Even with the NBA in the midst of the All-Star break, there are still some great DFS opportunities on DraftKings, focused on the six Madden sims lined up as part of the Dream Stream. There are two classic slates available in addition to the six showdown slates on tap for Tuesday, and the later three games make up the featured three-game classic slate, which kicks off at 6:00 p.m. ET. The first matchup promises to be a fun NFC contest between the Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints in the virtual Superdome. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the Carolina Panthers roll into the Big Apple to face the New York Jets, and on Madden After Dark, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers try their luck with a visit to the Las Vegas Raiders.
As in all of these Madden 21 sims, it’s important to know that each roster is not impacted by COVID-19 opt-outs, injuries, suspensions or illness and that the highest-rated options have been placed at the top of the depth charts. The roster for each team includes all player movement that occurred prior to Week 1 of this season and uses the Madden 21 ratings from Week 1 of this season.
For more details, you can find the game settings, depth charts, abilities and X-factors for each team in Madden 21 along with the upcoming schedule on the Madden Stream info page. There were a few tweaks to the X-factors and Superstars in the latest December update, so be sure to check the depth charts of each team.
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
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints, $7,600 — The Seahawks and Saints met just two sims ago, and Wilson posted a solid 20.84 DKFP despite a 24-17 loss. Wilson hasn’t been quite as consistently excellent as he was early in the sims, but he still brings tons of upside due to this dual-threat abilities to pile up points as both rusher and passer. Wilson has thrown multiple scores in five of his past six contests while also running for two touchdowns over that span to average 24.4 DKFP. He definitely has the highest ceiling of any QB on this slate due to his potential rushing points, but he also is low-risk since he usually produces good numbers one way or the other in these Madden 21 sims.
Other Option — Tom Brady ($6,400), Drew Brees ($5,900)
Value
Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina Panthers at New York Jets, $5,700 — Bridgewater will be taking on his former team, the Jets, for the first time in these Madden 21 sims. He has a nice group of speedy receivers to throw to in Carolina and has been able to average 17.3 DKFP on 221.6 passing yards and 13.3 rushing yards per sim over his first 50 sims in Madden 21. He has 76 touchdown passes and has added seven more scores on the ground. Even though the Jets aren’t an easy defensive matchup, he should be able to hit for some big plays since New York’s secondary has been vulnerable to the deep ball to speedy WRs like Curtis Samuel ($5,700), DJ Moore ($5,500) and former-Jet Robby Anderson ($3,800).
Other Option — Derek Carr ($5,800)
Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks, $7,300 — Getting his X-factor back in the December update from EA Sports has definitely pushed Kamara to another level of both reliability and effectiveness. He has posted over 20 DKFP in six of his past 11 sims, including 29.7 DKFP against the Seahawks two sims ago when he ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns while adding a couple of catches for 14 more yards. Kamara has multiple receptions in 11 of his past 12 sims and his work as a pass-catcher makes him both more productive and more reliable for this rematch with Seattle’s defense.
Other Options — Le’Veon Bell ($6,600)
Value
Jalen Richard, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $4,700 — Both third-down backs in this Raiders-Bucs matchup are solid values, but I’ll give Richard a slight edge over LeSean McCoy ($4,600) due to his consistent involvement and the fact that I think the Raiders will be playing this game from behind and throwing the ball more as a result. Richard scored his 12th touchdown in 50 Madden 21 sims in his most recent contest against the Ravens and finished with 14.7 DKFP. He has over 7.5 DKFP in four of his past five games and has multiple receptions in nine straight contests. He brings good PPR production to every sim and can break big plays if he finds space.
Other Option — LeSean McCoy ($4,600), Carlos Hyde ($4,300)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks, $6,300 — Despite being the only WR with a perfect 99 overall rating in the Week 1 ratings used for these sims, Thomas hasn’t been the most consistent producer. He does have a good matchup against the Seahawks, who he just beat for 65 yards, a touchdown and 16.5 DKFP, but he struggled with just 7.0 DKFP in his one more recent sim, which was against the Cardinals. Thomas had scored in seven straight sims before that letdown against Arizona and has totaled 37 touchdowns in his 59 Madden 21 contests. Due to his volume all over the field and especially in the red zone, he’s the top WR to target on this slate, since the other WR plays are even more volatile than Thomas has been in Madden 21.
Other Options — DK Metcalf ($6,400), Tyrell Williams ($5,800)
Value
Henry Ruggs III, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $5,600 — Ruggs has a 98 speed rating in these sims, which ranks him second in all of Madden behind only Tyreek Hill’s perfect 99 speed rating. Ruggs has used that speed to average 53.7 yards on 3.9 catches per sim as the Raiders’ WR2, and he has been especially effective lately with at least three receptions in five straight and seven of his past eight. Ruggs should be able to take advantage of the Bucs’ secondary, who have struggled against deep balls in Madden 21. Ruggs has posted double-digit DKFP in five of his past eight contests, highlighted by a 26.7-DKFP game against the Chargers.
Scotty Miller, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders, $3,700 — Miller is the Bucs’ WR3 in these sims since Antonio Brown is not on the depth chart. He has had a few quiet games, but he also comes with plenty of upside working opposite of Mike Evans ($5,900) with Chris Godwin ($6,000) moving to the slot. Miller has over 4.0 DKFP in five of his past six sims dating back to a 29.8-DKFP breakout game against the Eagles when he piled up 108 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa Bay’s 38-35 win. Miller brings that kind of ceiling as an ultra-cheap play and almost always finds a way to get involved with multiple receptions. He should have a ratings advantage against the Raiders’ secondary, so look for Miller to be a great option at this salary.
Other Options — DJ Moore ($5,500), Emmanuel Sanders ($4,300), Chris Hogan ($3,600), Hunter Renfrow ($3,500)
Tight End
Stud
Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $5,500 — The top two TEs on the slate go head-to-head in the late game, but Waller has been the more productive and consistently involved option, so I’ll give him the slight edge over Rob Gronkowski ($4,800). Waller has posted double-digit DKFP in four of his past five games after putting up 11.6 DKFP against the Raiders in his most recent contest. He has at least four catches in six of his past seven games and is averaging 4.6 catches for 56.6 yards per sim to go with his 16 touchdowns in 51 games.
Other Options — Rob Gronkowski ($4,800), Jared Cook ($4,700)
Value
Chris Herndon, New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers, $4,200 — The Jets’ offense has been up-and-down overall in these sims, but Herndon has been pretty reliable as one of Sam Darnold’s ($5,300) favorite targets. Herndon has hauled in 14 touchdowns in 53 sims while averaging 4.7 catches for 47.7 yards per game. His PPR numbers are actually better than Waller’s, although he doesn’t have the speed to make quite as many big plays. At barely over $4K, he’s a solid option as your TE or possibly even in a flex spot if you go with a two-TE alignment.
Other Option — Ian Thomas ($3,700)
DST
Stud
Jets DST vs. Carolina Panthers, $2,900 — Even after the trade of turnover-creator Jamal Adams, the Jets’ defense has been pretty solid in these sims, producing 5.5 DKFP per game, which is the second-highest mark of any team on this slate. The Jets have compiled 109 sacks and 32 takeaways in their 53 sims and have also scored six defensive touchdowns. The Panthers’ offense does have playmakers, but they have been inconsistent enough to still be an option you can target in this matchup.
Value
Seahawks DST at New Orleans Saints, $2,700 — The Seahawks were on the other side of the Jamal Adams trade, and the X-factor Superstar has helped them force 52 turnovers in 53 sims. The Seahawks’ defense has scored 10 touchdowns and started out Madden 21 as the best fantasy defense in the game. However, their production has dropped off lately, and it has been a while since they piled up a ton of takeaways. They didn’t have a single takeaway when they faced the Saints two sims ago, finishing with 3.0 DKFP on three sacks. That down game was part of a stretch of 5.0 DKFP or fewer in five of their past six contests. The ratings and potential are still there, but the recent downturn in production has dropped their salary to make them the lowest-priced DST on the slate.
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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.