After Sunday night’s anniversary celebration, the DraftKings Dream Stream starts the second year of Madden sims with a full six-game schedule on Monday. The featured classic slate includes the three later games on the schedule, getting underway at 6:00 p.m. ET with the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Chicago Bears. At 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime, the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Las Vegas Raiders in an AFC West matchup, and the slate wraps up with a Madden After Dark contest between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans in virtual Nashville.
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
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles, $7,000 — Trubisky has been very good for the Bears in Madden 21 sims, averaging 20.5 DKFP. He has faced the Eagles three times, producing 26.72, 11.06 and 36.06 DKFP. Those two games over 25 DKFP show his upside, which is mostly due to his dual-threat ability as both a passer and a rusher. In his 59 sims in Madden 21, he has averaged 63.4 rushing yards and 190.3 passing yards while totaling 73 touchdowns and running for 18 more scores. Trubisky has had over 18 DKFP in three straight sims and in six of his past nine. Based on his ceiling, he makes the most sense of the available options if you’re going to spend up at QB on this slate, especially in a favorable matchup at home against Philadelphia.
Other Option — Carson Wentz ($6,600)
Value
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders, $6,400 — The Chargers have faced their division rivals from Vegas three times in these sims since Herbert took over as the starting QB, and in each contest, the rookie has come through with at least 20 DKFP. He had three touchdowns, 180 yards and 20.9 DKFP in his first Madden 21 contest against the Silver and Black, followed by 20.58 DKFP and 20.92 DKFP in their two rematches. Herbert had multiple touchdown passes in each of those sims and has totaled 87 touchdowns in his 55 sims as the starter with an average of 220.9 passing yards per contest. He should be in a good spot to succeed again in this contest and makes a lot of sense if you can’t spend up for Trubisky. While he doesn’t run nearly as much as Mitchell, Herbert can do some work on the ground when needed, scrambling for four touchdowns in Madden 21.
Other Option — Derek Carr ($5,900)
Running Back
Stud
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders, $8,700 — Since he’s much cheaper and has been so excellent overall, Derrick Henry ($7,300) will likely be a very chalky play on this slate. However, I think paying up for Ekeler is a better option due to the matchup, his recent success and potentially a lower ownership. Henry has scuffled a bit lately with 11 DKFP or less in three straight sims and under 100 yards in 10 straight, which is why his price has slipped. Over that same span, Ekeler has been red hot, averaging 24.8 DKFP over his past 10 games, including a 46.5-DKFP performance against the Titans in which he hit the bonus for both 100 receiving yards and 100 rushing yards. Both star RBs come with crazy high ceilings, and fading Henry is definitely a high-risk option. However, don’t discard Ekeler simply because he has a high salary. He also brings a favorable matchup against the Raiders, who he produced 12.7, 19.6 and 25.5 DKFP against in his three games with Herbert as QB.
Other Options — Todd Gurley II ($7,500), Miles Sanders ($6,600)
Value
Jalen Richard, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $4,000 — On the other side of that AFC West clash, the Raiders use a timeshare in their backfield with Richard serving as the third-down back and Josh Jacobs ($3,800) as the RB1. Richard has averaged 9.15 DKFP in his four games against the Chargers, producing over 7.0 DKFP in each of their three most recent matchups. He has averaged 3.2 catches for 22.7 yards per appearance while scoring 13 touchdowns in 57 sims. Richard does come with a little bit of risk, but at just $4K, he also can help you stock your other spots with stars while still producing solid PPR points.
Other Options — Tarik Cohen ($4,700), Josh Jacobs ($3,800)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans, $6,700 — Jones has been ridiculously hot lately, catching six touchdowns in his four most recent sims and eight scores over his past seven contests. In those seven games, he has averaged 25.2 DKFP and hit the 100 receiving yards bonus four times. In his 60 sims since the upgrade to Madden 21, Jones has averaged 4.9 catches for 78.6 yards per sim and racked up 40 touchdowns to average 17.7 DKFP per contest. No other WR on this slate averages more than 14.2 DKFP, so there’s a significant advantage to paying up for Jones if you can, especially compared to the alternatives on this particular slate. He should also have another great matchup against the Titans, who don’t have a true shutdown CB.
Other Option — Henry Ruggs III ($6,300), Keenan Allen ($5,900)
Value
Marquise Goodwin, Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears, $4,300 — The Eagles’ whole offense has been struggling their past few sims, but this is way too cheap a salary for Goodwin given the ceiling he brings with his 97 speed rating. Goodwin is the Eagles’ WR3 and slot option on the depth chart used for this sim, and he has averaged 3.7 catches for 51.1 yards per contest since stepping into that role. He has had several big games, like when he finished with 120 yards, a touchdown and 27.1 DKFP three sims ago against the Lions. He has regularly produced double-digit DKFP and comes with an extremely high ceiling for such an affordable WR.
Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans, $3,900 — Gage had a pair of touchdowns and 18.7 DKFP in his first meeting with the Titans and then posted four catches for 47 yards and 8.7 DKFP to finish with a solid number in a low-scoring, 13-6 defeat. He has been a productive option for the Falcons as their WR3 and slot receiver, averaging 3.5 catches for 38.5 yards per sim. At under $4K, he can provide solid return on investment if he can continue his current streak of eight straight games with at least four receptions.
Other Options — Corey Davis ($5,400), A.J. Brown ($5,100), Adam Humphries ($3,400)
Tight End
Stud
Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $5,200 — Waller has kept busy in these sims, averaging 4.6 catches per contest while scoring 19 touchdowns in 57 sims. He finished with at least four catches in each of his four previous games against the Chargers, averaging 13.2 DKFP with a pair of games over 16 DKFP. Waller is one of the fastest TEs in Madden 21 which makes him a down-field threat along with a high-volume option near the line. He has over 9.0 DKFP in five straight sims and is one of the most reliable options on the slate in this salary range at any position.
Other Option — Zach Ertz ($5,700)
Value
Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans vs. Atlanta Falcons, $4,500 — Smith had seven catches for 58 yards in his most recent game against Atlanta and is averaging 4.5 catches for 46.2 yards per contest overall. He has at least four catches in five of his past seven sims and provides solid PPR production even though he doesn’t pose the same vertical threat that Waller brings. He makes sense as a midrange target, though, if you can’t pay up for one of the top two TEs in play.
Other Option — Jimmy Graham ($4,000)
DST
Stud
Chargers DST at Las Vegas Raiders, $3,200 — While there have been a few bright spots for the Raiders, their offense hasn’t been great as a whole. The Chargers’ defense also has some good playmakers, so they make a nice option if you have the salary to afford them. In their most recent sim, the Bolts had three sacks and forced five turnovers in a shutout of the Broncos, producing 23.0 DKFP, their highest total in 61 sims. While it doesn’t make sense to chase those points, it does demonstrate that they have a high ceiling, especially in one of the best matchups on the slate.
Value
Eagles DST at Chicago Bears, $2,800 — The Eagles’ DST will have to try to slow down Trubisky and the Bears at virtual Soldier Field, but that unit also has some upside since Trubisky has been prone to fumbling when scrambling around. He has lost 27 fumbles in 59 games and also thrown 11 interceptions. The Eagles have only forced 19 turnovers in their 60 sims but have been able to compile 107 sacks.
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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.