As the Madden simulated season continues, we’ve reached Week 10 on the schedule, which is where we get Thursday’s six Madden 21 matchups on the DraftKings Dream Stream. The three-game featured classic slate starts at 6:00 p.m. ET with an intriguing matchup between the Tennessee Titans and the New Orleans Saints from virtual Nashville. At 8:00 p.m. ET in the primetime contest, the Jacksonville Jaguars visit the winless Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South clash, and we close out the night with the Detroit Lions visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers on Madden After Dark.
As you build your lineups, be sure to consider the depth charts for each team. If you’re looking for gameplay details for these sims along with the upcoming schedule, head over to the Madden Streams Information Page.
Quarterback
Stud
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans, $6,100 — While this slate does feature intriguing matchups, it lacks a marquee QB to build around. Brees is a solid play at barely over $6K but doesn’t have as high of a ceiling as the elite options that typically appear in this QB stud spot. Prior to a down game against the Falcons, Brees posted over 17 DKFP in six of seven contests with multiple touchdowns in five of those sims. Overall, he has thrown 154 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in his 95 Madden 21 sims, averaging an impressive 259.3 passing yards.
Other Option — Ben Roethlisberger ($6,300)
Value
Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts, $5,800 — Minshew and the Jags have dropped three straight and will be looking to get back on track against the Colts, who are surprisingly 0-9 and have been getting blown out so far this Madden 21 season. Minshew had 22.08, 8.9, 16.16 and 26.5 DKFP in his four earlier matchups with the Colts, showing both his volatility and his high ceiling. He has over 14 DKFP in nine of his past 11 games, though, and has been pretty solid lately.
Other Option — Ryan Tannehill ($6,000)
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Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans, $6,000 — Kamara is shockingly affordable against the Titans with a salary of only $6K, the lowest mark he has ever had in a classic contest in Madden 21. He has at least 10 DKFP in six straight games with over 19 DKFP in four of those contests. He has been very involved throughout Madden 21 as both rusher and receiver, making him low-risk with great upside in every matchup. The drop in price is likely due to his recent sims when the yardage has been there but without touchdowns. That could change in this matchup, and he’ll be a steal at this salary if he gets back in the end zone.
Other Options — Derrick Henry ($7,900), Chris Thompson ($6,700)
Value
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers, $5,200 — The Lions still use a timeshare in Madden 21, but Swift gets enough touches as the third-down back to be a solid value play. He is averaging 3.7 catches for 25.9 yards per sim and has scored 19 touchdowns in 85 games. He had nine catches and 22.1 DKFP against the Eagles in his most recent sim and posted five catches and 11.4 DKFP in his earlier matchup with the Steelers.
Other Option — Jaylen Samuels ($4,700)
Wide Receiver
Stud
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions, $6,800 — JuJu is the Steelers’ WR1 and primary slot receiver, which sets him up for success against the Lions, who lack depth in the secondary. Smith-Schuster had seven catches, 72 yards, a touchdown and 20.2 DKFP in yesterday’s loss to the Bears and now has six touchdowns in his six most recent sims, averaging 19.3 DKFP per sim over that span. He also had a touchdown and 16.7 DKFP against the Lions in their earlier meeting, so look for him to keep rolling against Detroit.
Other Options — Michael Thomas ($6,500), DJ Chark Jr. ($5,700)
Value
Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans, $4,600 — Smith has been a consistent contributor as the Saints’ WR3 and has at least 8.0 DKFP in eight of his past 10 games while averaging 13.2 DKFP over that stretch. He also comes with a very high ceiling, which he demonstrated with two games over 25 DKFP at the beginning of that 10-game sample.
Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $4,100 — Campbell is the Colts’ WR3 and brings plenty of speed and big-play potential. He has been hit-or-miss since the offense has struggled as a whole, but he has hauled in at least four catches in three of his past four games. In three of the Colts’ four sims against Jacksonville, Campbell had at least three catches, so he should have a chance to flash that 94 speed rating that gives him so much upside.
Other Options — A.J. Brown ($5,200), Dede Westbrook ($5,100), Danny Amendola ($3,900), Adam Humphries ($3,200)
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Tight End
Stud
Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $5,800 — Despite the Colts’ struggles, Burton has been a solid fantasy play since he is such a favorite target for Philip Rivers ($5,900). Burton has three touchdowns in his past four games and had 22.0 DKFP against the Jets in his most recent contest. He also went off for 28.4 DKFP with a pair of touchdowns in his most recent matchup against Jacksonville.
Other Options — Eric Ebron ($5,400), T.J. Hockenson ($5,300)
Value
Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints, $4,300 — Smith had six catches but only 24 yards as the Titans were shut out Wednesday by the Rams, but he’s still a solid play at this price due to his steady volume. He is averaging 4.5 catches for 48.3 yards per sim and has found the end zone 25 times in 91 sims.
Other Option — Tyler Eifert ($3,900)
DST
Stud
Steelers DST vs. Detroit Lions, $3,000 — The Steelers had 4.0 DKFP in their loss to the Bears on Wednesday but are still averaging 6.2 DKFP per sim. In their 87 sims, they have forced 76 turnovers, scored 13 defensive touchdowns and accumulated 180 sacks. The Lions have struggled on offense especially on the road, so I love the Steelers in this matchup.
Value
Titans DST vs. New Orleans Saints, $2,700 — The Saints have some playmakers but haven't been a matchup you 100% need to avoid. Despite some struggles in the secondary, the Titans have averaged 5.2 DKFP per sim, the second-highest rate on this slate, but they’re still available for the fourth-highest price. They had 8.0 DKFP against the Rams on Wednesday and have produced at least 4.0 DKP in seven of their past eight.
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