To help everyone get even more excited for the NFL season, DraftKings is rolling out the Madden 21 Tournament which features a play-in divisional round that continues on Saturday night. All teams will play the other three teams in their division two times in the round-robin stage and we’ll be getting our first look at these teams in the new version of Madden 21. At 6 p.m. ET the slate starts with the Browns and Steelers in the second game from the NFC North. At 8 p.m. ET, the primetime matchup will start the action in the NFC North as the Bears visit the Vikings. The Lions and Packers will meet in the final contest of the day at 10 p.m. ET on “Madden after Dark.”
You’ll definitely want to check out the Madden Stream info page where you can find the new depth charts and X-factors for the teams in Madden 21. Enter your lineup in 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 on Saturday night’s slate has some solid options to consider, and I’ve highlighted my favorite stud and value play for each roster spot below.
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Quarterback
Stud
Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. DET, $7,100 — Rodgers is the only QB on this slate with X-factor or even superstar traits in the new version of Madden. He was fairly effective in the previous version of Madden, throwing 83 touchdowns in his 51 sims. He has a good group of receivers led by another X-factor superstar Davante Adams ($7,800) and he’ll face a Detroit secondary that lost Darius Slay Jr. and should be a very favorable matchup based on their ratings.
Other Option — Kirk Cousins ($6,500)
Value
Mitchell Trubisky, CHI at MIN, $5,700 — This is our first look at Trubisky in Madden 21 and it’ll be interesting to see if this version is more like Trubisky in real life or Trubisky in the previous version of the game. In Madden 2020, Trubisky averaged 20.5 DKFP per sim mostly due to great scrambling production, averaging over 50 yards per game on the ground and adding 16 rushing touchdowns to his 75 passing scores. He gets the nod ahead of Nick Foles ($5,000) in the depth chart we’re using for the start of the tournament, but he does start play with a tough matchup against the Vikings. In the previous game, he had 22.4 DKFP and 21.74 DKFP in two sims against Minnesota and he’ll be a great value if he delivers a similar performance Saturday.
Other Option — Baker Mayfield ($6,000)
Running Back
Stud
Aaron Jones, GB vs. DET, $6,400 — While everyone is likely going to jump right in on Dalvin Cook ($6,700), Jones may fly more under the radar since he wasn’t as reliable in our previous sims. He’s in for a major upgrade in Madden 21, though, since he’ll take over as the third-down back, meaning he’ll be on the field almost every play and only give up work to Jamaal Williams ($3,900) in power back situations. Cook is outstanding and makes a great option but you’ll probably get lower ownership on Jones, who actually has a much better matchup against the Lions than Cook does against the Bears.
Other Options — Dalvin Cook ($6,700), Nick Chubb ($6,000)
Value
D’Andre Swift, DET at GB, $3,600 — The Lions used J.D. McKissic as their third-down back in the previous version of the game but he’s now in Washington. Detroit will replace him in that role with D’Andre Swift, who the team took in the second round out of Georgia. Swift has a solid 74 overall rating and a nice 89 speed rating that could help him make some big plays as a receiving back out of the backfield. He won’t be quite as well-known as the other cheap RBs on this slate and the Lions may be forced to throw a lot if they’re playing from behind in Green Bay.
Other Option — Tarik Cohen ($3,800), Jaylen Samuels ($3,200)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Davante Adams, GB vs. DET, $7,800 — Adams is the highest-rated WR on the board with his 94 overall rating and is typically the go-to option for Rodgers, as we saw throughout our previous sim season when he hauled in 31 touchdowns in 51 games while racking up over 4,000 yards receiving. Adams typically gets heavy volume since there is a pronounced drop off to the other WR options in Green Bay and has a very good matchup against the Lions’ secondary.
Other Options — Odell Beckham Jr. ($7,400), Adam Thielen ($7,200)
Value
Marvin Jones Jr., DET at GB, $5,300 — Jones and Jarvis Landry ($5,800) are the two highest-rated WR2s on this slate checking in with the same 85 overall rating. Jones was more consistent in the previous version of Madden and I think he will be again in this version. He brings a very high 90 awareness rating along with a 90 catching rating and a 90 catching in traffic rating. If Kenny Golladay ($6,300) gets locked down by Jaire Alexander, it will leave Jones to match up against some of the lower-rated Packers CBs in a matchup that should tilt his direction. I also think it’s likely that the Lions will play from behind, which means they’ll have to throw a lot.
Ted Ginn Jr., CHI at MIN, $3,300 — Ginn is extremely affordable for someone with the big-play ability his ratings indicate he still has and he slots in as the WR2 for Chicago after joining the team this offseason. Ginn was very productive in the previous version of Madden when he was the WR2 for the Saints. Changing offenses is definitely a downgrade for the veteran but he’s still going to be very involved and makes for a great bargain by at just over the minimum.
Other Options — Marquez Valdes-Scantling ($4,800), Diontae Johnson ($3,200)
Tight End
Stud
Eric Ebron, PIT vs. CLE, $5,200 — In the 6 p.m. ET matchup, we get our first look at a pair of TE making their debut with their new teams. While Austin Hooper ($5,700) has the higher overall rating (and higher salary as a result), I actually like Ebron’s matchup and skillset to be a great fit with Pittsburgh. He has a little more big-play potential with his higher 87 speed rating and has a significantly higher break tackle rating. Hooper also has to deal with Minkah Fitzpatrick and the tough Steelers DST while Ebron gets a nice soft matchup with the Browns, who have been typically generous to opposing TE, both in previous Madden sims and in the real world.
Other Option — Austin Hooper ($5,700)
Value
T.J. Hockenson, DET at GB, $4,700 — Hockenson will be entering his second season with the Lions and he will be working his way back from an ankle injury that cut short his rookie year. He’s fully healthy in simland, though, and the highest rated of the second group of TEs in several key categories like speed (82) and all three route running ratings (short-73, mid-71, deep-65). He also has a solid 82 speed rating, so he can make things happen after the catch as well. He has a very high ceiling as he showed in last year’s game and will likely be the most involved of the three cheaper options under $5K.
Other Option — Marcedes Lewis ($4,300)
DST
Stud
Vikings DST vs. CHI, $3,300 — The Vikings were one of the best fantasy defenses in Madden 2020 and racked up 49 takeaways and 109 sacks in 50 sims. Minnesota will look to pick up where they left off in their first Madden 21 game against the Bears. Harrison Smith still leads the way with his X-factor of Reinforcement and Danielle Hunter still brings his X-factor of Unstoppable Force. They’ll be joined with Superstar traits this season by linebacker Eric Kendricks as well, who is excellent in pass coverage and has an 89 overall rating.
Other Option — Steelers ($3,000)
Value
Packers DST vs. DET, $2,800 — Even though I like some of the Lions individually, I think the Detroit offense will struggle overall. The Packers have a solid defense led by shutdown CB Jaire Alexander, who is an X-factor Superstar, along with Superstar pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Kenny Clark. Green Bay didn’t force turnovers at the same rate as the Vikings in the previous version of Madden but did rack up more sacks and defensive TDs. If you need the salary savings, they’re definitely a pivot to consider.
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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.