Like last Friday, the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) will be taking place on the DraftKings Dream Stream this week, setting up a nice all-day slate of four Madden 21 sims in our ongoing Madden simulated season. The main-slate action starts at noon with a matchup between the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals and continues at 2:00 p.m. ET when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Chicago Bears. In the 4:00 p.m. ET contest, the San Francisco 49ers host the still-winless Indianapolis Colts, and we wrap up the slate with a 6:00 p.m. ET matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks. With eight teams to choose from, there are plenty of lineup options to consider, and you can find my favorite plays below.
You can keep up with the standings as the season continues and check out the depth charts for each team. If you’re looking for gameplay details for these sims along with the upcoming schedule, head over to the Madden Streams Information Page.
Quarterback
Stud
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints, $7,500 — Wilson gets a solid matchup in the late game vs. the Saints and has been rolling this season, producing at least 18 DKFP in 11 straight sims and averaging 25.64 DKFP during Seattle’s strong 5-1 start to the simulated season. Wilson has faced the Saints five times in Madden 21, averaging 18.9 DKFP per sim with over 20 DKFP in three of those matchups. Overall, he is averaging 21.8 DKFP on 191.2 passing yards and 59.6 rushing yards per sim.
Other Options — Deshaun Watson ($7,800), Kyler Murray ($6,900)
Value
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears, $6,600 — Brady is one of the best passers in Madden 21 but doesn’t add the rushing production of the options listed above. Brady has thrown multiple scores in two of his past three games and is usually a good fantasy play when he does that. He’s had at least 17 DKFP in each of his past four sims and 19.56 DKFP in his first matchup vs. the Bears, making him a solid play in this rematch if you decide to pass on paying up for a dual-threat option.
Other Option — Jimmy Garoppolo ($5,500)
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Running Back
Stud
Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts, $7,700 — Mostert is one of the early leading candidates for sim season MVP and has helped the Niners match the Seahawks’ 5-1 start in the NFC West. Mostert had over 25 DKFP in each of his first five sims this season and sunk to “only” 17.1 DKFP vs. Arizona in his most recent game. He should be set up to bounce back in a big way against the hapless Colts, who are 0-6 and have been outscored by 69 points in their six losses.
Other Option — Alvin Kamara ($7,100)
Value
Tarik Cohen, Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $4,400 — Cohen brings big-play potential and a high ceiling to his role as the third-down back for the Bears. He had six catches and 14.5 DKFP in his first game vs. the Bucs and posted over a dozen points in two of his past five contests. In his 85 sims, he is averaging 2.9 catches for 22 yards per sim and has scored 20 touchdowns.
Other Options — Carlos Hyde ($4,600), Duke Johnson ($4,300)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Allen Robinson II, Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $6,000 — Robinson had a monster game vs. the Packers with 6 catches, 129 yards and 21.9 DKFP in his most recent sim. He has over 13 DKFP in four of his six games this season, and Tampa’s secondary has been beatable on big plays in Madden 21. Robinson had one of his 30 touchdowns in his first game vs. the Bucs and finished with 9.2 DKFP. He can be boom-or-bust since Mitchell Trubisky ($7,300) is a volatile QB, but I like his upside vs. Tampa.
Other Options — Michael Thomas ($7,200), Brandin Cooks ($6,100)
Value
Tre’Quan Smith, New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks, $4,500 — Smith brings a lot of upside working as the Saints’ WR3 and has over 11 DKFP in five of his past seven games with seven touchdowns over that span. He also posted over 12 DKFP in three of his five previous meetings vs. the Seahawks, so this is a matchup in which he can thrive.
Kendrick Bourne, San Francisco 49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts, $4,300 — Another way to take advantage of a good matchup for San Francisco is by playing Bourne against the Colts’ secondary. Bourne has at least three catches in four of his past five sims, highlighted by a 146-yard game vs. the Eagles, which resulted in a massive 26.6 DKFP. He averages 10.7 DKFP per sim, which is a solid level of production for a player barely over $4K, especially with such a high ceiling, as well.
Other Options — Deebo Samuel ($4,900), Parris Campbell ($4,100), Scotty Miller ($3,300)
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Tight End
Stud
Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers, $5,400 — The Colts have been very inconsistent on offense, but Burton has been one reliable contributor with at least four catches in four of his past five games with four touchdowns and an average of 15 DKFP per sim during that stretch. He also had 24.1, 16.3 and 22.5 DKFP in his three earlier matchups vs. San Francisco, making him a great play in the rematch.
Other Options — George Kittle ($5,600), Rob Gronkowski ($5,200)
Value
Darren Fells, Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals, $4,000 — Fells is usually a solid value play since he typically gets plenty of catches. He has hauled in 4.1 catches for 41.1 yards per sim in his 82 contests, and the Cardinals have struggled to stop opposing TEs in Madden 21. Fells has at least 8 DKFP in five of his past seven games and has at least three catches in 14 of his past 15.
Other Option — Jared Cook ($4,400)
DST
Stud
Seahawks DST vs. New Orleans Saints, $3,200 — The Seahawks are averaging 7.1 DKFP per sim while no other team on this slate is producing even 5 DKFP. Seattle has forced 92 turnovers in 89 games with 185 sacks and 13 defensive touchdowns, so they have the best upside on the slate even though the Saints are a solid offensive unit.
Value
Cardinals DST vs. Houston Texans, $2,600 — Houston has struggled with turnovers at times, especially when Deshaun Watson ($7,800) tries to do too much. The Cardinals have only forced 25 turnovers in 83 sims but do have a good pass rush with 167 sacks in 83 sims, giving them the most upside of any cheap DST play on this 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.