It’s another wild weather Wednesday on the DraftKings Dream Stream, so weather will impact all six games on the slate for the day. Each of the six games have single-game Showdown contests available in addition to a pair of three-game classic slates starting with the 12 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. ET kickoffs. The focus of this post is the featured late slate which begins with an in-state rivalry as the Giants head upstate to take on the Bills in the snow. The primetime matchup between the Lions and the Titans will be played in the rain at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll close out another full day of action with the Seahawks hosting the 49ers in an NFC West matchup in virtual Seattle. For that Madden After Dark divisional contest, the wind will be a factor and likely have a big impact on the passing game.
The roster for each team now includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season, and you can find the depth charts, abilities and X-factors for Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page. The rosters have also been adjusted to get the best players on the field and will not be impacted by any COVID-19 opt-outs or injuries.
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Quarterback
Stud
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers, $8,000 — Wilson is averaging over four DKFP more than any other QB on the slate and is really the only top-tier option in play in these three games. Wilson is producing 21.9 DKFP per contest over his nine sims with an average of 180.1 passing yards and 62.9 rushing yards per contest. Even though the wind will make passing the ball more difficult, his rushing production still makes him one of the safer plays. Wilson’s matchup isn’t a great one against San Francisco, but the 49ers have given up some big performances recently. Wilson and the Seahawks beat them when they met in the divisional round of the Madden 21 tournament, 23-17, and Wilson posted over 25 DKFP. He’s a very expensive play at the top of the salary structure but comes with very low risk and good upside in the late game.
Other Option — Josh Allen ($6,400)
Value
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans vs. Detroit Lions, $5,900 — Tannehill went off for 335 yards and three touchdowns on his way to 27.4 DKFP a few sims ago against the Broncos, but he hasn’t consistently been able to put together performances like that. He does have 11 passing touchdowns in his eight sims and averages 195 passing yards per contest. Tannehill should be able to find success against the Lions even in the rain since Detroit’s secondary has struggled throughout these Madden sims. Tannehill is a much higher-risk option than Wilson or even Allen, but he does have upside in this matchup and has flashed a high enough ceiling to be the best value play at QB.
Other Option — Daniel Jones ($6,100)
Running Back
Stud
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans vs. Detroit Lions, $8,200 — Henry should be in a position to thrive as well against the Lions and has been an absolute beast since taking over the third-down back responsibilities with the upgrade to Madden 21. Henry has averaged 5.0 catches per contest over his eight Madden 21 sims and has added 36.1 receiving yards to his 66.9 rushing yards per game. He has seven touchdowns in those eight games and has produced at least 17 DKFP in five straight contests. Henry exploded for 37.4 DKFP in his most recent contest against the Bills and has that kind of ceiling again in this matchup with Detroit.
Other Options — Saquon Barkley ($7,900), Raheem Mostert ($7,500)
Value
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans, $4,600 — Swift has fallen out of favor in the Lions’ timeshare in real life, but he is still very involved in these sims, where he remains the third-down back. Swift has at least five catches in four straight games and is averaging 5.0 catches for 31 receiving yards per game in addition to his one rushing touchdown. He ha produced a solid 9.8 DKFP per contest and is a low-risk play due to his PPR volume. The Titans have a solid secondary, and in the rain I think Stafford will check down to Swift on a regular basis and give the rookie a chance to show his playmaking ability.
Other Options — Chris Carson ($5,700)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants, $6,800 — On this slate, the WR pool is a little thin on elite options, but Diggs is clearly involved in a big way in his new team’s offense in simland. The new WR1 for Buffalo has found the end zone in five of his past six contests and produced an average of 13.7 DKFP per contest overall. Diggs has only averaged 3.3 catches per game, so the volume is lacking a little bit. However, his red zone presence and the lack of other elite WRs on the slate make him the best play over $6K. It also definitely helps that he’ll face a very beatable Giants secondary, which has given up big plays on a regular basis in the Madden 21 sims.
Other Option — DK Metcalf ($6,500), Kenny Golladay ($6,000)
Value
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, $5,500 — Samuel has stepped up as the WR1 for the 49ers in Madden 21 and has gotten good production as a result of the increase in volume. Samuel is averaging 3.8 catches per contest for 66.1 yards. He has only found the end zone one time, though, which is why his average per game is just 11.6 DKFP. He did have one of his best sims in the 49ers’ first meeting with Seattle, hauling in four passes for an impressive 138 yards and 20.8 DKFP. Seattle’s secondary has struggled at times in these sims, and Samuel should be able to be a solid mid-tier option even in the wind.
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans, $4,000 — As the Lions’ slot receiver, Amendola has averaged 4.0 catches per contest and found the end zone twice in his eight games. He is only averaging 37.6 yards per game since most of his passes are caught on short routes, but that actually could play into his favor given the rain issues in this contest. In weather-impacted games, the passes that travel less distance in the air are less affected. Even though he can be a little boom-or-bust, Amendola is a solid bargain play at only $4K primarily due to his consistent PPR production.
Other Options — Darius Slayton ($5,600), Kendrick Bourne ($4,300), Adam Humphries ($3,800)
Tight End
Stud
T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans, $5,400 — Hockenson is also set up well by the weather conditions and should be a frequent target of Matthew Stafford ($6,700). Hockenson has scored three touchdowns in his eight sims while averaging 5.4 catches for 49.9 yards per game. He has at least four catches in each of his past four games and has over 13 DKFP in five of eight contests overall. While his ratings aren’t at the same level as George Kittle’s ($5,800), Hockenson has actually out-produced Kittle to this point due to more volume and better accuracy from his QB.
Other Options— George Kittle ($5,800), Greg Olsen ($5,000)
Value
Evan Engram, New York Giants at Buffalo Bills, $4,400 — Engram could be very busy against the Bills if Buffalo’s elite CBs shut down the Giants’ receivers. Engram has at least four catches in all but one of his eight sims in Madden 21 and still brings a good speed rating to make plays after the catch. Despite only finding the end zone one time, he’s averaging a solid 9.7 DKFP per sim and brings a nice ceiling due to his matchup against Buffalo, who just gave up 18.5 DKFP to Jonnu Smith ($4,800) in their most recent sim.
Other Options— Jonnu Smith ($4,800), Lee Smith ($2,800)
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST vs. San Francisco 49ers, $3,600 — Seattle’s defense has been outstanding in the Madden 21 sims, posting double-digit DKFP in four straight contests. In just those four sims, they have forced an amazing 14 turnovers and piled up 11 sacks to go with a pair of defensive touchdowns. They have elite upside thanks to the playmaking ability of Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams, and their ability to cause turnovers and pressure the QB makes them a high-ceiling play, especially in games where weather is also helping them slow down the opposing offense.
Value
Titans DST vs. Detroit Lions, $2,800 — The Seahawks have been so dominant that they will likely be pretty chalky on this slate. If you’re looking to pivot for lower ownership, I think the second-best option in play is the Titans. Tennessee gets a great matchup against the Lions and has consistently shown the ability to get pressure on the opposing QB, especially at home. In their five home games, the Titans have forced five turnovers and stacked up 13 sacks to average 7.4 DKFP per contest. They looked sharp in their win over Buffalo with 9.0 DKFP, but their ceiling isn’t quite as high or as reachable as Seattle’s.
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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.