowns in 48 games, Watson has 247 catches and 20 touchdowns in 47 games.
Value
David Njoku, CLE vs. NE, $4,300 - Njoku is just so safe in these streams. While the tight end only has 13 touchdowns to his name, he presents a high floor in a PPR-setting thanks to his reception total. To wit, Njoku’s registered 55 catches in the Browns’ last 10 games.
Defense/Special Teams
Stud
Patriots, NE at CLE, $2,900 - Before we even get into the stats, let us all just remember that the last time these two teams played — a 12-9 New England victory — no team even scored a touchdown. The Browns’ offense can be terrible at times and Baker Mayfield’s ($6,100) low awareness rating does not bode well against a unit that leads all the squads on this slate in interceptions (21) and sacks (107).
Value
Jets, NYJ at NO, $2,500 - Obviously it’s a little insane under any other circumstances to consider using a defense against the Saints in New Orleans, but Jamal Adams is that big of a difference maker in Madden. He’s the reason the Jets have forced over a turnover per simulation on average and have racked up eight defensive touchdowns.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is theglt13) 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.