After the NFL Preseason started Thursday, the DraftKings Dream Stream is back in action with four more Madden 21 sims throughout the day on Friday. The first three of those sims are on the featured classic slate which starts at 12:00 p.m. ET and is again headlined by a huge $7K contest. The first matchup of the day is the Detroit Lions visiting the virtual Mile High City to take on the Denver Broncos, followed by the Carolina Panthers taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a catfight at 2:00 p.m. ET. The slate concludes with the 4:00 p.m. ET contest between the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts.
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 Indianapolis Colts, $7,200 — Brady has been solid in these sims but not spectacular. However, he’s the strongest play by far from among the QBs on this slate and also gets the benefit of a great matchup vs. the Colts’ lowly-rated secondary. Brady has totaled 185 touchdowns in his 109 sims while averaging 254 passing yards and 17.3 DKFP per contest. He had 25.16 and 16.22 DKFP in each of his two earlier matchups vs. Indy and had multiple touchdown passes in each contest. If he throws multiple scores again, he should end up being the top producing QB on this slate.
Other Options — Matthew Stafford ($6,800), Philip Rivers ($6,000)
Value
Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers, $5,300 — Minshew has shown a high ceiling in these Madden 21 sims and is averaging 16.7 DKFP per sim, which is the second-highest mark of any QB on this slate, behind only Brady. Despite that success, he is the cheapest QB on this slate and could end up being a great value play in this nice matchup vs. Carolina. He has faced the Panthers three times and produced over 17 DKFP in two of those contests. If he is in that same range in this rematch, he’ll be a great way to go cheap at QB and pay up at other roster spots.
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Running Back
Stud
Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars, $7,300 — McCaffrey has been hit-or-miss at times in these sims despite having a 99 overall rating, but this matchup vs. the Jaguars is just too juicy to pass up. He gashed the Jags for 26.1 and 42.4 DKFP in two of their three previous contests and comes with that kind of ceiling again in this contest. He had been very solid with over 14 DKFP in eight straight before struggling to just 6.9 DKFP in his most recent sim. That was against the Bucs, though, and he should bounce back in this much easier matchup.
Other Option — Nyheim Hines ($6,400), Chris Thompson ($6,200)
Value
D’Andre Swift, Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos, $4,700 — Swift has been a nice fantasy option as the Lions’ third-down back in these sims, producing 9.1 DKFP on 3.7 catches per sim in that role. The Broncos have been a great defense to stack against, and Swift had 8.7 DKFP in his one earlier contest against them. He also hauled in at least four catches in five of his seven most recent contests.
Other Options — Phillip Lindsay ($5,700), LeSean McCoy ($5,000)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos, $6,000 — Golladay has at least four catches in each of his past four games with over 40 yards in each of those contests. The Broncos have also been very generous to opposing WR1s, so Golladay should keep rolling in this contest. He tends to be a little boom-or-bust, but in this matchup, he could break free for a big score and a big game.
Other Options — Mike Evans ($6,100), T.Y. Hilton ($5,600)
Value
DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers, $5,100 — Chark had at least 20 DKFP in two of his three prior contests vs. the Panthers with a touchdown and at least 80 yards in each of those two games. He can be boom-or-bust, depending on if Minshew is on point or not. But at this price, he brings a ton of upside as one of the cheapest WR1 options in Madden 21.
Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $3,800 — Campbell has a great 94 speed rating in Madden 21 and has had some big games out of the slot for the Colts as a result. The Bucs’ secondary tends to give up big plays in these sims, so Campbell could break free for a big play if Philip Rivers ($6,000) gives him enough targets to go off. He’s averaging 3.5 catches for 41.3 yards per sim.
Other Options — Jerry Jeudy ($4,700), Dede Westbrook ($4,600), Scotty Miller ($4,200)
Tight End
Stud
Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $5,500 — Burton had seven catches and eight catches in his two prior matchups vs. the Bucs, posting 19.5 and 16.6 DKFP, respectively. He’s always a high-volume target and has averaged five catches for 53.9 yards per sim while scoring 37 touchdowns. He scored two of those touchdowns vs. the Patriots in his most recent sim on his way to an impressive 35.4 DKFP.
Other Option — T.J. Hockenson ($5,400)
Value
Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts, $4,000 — Gronk has averaged 10.3 DKFP on 4.3 catches for 42.7 yards per sim. The Bucs’ offense has lots of pass-catching options, but when he gets targets, he can go off for a big game, as he did for 17.6 DKFP a few sims ago vs. the Jags.
Other Options — Tyler Eifert ($4,500), Ian Thomas ($3,300)
DST
Stud
Buccaneers DST at Indianapolis Colts, $2,900 — No defense is priced over $3K, but the Bucs make sense since they average a slate-high 5.3 DKFP per sim. Most of the time, Tampa Bay’s defense is built on a strong pass rush, which has produced 271 sacks in 109 sims while scoring nine touchdowns. The Bucs had five sacks and 5 DKFP in their previous two matchups vs. the Colts.
Value
Broncos DST vs. Detroit Lions, $2,700 — Like the Colts, the Lions’ offense has also been a good matchup for opposing DSTs in Madden 21, and the Broncos have been able to pile up 183 sacks in 99 contests. Von Miller, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson and A.J. Bouye are all solid playmakers with overall ratings of 84 or higher and have helped the Broncos average 3.8 DKFP per sim.
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