We’ve reached Week 12 in the Madden simulated season, and there are six games ready to roll this Tuesday on the DraftKings Dream Stream. The featured classic slate is comprised of the second half of the day’s schedule, which begins when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Indianapolis Colts at 6:00 p.m. ET. In primetime at 8:00 p.m. ET, the Houston Texans host the New York Jets, and in the final game of the day, the New Orleans Saints will take on the Buffalo Bills in the virtual Big Easy on Madden After Dark.
As you build your lineups, be sure to consider 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
Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans vs. New York Jets, $8,400 — Although the Texans beat the Titans their most recent sim, it was a down game for Watson, who finished with only 16.56 DKFP after posting over 23 DKFP in his five previous games and averaging 32.7 DKFP over that stretch. He has run for at least 70 yards in eight of his past 10 sims and is averaging 71.7 rushing yards to go with his 195.1 passing yards per sim. He will be facing the Jets for the fifth time and has had great results in their earlier meetings, totaling 29.2, 40.48, 24.46 and 33.64 DKFP. Even though he’s the most expensive QB on the slate, his dual-threat production and high ceiling make him the top play of the night.
Other Option — Josh Allen ($7,500)
Value
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts, $6,300 — Brady and the Bucs lost to the Giants on Monday, and TB12 finished with 15.72 DKFP on 193 passing yards with two touchdowns. He has multiple touchdowns in five of his past six sims and over 14 DKFP in all six of those games. This matchup against Indianapolis should set him up for even more success since the Colts are only 1-10 in large part due to their struggling secondary. His ceiling isn’t as high as Watson’s, but he’s a solid play at this salary.
Other Option — Sam Darnold ($5,700)
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Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. Buffalo Bills, $6,800 — Since Buffalo has an elite secondary, teams are often forced to rely on their running game when taking on the Bills. Kamara could be lined up for a big game as a result, and he had four touchdowns against the Bills in one of their Madden 2020 meetings. In Madden 21, he is averaging 17.8 DKFP per sim on 55.6 rushing yards, 30.4 receiving yards and 3.9 catches per contest, and he has scored 81 touchdowns in 97 sims. He has double-digit DKFP in eight of his past nine contests and his multi-faceted involvement makes him a lower risk of busting.
Other Option — Le’Veon Bell ($6,600)
Value
LeSean McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts, $3,500 — McCoy continues to be extremely cheap given his regular involvement as the Bucs’ third-down specialty back. He has had a few down games lately but is still averaging 3.2 catches per contest. He had 7.0 DKFP against the Colts in their previous matchup and would be a solid cheap play even if he only ends up around that total once again, which is below his average of 8.0 DKFP per sim.
Other Options — Leonard Fournette ($5,100), Duke Johnson ($4,400)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs. Buffalo Bills, $7,200 — I don’t love the matchup for Thomas since he could end up guarded by X-factor Superstar CB Tre’Davious White, but the rest of the top WR options on this slate have been so inconsistent that Thomas remains the best play. He did have four catches, 113 yards and 24.3 DKFP against White in their first meeting in Madden 21 and also comes in on a nice roll, scoring seven touchdowns over his five most recent contests while averaging 20.3 DKFP during that run.
Other Options — Chris Godwin ($6,000), Brandin Cooks ($5,900)
Value
Jamison Crowder, New York Jets at Houston Texans, $4,500 — The Texans’ secondary has been one of the most generous in Madden 21, and Crowder should get heavy targets as the Jets’ WR1 working out of the slot. He has averaged 3.7 catches per sim overall and posted two of his 26 touchdowns in one of his earlier matchups with Houston on his way to 22.3 DKFP. He could be in for a similar monster performance if he gets the workload in this rematch.
Parris Campbell, Indianapolis Colts vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $4,400 — While he is only the Colts’ WR3, Campbell is the team’s primary slot receiver, and his 94 speed rating gives him nice big-play potential. He has at least four catches in four straight sims, highlighted by a monster 28.2-DKFP performance against the Jaguars. Tampa Bay’s secondary has been a solid matchup to target, and Campbell brings a high ceiling if he gets loose for a long touchdown.
Other Options — Tre’Quan Smith ($4,700), Chris Hogan ($4,300), Scotty Miller ($3,600)
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Tight End
Stud
Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints vs. Buffalo Bills, $5,000 — The Bills’ elite CBs often force opposing offenses to focus more on their TE, which resulted in seven catches for 12.6 DKFP for Cook the first time he faced Buffalo in Madden 21. He is averaging over 5.0 catches per sim and has at least four catches in four straight. His consistent volume makes him low risk and gives him a high ceiling as well.
Other Options — Trey Burton ($5,500), Chris Herndon ($4,500)
Value
Darren Fells, Houston Texans vs. New York Jets, $4,200 — Fells has been a big target both literally and figuratively for Watson and the Texans. The former professional basketball player has hauled in 4.1 catches for 41.4 yards per sim and is a reliable producer even though his upside is limited since the playbook doesn’t call for him to run many vertical routes.
DST
Stud/Value
Buccaneers DST at Indianapolis Colts, $2,900 — For under $3K, the Bucs are my favorite DST of the day. They are a fairly reliable fantasy unit due to their impressive pass rush that has produced 234 sacks in 96 sims (2.4 per game). They had three sacks and 3.0 DKFP against the Colts in their first Madden 21 meeting and should be able to do even better in this rematch since the Colts have been so bad lately, going 1-10 during this simulated season while being outscored by 93 points. Tampa Bay also comes in hot, averaging 9.8 DKFP over its five most recent games.
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