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With real-life sports still in the midst of an extended time out, DraftKings continues to provide some great sports simulations to fill the void. Each day there are six Madden Streams with eight free contests to be a part of. You can play a single-game Showdown for each contest along with an all-day, six-game classic contest and a three-game late slate. Each simulation will be 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 (download here) or right here in this post. Follow along to watch your fantasy team pile up fantasy points.
Monday starts off the week with a nice six-game slate, kicking off with a 12 p.m. ET matchup between the Browns and Rams. In the afternoon, the Broncos host the Cowboys at 2 p.m. ET and the Steelers host the Eagles at 4 p.m. ET in an in-state rivalry for Pennsylvania supremacy. The second half of the slate starts at 6 p.m. ET with a matchup between the Chiefs and the Giants in the Big Apple. At 8 p.m. ET, the Jaguars and 49ers step into the primetime spotlight for a very interesting matchup. In the final game of the day, the Saints will host the Colts on “Madden After Dark” in a matchup with plenty of star power in play.
There are lots of great options to consider from the 12 teams on the slate Monday, and I’ll give you my favorite plays at each position and price point for this six-game slate below. As you build your team, make sure to check out the Madden info page for all the data on player ratings, special abilities and what you can look forward to coming soon.
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Quarterback
Stud
Patrick Mahomes, KC at NYG, $8,200 — Even though he is the highest-rated QB in Madden with his perfect 99 overall rating, Mahomes isn’t always a great play in these sims. In this matchup, though, I like him the most of any QB on this slate. He has averaged 20.1 DKFP in his 29 sims, throwing for 267.6 yards per game with a whopping 60 touchdown passes to go with just 10 picks. He has thrown multiple touchdowns in four straight and put up a massive 32.7 DKFP against the Jets in his most recent sim, reminding everyone of the high ceiling he can bring when he’s on top of his game. Other Options — Drew Brees ($7,800), Dak Prescott ($6,700)
Value
Daniel Jones, NYG vs. KC, $5,600 — Jones had thrown multiple touchdown passes in seven straight games before failing to throw a single score against the Colts on Saturday. He still racked up 295 yards, though, and made it to double-digit DKFP. He can go off for a big number, as he showed with 30.72 DKFP against the Seahawks when he threw for 323 yards and four scores in a 31-28 win. He will likely have to throw a lot to try and help his team keep up with the Chiefs, and we’ve seen rookie QBs have good games against the Chiefs in high-scoring, back-and-forth contests.
Other Options — Baker Mayfield ($6,000), Jacoby Brissett ($5,800)
Running Back
Stud
Ezekiel Elliott, DAL at DEN, $7,000 — Zeke has been feasting lately, mostly on touchdowns. He has multiple touchdowns in three of his past four contests and has piled up 11 scores in his past nine sims. As a result of all the touchdowns and his consistently heavy workload, he has over 17 DKFP in five of his past six games and seven of his past nine. Elliott’s high ratings are definitely part of the reason for his success, but the reason he’s so reliable is that he gets a hefty workload in almost every Dallas contest. Other Options — Alvin Kamara ($6,700), Todd Gurley II ($6,200)
Value
Tevin Coleman, SF at JAX, $5,600 — The only back getting as much or even more work than Zeke on a consistent basis has been Coleman, who always carries the load for the 49ers’ offense. His ratings aren’t as high as Zeke’s, but he’s out-averaging him with 17.4 DKFP per sim, the highest mark of any RB on this slate. Coleman has had back-to-back quiet games but is still averaging over 80 yards per sim with 23 total touchdowns in his 29 contests. He gets a solid matchup against the Jags in a fun head-to-head matchup with Leonard Fournette ($5,700), but Coleman has been the best per-dollar RB so far in our sims. I’d lean in his direction just slightly over Damien Williams ($5,800), Fournette and Miles Sanders ($5,200) on this slate stacked with solid mid-range RB options.
Other Options — Leonard Fournette ($5,700), Nyheim Hines ($3,600)
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Wide Receiver
Stud
JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT vs. PHI, $6,600 — JuJu is the Steelers’ WR1, and just like in real life, the virtual Steelers like to air it out. Smith-Schuster has caught at least four passes in six straight games and has been very productive with that workload. He had over 12 DKFP in every one of those contests and over 25 DKFP in two of his past three games, all of which have resulted in at least 90 yards. He gets a good matchup against an Eagles secondary that has been very beatable, and his 91 speed rating and 90 catching rating give him lots of upside to like, especially against slot corner Avonte Maddox for the Eagles, who has a 77 overall rating and a 76 awareness rating. Other Options — Michael Thomas ($8,400), T.Y. Hilton ($6,900)
Value
Sammy Watkins, KC at NYG, $4,400 — Watkins isn’t as fast as his teammate Tyreek Hill ($8,000), who has a 99 speed rating, but he’s no slouch either with a 92 speed rating and 87 elusiveness rating of his own. He has a ton of great upside at this salary and has shown a very high ceiling. He had 129 yards on six catches in his most recent game against the Jets and will hope to have similar success in this matchup against the other New York team. He has scored 16 touchdowns in his 29 sims and is averaging over 50 receiving yards per contest. He’s a little boom-or-bust, but I love the upside at this salary.
Chester Rogers, IND at NO, $3,000 — With so many expensive options with nice matchups across the slate, you’re going to need to save salary somewhere. Rogers is a great place to do it since he’s available at the minimum salary and has been very involved for the Colts out of the slot. He has averaged 3.1 catches for 41.2 yards per sim and hauled in six touchdowns as well. He has multiple receptions in all but two of the Colts’ sims and has reached double-digit DKFP in six of his past seven contests. Rogers should be involved enough in the late game that he represents a great way to pay only $3K but still get decent production.
Other Options — Brandin Cooks ($5,000), Ted Ginn Jr. ($3,700)
Tight End
Stud
Zach Ertz, PHI at PIT, $5,600 — Like at the other skill positions, TE is loaded with elite options on this slate. Ertz is my favorite of the group, though, due to his consistent workload and regular involvement as his team’s top receiving option. Ertz is a little bit cheaper than Travis Kelce ($6,000) and George Kittle ($6,200) as well, which could help him fit better in your lineup. Ertz has at least four catches in 10 of his past 11 sims, dating back to a monster 11-catch performance in which he racked up 36.7 DKFP against the Lions. He has that kind of upside and had 12 DKFP or more in three straight sims before finishing with just four catches for 42 yards against the Titans. He should bounce back to double-digit DKFP in this matchup against the Steelers and again be the focal point of Philly’s passing attack. Other Options — George Kittle ($6,200), Evan Engram ($5,000)
Value
David Njoku, CLE at LAR, $4,100 — Njoku had over 20 DKFP in the Browns’ upset of the Vikings in his most recent sim, bouncing back nicely from a one-catch game against the Bears. He has shown a high ceiling in the Browns’ offense when he gets involved and regularly works his way to double-digit DKFP. The Rams have a very solid secondary, but can be beaten by TEs for big plays. Njoku isn’t the safest TE play on the slate, but he’s a great option for just over $4K who brings an elite ceiling.
Other Options — Jared Cook ($4,900), Noah Fant ($3,400)
DST
Stud
Cowboys DST at DEN, $2,800 — The Cowboys have been the best team in these sims at limiting opponents’ scoring. In fact, Dallas has never given up more than 27 points in a sim. While that number seems high, the Cowboys are the only DST in all of Madden that hasn’t given up at least 30 points in one contest. Recently, the unit has been even better, holding opponents under 20 points in seven straight sims. Dallas has been racking up sacks and takeaways during that time as well and has produced at least 5.0 DKFP in every one of those sims, which have also included three games with double-digit DKFP. The Cowboys have a rookie QB matchup on this slate and should be able to grind the clock, limit the opportunities and put up another good fantasy day in virtual Denver. Other Options — Saints DST ($3,100), Rams DST ($2,700)
Value
Steelers DST vs. PHI, $2,600 — The Steelers’ DST hasn’t been quite as effective as the Cowboys at limiting opponents, but Pittsburgh has done a good job with big plays. The unit is averaging over 2.0 sacks per sim with 60 total in 29 sims to go with 22 takeaways. Pittsburgh struggled in its most recent game against Houston but has shown the ability to put up big points in certain matchups as well. The Steelers have playmakers at every level of the defense and will definitely be a challenge for the Eagles.
Other Option — 49ers DST ($2,500), Broncos ($2,200)
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.