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We’re all in need of some entertainment during these times of the unknown. DraftKings is doing their part by offering Madden simulations with a variety of teams going at it. For this piece, we’ll focus on the Bills-Browns game that will take place at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.
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Note: All salaries will be Flex prices unless noted as Captain’s Pick prices
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen ($15,900 CP/$10,600) makes for a nice play in the Captain’s slot. Like most rushing quarterbacks, he’s been a solid fantasy producer with upside. Allen averages 17.8 DKFP, which is the most of any player in this game and the pricing is fairly similar between the three top players. Due to his rushing numbers, the Bills’ QB has been one of the more consistent options in our simulations. Allen has scored at least 17 DKFP in 12 of his last 14 games and has 14 total rushing touchdowns.
In real life, Allen’s top receiving threat is John Brown ($9,400). In Madden, this has not been the case. Brown is averaging just 7.7 DKFP, making it hard for me to justify paying up for his salary. He’s also likely to draw some coverage from Denzel Ward, who is an excellent cornerback. There also doesn’t appear to be much risk fading Brown due to his lack of upside in previous sims. He’s scored over 15 DKFP just once in the last 17 games.
If I am not considering Brown an option, I need to find another receiving threat to pair with Allen. Tyler Kroft ($5,800) is one of the only guy that stands out. He’s the only skill position player on the team averaging double-digit DKFP. Due to the rushing prowess of Allen, the Bills’ receivers don’t always get involved. Kroft is the one player who we can usually count on for regular targets. He’s scored at least 11 DKFP in five of the last six games.
If you need a really cheap player to roster from the Bills, Robert Foster ($3,600) hasn’t been awful for his salary. Foster averages 6.3 DKFP and he has had a handful of games with double-digit DKFP. It is hard to be confident in Foster although there aren’t many players in this contest that I feel are safe plays.
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Cleveland Browns
The most expensive player in this contest, Odell Beckham Jr. ($11,000), has really struggled in recent games. He averages 16.7 DKFP overall, but his recent game logs leave a lot to be desired. He’s been held to single-digit DKFP in four consecutive games. OBJ still has upside, but I am a bit wary of paying such an exorbitant price tag for him. The Bills have a stout pass defense.
Like Beckham, Baker Mayfield ($10,400) has also struggled in recent games. There is a strong correlation between both of them sucking lately. In his last game, Mayfield had one of the worst sim games we have seen from a quarterback. He turned the ball over three times and finished with a less than awe inspiring 0.5 DKFP. It’s easy to say Mayfield will be better. The question is how much better? I think he’s worth rostering and for a $600 saving in salary, I prefer rostering him over Beckham. Overall, Mayfield is averaging 16.9 DKFP, so slightly more than his top wideout.
At running back, Nick Chubb ($9,800) hasn’t been totally awful and averages 8.1 DKFP, but his price tag is too much for me to want to pay. Rostering him is going to come with the opportunity cost of not being able to play the quarterbacks in this contest. Instead, I would rather play Kareem Hunt ($3,000) who is one of the cheaper players in this contest and averages 6.2 DKFP.
One final player from the Browns who warrants consideration is Damion Ratley ($3,400). Despite a 69 overall rating, he continues to be decently productive and is a touchdown threat. Ratley has seven touchdowns in the Browns’ simulated games and he averages 8.3 DKFP. Playing him that slot allows us to fit in more of the higher priced players in the passing game, making him my favorite source of salary relief in this game.
THE OUTCOME
This might be a really low scoring game. I don’t want to put that kind of evil onto you guys looking for fantasy points, but these aren’t exactly high-powered Madden offenses. The Browns have been held to exactly 10 points in four consecutive games and have failed to top 20 points in seven straight games. Cleveland has just one win in its last nine games. As for the Bills, things have been marginally better. Still, that isn’t saying much. Buffalo has lost six of its last eight games. I think this game is going to be a defensive grind with Josh Allen doing enough with his legs to get the Bills a win.
Final Score: Buffalo 20, Cleveland 17
DEPTH CHARTS
Bills
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Browns
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is gehrenberg) 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.