There’s no better way to cap off a big week in the NFL than with a full day of six Madden 21 sims on the DraftKings Dream Stream this Friday. There are free and paid contests throughout the day using both the single-game Showdown and classic formats. The featured classic slate kicks off at 6:00 p.m. ET in the virtual Big Easy where the New Orleans Saints host the New York Giants. In the primetime game that gets underway at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Pittsburgh Steelers head to the West Coast to take on the San Francisco 49ers, and a busy day closes out with a Madden After Dark matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos at 10:00 p.m. ET.
As in all of these Madden 21 sims, it’s important to know that each roster is not impacted by COVID-19 opt-outs, injuries, suspensions or illness 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 the 2020-21 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
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, $7,100 — Since there aren’t any elite QBs on this slate, Rodgers makes a solid option just over $7K on the road in Denver. Rodgers hasn’t faced the Broncos yet in these Madden 21 sims, but he has averaged a robust 249.5 passing yards to go with his 106 touchdown passes in 58 contests. Recently, Rodgers had back-to-back sims with four touchdown tosses to total 32.72 DKFP against the Texans and 29.64 DKFP against the Dolphins, but he slowed down to just 15.84 DKFP in his most recent contest following those two high-scoring performances. Rodgers relies on throwing touchdowns, so he can be volatile, but he should be in a good spot against the Broncos, who have a very thin secondary and have been a favorable matchup for opposing QBs.
Other Option — Drew Brees ($6,300)
Value
Daniel Jones, New York Giants at New Orleans Saints, $5,900 — In real life, the Giants have spent the offseason stocking up on pass-catching options for Jones, but he will still be working with the same offensive unit in this Madden 21 sim. He still brings nice upside and has gone off for some big totals in his best performances. He is averaging 17.0 DKFP, which is the third-highest mark of any QB on the slate behind only Rodgers and Brees. Jones has over 15 DKFP in four of his past six contests, highlighted by a 27.16-DKFP performance in a narrow loss to the Chiefs. Jones can be boom-or-bust, but his upside makes him the best cheap play on this slate if you decide to prioritize spending at skill positions instead of QB.
Other Option — Jimmy Garoppolo ($6,000)
Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants, $7,300 — It’s a little surprising that Kamara is the third-highest priced RB on this slate, especially given the matchups faced by the top backfield options. Kamara gets a cushy matchup against the Giants, who have been generous to opposing RBs and allowed 23.2 DKFP to Kamara in their first meeting in Madden 21. Kamara only managed 56 rushing yards in that game but saved his fantasy day with six catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. Kamara has also been very involved as a receiver lately with an average of 4.1 catches over his past 15 sims. He has hit double-digit DKFP in all but one of those games while averaging 20.5 DKFP per sim. Since the Giants don’t have an answer for him and he has shown the versatility to go off in multiple ways, Kamara comes with both the lowest risk and highest upside of the star RBs on this slate.
Other Options — Raheem Mostert ($7,800), Aaron Jones ($6,800)
Value
James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers, $3,700 — This will be the fifth time that the Steelers take on the 49ers in these Madden 21 sims, and Conner has gone for double digits in two of the most recent contests. Conner had two touchdowns and 14.0 DKFP in their most recent matchup after 15.0 DKFP and two touchdowns in their previous meeting. Since Conner leaves most of the pass-catching work for third-down back Jaylen Samuels ($5,000), the RB1 is extremely touchdown-reliant. However, at this bargain price, there’s nice upside to consider since all the third-down specialists available on this slate are higher priced.
Other Options — Phillip Lindsay ($5,700), Jaylen Samuels ($5,000)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, $6,700 — Adams has at least six catches in four of his past five sims while reaching double-digit DKFP in five straight. Dating further back, Adams has double-digits fantasy points in 12 of his last 15 and even went off for over 40 DKFP twice during that run with monster games against Houston and Detroit. Adams will sometimes see a reduced workload when Rodgers spreads the ball around to Devin Funchess ($5,900) or Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,800). Regardless, Adams is still the top option for Rodgers and can take advantage of Denver’s lack of elite cover CBs. Adams has scored an impressive 31 touchdowns in 57 sims, including 10 in his 13 most recent contests.
Other Option — Michael Thomas ($7,100)
Value
Emmanuel Sanders, New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants, $5,000 — Sanders has been a reliable target for the Saints out of the slot and had seven catches and 11.1 DKFP in his first contest against the Giants. He’s averaging 4.4 receptions for 51.2 yards in his 60 sims while finding the end zone 14 times. His regular PPR work and favorable matchup make him a relatively safe play at only $5K and has the potential to provide a solid return on investment.
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers, $4,300 — For this matchup with the Broncos, the Packers could use X-factor Superstar CB Jaire Alexander to shut down Courtland Sutton ($5,700). This would leave Jeudy in a much more favorable matchup on the other side. Jeudy has been solid as the Broncos’ WR2, hauling in 3.5 catches for 48.6 yards per sim and scoring 16 touchdowns. He had exactly 100 yards, a touchdown and 22.0 DKFP in his most sim against the Bucs a couple of matchups ago and has produced more than 9.0 DKFP in five of his nine most recent games.
Other Options — Deebo Samuel ($4,900), Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,800), Sterling Shepard ($4,600), Tre’Quan Smith ($3,800)
Tight End
Stud
Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants, $4,600 — Cook is headed for Los Angeles to play with the Rams in real life, but he makes a good play in this matchup. Cook has at least three catches in 20 straight appearances, averaging 5.8 receptions per game over that stretch. He surprisingly doesn’t score many touchdowns, but his volume still makes him a very viable play from under $5K in this good home matchup against the Giants.
Other Option — George Kittle ($5,700)
Value
Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers, $4,400 — Ebron has done very well against the 49ers in their four previous Madden 21 meetings, with either five catches or 50 yards in every contest. He has averaged 6.0 catches for 58.3 yards in those four meetings which is slightly above his overall averages of 4.4 catches for 46.5 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone against San Francisco yet, but he has scored 25 times in his 55 games making him one of the favorite red zone options for Ben Roethlisberger ($6,200). If he keeps getting good volume in this matchup, he should be a very solid play once again in this matchup by the Bay.
Other Option — Noah Fant ($3,500)
DST
Stud
Steelers DST at San Francisco 49ers, $3,100 — The Steelers have been the most productive defense on this slate, averaging 6.5 DKFP per sim on 116 sacks, 48 takeaways and 10 defensive touchdowns in 55 sims. They produced at least 9.0 DKFP in three of their four prior meetings with the 49ers and have at least one turnover and multiple sacks in four straight contests.
Value
49ers DST vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, $2,700 — The 49ers’ defense has also had double-digit DKFP in two of their four meetings with Pittsburgh, so it seems likely that another defensive struggle is on tap. San Francisco hasn’t produced as many big plays as Pittsburgh has, but has piled up 111 sacks, 24 takeaways and three defensive scores in 55 matchups. While the 49ers are definitely the most attractive cheap play, they don’t have the same ceiling as the Steelers.
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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.