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Thursday Night Football is just around the corner with the NFL scheduled to return very soon, but there’s no need to wait for the season to kick off to get a football fix since DraftKings has three more games on tap on the main Thursday slate. The action starts with the Cardinals and Chiefs at 6 p.m. ET when the contest closes. The 8 p.m. ET primetime matchup is the Panthers and Cam Newton ($6,300) facing Newton’s new team the Patriots in virtual Foxborough. The final game of the day will be the Browns headed to the Big Easy to take on the Saints.
Check out the daily DraftKings Madden Stream contests with paid contests for real cash prizes now available alongside free contests. Along with single-game Showdown contests focused on each individual game, there is an early slate of games that includes Madden Stream games at 12 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET, followed by the featured slate, which focuses on the sims at 6 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET. Each simulation will be played out computer vs. computer 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 DraftKings YouTube channel, the DK Live app (download here) or right here in this post.
Each of the six teams in action Thursday have some solid options to consider, and I’ve highlighted my favorite stud and value play for each roster spot below. For more data, you can always check out the Madden info page for all the data on player ratings, special abilities and what you can look forward to in upcoming matchups.
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Quarterback
Stud
Patrick Mahomes, KC vs. ARI, $8,000 — Mahomes is the only QB in the 99 club and has lived up to his perfect overall rating by producing 21.5 DKFP per contest through his first 50 sims. He had only 206 yards and two touchdowns for 14.24 DKFP in his first matchup with the Cardinals but should be able to find holes in the defense in the rematch. Arizona’s secondary has definitely been beatable, and Mahomes has an extremely high ceiling as he showed with 311 yards, four scores and 31.34 DKFP two games ago against the Jaguars. He did struggle against the Browns in his most recent start, but he’s still the best option if you’re looking for a QB to light up the scoreboard.
Other Option — Tom Brady ($7,000)
Value
Baker Mayfield, CLE at NO, $5,800 — Even though he’s the cheapest QB on the slate, I think Mayfield has upside against the Saints in the Superdome. Throughout these sims, Baker has been boom or bust. His low points have been very low including a game with just 0.48 DKFP, but he has also gone off for 45.22 DKFP with six touchdowns in a game. The first time he faced the Saints he had 265 yards but just one touchdown for 14.6 DKFP in a 21-17 loss. He has thrown for 90 scores in his 50 sims and averaged just under 250 yards per game. He has good WRs and a solid matchup, so swing for the fences and ball with Baker if you need a cheap QB.
Other Option — Kyler Murray ($6,000)
Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, NO vs. CLE, $6,400 — The Saints have gotten a massive 38 touchdowns from Kamara in their 50 sims. While averaging 60.7 rushing yards and 23.8 receiving yards per game, Kamara scored 26 rushing touchdowns while adding 12 more as a receiver. His dual-threat ability makes him a relatively safe play while also giving him a very high ceiling. He has scored three times in his past two games with 26.3 DKFP and 13.5 DKFP.
Other Option — James White ($6,000)
Value
Damien Williams, KC vs. ARI, $5,200 — The Chiefs’ offense hasn’t all been passing even with Mahomes and his 99 overall rating. Williams has also been very productive as a dual-threat out of the backfield with 26 touchdowns and an average of 13.8 DKFP per sim. He has been very consistent lately with at least 11 DKFP in four straight and eight of his past 11. Williams could have a huge game if the Chiefs open up a big lead early and rely on him to keep the clock running and the yards piling up. He had 92 yards and three scores on his way to 36 DKFP in his previous contest against Cleveland.
Other Option — David Johnson ($3,700)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Michael Thomas, NO vs. CLE, $7,800 — In addition to Mahomes, Thomas is another member of the 99 club in action on this slate. He had a pair of touchdowns and 23.1 DKFP in his most recent sim and is up to 33 scores in this sim season. Thomas has been better at home than on the road and locked in recently, but he’s also in a great matchup against Cleveland’s secondary, who has struggled to stop elite WR1 options all sim season long. Thomas had five catches for 103 yards against them in their earlier meeting and will look for similar success in this contest.
Other Options — Tyreek Hill ($7,400), DJ Moore ($6,200)
Value
Sammy Watkins, KC vs. ARI, $4,400 — If the Cardinals focus on slowing down his highly-ranked teammates, don’t be surprised if Sammy slides in and stealthily sneaks some big points. He has averaged 3.5 catches for 48.8 yards per sim and has scored a total of 29 touchdowns to help him average 12.2 DKFP per sim. He has been very quiet with under 5.0 DKFP in each of his two previous games but posted over 11 DKFP in four straight prior to his slump. He should be able to break out against an Arizona defense that lacks much depth.
Damiere Byrd, ARI at KC, $3,100 — Byrd is barely more than the minimum and has a ton of upside due to his high speed rating. His volume is inconsistent from rookie QB Kyler Murray, but when given the chance he has made plays. He had five catches for 69 yards against the Chiefs in their previous sim, and he has at least 13 DKFP in five of his past 10 contests, which would be an amazing return for someone so affordable.
Other Options — Mohamed Sanu ($4,100), Ted Ginn Jr. ($3,900)
Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, KC vs. ARI, $6,100 — The part of the field that the Cardinals have had the hardest time defending in these sims is over the middle against the safeties. If the Chiefs send Kelce into that spot with regularity, he could pile up a massive stat line. He only had three catches against Arizona in their previous meeting, but he is averaging 5.2 catches for 68.4 yards per sim with a total of 23 touchdowns. He has over 11 DKFP in six straight and is both a steady producer and a high-ceiling option.
Other Options — Jared Cook ($5,200), David Njoku ($4,500)
Value
Ben Watson, NE vs. CAR, $4,100 — Watson has been one of the biggest over-performing players in these sims. He has produced like an elite TE with over 5.0 catches per contest for an average of over 60 yards and a total of 20 touchdowns. He had an amazing 11 catches in his past contest with Carolina for a total of 107 yards, a touchdown and 30.7 DKFP. He has that kind of ceiling in the rematch, although it’s hard to count on that much volume every game.
Other Option — Charles Clay ($3,800)
DST
Stud
Patriots DST vs. CAR, $3,100 — The Patriots are one of two defenses on the slate averaging over 5.0 DKFP per sim. They have produced an impressive 113 sacks in their 50 sims while also forcing 33 turnovers. They almost always do a good job limiting opponents to low scores and are a safe play with upside in this contest.
Other Option — Packers ($3,200)
Value
Panthers DST at NE, $2,800 — The other DST averaging over 5.0 is well over that number since the Panthers are putting up 7.0 DKFP per contest. They have fewer sacks than New England with 102 in their 50 sims, but they have forced 58 turnovers highlighted by 46 fumble recoveries. With the new game coming soon, Luke Kuechly’s run as a dominant force from his MLB spot is just about over, so go ahead and roll with him even in a bad matchup against the Patriots.
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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.