The Dream Stream is back on Tuesday with a full slate of six Madden simulations, so make sure to check it out if you didn’t get enough fantasy football fun in Week 1. For each of the six games on the slate, DraftKings is offering single-game Showdown contests in addition to a pair of three game classic slates that kick off with the games that start at 12 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET. This post focuses on the final three-game classic slate of the day, which includes some very nice matchups. At 6 p.m. ET, the Rams will visit the virtual Vikings, and in the last game of the night the Ravens host the Packers at 10 p.m. ET. In between those contests, the primetime game features a tasty matchup between the Chiefs and Patriots, who met in the AFC Championship Game of our Madden 21 Tournament earlier this sim season.
The depth charts have again been updated, so make sure to take a look at the new rosters, depth charts and X-factors for Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page. The rosters have been taken from Week 1 and will not be impacted by COVID-19 opt-outs or injuries, so every team has its best players available in simland.
Check out the daily DraftKings Madden Stream contests lobby with paid contests for real cash prizes now available alongside free contests. Each simulation will be played out computer vs. computer via an online Madden Stream using Madden 21. In this format, you can enjoy watching the game stream on the DraftKings YouTube channel, the DK Live app (download here) or right here in this post.
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Quarterback
Stud
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers, $8,700 — This is a matchup of the two No. 1 seeds from the Madden 21 Tournament, so it should be a great contest to close out the day. Even with Jackson in a tough matchup against a very good Green Bay defense, he is worth a look at just under $9K. The cover-athlete for Madden 21 has been outstanding in his five Madden sims, averaging 24.5 DKFP and producing over 20 DKFP in every single contest. He has led his team past good defenses like the 49ers and Steelers and even had 27.18 DKFP in the one game his team lost which was against the Chargers. He is doing most of his damage on the ground, averaging just under 90 rushing yards per game to go with his 156 passing yards per contest. Jackson is a big investment at QB, but he’s also a relatively safe one given his consistent excellence.
Other Options — Patrick Mahomes ($7,200), Aaron Rodgers ($6,800)
Value
Cam Newton, New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs, $5,900 — Part of the reason it is worth spending up for Jackson is that the low-end options are all high-risk. Newton is the best of the group, but he and the Patriots struggled against the Chiefs in their earlier sim meeting and were shut out with Newton managing just 4.92 DKFP. Cam bounced back with a nice game against the Packers and has posted over 20 DKFP in four of his seven sims overall. He is averaging 210 passing yards and 22.1 rushing yards per sim and has totaled 10 touchdowns. If you do decide to go cheap at QB and pay up elsewhere, he has the highest ceiling of all the low-cost QBs and has looked solid for the Patriots in all their games except his clunker against Kansas City.
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Running Back
Stud
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Rams, $8,200 — Cook is almost always a good play in Madden 21 sims if you can figure out a way to squeeze his salary under your cap. He has over 19 DKFP in every one of his five sims and has averaged 84.4 rushing yards and 37.4 receiving yards per game with six total touchdowns. He has been very involved as a receiver lately with 19 catches over his past three contests. That PPR production makes him a safe play with a very high ceiling even against a solid defense like the Rams. Cook’s consistency and high ceiling make him an elite but expensive RB play much like Jackson is as a QB.
Other Options — Mark Ingram II ($6,400), Aaron Jones ($6,100)
Value
Darryl Henderson Jr., Los Angeles Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings, $3,000 — The Rams’ backfield remains a timeshare in the newest roster updates, but Henderson claimed a very important spot as the team’s third-down back moving forward. He hasn’t even had a touch in the Madden 21 sims so far, but that should change with his new role. Henderson has a 71 overall rating, but he has an 89 speed rating, an 88 agility rating, an 85 juke move rating and a solid 62 short route running rating, which is pretty high for an RB. Henderson has the potential to make some big plays and will also take away some of the production of Malcolm Brown ($6,900), who had caught 22 passes in four sims, averaging over five catches per game. Even if Henderson gets three-to-four catches, he should have a great chance to return solid value at a low ownership in this contest.
Other Options — Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($5,800), J.K. Dobbins ($3,000)
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Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots, $7,700 — Hill always has incredible upside with his 99 speed rating, and he makes a good play despite a tough matchup with Stephon Gilmore and the Patriots. Hill has been exceptional in Madden 21 in part due to his massive workload. He has caught 50 passes in just eight sims for an average of 6.25 catches per contest and has produced 90.1 yards per sim while finding the end zone five times in those eight games. He has never had fewer than four catches and 10.8 DKFP since the switch to Madden 21 and has gone off for as many as 163 yards and 37.3 DKFP. With so much big-play potential and so many passes coming his way, he’s a very good play to consider at the top of the WR salary structure.
Other Options — Adam Thielen ($7,000), Davante Adams ($6,600)
Value
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers at Baltimore Ravens, $4,700 — There hasn’t been a lot of movement on the WR depth charts for these teams, but one important change that should produce some value is MVS taking over as the slot option for the Packers. Allen Lazard ($3,800) has been extremely productive in that role in our sims so far, but he has slid to WR4 on the depth chart and is no longer the primary slot receiver. While he will still get chances, I think MVS is actually lined up for more work and the potential to be a better value. Valdes-Scantling has an impressive 93 speed rating and can be a good deep option with his 77 deep route running rating and his 84 spectacular catch rating. He definitely has the skills to thrive in his new spot and has a high ceiling if Lazard’s volume comes his way while the Ravens focus on locking down Davante Adams.
Other Options — Miles Boykin ($4,400), N’Keal Harry ($3,700)
Tight End
Stud
Devin Asiasi, New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs, $5,100 — While the rookie TE seems to be coming along slowly in real life, he is blossoming into a great option in simland since he runs the Patriots’ TE excellent routes from their playbook which made Ben Watson a Madden 2020 legend. Asiasi has at least five catches in five of his seven games and is averaging 5.4 catches for 56.6 yards per contest. He also has caught two touchdowns to help him average 12.8 DKFP per sim. The only cause for concern is that his one bad game did come against the Chiefs, who he’ll play again in this matchup Tuesday.
Other Options— Travis Kelce ($6,300), Mark Andrews ($4,100)
Value
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings, $3,700 — Higbee was shut out when the Rams played the Seahawks, but he has been involved enough in his other three sims that I still like him as a value TE option on this slate against the Vikings. Higbee had seven catches for 28 yards and 8.8 DKFP in his most recent sim and is serving a slightly larger role in the Rams’ passing offense so far in Madden 21. While the no-show is a little concerning, he still makes sense if you’re going cheap at this roster spot in order to pay up elsewhere.
DST
Stud
Ravens DST vs. Green Bay Packers, $3,100 — The Ravens defense has been very good in Madden 21 and Calais Campbell has made their front-seven dominant. The unit has piled up 19 sacks in five games and scored a defensive touchdown. They only have one takeaway but have still produced an impressive 9.8 DKFP per contest. The Ravens have a tough matchup against the Packers’ solid offense, but they have shown enough playmaking ability to be worth consideration regardless of their opponent.
Value
Vikings DST vs. Los Angeles Rams, $2,600 — The Vikings’ DST hasn’t quite played to their potential yet, but I love their playmakers and potential at this price. Minnesota has only forced three turnovers and recorded six sacks in five games for an average of 3.6 DKFP per sim. However, they have Harrison Smith, Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Eric Kendricks and new-addition Yannick Ngakoue, who are all highly-rated and can make big plays. If you look at the six teams in action, the offense that would seem to be the best matchup to attack is the Rams, so I think the Vikings will end up being a very nice play under $3K.
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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.