Saturday night wraps up Week 17 of our Madden simulated season on the DraftKings Dream Stream, as we continue to move quickly toward the virtual postseason. There are some important games on the featured classic slate, which gets underway at 6:00 p.m. ET with an NFC North matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. Another NFC North team, the Detroit Lions have playoff aspirations as well, but they’ll face a tough test headed to Seattle to face the Seahawks at 8:00 p.m. ET. The Madden After Dark game features another critical divisional contest as the Cleveland Browns visit the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions, $7,300 — Wilson gets a great matchup against a Lions defense that usually gives up plenty of points, especially to opposing QBs who can run. Wilson has shown he can put up huge rushing games and has averaged 59.0 rushing yards per sim while running for 45 touchdowns in 99 sims in addition to his 131 passing scores and an average of 189.6 passing yards per sim. He has had a pair of down games in his past two contests and has actually been held under 17 DKFP in five straight, but this seems like a perfect bounce-back spot for him, and he had a massive 40.9 DKFP in his only previous matchup with Detroit. This is a place to overcome recency bias and roll with Russ as your stud QB.
Other Option — Aaron Rodgers ($7,200)
Value
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns, $6,400 — The Steelers desperately need a win here to keep their playoff hopes alive, and with a win, they would improve to 8-8 and match the Browns’ record. Big Ben can be very boom-or-bust as a fantasy option as demonstrated by 27.38, 24.64 and only 5.96 DKFP in his three most recent sims. Against the Browns in Madden 21, he has also been volatile with 22.2, 17.04, 7.84, 21.22 and 24.0 DKFP. If you get a good Big Ben game with multiple touchdowns, he will end up being a great bargain, but there is a bust risk as well.
Other Option — Matthew Stafford ($6,500)
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Running Back
Stud
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers, $8,400 — Cook has been one of the best RBs in Madden 21 and has produced 101 total touchdowns in 92 sims while averaging 23.0 DKFP on 81.0 rushing yards, 33.7 receiving yards and 4.2 catches per contest. He has at least 19 DKFP in three of his four previous contests against Green Bay and will likely put up another big number as the focal point of the Minnesota offense again in this matchup.
Other Options — Aaron Jones ($7,000)
Value
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, $4,500 — Hunt is usually a key piece in the Browns’ offense as the third-down back and has averaged 3.4 catches per sim. He has multiple catches in 10 of his past 11 games, including a five-catch performance against the Steelers earlier this sim season when he finished with 13.9 DKFP. He will be a great value play if he’s near that total again and comes with relatively low risk since he has over 6.0 DKFP in each of his five earlier Madden 21 games against Pittsburgh.
Other Options — D’Andre Swift ($4,800)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings, $6,600 — Adams has four touchdowns in his past three games and is coming off a monster, 38.9-DKFP performance in a loss to the Browns. He has a very favorable individual matchup against the Vikings, who he posted over 16 DKFP against in four of their past five matchups. In 95 sims, Adams has 51 touchdowns and an average of 4.7 catches for 69.3 yards per sim.
Other Options — JuJu Smith-Schuster ($7,000), Odell Beckham Jr. ($6,400)
Value
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings, $4,500 — MVS is also in a great matchup against Minnesota, making him a nice value play as the Packers’ WR3 and primary slot receiver. Valdes-Scantling had 5.6, 10.6, 28.6, 5.4 and 5.9 DKFP in his previous five matchups with the Vikings, producing multiple catches in each sim. He has a very high ceiling for a play under $5K.
Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions, $4,300 — Lockett is the Seahawks’ WR1 and primary slot receiver and comes with a solid 93 speed rating. He hasn’t been a consistent performer in these sims, which is why he’s so affordable, but he has also flashed a high ceiling at times. He had one of his 27 touchdowns and finished with 12.1 DKFP against the Lions in their only previous Madden 21 meeting, and he remains a big-play threat against a vulnerable secondary. He’s definitely a boom-or-bust play, but I love his ceiling at this salary.
Other Options — Jarvis Landry ($5,100), Tajae Sharpe ($4,600), Danny Amendola ($4,400), Justin Jefferson ($3,700)
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Tight End
Stud
Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns, $5,500 — Ebron typically gets plenty of work as one of Big Ben’s favorite targets. Ebron has averaged 4.9 catches for 54.3 yards per sim and scored 37 touchdowns. He had nine catches and 18.5 DKFP in his most recent meeting with the Browns and has over 11 DKFP in five straight sims coming into this pivotal rematch.
Other Option — T.J. Hockenson ($5,200)
Value
Marcedes Lewis, Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings, $4,200 — The cheap TE options behind those two elite TE plays aren’t great on this slate, but Lewis does bring some decent upside. He has averaged 9.2 DKFP on 3.7 catches for 39.6 yards per sim and has at least three catches in six straight sims. He also produced four catches for 41 yards and six for 66 yards in his two most recent sims against the Vikings.
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST vs. Detroit Lions, $3,000 — There are several excellent options at DST on this slate, but the Seahawks have been one of the best units in all of Madden 21 and make a very attractive play in this matchup against the Lions. Seattle has forced 106 turnovers in 99 sims and scored 17 touchdowns. The Seahawks finished with 8.0 DKFP in their first meeting with the Lions and have at least 7.0 DKFP in 11 of their 12 most recent sims.
Value
Steelers DST vs. Cleveland Browns, $2,500 — The Steelers have also been one of the best DST plays, so it's surprising to see them this cheap. They have averaged 6.1 DKFP per sim by forcing 82 turnovers in 94 sims and piling up 187 sacks. Pittsburgh’s defense has given up points throughout Madden 21 but usually also finds a way to make a big play or two, making them a solid fantasy option.
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