The DraftKings Dream Stream is back to a full-strength, jam-packed slate of Madden sims this Tuesday with six sims kicking off at 12:00 p.m. ET. The featured slate is the classic contest that includes the three games starting at 6:00 p.m. ET, when the Lions visit the Bucs in virtual Tampa Bay. In the primetime 8:00 p.m. ET sim, the Saints and Chiefs meet in what should be an outstanding matchup, and we wrap up the day with the Raiders headed to virtual Seattle to take on the Seahawks in Madden After Dark.
The roster for each team includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season and you can find the depth charts, abilities and X-factors for Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page. The rosters have also been adjusted to get the best players on the field and will not be impacted by any COVID-19 opt-outs or injuries.
Check out the daily DraftKings Madden Stream contests lobby with paid contests for real cash prizes now available alongside free contests. Each simulation will be played out computer vs. computer via an online Madden Stream using Madden 21. In this format, you can enjoy watching the game stream on the DraftKings YouTube channel, the DK Live app (download here) or right here in this post.
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Quarterback
Stud
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints, $8,000 — Mahomes and Russell Wilson ($7,600) have been the top two QBs in all of Madden 21, and having them both on this slate leaves us with a tough choice. Both are in great spots and should be set to pile up the fantasy points like they have been doing all sim-season. Mahomes has averaged over 25.0 DKFP per sim and has been red-hot lately with over 24.0 DKFP in four-straight after putting up a massive 38.26 DKFP with five total touchdowns against the Browns in his most recent sim. He has thrown for 41 touchdowns and run for five more in just 17 games — that’s an average of 2.7 scores per contest in addition to his 289.2 passing yards per game. He has had a few down games, but has posted over 30.0 DFKP six times, showing how awesome his ceiling is as the only QB in all of Madden with a perfect 99 overall rating.
Other Option — Russell Wilson ($7,600)
Value
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs, $5,500 — Brees may have to throw the ball more than he normally does as the Saints try to keep up with Mahomes and the Chiefs. He has actually averaged the third-most DKFP of any QB on this slate behind just Mahomes and Wilson, but comes at a deep discount as the cheapest QB play on the board. Brees has thrown 23 touchdowns in his 16 Madden 21 sims, but only two of those have come in his past four games, and he has been held under 20.0 DKFP in nine of his past 10 games. He is still averaging 16.9 DKFP per contest since the yardage is almost always there for the veteran, but the lack of touchdowns is driving his production and his salary down. He is averaging 257.4 yards per sim and could surpass that total if game flow forces him to be more aggressive through the air.
Other Options — Derek Carr ($6,600), Tom Brady ($6,200)
Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs, $7,300 — Part of Brees’ issue has been that Kamara has been carrying almost all the workload for the Saints on his own. He has scored 14 touchdowns in his 16 games and is averaging 59.2 rushing yards and 27.9 receiving yards on 4.8 catches per contest. His heavy usage as a receiver gives him great PPR production, and he has at least four catches in four-straight games. Those opportunities raise both his ceiling and his floor. His high floor is shown by the fact that he has double-digit DKFP in all but one of his 16 sims, and his ceiling is shown by his five games with over 22.0 DKFP. If the Saints can avoid falling too far behind — and show a desire to keep Mahomes and the Chiefs on the sideline — they could rely heavily on the running game and short passes to Kamara, setting him up to return good production at his very expensive salary.
Other Options — Leonard Fournette ($5,600), Chris Carson ($5,100)
Value
LeSean McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions, $3,700 — As the Bucs’ third-down back, McCoy has been one of the most solid value plays at RB and always finds a way to chip in some fantasy production. He has multiple catches in three of his past four sims and has over 5.0 DKFP in eight of his past nine. He is averaging 7.2 DKFP over his 13 sims with just one touchdown, but an average of 3.0 catches for 21.3 yards per contest. McCoy doesn’t typically get enough work to have an extremely high ceiling, but his very affordable salary under $4K leaves you the room you need to pay up for stars in other roster spots.
Other Option — Josh Jacobs ($4,700), D’Andre Swift ($4,400)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints, $7,900 — Hill’s 22.4 DKFP per game average puts him almost 5.0 DKFP clear of any other WR on this slate. In his 17 sims, he is averaging 6.2 catches for 91.2 yards per contest and has scored an average of one touchdown per game with 17 touchdowns in Madden 21. Hill has five scores in his past three games and has gone off for over 100 yards in each of those three contests, producing 44.6 DKFP, 36.0 DKFP and 24.0 DKFP. The Saints don’t have anyone in their secondary fast enough to keep up with Hill’s 99 speed rating, which makes him extremely effective both before and after the catch. With so much volume coming his way every contest, Hill is almost a must-play at this point in these sims.
Other Options — Tyrell Williams ($7,000), Michael Thomas ($6,500)
Value
Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders at Seattle Seahawks, $4,800 — While Hill is the only player in Madden 21 with a perfect 99 speed rating, Ruggs is just behind him as the only player with a 98 speed rating. So far, the rookie has used that speed and his role as the Raiders’ WR2 to average 3.9 catches for 47.2 yards per contest over his 13 sims. Ruggs has at least four catches and over 15.0 DKFP in three of his past four games and is coming off a 101-yard performance against the Patriots. The Seahawks’ secondary has been beatable for big plays in Madden and in the real world, so look for Ruggs to get loose and pile up some yardage in the late game out West.
Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs, $3,800 — There are a few interesting WR plays under $4K on this slate, and Smith is my favorite of the bunch since he has been very involved as the Saints’ WR3. He has at least three catches in five-straight games and seven of his past eight. He had 12.4 DFKP in his most recent outing against the Seahawks and has reached double-digit DKFP in three of those five contests, dating back to a massive 21.2-DKFP game against the Ravens, which also had one of his four touchdowns in Madden 21. Smith isn’t quite as safe a play as McCoy as a salary saver, but he is a very solid option with great upside against the Chiefs, since I think New Orleans will be playing from behind and having to throw the ball to try to rally.
Other Options — Kenny Golladay ($5,600), Scotty Miller ($4,200), Danny Amendola ($3,200)
Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs vs. New Orleans Saints, $6,300 — Somehow virtual Mahomes keeps both Hill and Kelce involved with plenty of volume for them to be fantasy stars. Kelce is averaging 6.2 catches for 74.3 yards per game over his 17 sims and has scored 11 touchdowns. If you have to choose one or the other, I prefer Hill, but I also think playing both has to be considered if you can save the salary at other spots to go with the Chiefs’ stack. Kelce is a key part of Kansas City’s offense and should be in a good matchup against the Saints. He has been able to post over 12.0 DKFP in eight of his past nine sims while going off for over 20.0 DKFP in seven of his 17 sims in Madden 21.
Other Options — Darren Waller ($6,100), T.J. Hockenson ($5,000)
Value
Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks vs. Las Vegas Raiders, $4,700 — Olsen is a solid alternative if you can’t fit all the high-priced Chiefs in your lineup or if you want to go with a second TE in your flex spot. The veteran TE has over 15.0 DKFP in five of his past six sims to raise his average to 11.5 DKFP in his 14 Madden 21 sims. He is averaging 4.4 catches per contest, which pales in comparison to Kelce, but is a solid number compared to the rest of the TE options. He has found the end zone six times in Madden 21 including three times in his six most recent contests, which is part of the reason he has become a reliable option under $5K at the position. His ratings are likely still a little high given his current skill set, so you’re actually getting Olsen a little bit closer to his prime than he actually is right now.
Other Option — Jared Cook ($4,500), Rob Gronkowski ($4,100)
D/ST
Stud
Seahawks D/ST vs. Las Vegas Raiders, $3,200 — The Seahawks D/ST has been the best in all of Madden 21 due to their big-hitting duo of Bobby Wagner and Jamal Adams. Seattle has amazingly recovered 20 fumbles in their 14 sims to go with two interceptions, 34 sacks, a safety and four defensive touchdowns. All four of those defensive scores have come at home, where the Seahawks are averaging 9.4 DKFP per contest. The Raiders do have some solid options in the passing game and may be able to get some points on the board, but the Seahawks will also likely be able to make some big plays and be a good fantasy option based on their track record.
Other Option — Chiefs ($3,100)
Value
Buccaneers D/ST vs. Detroit Lions, $2,800 — The Bucs’ D/ST made a big statement in the real world in their win over the Packers last week, and they have been pretty solid in Madden, as well. They have racked up 32 sacks in 13 games, but have only created three turnovers. Those three takeaways were all at home, though, where they are averaging 5.8 DKFP in their five sims coming into this very favorable matchup against the Lions. If you can’t afford Seattle or are looking to differentiate, The Bucs are the next best option on this slate even though they lack the high-end upside you get with the Seahawks.
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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.