Wednesday on the DraftKings Dream Stream means wild weather is on the way! There are six sims with weather elements activated on tap for this Wednesday, kicking off at 12:00 p.m. ET. The featured slate focuses on the classic contest that includes the three games starting at 6:00 p.m. ET, when the Los Angeles Chargers travel to take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the wind. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears meet in a snowy primetime contest between a pair of cold weather teams, and we wrap up the slate with the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the rain.
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.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: Madden Stream $4K Wednesday Night Special [$1K to 1st] and your FREE lineups here: Madden Stream $500 FREE Contest.
Put your DraftKings daily fantasy football skills to the test against Jim Cramer, his followers and other members of the DraftKings Playbook community! Check out the new Cramer’s Cash Contest and set your lineup for Week 7.
Quarterback
Stud
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars, $8,100 — Jackson always brings a high ceiling since he can produce as both a rusher and a passer. With the rain in Jacksonville, he should be able to run wild even if the weather slows down the passing game. The cover athlete of Madden 21 has averaged 23.5 DKFP on 84.8 rushing yards and 161.0 passing yards per contest through his first 14 games and has thrown for 17 touchdowns and rushed for eight more. In four of his past five sims, he has produced at least 24 DKFP and multiple touchdowns, and in his most recent sim, he ran for 137 yards against the Giants on his way to 31.34 DKFP. Jackson has hit the 100-yard rushing mark in four of his 14 sims, and it’s definitely possible he does that again in this matchup against the Jaguars, who have struggled against the run throughout Madden 21.
Other Option — Justin Herbert ($7,100)
Value
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills, $6,300 — While he hasn’t been as legendary as he was in Madden 2020, Trubisky is still averaging a solid 18.5 DKFP for the Bears in his 13 sims in Madden 21. He has thrown for 163.2 yards and run for another 62.8 yards per game. He’s almost a “Lamar lite” option and can put together big games in the right matchup. He had over 16 DKFP in 10 straight contests before struggling with just 12.64 DKFP in his most recent sim, which was against the Rams. He should be in line for better results as he takes on the Bills, who have struggled against the run despite their elite secondary. Trubisky should be able to put together a strong rushing performance and return to his regular production. He isn’t an elite option like Jackson, but he does save you almost $2K if you need to spend up in other spots and go cheaper at QB.
Other Option — Josh Allen ($6,700)
Running Back
Stud
Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $7,300 — While a knee injury is expected to cost him the Eagles’ game this Thursday night against the Giants in real life, Sanders is healthy and ready to roll for this wind-blown game against the Chargers in simland on Wednesday. The wind usually forces teams to rely on running the ball and mixing in shorter passes, which is a game script that should keep Sanders very busy. He is producing an average of 15.2 DKFP per game on 53.8 rushing yards and 22.3 receiving yards on 3.2 catches per contest. Sanders has had at least four receptions in three of his past four games and has finished with over 12 DKFP in seven straight contests. Even though his rushing totals have been inconsistent during that stretch, he has been a reliable source of scoring due to his 10 trips to the end zone in 13 sims. With extra work coming his way, look for Sanders to be a strong play in this home matchup.
Other Options — Austin Ekeler ($7,700), Devin Singletary ($5,600)
Value
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars, $4,500 — Lamar Jackson isn’t the only Raven who could pile up a big game on the ground in the rain in Jacksonville, and I think Dobbins is the best value play as a result of his third-down and power-back role on the current Ravens roster. Dobbins found the end zone for the second time in the Madden 21 sims in his most recent contest, finishing with 9.5 DKFP. He has found some way to be involved and post at least 7.0 DKFP in five straight sims, combining some short-yardage work with an average of 3.2 catches per contest over that span. His ceiling is limited by the fact that Mark Ingram II ($5,400) is still the RB1 and takes a lot of work, but Dobbins sets up to bring a solid return at this affordable salary in Jacksonville.
Other Option — Mark Ingram II ($5,400), David Montgomery ($3,800)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers at Philadelphia Eagles, $5,700 — There are a lot of solid options at WR on this slate even though none of the elite plays from the very top of the NFL are in play. Williams is actually priced under $6K but makes for a great option since he has often returned to his reliable Madden 2020 production levels since the Chargers went to Justin Herbert ($7,100) at QB. Coming into his most recent sim, Williams had over 15 DKFP in six straight games, averaging 20.1 DKFP by scoring seven touchdowns in those contests. Although he had a disappointing outing in that most recent sim with just two catches against Miami for 4.3 DKFP, I think he’ll be able to bounce back and have a big game against the Eagles, who lack depth in their secondary.
Other Options — DeSean Jackson ($7,500), Stefon Diggs ($6,400)
Value
Marquise Goodwin, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $4,700 — Since the COVID-19 opt outs have returned, Goodwin has been very productive as the Eagles’ WR3 due to his 97 speed rating. In his nine sims, he has averaged 4.1 catches for 50.9 yards per game and scored two touchdowns. He came up just short of the 100-yard bonus in his most recent sim, finishing with 93 yards and 14.1 DKFP. He has now posted over 14 DKFP in three of his past five games and brings plenty of upside with that blazing speed.
Ted Ginn Jr., Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills, $3,700 — If the Bills use Tre’Davious White to shut down Allen Robinson ($6,000), there could be opportunities for other Bears WRs to step up and get more work. Ginn is the WR3 but has been getting more work lately than Anthony Miller ($3,200), who is the WR2. Ginn has multiple catches in five of his past seven contests, and he scored a touchdown in each of the two games in which he had only one catch during that span. While he doesn’t often reach the ceiling he showed with a pair of touchdowns and 23.1 DKFP against the Lions, Ginn has been reliably producing over six DFKP lately, which is a decent floor given his potential to break free for a touchdown and his very affordable salary under $4K.
Other Options — Alshon Jeffery ($4,200), Joe Reed ($3,600), Willie Snead IV ($3,400)
Tight End
Stud
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $5,900 — Ertz is another Eagle who is injured in real life but available in simland. He has been very involved, averaging 4.7 catches for 46.3 yards per sim and scoring six touchdowns in 13 games. Weather games typically lead to shorter passes or passes down the middle of the field to limit distance traveled in the air. If that’s the case with the wind in Philadelphia in this sim, Ertz could get even more attention from Carson Wentz ($6,900). Ertz was on a nice role with at least five catches and 11 DKFP in five straight games before he suffered a letdown in his most recent contest with just 3.9 DKFP. He should bounce back in this game to his regular production and is a nice option if you can afford to pay up at TE.
Other Options — Mark Andrews ($5,100), Tyler Eifert ($4,900)
Value
Lee Smith, Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears, $3,700 — Smith was a regular in these picks when he was extremely cheap after his move to the Bills’ TE1 spot in the most recent roster update. Even though his salary has come up quite a bit lately, he still remains a very solid value option. Smith has produced 7.9 DKFP per contest in his eight sims in his expanded role while hauling in 3.4 catches for 37.3 yards per contest. He only has one touchdown, which came two games ago in a 16.2-DKFP performance against the Panthers, and his primary value comes from his volume of catches as a PPR producer. He has at least five catches in three of his past four games and has finished with at least 9.0 DKFP in each of those three contests.
Other Option — Hunter Henry ($4,100), Jimmy Graham ($3,000)
DST
Stud
Bears DST at Buffalo Bills, $3,200 — The Bears should be right at home in the snow in Buffalo and should be able to continue their success in Madden 21. They have 33 sacks in their 13 games and have forced six turnovers. Even though only one of those turnovers has resulted in a defensive touchdown, they have been able to average 5.8 DKFP per sim due to their pressure on the QB and limiting their opponents to 17.5 points per game. The Buffalo offense has been very inconsistent, so the Bears are in a good spot to put up another strong defensive performance.
Other Option — Chargers ($3,100)
Value
Ravens DST at Jacksonville Jaguars, $2,800 — The Ravens’ defense has been very solid in Madden 21, with the addition of X-factor superstar Calais Campbell making them very good against the run. Baltimore had a totally dominant performance with 26 DKFP in a shutout of the Steelers early in the Madden 21 sims and has been able to produce 4.1 DKFP per game on the strength of 28 sacks and three interceptions in 14 games. Oddly, they are still looking for their first defensive fumble recovery, but that could change with the added weather element in Jacksonville increasing the possibility of turnovers.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: Madden Stream $4K Wednesday Night Special [$1K to 1st] and your FREE lineups here: Madden Stream $500 FREE Contest.
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
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.