On Friday night, the DraftKings Dream Stream wraps up the Sweet 16, and the final two teams advance to the Elite Eight of the 2021 Madden Bracket Tourney. You can follow the results and get all the depth charts and gameplay details on the Madden Streams Information Page and make sure to catch special offers on the main bracket page.
The featured late classic slate gets underway at 8:00 p.m. ET when the Seattle Seahawks take on the Cleveland Browns, and the Sweet 16 concludes when the Miami Dolphins visit the Kansas City Chiefs, who are the No. 2 overall seed.
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Quarterback
Stud
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, $7,900 — No one comes close to matching Mahomes’ numbers as a passer, although Russell Wilson ($7,100) joins him as an elite play due to his rushing upside. Mahomes has averaged 286.1 yards per game and totaled 201 touchdowns in 75 sims. The Dolphins’ secondary doesn’t have enough highly-rated players to slow down Mahomes and his myriad of skilled pass-catching options. He has over 23 DKFP in five straight, while Wilson has been held under 20 DKFP in five of his past 10 and only managed 13.54 and 13.0 DKFP in two earlier matchups with the Browns.
Value
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs, $5,700 — Tua has tossed multiple touchdowns in six of his past eight sims and has totaled 101 scores in 61 sims. He had 91 rushing yards and 292 passing yards on his way to 26.78 DKFP in Miami’s first-round win over the Patriots. Depending on game script, Tagovailoa may have to throw more than normal to keep up with the Chiefs, and I like his ceiling as a play under $6K.
Other Option — Baker Mayfield ($5,400)
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Running Back
Stud
Matt Breida, Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs, $7,100 — Even if the Dolphins throw more, Breida makes sense due to his role as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. He has averaged 3.7 catches for 31.2 receiving yards along with his 56.6 rushing yards per sim. He also comes in on a nice roll with over 20 DKFP in four straight sims, highlighted by the overtime walk-off touchdown against the Patriots in Round 1.
Other Option — Clyde Edwards-Helaire ($6,200)
Value
Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns, $4,100 — Carson is the Seahawks’ RB1 and third-down back, although he does share time in the backfield with Carlos Hyde ($4,200). Despite usually getting the majority of the work, Carson has had disappointing results lately with under 3.0 DKFP in three of his past four games. He also brings a lot of upside at this bargain salary, though, as he showcased with 26.8 DKFP on 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns the last time Seattle beat Cleveland.
Other Options — Kareem Hunt ($5,000), Carlos Hyde ($4,200)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, $7,700 — Hill’s perfect 99 speed rating makes him virtually unguardable, which is why he’s averaging 6.2 catches for 91.9 yards per sim and has scored 64 touchdowns in 75 sims. He has at least six catches and at least 14 DKFP in each of his past five games, averaging 24.9 DKFP per sim over that span.
Other Option — DK Metcalf ($6,100)
Value
Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, $4,400 — Robinson is the Chiefs’ WR3 but has been very involved, averaging 2.8 catches per sim and scoring 28 touchdowns, including three scores in his five most recent contests. Miami’s secondary will be at a ratings deficit in every matchup, so it’s really just a question of who gets the opportunities from Mahomes.
Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs, $3,800 — Grant had two touchdowns and 21.5 DKFP against the Patriots in Round 1 and has now scored 18 times in Miami’s 67 sims. His 95 speed rating makes him a big-play threat, and if the Dolphins go pass-heavy, he’ll have a very high ceiling in Round 2.
Other Options — DeVante Parker ($5,600), Tyler Lockett ($4,000)
Tight End
Stud
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins, $5,900 — Kelce only had five catches in Round 1 against the Jets, but two were touchdowns on his way to 19.5 DKFP. He has at least that many DKFP in four of his past five sims, averaging 21.7 DKFP. Kelce is averaging 5.7 catches per contest and always has a high ceiling due to his consistent target share.
Other Options — Mike Gesicki ($5,200)
Value
Greg Olsen, Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns, $4,400 — Olsen has at least four catches in four straight sims and in six of his past seven. He doesn’t have quite as high a ceiling as Kelce but is consistently involved in Seattle’s passing offense and usually hits for double-digit DKFP. The Browns have struggled against TEs in Madden, so Olsen is also in a good spot.
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST at Cleveland Browns, $3,000 — The Seahawks’ defense has forced 65 turnovers in 67 games while adding 143 sacks (2.1 per sim). They held the Browns to a total of 22 points in two earlier Madden 21 matchups, producing 8.0 and 6.0 DKFP.
Value
Chiefs DST vs. Miami Dolphins, $2,800 — The Chiefs’ defense hasn’t been nearly as productive as the Seahawks with 45 turnovers and 123 sacks in eight more games than Seattle. However, the Chiefs have a favorable matchup against Miami and have the ceiling to match Seattle if their playmakers step up and Tua struggles.
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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.