Sunday is always a great day for fantasy football — even on the first Sunday of April, and the DraftKings Dream Stream is ready to deliver another great day of Madden 21 sims to help you get in some NFL action to finish out Easter weekend. The featured three-game classic slate kicks off at 6:00 p.m. ET with an in-state rivalry between the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Cleveland Browns welcome in the Seattle Seahawks in what should be an entertaining primetime sim, and we close out the night with a Madden After Dark contest between the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons starting 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 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
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns, $7,200 — Wilson has been a Madden 21 star, averaging 22.1 DKFP with 190.1 passing yards and 60.7 rushing yards per sim. Wilson has thrown 85 scores in 62 games while rushing for 30 more touchdowns as well. He had four total touchdowns and 34.98 DKFP, as the Seahawks dominated the Giants in his most recent sim, and he has over 18 DKFP in seven of his past eight contests with an average of 24.0 DKFP per sim over that span. Wilson only managed 13.0 DKFP in his first matchup with the Browns, but he should be in a great spot to bounce back with a much stronger performance this time around. Wilson is such a dynamic talent with multiple ways of producing that he can’t be overlooked even at this elevated salary.
Other Option — Josh Allen ($6,800)
Value
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks, $6,400 — On the other side of the middle game in this three-game set, Mayfield makes sense if you decide to pivot from Wilson and pay up at other roster spots instead. He comes with a very high ceiling but has been more volatile than Wilson has been throughout these Madden 21 sims. In his 60 contests, Mayfield has thrown 91 touchdowns while adding 12 more scores on the ground and averaging 225.9 passing yards per game. He had 280 passing yards and 16.2 DKFP in his first meeting with Seattle and has posted over 16 DKFP in five of his six most recent sims, highlighted by a 30.86-DKFP performance against the Texans. He has produced over 30 DKFP in four of his past 17 sims, showing he does come with that elite ceiling. In fact, his best performance during that run was one of the best from any QB ever in Madden 21, as he lit up the Chargers for 491 passing yards and four total touchdowns on his way to 47.34 DKFP. If you catch him in a ceiling game, he could end up being a great bargain and enabling you to stock up on top WRs, TEs and RBs as well.
Other Option — Daniel Jones ($6,200)
Running Back
Stud
Todd Gurley II, Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions, $7,200 — The Lions’ run defense has struggled in these sims, and Gurley should be in a prime spot to produce. The veteran is healthy in these sims and gets a heavy workload as the team’s RB1 and third-down back. He has averaged 57.2 rushing yards and 4.4 catches for an additional 39.1 receiving yards while scoring a total of 42 touchdowns in his 65 sims. His receiving work out of the backfield makes him lower risk and gives him a higher ceiling since it diversifies his production. This will actually be the sixth time he has faced the Lions in these Madden 21 sims, and he has averaged 16.4 DKFP in those previous five matchups with over 19 DKFP in three of those meetings. He makes a lot of sense in this rematch and should be lined up for another productive contest.
Other Options — Saquon Barkley ($7,400)
Value
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks, $4,000 — Hunt has been very productive for the Browns as their third-down RB, working in tandem with RB1 Nick Chubb ($5,800). Hunt has produced 8.8 DKFP per sim over his 60 contests, averaging 3.25 catches for 25.2 yards per sim and scoring a total of 11 touchdowns. Two of those scores came in a two-touchdown game against the Cowboys two sims ago when he totaled an impressive 30.0 DKFP. Normally, he doesn’t bring that much upside but can go off if he breaks a few big plays. He had four catches and 7.3 DKFP in his first matchup with the Seahawks, which is a much more typical stat line for Hunt. He should be a frequent target out of the backfield once again in this rematch. His salary is the lowest it has been in his past 19 sims, so take advantage of the discount if you need to go cheap to fit in stars elsewhere.
Other Options — Carlos Hyde ($5,100), D’Andre Swift ($4,800)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions, $7,300 — This matchup against the Lions has been a great one in Madden 21 for Jones, who has posted over 18 DKFP each of the three most recent times he has taken on Detroit’s low-rated secondary. He finished with nine catches, 129 yards and 24.9 DKFP in their most recent meeting and comes into this sixth meeting on an absolute tear. Jones has at least one touchdown in six straight games, totaling eight scores and averaging 112.7 yards on 6.0 catches for 26.8 DKFP per sim during that hot streak. The Lions don’t have anyone who can slow Jones down, so unless there’s an unusual game script, look for another big performance from Julio.
Other Options — Odell Beckham Jr. ($6,800), Kenny Golladay ($6,100), Stefon Diggs ($5,800)
Value
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons, $4,800 — The Lions-Falcons matchup has also been a good one for Amendola, who serves as Detroit’s WR3 and primary slot receiver on the depth charts used for these sims. Amendola has at least five catches in three of his past four sims against the Falcons and reached 100 yards in one of those contests. The Falcons have struggled against slot WR overall, so Amendola should be able to outpace his average of 3.7 catches for 42.6 yards and 9.7 DKFP per appearance. If he hits double-digit DKFP he will be a solid play at this price, and he also brings a ceiling that is higher than that since he can reach over 20 DKFP when he’s at his best.
Darius Slayton, New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills, $3,700 — Slayton is the Giants’ WR3 in these sims, which has resulted in some up-and-down performances. However, that should actually help him in this matchup since it will mean Superstar X-factor CB Tre’Davious White focuses on shutting down the Giants’ other WRs, leaving Slayton in a more favorable matchup. Slayton had six catches for 130 yards, two touchdowns and 34.0 DKFP in his first meeting with Buffalo, and he showed it was no fluke with five catches for 66 yards and 11.1 DKFP in their rematch. He definitely comes with risk if the workload isn’t there for him, but in this matchup, I think Daniel Jones ($6,200) will look his way early and often enough to make him a great play under $4K at a WR or FLEX spot. Paying so little for Slayton can be the key to unlocking the salary cap space you need to pay for stars in other roster spots.
Other Options — Calvin Ridley ($4,900), Russell Gage ($4,600), Rashard Higgins ($3,400)
Tight End
Stud
Evan Engram, New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills, $5,200 — Like Slayton, Engram could be a little more involved than normal in the Giants’ offense if White and the top CBs for Buffalo lock down the top WRs for the Giants. Engram is one of the fastest and highest-rated TEs in Madden 21, but his production has been a little uneven due to inconsistent QB play. Engram is averaging 5.1 catches for 52.9 yards per sim and has scored 17 touchdowns. He comes into this matchup with the Bills on a nice run of at least 10.0 DKFP in four of his past five sims, highlighted by a 101-yard, 28.1 DKFP performance against the Chiefs. When the Giants do air it out, Engram has big-play potential and a high ceiling, so he’s my favorite stud TE on this slate since T.J. Hockenson ($6,100) once again checks in with what seems like an over-inflated salary to me.
Other Option — Hayden Hurst ($4,700)
Value
Lee Smith, Buffalo Bills at New York Giants, $3,600 — The cheapest starting TE on the board for this slate is Smith, who can definitely offer some salary relief while still bringing typically consistent production. Since taking over as TE1, Smith has averaged 3.3 catches for 32.7 yards over his 55 sims while scoring a dozen touchdowns. He had one of those touchdowns against the Giants in their earlier Madden 21 meetings and posted 9.8 and 9.0 DKFP in those two contests. If he’s is around double-digit DKFP once again, he’ll be a great way to save salary at TE or FLEX so that you can spend big elsewhere.
Other Option — Greg Olsen ($4,500)
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST at Cleveland Browns, $3,200 — The Seahawks’ defense is one of the best DST options in all of Madden since Superstar X-factors Jamal Adams and Bobby Wagner are always looking to knock the ball loose with a big hit. The Seahawks have forced 57 turnovers in 62 sims (0.91 per game) and have returned 11 of those for defensive touchdowns. They have added a very solid total of 138 sacks (2.2 per game), and in their first meeting with the Browns in Madden 21, they posted a solid 6.0 DKFP. While Mayfield does bring a high ceiling as discussed above, he has also had some very rough games and struggled with turnovers, so pay up for the Seattle DST if you can make their salary work.
Value
Bills DST at New York Giants, $3,000 — The Bills don’t have the big hitters like the Seahawks, but they do feature some great individual players in the secondary, who have helped them pile up 35 interceptions as part of 50 takeaways in 62 sims (0.81 per game) to go with 111 sacks (1.8 per game). The Bills haven’t been quite as reliable as the Seahawks, but Buffalo does have a great matchup against the inconsistent Giants offense. I would go with the Seahawks if you can, but if you need the cap space or want to fade the chalk, the Bills are a solid 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.