It’s another wild weather Wednesday on the DraftKings Dream Stream with six games on tap starting at 12:00 p.m. ET that will all be impacted by weather. The featured three-game classic slate starts at 6:00 p.m. ET with a wind-blown matchup between the Tennessee Titans and the Pittsburgh Steelers from virtual Nashville. That matchup is a rematch of a sim from a week ago that the Titans won, 21-10. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Miami Dolphins will head up the East Coast to face the Baltimore Ravens in the snow, and we close out the day with another simulated snow game between the Carolina Panthers and the New England Patriots at 10 p.m. ET. Cam Newton ($6,500) will take on his former team for the first time in Madden 21 in that “Madden After Dark” matchup in what should be a fun way to close out the day.
The roster for each team includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season and you can find the game settings, 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
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins, $8,100 — While he’s coming off a tough loss to the Steelers in the real world, Jackson has been a dominant force in Madden 21, averaging 24.7 DKFP per contest, which is more than 5.0 DKFP more than any other QB on this slate. Jackson has run for over 100 yards in five straight sims and is averaging 91.6 rushing yards to go with 159.5 passing yards per contest. In his 18 sims, he has thrown 21 touchdowns while running for 11 more, including two in his most recent game. He had 38.52 DKFP in that game against the Texans and has gone over 28 DKFP in four of his past five games. The snow could actually force him to run even more, and he’ll look to put the Dolphins’ defenders on skates and break away for big runs. While the Ravens have still had their ups and downs in simland, Jackson has been a dynamic option with a high floor and a high ceiling, who can pile up a ton of production both on the ground and through the air.
Other Option — Ben Roethlisberger ($6,900)
Value
Cam Newton, New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers, $6,500 — Newton hasn’t run nearly as often as Jackson, but he does have eight rushing touchdowns in 20 sims, including two in his most recent contest against the Bengals. In that sim, Newton produced 26.54 DKFP to raise his average to 17.7 DKFP per contest. Normally, he has relied on getting it done through the air, with an impressive 23-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an average of 224.2 passing yards per contest. Newton has hit for over 25 DKFP in two of his past five games and has the kind of upside you need to go after if you decide to pivot off of Jackson. In addition, he has been relatively consistent with over 17 DKFP in eight of his past 12 contests.
Other Option — Teddy Bridgewater ($6,300)
Running Back
Stud
Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, $8,000 — Henry ran for 111 yards against the Steelers in their previous sim meeting and added a touchdown on his way to 23.8 DKFP. He has averaged a robust 22.2 DKFP per contest in Madden 21 and has been very involved as a pass-catcher now that he serves as the Titans’ third-down back as well as his RB1 status. In his 17 sims in Madden 21, he has hauled in an average of 4.3 catches for 30.1 yards per contest while adding three receiving touchdowns to his 13 touchdowns on the ground. Henry has hit the 100-yard mark in five of his 10 most recent sims and even blew up for 212 yards and 38.7 DKFP against the Lions in one of those contests. He usually is the focus of the Titans’ offense and should be locked in for a big workload since passing could be a challenge in the wind. King Henry has shown he can pile up yardage even against tough defenses like Pittsburgh’s, and he’s a safe play with a high ceiling if you can afford his hefty $8K salary.
Other Option — Christian McCaffrey ($7,700), Matt Breida ($6,600)
Value
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins, $3,800 — Dobbins is both the third-down and the power back for the Ravens in these sims, which usually gives him enough work to be worth a look under $4K. Dobbins had 9.0 DKFP in his most recent sim and is averaging 17.9 rushing yards and 18.0 receiving yards on 2.2 catches per sim. He has found the end zone four times in his 13 sims and produced over 6.5 DKFP in 11 of those 13 contests. His totals may not be mind-blowing, but getting him at this salary with a solid return on a minimal investment enables you to spend up in other spots and afford the stars you think are set up for success.
Other Options — James White ($5,100), Jaylen Samuels ($4,800)
Wide Receiver
Stud
DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens, $6,900 — Parker hasn’t had a ton of volume even as the Dolphins’ WR1, but he has made the most of his chances and done enough to be a consistent contributor. He has a touchdown in each of his three most recent games and has double-digit DKFP in eight of his past nine contests, along with seven touchdowns during that span. Parker is catching 3.7 passes per game for 59.2 yards but has been outperforming that average lately due to a solid connection with Tua Tagovailoa ($6,700), who took over as the starting QB 13 sims ago.
Other Options — JuJu Smith-Schuster ($7,100), Curtis Samuel ($6,700)
Value
N’Keal Harry, New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers, $5,300 — Harry has been a solid mid-range play as the Patriots’ WR1 in Madden 21 and is coming off a nice game with 126 yards and 19.6 DKFP against the Bengals. Harry has posted at least 9.0 DKFP in three straight and six of his past nine sims and also comes with a high ceiling, having posted over 19 DKFP in four of his past 11 contests. He has finished with at least three catches in four straight contests and should be able to keep things rolling even in the snow against a Panthers secondary that has been very beatable.
Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens, $3,600 — Grant has an impressive 95 speed rating which makes him a big-play threat every time he touches the ball. He has multiple catches in nine straight games with over 40 yards in six of those contests along with three touchdowns. Baltimore’s defense has been very good against the run but has been beatable through the air, especially by speed options out of the slot, where Grant gets most of his work in three-WR sets.
Other Options — DJ Moore ($5,100), A.J. Brown ($4,000), Damiere Byrd ($3,700)
Tight End
Stud
Eric Ebron, Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans, $5,400 — Ebron and Jonnu Smith ($4,600) should both be involved heavily in this wind-impacted game since that typically forces QBs to keep their passes to the middle of the field where both these TEs thrive. Ebron has averaged 4.5 catches for 47.1 yards per contest in Madden 21 while scoring seven touchdowns. He has found the end zone in three straight games and produced double-digit DKFP in eight of his past nine contests dating back to a 12-catch, 33.9-DKFP sim against the Chiefs.
Other Option — Jonnu Smith ($4,600)
Value
Devin Asiasi, New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers, $3,600 — Asiasi has thrived in the Patriots’ playbook that has a great route tree for TEs. He has caught at least three passes in 10 of his past 12 contests and is averaging a solid 8.9 DKFP per sim in his 20 contests in Madden 21. He only has three touchdowns and hasn’t matched Smith or Ebron in turns of regular production, but he comes at a deep discount, and with his regular involvement, he should be able to bring solid returns for this salary under $4K.
Other Option — Mark Andrews ($4,300)
DST
Stud
Titans DST vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, $3,200 — The Titans have gotten solid production from their defense in these sims, and they usually try to rely on Henry and the defense to carry them to victory, which should be a formula for success in the windy conditions line up for this contest. Tennessee’s defense has forced 10 turnovers in 17 sims while stacking up an impressive 41 sacks and three defensive touchdowns. They are averaging 5.8 DKFP overall and an even-better 7.1 DKFP in their 11 home games. They had 7.0 DKFP against the Steelers two sims ago and have at least that many DKFP in three of their past four contests.
Other Option — Patriots ($3,100)
Value
Ravens DST vs. Miami Dolphins, $2,800 — The Ravens have highly-rated players throughout their defense, and as a result, they have typically limited the scoring production of their opponents. They haven’t come up with as many big plays as the elite units in Madden 21 and have managed just six takeaways and 35 sacks in their 18 contests. Playing a rookie QB leading a warm weather team in the snow should set up well for them, though, and Tua has been a little turnover prone at times.
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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.