Tuesday wraps up the first-ever 17-game Madden simulated season on the DraftKings Dream Stream as the AFC West and NFC West close out the season with some great sims. At 6:00 p.m. ET the featured classic slate begins with a critical game for the San Francisco 49ers, who can secure their playoff spot with a win when they visit the Los Angeles Rams. If they lose, there will be a four-way tie for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC between the 49ers, the Bears, the Eagles and the Rams. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Kansas City Chiefs are in a similar “win and get in” scenario when they visit the Denver Broncos, and the slate wraps up with what should be an exciting game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks can claim a first-round bye with a win, but if they lose the Green Bay Packers will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
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
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, $7,700 — The Chiefs have not been flawless this Madden 21 season. In fact, they need the Chargers to lose earlier in the day to even have a shot at the division. Even in their losses, though, Mahomes is usually outstanding. The only QB with a perfect 99 overall rating has averaged 24.5 DKFP per sim over his 105 games in Madden 21, producing 288.8 passing yards per contest and a total of 270 touchdowns. He threw four scores and had 36.76 DKFP against the Bengals in his most recent sim and has two games over 35 DKFP in his previous five games against the Broncos while averaging 25.7 DKFP per meeting.
Other Options — Russell Wilson ($7,400), Kyler Murray ($6,900)
Value
Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, $5,600 — Garoppolo has been boom-or-bust in these sims but comes with a high enough ceiling to be the best cheap QB on this slate. He has over 12 DKFP in nine of his past 11 sims and posted 12.32, 27.48, 26.32 and 7.12 DKFP in his four previous contests against the Rams. He’s averaging a solid 230.5 passing yards per sim and has thrown 127 touchdowns in 94 contests.
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Running Back
Stud
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, $6,300 — It’s always risky to pass on a stud like Raheem Mostert ($8,300), but the Rams are good against the run and have limited him to under 11 DKFP in three of their four previous meetings. Edwards-Helaire, on the other hand, has thrived in this favorable matchup against the Broncos, and he also saves you $2K. In four of his five games against Denver, Edwards-Helaire has posted 20.8, 20.5, 25.6 and 20.3 DKFP with seven touchdowns in those four games.
Other Options — Raheem Mostert ($8,300), Kenyan Drake ($6,100)
Value
Carlos Hyde, Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, $4,300 — Hyde is in a timeshare with Chris Carson ($5,200), but as the power back, he has gotten plenty of receiving opportunities. In his 94 sims, he has scored 26 touchdowns and averaged 2.6 catches for 18.8 receiving yards to go with 14.0 rushing yards per sim. He has at least three catches in four of his past five sims and has 21.3 and 12.9 DKFP in two good games in his six previous matchups against Arizona.
Other Options — Darrell Henderson Jr. ($5,500), Phillip Lindsay ($4,600)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, $7,800 — The Cheetah has been the best WR in all of Madden 21 by a wide margin, averaging 22.5 DKFP on 6.3 catches for 93.5 yards per sim and totaling 97 touchdowns in his 105 contests. The Broncos’ secondary doesn’t have an elite CB, so Hill has burnt them for 7.4, 19.4, 21.5, 42.6, and 23.3 DKFP in their five previous meetings. With such a high ceiling, he’s worth paying up for and actually seems like a value on a per-dollar basis, due to his consistency and his sky-high ceiling.
Other Options — Robert Woods ($6,000), DeAndre Hopkins ($5,800)
Value
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams, $4,500 — Samuel is the WR1 for the 49ers but comes at a deep discount since his results have been inconsistent, due to his team’s focus on the run game. When San Francisco does pass, Samuel is usually involved and has at least three catches in eight of his past 11 sims. He had just one catch against the Rams during that timespan but did post 21.6 and 20.4 DKFP in a pair of seven-catch performances in their earlier Madden 21 meetings.
Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks, $4,200 — The Cardinals’ WR3 has scored four touchdowns in his past five sims and posted double-digit DKFP in four of those games. He has big-play potential with a 92 speed rating and is a solid cheap play at WR since he’s usually involved in the Cardinals’ offense.
Other Options — Courtland Sutton ($5,500), Cooper Kupp ($5,200), KJ Hamler ($3,900)
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Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, $5,600 — Kelce is averaging 15.7 DKFP per sim and has been more consistent than George Kittle ($5,700), who is priced higher than him on this slate. Kelce has also feasted against Denver with a touchdown in each of their five earlier Madden 21 meetings and an average of 18.4 DKFP in those games.
Value
Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, $4,600 — If stuffing all the Chiefs’ studs under your salary cap leaves you strapped for cash, Olsen is a very solid play at TE or in your flex spot. He has been a favorite target for Russell Wilson ($7,400) and averaged 4.2 catches for 45.0 yards per sim over his 99 Madden 21 contests. He had one of his 30 touchdowns in his most recent matchup with Arizona, posting 13.2 DKFP in the Seahawks’ 35-7 win earlier this sim season.
Other Options — Tyler Hibgee ($4,800), Maxx Williams ($3,200)
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST at Arizona Cardinals, $3,000 — Paying up for the top defense on this slate is probably worth it since the Seahawks average 7.4 DKFP per sim and no other team on the board is anywhere close. Seattle also gets a great matchup against Arizona, which has had turnover issues. The Seahawks had 13.0 DKFP in their most recent meeting and double-digit DKFP in four of their seven meetings overall. In 100 sims, Seattle has forced 107 turnovers and piled up 208 sacks while scoring 17 touchdowns.
Value
Rams DST vs. San Francisco, $2,700 — If you have to save salary, the Rams do have some playmakers and some upside, making them the best cheap play at DST. In 94 sims, they have forced 48 turnovers and totaled 167 sacks to average 4.5 DKFP per contest.
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