:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67002206/Cle_v_Chi_6.24.0.jpg)
With real-life sports in the midst of an extended time out, DraftKings has been helping to fill the void with some very entertaining simulated sports action. Each day, there are six Madden Streams and eight free contests, with a single-game Showdown for each game along with a pair of classic contests. Each of the simulations is played out via an online Madden Stream using Madden 2020 with rosters and ratings from the end of the 2019-20 season. In this format, you can enjoy watching the game stream on the DK Live app or right here in this post. Follow along to watch your fantasy team rack up some big fantasy points.
Each Wednesday, sim-land is hit with a dose of wild virtual weather, and this week’s slate starts with a game in the rain featuring the Browns visiting the Bears in the 12 p.m. ET single-game Showdown contest. The Bears are 13-14 in their 27 sims so far while the Browns have struggled at just 10-17. Both teams do have some fantasy stars, though, and can definitely offer some intriguing upside for your fantasy lineup. Can the Bears get back to .500 or will the Browns get a win on the road, where they have actually been much better? I’ll give you my pick to win and players to watch for your fantasy lineup below.
Set your FREE to play lineups here: $1K FREE Contest (CLE vs CHI)
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
Kevin Roth tackles Wild Weather Wednesday
For sports betting information in New Jersey check out NJ Online Gambling. For betting information in Indiana check out Sportshandle.com.
SHOWDOWN STRATEGY
Cleveland Browns
Remember when the Browns were the hot sleeper pick coming into last season? They actually had five players with Superstar or X-Factor status at launch as a result, but their disappointing play and underwhelming performance led to in-season adjustments that caused their ratings to drop and many of them to lose their abilities. By the end of the season, which is the rosters used for these Madden Streams, they only had two players with Superstar status. Nick Chubb ($9,400) actually didn’t have Superstar abilities to start the season but was added and has the X-Factor of “Freight Train,” which he can activate along with the Superstar abilities of “Arm Bar” and “Bulldozer.” Chubb has a 92 overall rating and 92 speed rating, giving him a blend of power and speed that gives him a high ceiling. The problem is that Chubb loses a lot of work in this sims to RB2 Kareem Hunt ($3,000), who is the Browns third down back. Chubb is only averaging 8.4 DKFP per sim and has an extremely low floor if he doesn’t get a touchdown. He has found the end zone in two straight games and is now up to 13 scores in 27 sims. He’s still too risky for me at this salary in this matchup against the Bears, though, despite his great ratings and upside. Hunt has solid ratings of his own with an 88 overall rating and a 90 speed rating but hasn’t had double-digit DKFP in any of his past 10 games. There are better cheap options in this matchup, so I’d probably just avoid the Browns’ backfield altogether if possible.
The most expensive non-QB in this matchup is the Browns’ other remaining Superstar, Odell Beckham Jr. ($10,800). Even after losing his X-Factor in-season, he still has a 90 overall rating with a 94 speed rating and a perfect 99 spectacular catch rating, so there is still plenty of upside. He has gone off for a few monster games including a pair of contests with three scores which resulted in 33.7 DKFP and 49.4 DKFP. However, he has also had a few busts lately including under 10 DKFP in five of his past seven. While his ceiling is high, he’s no lock against a tough Bears secondary led by Superstar Kyle Fuller.
WR2 Jarvis Landry ($8,200) has an 84 overall rating and a 90 catching rating, but he has been even less consistent than OBJ. Landry did go off against the Titans two sims ago for 21.5 DKFP and 105 yards, but he has only been able to hit that milestone twice in his 27 sims. He also has been held totally without a catch twice. He does have a favorable matchup in this contest, though, and could be the go-to- option if Fuller shuts down Beckham. He’s a solid midrange target if you’re shopping in this range, but he’s not so much of a lock that you have to find a way to fit him in. The Browns’ WR3 is Damion Ratley ($4,600) who has only a 69 overall rating but does bring upside due to his 93 speed rating. He has posted over 80 yards in each of his past two games for 19.6 DKFP against the Titans and 11.4 DKFP against the Colts. Before those two contests he had four straight sims with under 4.0 DKFP, though, so he still has a tendency to disappear at times.
While most of the Browns’ pass-catchers struggle with consistency, TE David Njoku ($6,600) has been able to establish himself as a solid option in most matchups. He hasn’t found the end zone in five games but has over 45 yards in four of those five contests with at least three catches in every matchup. He’s averaging 4.7 catches per sim for 56.8 yards per contest. The Bears have been beatable at times by opposing TEs, so he’s one of my favorite Browns options in this matchup.
A big part of the Browns’ pass-catchers’ inconsistency is due to the up-and-down production from Baker Mayfield ($10,800). He actually started the season with Superstar abilities and an 83 overall rating at game launch but finished the season without any Superstar abilities and just a 76 overall rating. He’s the most expensive play in his matchup but has only produced over 15 DKFP once in his past seven sims, which also included an atrocious 0.48 DKFP he produced against the Cowboys. While he had some strong showings early on in our sims, his matchup and recent struggles are going to make me lean more heavily towards Chicago in this matchup.
Madden Stream: Eagles at Broncos
LIVE at 10 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears
The Browns will face a daunting Bears DST ($3,200) that is stacked with highly-rated options, led by X-Factor Superstar edge rusher Khalil Mack and his 98 overall rating. FS Eddie Jackson and LE Akiem Hicks are also players to watch with their overall ratings of 89 and 88, respectively. They usually do an exceptional job of shutting down the opposing offense and have 49 sacks and 13 takeaways in their 27 sims. While those numbers aren’t great in comparison to some defenses, they’re much stronger than the Browns’ DST ($3,400) and can definitely be a solid value play against the turnover-prone Browns offense.
On the other side of the ball, QB Mitchell Trubisky ($10,600) has been exceptional in these sims and is one of the most productive QBs on a regular basis. He has averaged over 21 DKFP per sim by throwing for 44 touchdowns and adding nine more scores on the ground while scrambling for an average of just under 50 yards per sim. He has been held under 20 DKFP in three straight but did have an impressive 36.04 DKFP against the Seahawks before that. He has a great matchup against the Browns defense and should be able to continue to take advantage of his 84 speed rating and 73 elusiveness rating to pick up yardage on the ground if he takes off and scrambles. He has an extremely high ceiling and definitely should be on your roster.
When Trubisky has success through the air, Allen Robinson II ($9,800) is usually very involved. While he doesn’t have quite as high ratings as OBJ, he does have an 89 overall rating and a decent 90 speed rating to go with the Superstar ability of “Out-Corner elite”, which makes him more effective and productive when running those specific routes. He had six catches for 97 yards and 15.7 DKFP against the Rams in his most recent game and went off for 40.9 DKFP with three touchdowns in Trubisky’s monster game against the Seahawks. He should dominate against the Browns’ secondary, so I don’t mind paying up for him. If you need to go cheaper, Taylor Gabriel ($6,400) has upside but comes with a high risk. His 94 speed rating has led to some big games like his 32.4 DKFP against the Chiefs, but he has been held to just three catches or fewer and under 6.0 DKFP in each of his past four contests. WR3 Anthony Miller ($4,400) has been more productive than Gabriel in a few of those matchups and also brings big-play potential with a 92 speed rating and an 83 elusiveness rating. He saves some salary over Gabriel and makes a solid play even though his ceiling isn’t quite as high.
TE Trey Burton ($7,400) could also be set up for a big game since the Browns have struggled against TE. He has an 82 overall rating with an 83 catching rating and an 86 speed rating, which is high for a TE. He has been hit-or-miss lately but does have enough potential to be my favorite mid-range option from the Bears.
Aside from Trubisky’s rushing yards, the Bears’ ground game has been awful. RB1 David Montgomery ($7,000) does get most of the early-down work but is only averaging 4.2 DKFP. The better RB play has definitely been Tarik Cohen ($2,600), who has lived up to his nickname as “The Human Joystick” in several of these sims. He is averaging 8.8 DKFP per sim and is involved every game either as a rusher or a receiver. He is boom-or-bust but has a 92 speed rating, a 93 acceleration rating and a 86 elusiveness rating, which makes him a terror to bring down in space and give him plenty of big-play potential. Even though he’ll give up some carries to Montgomery, Cohen is a great value option.
If you want a flier punt play to round out a lineup you like, you could take a shot on TE2 Adam Shaheen ($1,400), who has been involved in just under half of the Bears’ sims, or take a look at the Browns TE2 Demetrius Harris ($1,000), who has catches in 11 of the Browns’ 27 sims.
THE OUTCOME
It’s not a sneaky or surprise play, but Mitchell Trubisky ($15,900 CP) is the best Captain’s Pick option since the Browns have been so all over the map. You could pivot to one of the TEs in Trey Burton ($11,100 CP) or David Njoku ($9,900 CP) if you want more salary for your flex spots. If you need value, Miller and Cohen is where I’d start with Ratley as an option from Cleveland or maybe even Hunt if you think he’ll get goal line work.
While the Bears have lost each of their past three games, I think they’ll be able to bounce back and get a win at home over the struggling Browns. Trubisky’s scrambling and short throws to Miller and Burton should work well even with the rain in play, and I think the Browns offense would have trouble against the Bears defense even without the added element of the weather, so I’m not expecting much out of them in these conditions.
Final Score: Bears 21, Browns 10
DEPTH CHARTS
Browns
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/20061044/BrownsDC.png)
Bears
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/20061101/BearsDC.png)
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.