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Madden Stream Picks: Top DraftKings Fantasy Football DFS Targets, Values for July 12

Zach Thompson gives his top studs and value plays at each position for Monday’s three-game Madden Stream DraftKings slate, which starts at 6:00 p.m. ET.

There are only 10 games remaining in the Madden simulated season which will play out over the next two days on the DraftKings Dream Stream before the playoffs begin on Wednesday. There are five games on the schedule Monday, with the later three matchups making up the featured classic slate, which kicks off at 6:00 p.m. ET. There are huge playoff implications in the games lined up for Monday Night Football, starting with an AFC South matchup between the Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans. The Titans have a one-game lead for the division but already lost to Houston once, so whoever wins this matchup will take the division. In primetime, the Pittsburgh Steelers visit their division-rival Baltimore Ravens, who have a one-game lead over both Pittsburgh and Cleveland headed into the final week. The last game of the night is another divisional matchup between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills on Madden After Dark. The Bills are still in the playoff hunt with an 8-8 record in their 16 sims this season.

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

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, $9,400 — The Madden 21 cover athlete has been the best fantasy player in all of Madden 21, averaging an impressive 27.2 DKFP per contest over his 99 sims in the current game. He has thrown 101 touchdowns and rushed for 86 scores while averaging 105.8 rushing yards per sim. He has a tough matchup against a good Steelers defense but beat them for 28.54 DKFP earlier this season and has posted over 21 DKFP in three of his four prior meetings with the Steelers. He comes in with some impressive momentum, having posted over 36 DKFP in three straight sims and over 25 DKFP in nine of his past 10 contests.

Other Option — Deshaun Watson ($8,000)

Value

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, $6,000 — Of the cheap QBs, Tannehill has by far the best matchup against a porous Texans’ secondary. He can be boom-or-bust depending on how much the team relies on Derrick Henry ($8,400) but has shown upside when called upon. He had over 23 DKFP in two of his four prior meetings with Houston and averaged 20.18 DKFP in those games. Overall, he has averaged 16.0 DKFP and makes the best play if you pivot off the elite options at the top of the QB salary structure to pay up in other spots.

Other Option — Ben Roethlisberger ($6,600)


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Running Back

Stud

Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, $6,600 — Although Henry has averaged 20.8 DKFP in his 99 sims and scored 100 touchdowns, he has only reached 20 DKFP one time in four games against the Texans, so I actually think Bell is a better option in his matchup with the Bills. Bell has at least four catches in five straight sims and over 13 DKFP in nine of his past 10. He had 14.1 DKFP against the Bills during that stretch and averaged 17.4 DKFP in his seven earlier meetings with Buffalo. He can go off for a huge game if he gets touchdowns but is almost always a reliable contributor.

Other Options — Derrick Henry ($8,400), Devin Singletary ($6,000)

Value

J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, $4,800 — Dobbins is both the third-down and power back for the Ravens and usually mixes in enough to be a good value. He had over 10 DKFP in three of his past five games, including a 10.2-DKFP performance against Pittsburgh.

Other Options — Jaylen Samuels ($4,600), Duke Johnson ($4,100)


Wide Receiver

Stud

JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, $7,000 — JuJu comes in rolling with over 11 DKFP in 13 of his 15 most recent sims. He lit up Baltimore for 111 yards during that run and has posted 21.1 and 27.2 DKFP in their two most recent meetings. He is the only truly elite option at WR on this slate and has the highest average of any WR in play at 15.3 DKFP on 5.2 catches for 69.1 yards per sim and 42 touchdowns in 94 games.

Other Options — Stefon Diggs ($6,000), Brandin Cooks ($5,400)

Value

Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, $4,800 — While Henry and the ground game have struggled against the Texans, Davis has good numbers against Houston with 13.6, 21.6, 15.7 and 11.1 DKFP in their four earlier Madden 21 meetings. The Titans’ WR2 has scored a touchdown in each of those contests and has a total of 37 scores in 93 sims.

Willie Snead IV, Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, $4,000 — The Ravens’ passing game doesn’t always generate a ton of volume since Jackson runs so much, but Snead has been a solid PPR contributor out of the slot. He has at least three catches in each of his four previous games against Pittsburgh and in eight of his nine most recent sims. Although he doesn’t bring a super-high ceiling without elite speed, he is regularly involved enough to be a very solid play at only $4K.

Other Options — Will Fuller V ($5,100), John Brown ($4,500), Adam Humphries ($3,200)


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Tight End

Stud

Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, $5,600 — Ebron has over 11 DKFP in three straight meetings with the Ravens and in eight of his nine most recent matchups. He has a very high ceiling which he showed with over 100 yards resulting in 24.9 DKFP against the Lions and 22.1 DKFP against the Bears during that stretch.

Other Option — Jonnu Smith ($4,700)

Value

Chris Herndon, New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, $4,500 — Herndon has been one of the Jets’ most reliable pass-catchers and should get more attention since the Bills’ CBs could limit WR production. Herndon has at least four catches in four of his past five sims with over 13 DKFP in three of those contests. He brings consistent volume, especially compared to the WR options around this same price point.

Other Options — Darren Fells ($4,200), Lee Smith ($4,100)


DST

Stud

Bills DST vs. New York Jets, $3,100 — The Bills had 18.0 DKFP in their most recent sim against the Jets and posted double-digit DKFP in two earlier matchups against them as well. In 95 sims, they have 77 takeaways and 178 sacks and have multiple sacks in four straight coming into their sim season finale.

Value

Steelers DST at Baltimore Ravens, $2,900 — The Steelers have been one of the best DST plays in Madden 21, producing 6.1 DKFP per sim and totaling 82 takeaways and 187 sacks over their 94 sims. They had 5.0, 12.0 and 8.0 DKFP in their three most recent sims against the Ravens and can force fumbles from Jackson if the QB tries to do too much on the ground.

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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.