Madden Stream: Bengals vs. 49ers DraftKings Showdown Strategies, Depth Charts and Captain’s Picks

We’re all in need of some entertainment during these times of the unknown. DraftKings is doing its part by offering Madden simulations with a variety of teams going at it. For this piece, we’ll focus on the Bengals and 49ers contest on Thursday evening at 6 p.m.

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GAME INFORMATION:
Difficulty: All-Madden
Game Style: Arcade
Event Type: Exhibition
Even Teams: Off
Quarter Length: 8 minutes
Accelerated Clock: On
Play Clock: 20 seconds

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Madden Stream: Jets at Chiefs

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LIVE at 10 p.m. ET

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Note: All salaries will be Flex prices unless noted as Captain’s Pick prices.

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Note: All salaries will be Flex prices unless noted as Captain’s Pick prices

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SHOWDOWN STRATEGY

Bengals

Andy Dalton ($10,400) has had some strong sims against top-level competition — the last outing in his game log is 336 yards and three touchdowns against the Ravens. I don’t feel Dalton is must-play by any means, but there also aren’t that many enticing spots to pay up on this slate. So chasing Dalton’s GPP upside has some appeal to me.

A.J. Green ($10,200) is just too expensive as a stacking piece, considering he rarely plays to his potential. He’s generally priced under $10,000, and I still don’t play him due to his low floor, so there’s no chance I’m reaching on him at this price, particularly with the matchup. Tyler Boyd ($7,000) has been the exact same play and saves you $3,200. I think Boyd’s even overpriced for his production, but at least worth consideration.

I’d rather save the salary on John Ross ($4,800), whose speed makes him a candidate to break any touch loose. Ross is coming off another 20-DKFP sim with a long touchdown and averages the same as both the other WR plays. Taking the savings here for the more explosive target is a no-brainer.

If I want a mid-priced play in the receiving game, it’s Tyler Eifert ($6,600). On paper, he’s a similar play to Green and Boyd, but he’s slightly cheaper, and also has been more consistent recently. The matchup against San Francisco’s defense also dictates some shorter passes to the middle of the field.

Another no-brainer decision is fading Joe Mixon ($8,000) in favor of Gio Bernard ($2,600). Mixon’s capable of an occasional strong game, but averages just 8.1 DKFP. Bernard serves as the pass-catching back, which also keeps him on the field for extra rushing attempts. Gio averages 8.7 DKFP but has scored 12-plus DKFP in five straight sims. He’s the top value on the slate.

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49ers

Jimmy Garoppolo ($11,200) just isn’t a very high upside play, but we’re paying for him like he is. I understand if you want to chase a big game against the Bengals, but I’ll pass given the lack of explosiveness we’ve seen out of Jimmy G in sims.

Fading Emmanuel Sanders ($9,800) as Garoppolo’s WR1 makes sense as a corresponding move. We get almost identical upside out of the WR2 on this roster, not the mention, the TE is the king of the passing scheme here.

Deebo Samuel ($6,200) saves you $3,600 off Sanders but offers the same ceiling with equal consistency. There’s no contest, take the savings. Even Kendrick Bourne ($4,600) is worth considering over Sanders, although there’s plenty more downside that can occur with a WR3. Samuel is your answer here.

Your “WR1” on the Niners is George Kittle ($8,800), who’s $1,000 cheaper than the play officially slotted into that role. Kittle shows 20-DKFP upside on a consistent basis, and has also displayed a 40-DKFP ceiling.

The other place I want to make sure to invest in San Francisco’s offense is Tevin Coleman ($7,400), who’s the every-down RB, but underpriced for his role. Coleman’s a similar play to Kittle, but even more consistent due to how many touches we can guarantee. His 17.8-DKFP average makes him arguably the safest RB play on any team.

I think Cincy gives us enough value to make this work, but if you need more, Robbie Gould ($4,000) has put up good numbers or cheap. This could be a game that we get plenty of scoring from the 49ers.

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THE OUTCOME

Final Score: Bengals 20 49ers 27

I’m looking to the RB position for a CPT in this contest. Tevin Coleman ($11,100 CP) should do the most damage, and $11,100 is a very fair price. I think it’s easy to make that build work, without much start power on the slate. But if you do want to stack QBs and pay up for all the top tier talent, it’s possible with Gio Bernard, who can slot in at CPT for $3,900.

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DEPTH CHARTS

Bengals

49ers

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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jedlow) 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.