It’s another wild weather Wednesday on the DraftKings Dream Stream with six games scheduled throughout the day, all of which will be impacted by adverse weather conditions. The three-game classic slate starts off with a game in the snow at virtual Lambeau Field between the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. At 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime, the Super-Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs visit the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wind, which will be an interesting wrinkle for the Chiefs’ prolific passing game. The final game of the day features the Cincinnati Bengals visiting the Seattle Seahawks in a rainstorm on Wednesday’s edition of “Madden After Dark.”
As always, it’s important to note that each roster is not impacted by COVID-19 opt-outs, injuries, suspensions or illness in these sims and that the highest-rated options have been placed at the top of the depth charts. The roster for each team includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season and uses the Madden 21 ratings from Week 1 of this season.
For more details, you can find the game settings, depth charts, abilities and X-factors for each team in Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page. There were a few tweaks to the X-factors and Superstars in the latest December update, so be sure to check the depth charts of each team.
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
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. Cincinnati Bengals, $7,800 — Fading Patrick Mahomes ($8,300) is always a tough thing to do in Madden 21 since his 99 overall rating makes him one of the most consistent passing options and gives him an extremely high ceiling. However, on this slate, I think it actually makes more sense to go with Wilson, who gets an extremely favorable matchup at home and could have a huge game running the ball. Mahomes and the Chiefs actually lost to the Jaguars a few sims ago, and the superstar QB only had 23.32 DKFP. On the other hand, Wilson and the Seahawks just beat the Bengals on the road, and he piled up 27.64 DKFP with 206 passing yards and two touchdowns in addition to 74 rushing yards and a third score. Earlier in these sims, Wilson piled up 37.28 DKFP against the Bengals, running for 72 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for a fourth score and 227 yards in that contest. He has the potential to go off for a monster game in any matchup and has been especially effective in weather games when he uses the poor footing to keep the defense even more off-balance. Wilson is averaging 23.5 DKFP in his 23 home sims, and he should be able to put a big number on the Bengals. He’s actually a little safer than Mahomes in the wind in a game that could turn into a blowout. Wilson also saves you $500 in salary, which can be a sizable upgrade elsewhere.
Other Options — Patrick Mahomes ($8,300), Aaron Rodgers ($7,400)
Value
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks, $5,700 — At the other end of the salary spectrum, Burrow still brings upside against Wilson and the Seahawks, who create turnovers in Madden 21 but also have a tendency to give up big plays. Burrow has over 20 DKFP in each of his past two games including his previous matchup with the Seahawks, finishing with 21.78 DKFP on 222 yards passing with three passing touchdowns. He followed that up with another three-touchdown game against the Rams and has 52 touchdowns in his 37 sims while averaging 219.1 passing yards per game. The promising rookie has had his ups and downs in these sims, but he’s a very affordable solution at QB, who comes with good upside and offers substantial savings.
Other Option — Gardner Minshew II ($6,200)
Running Back
Stud
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints, $6,800 — Jones has been excellent in Madden 21 since he has taken over as the team’s third-down back in addition to his RB1 role, meaning he very rarely leaves the field. He has been very involved as a pass-catcher with 2.8 receptions for 19.7 yards per sim in addition to his average of 68.6 rushing yards per contest. Jones had seven catches for 70 yards in his first sim in Madden 21 against the Saints and added 96 rushing yards and a touchdown to finish with 29.6 DKFP. He just had a monster 34.6-DKFP game against the Jets two games ago, and he is a relatively safe play since he does get so much work in the red zone. In his 39 sims in Madden 21, he has scored an impressive total of 37 touchdowns.
Other Options — Alvin Kamara ($7,300) Chris Thompson ($6,200)
Value
Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks, $4,600 — Bernard has been very useful for fantasy purposes while serving as the Bengals’ third-down RB. He has averaged over 4.0 catches for 29.8 receiving yards per game, and he could be even more involved with the weather limiting the downfield passing attack. Bernard has multiple catches in 14 of his past 15 sims and at least three catches in each of his four most recent contests. He had four catches in each of his two previous games against Seattle, and he should be able to return value due to his PPR production if the Bengals continue to rely on him as a target out of the backfield.
Other Options — Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($5,700), Carlos Hyde ($3,400)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars, $8,300 — Hill has been by far the most active and productive WR in these Madden 21 sims, and I don’t think the Jaguars or the windy conditions will contain his 99 speed rating and “RAC ‘em up” X-factor in this matchup. Hill has exactly seven catches in four straight sims and is averaging a robust 6.5 catches for 94.7 yards per sim. While the yardage has definitely been there, he has also been scoring a ton of touchdowns with 39 scores in his 44 contests. He has over 18 DKFP in five straight and has averaged 29.26 DKFP over that stretch. He had “only” 13.6 DKFP in his earlier matchup with the Jags, but I don’t think Jacksonville will hold him in check in this rematch.
Other Options — Michael Thomas ($7,100), DJ Chark Jr. ($6,200)
Value
Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers, $5,000 — With X-factor superstar CB Jaire Alexander likely locked in on his matchup with Michael Thomas, Sanders should get a very favorable matchup in the slot against Green Bay. He had four catches for 112 yards, a touchdown and 24.2 DKFP in their previous Madden 21 meeting, and he has at least four receptions in six of his past seven sims, so he remains heavily involved. Drew Brees ($6,200) has relied even more on Sanders and Kamara in weather games where his arm strength limits his downfield options, so I think Manny should be set up for a big game in this situation.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints, $4,100 — MVS has been a big-play threat for Green Bay, but he has also been very involved as the Packers’ slot WR. He only had one catch for 11 yards in his previous matchup with the Saints but is typically much more involved, averaging 3.1 catches for 41.4 yards per sim while scoring nine touchdowns as well. He can be a little boom-or-bust but has double-digit DKFP in four of his past six games, which is a very solid return for a player barely over $4K.
Other Options — A.J. Green ($5,100), Dede Westbrook ($4,800), Tyler Boyd ($4,200), Demarcus Robinson ($3,800)
Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars, $6,300 — If the wind does force Mahomes to rely on shorter passes, that could mean more work for Kelce, who had eight catches for 97 yards in his previous meeting with the Jaguars. He has averaged 6.1 receptions for 74.4 yards per game and has been able to maintain that high volume despite so many looks also going to Tyreek Hill. Kelce had 11 catches, 119 yards, two touchdowns and 37.9 DKFP against the Colts in his most recent sim and will look to dismantle another AFC South opponent in this contest. Kelce has been putting up video game numbers in real life over the Chiefs’ return to the Super Bowl, and he’s been putting up big numbers in these sims as well.
Other Options — Tyler Eifert ($5,100), Greg Olsen ($4,800)
Value
C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle Seahawks, $4,300 — Uzomah is a nice cheap play on a slate that is stacked at TE. The Bengals’ TE1 is averaging 10.0 DKFP per sim on 3.8 catches for 41.4 yards per sim. He just had four catches, 47 yards and 14.7 DKFP against the Seahawks two sims ago while also scoring his 11th touchdown in his 37 Madden 21 contests. Uzomah is a low-risk play, who should have a pretty high ceiling with the rain keeping Burrow’s passes closer to the line of scrimmage in the late game.
Other Option — Jared Cook ($4,600)
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST vs. Cincinnati Bengals, $3,000 — The Seahawks’ defense continues to be a great play almost every time they take the field due to their ability to create turnovers and make big plays. The ‘Hawks racked up nine sacks against Cincinnati two sims ago while adding two takeaways on their way to a 13-DKFP performance. They had 10 DKFP in their earlier matchup as well, so a double-digit performance is definitely on the table, especially with the added element of the rain. Seattle has totaled 42 takeaways and 93 sacks in 38 sims while adding eight defensive touchdowns to average 7.8 DKFP per contest.
Value
Chiefs DST at Jacksonville Jaguars, $2,800 — The only potential downside to the Seahawks is that they’re so good they tend to be very chalky. If you’re looking for lower ownership, the Chiefs should be able to offer some solid production against the Jaguars, especially in the wind. Kansas City has at least three sacks in four straight sims but only managed two DKFP in its earlier contest against the Jags. They aren’t as safe a play as the Seahawks, but the Chiefs do offer a ceiling that makes them the most viable pivot.
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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.