We’re just two days away from the start of the Madden Bracket Tourney which includes a Free-to-Play Round of 32 Pool and a special $12K Bracket Challenge Kickoff contest on Monday’s three-game classic slate. Before we get to those matchups, though, we have a full day of six Madden 21 sims on the DraftKings Dream Stream this Saturday. The featured three-game classic slate starts at 6:00 p.m. ET with a matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns. At 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime, two of the top rushing QBs go head-to-head as Lamar Jackson ($8,800) and the Baltimore Ravens visit Deshaun Watson ($7,700) and the Houston Texans. The final matchup on the slate is another tasty one, as Russell Wilson ($7,200) leads the Seattle Seahawks into virtual Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans.
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 on the Madden Stream info page, where you can also find links to 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
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans, $8,800 — He’s an extremely expensive way to start your lineup but no player in all of Madden 21 has a higher ceiling than Jackson, who has lived up to the hype as the cover athlete. In his 68 Madden 21 contests, Jackson has scored 53 rushing touchdowns while passing for 71 more scores. He has averaged 27.0 DKFP on 107.7 rushing yards and 152.9 passing yards per sim, and he has over 30 DKFP in six of his past eight contests. Jackson also gets a great matchup on this slate since the Texans’ defense has been very beatable throughout these sims. In their three previous meetings, Jackson posted 28.98, 38.52 and 31.46 DKFP against the Texans. Both Deshaun Watson ($7,700) and Russell Wilson ($7,200) have upside as well, but both have been far less consistent and face tougher matchups than Jackson does on this slate. As a result, I’d rather pay the extra for Jackson and save salary elsewhere.
Other Option — Deshaun Watson ($7,700), Russell Wilson ($7,200)
Value
Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks, $6,000 — Fading the three big-name QBs is a high-risk strategy but could work if you go all the way down to Tannehill, who is the cheapest QB on the board. Tannehill has a high enough ceiling to be the best pivot and has produced over 19 DKFP in three of his past four games. He struggled in his first two games against Seattle but did have four passing touchdowns and 26.4 DKFP in a recent contest against the Rams. If he reaches over 24 DKFP on this slate, he’ll be a great return on his $6K investment and allow you to spend up for great options on the rest of your roster. Rolling with Tannehill is a way to differentiate your roster, for sure, but it does come with risk due to his boom-or-bust production in these sims.
Other Option — Baker Mayfield ($6,200)
Running Back
Stud
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers vs. Cleveland Browns, $6,900 — Jones has been excellent for the Packers in these Madden 21 sims with 59 touchdowns in 66 sims while averaging 61.7 rushing yards and 3.1 catches for 22.3 receiving yards per contest. Jones has particularly excelled in his two past games against the Browns, producing 29.3 DKFP in their most recent matchup after going off for 182 yards, four touchdowns and 48.5 DKFP in their first Madden 21 meeting. With over 100 rushing yards in each contest and a total of seven catches, Jones is obviously in a matchup that he can dominate and comes at a decent price under $7K. If you have the salary to spend, Jones is a great play in an exceptional matchup.
Other Options — Derrick Henry ($7,600), Chris Carson ($5,100)
Value
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers, $4,400 — Aside from Jones and Derrick Henry ($7,600), there are no workhorse RBs on this slate, leaving plenty of timeshares to offer value. My favorite play of the group of part-time RBs is Hunt, who is the third-down RB for the Browns. Hunt had 17.3 DKFP in one of his two earlier meetings with the Packers, catching seven passes for 80 yards in that matchup. He has averaged 3.2 catches for 25.0 receiving yards per game while also chipping in 19.1 rushing yards per sim. Hunt had a monster 30-DKFP performance against the Cowboys in a recent game, so he also comes with a high ceiling if the game script leans his direction.
Other Options — J.K. Dobbins ($4,300), Carlos Hyde ($4,200)
Wide Receiver
Stud
DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans, $6,400 — Metcalf hasn’t been the most stable WR play in Madden 21 simply due to Wilson’s tendency and ability to run the ball instead of peppering Metcalf with targets. When he does get good volume, he usually produces, though, like in his first Madden 21 matchup with the Titans when he finished with 28.7 DKFP on six catches, 137 yards and a touchdown. He had four catches for 9.4 DKFP in the rematch and should get enough work to bounce back from his disappointing one-catch game against the Chargers in his most recent sim. Before that letdown, Metcalf had posted over 25 DKFP in three straight sims with at least five catches in each contest. There is still some boom-or-bust tendency to his performances in Madden 21, but his recent Superstar trait addition has helped him become a more regular option for Russ with a high fantasy ceiling.
Other Options — Odell Beckham Jr. ($7,200), Davante Adams ($6,900)
Value
Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens, $5,500 — Cooks isn’t someone I usually highlight due to his inconsistent production, but he comes with a nice ceiling in this matchup against the Ravens, who he has a good track record against. In their three earlier Madden 21 meetings, Cooks finished with 15.7, 11.9 and 21.1 DKFP. He scored two of his 36 Madden 21 touchdowns in those matchups with the Ravens and has also found the end zone three times in his past five contests. He had 134 yards to go with his one touchdown on his way to 27.4 DKFP against the Dolphins in his most recent sim, and he has over 13 DKFP in three of his past four games coming into this matchup where he has already proven he can produce.
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans, $3,900 — Lockett is the Seahawks’ WR1, so it’s a little shocking to see him priced under $4K. He has definitely had some down games but has actually been pretty solid with at least 9.0 DKFP in four of his past five sims, including 19.3 DKFP against the Chargers in his most recent contest. He had 7.3 and 10.7 DKFP in his first two games against the Titans an even just a similar performance would be enough to justify this minimal investment. He also comes with a high ceiling and makes an interesting insurance policy if you handcuff him with Metcalf since at least one of them should manage a good game against the struggling Titans’ secondary.
Other Options — A.J. Brown ($5,300), Marquise Brown ($4,400), Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,000), Adam Humphries ($3,500)
Tight End
Stud
Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks, $4,400 — Smith had exactly 100 yards and 20.0 DKFP in his most recent matchup against Seattle and has at least three catches in seven straight sims coming into this rematch. Smith is averaging 4.4 catches for 46.0 yards per contest over his 65 sims while scoring a total of 18 touchdowns. He is the most expensive TE on this slate but isn’t a huge investment relative to other positions. He makes sense because he is the most regularly involved TE on the slate, and it isn’t really all that far to pay up for him at just $4.4K.
Other Option — Greg Olsen ($4,300)
Value
Darren Fells, Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens, $3,800 — Fells has been a regularly involved pass-catcher for the Texans but doesn’t get as many downfield or red-zone targets as the elite TE producers. His value has been from his steady PPR contributions, though, since he has averaged 4.2 catches for 42.8 yards per sim. He had 5.1, 15.8 and 8.1 DKFP in his three previous meetings with the Ravens and remains one of the Texans’ most reliable pass-catching options. He has at least four catches in six of his past eight matchups and has shown glimpses of a high ceiling with 26.6 DKFP against the Seahawks and 31.3 DKFP against the Eagles among his most impressive performances during his time in Madden 21.
Other Option — Austin Hooper ($4,000)
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST at Tennessee Titans, $3,100 — The Seahawks have been one of the best DSTs in Madden 21 since they have the ability to force turnovers in bunches. In their 65 sims, they have 64 takeaways which have resulted in 11 defensive touchdowns and 7.1 DKFP per contest. They had a pair of sacks in each of their first two games against the Titans but surprisingly didn’t force at turnover in either matchup. They still have a high ceiling in this rematch and are always worth considering due to their high ceiling.
Value
Packers DST vs. Cleveland Browns, $2,700 — The Packers have averaged 10.0 DKFP in their previous two games against the Browns, producing five sacks and 12 DKFP while holding the Browns to six points in their most recent meeting. Green Bay has a strong pass rush with 140 sacks in 66 sims and has also scored six defensive touchdowns despite only creating 21 turnovers. If you want to go with a cheaper DST than the Seahawks, the Packers have the star power to produce in this favorable matchup.
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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.