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Madden Stream Picks: Top DraftKings Fantasy Football DFS Targets, Values for August 1

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

On Sunday, the DraftKings Dream Stream starts another month of Madden 21 sims with six games on tap throughout the afternoon and evening. The three-game featured classic slate gets underway at 6:00 p.m. ET when Tom Brady ($7,000) leads his Buccaneers into his former stomping grounds in virtual Foxboro, where they’ll face the New England Patriots. At 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime, the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars, and we close out the evening with a 10:00 p.m. ET kickoff between the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins 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

Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots, $7,000 — In this preview of Week 4’s real-life Sunday Night Football matchup, Brady will be facing the Patriots for the fourth time in Madden 21. Even though New England has a good secondary, Brady has posted 19.2, 25.34 and 25.84 DKFP in their three previous meetings. He had three touchdowns and 22.44 DKFP against Jacksonville in his most recent sim and is now averaging 254.3 passing yards per sim. His fantasy production is reliant on him throwing multiple touchdowns, which he has done in six of his nine most recent sims.

Other Option — Dak Prescott ($6,500)

Value

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys, $5,800 — Dallas’s defense isn’t awful in these sims, but they aren’t great either. Tua had 15.54 DKFP in his first game against them and should be a solid value play under $6K in this rematch. He had over 14 DKFP with multiple touchdown throws in five straight before a down game against the 49ers in his most recent sim, but he should be able to bounce back against a thin Cowboys’ secondary. His rushing potential gives him a little bit of a boost, although he can be turnover-prone due to a low awareness rating.


Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: Madden Stream $4K Sunday Night Special [$1K to 1st] and your FREE fantasy football lineups here: Madden $100 FREE Contest


Running Back

Stud

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars, $7,400 — Ekeler is the workhorse back for the Chargers as both RB1 and third-down back. He has scored 90 touchdowns in his 105 Madden 21 sims while averaging 69.0 rushing yards, 28.8 receiving yards and 3.8 catches per sim. Ekeler has five touchdowns in his five most recent sims with at least 19 DKFP in four straight. He also went off for 30.6 DKFP with a pair of touchdowns in his most recent contest against the Jaguars, showing he has an extremely high ceiling in this rematch.

Other Options — Ezekiel Elliott ($7,700), Matt Breida ($6,800)

Value

LeSean McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots, $4,500 — McCoy has been involved as the Bucs’ third-down back in these sims and is averaging 8.1 DKFP with 3.1 catches for 21.6 yards per game. He has carried a little extra work in previous games against New England since their top CBs can force opponents to check down more often. He has 10 catches in three sims against the Patriots and comes into this rematch with good form, posting at least 10 DKFP in three of his past five.

Other Option — James White ($4,400)


Wide Receiver

Stud

Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins, $6,200 — Cooper has high ratings across the board and is loaded with big-play potential and a high ceiling. He has posted at least 9.0 DKFP in six straight, highlighted by a 35.1-DKFP performance against the Eagles. In his 99 sims with a catch, he has scored 61 touchdowns while averaging a healthy 72.3 yards on 4.9 catches per game. He should have a good matchup and space for big plays against Miami’s secondary.

Other Option — Chris Godwin ($6,500), Keenan Allen ($5,700)

Value

N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $4,800 — While the first-round pick continues to underwhelm in real life, he’s the Patriots’ WR2 in Madden 21 and has had a few big games. He is averaging 3.5 catches for 53.2 yards per sim with a total of 35 touchdowns in 100 sims. He had at least three catches in each of his previous matchups against Tampa, posting 8.1, 18.4 and 18.2 DKFP.

Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys, $3,900 — Grant has also had some big games in these sims and has been steadily involved lately. He has either a touchdown or four catches in six straight sims with 7.8 DKFP or more in each of those contests. He brings a very high ceiling as Miami’s WR3 due to his high speed rating and big-play potential, but his steady involvement also makes him relatively low-risk at under $4K.

Other Options — DJ Chark Jr. ($5,000), Michael Gallup ($4,900), Scotty Miller ($3,800)


Tight End

Stud

Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots, $4,600 — Like McCoy, Gronk could be in for more work if the Patriots’ secondary slows down the Bucs’ WRs. He had 15 catches total in his three previous contests against his former team, posting 19.4, 18.7 and 13.9 DKFP. Overall, he is averaging 10.4 DKFP on 4.3 catches for 43.3 yards per sim.

Other Option — Mike Gesicki ($5,000)

Value

Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $4,100 — Eifert has been very consistent in these sims even though he hasn’t had an extremely high ceiling. He had four catches in each of his first two matchups with the Chargers for 8.7 and 9.0 DKFP and has been around that number most sims, averaging 4.3 catches for 40.5 yards per sim. He has at least three catches in six straight and is a very reliable contributor for this very affordable salary.

Other Option — Blake Jarwin ($4,500)


DST

Stud

Chargers DST at Jacksonville Jaguars, $3,100 — The Chargers have big-time playmakers throughout their defense and get a great matchup against the Jags. The Chargers have totaled 226 sacks and 94 takeaways in their 106 Madden 21 contests and had 12.0 DKFP in one of their two earlier contests against the Jags, giving them a high ceiling in this rematch.

Value

Patriots DST vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $3,000 — Even in this less than ideal matchup, the Patriots are a solid play at just $3K since they force so many turnovers and make so many big plays. In their 101 sims, they have forced 104 turnovers while adding 171 sacks and 18 defensive touchdowns. They have sacked Brady six times in their previous three meetings with a total of 10 DKFP.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: Madden Stream $4K Sunday Night Special [$1K to 1st] and your FREE fantasy football lineups here: Madden $100 FREE Contest


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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.