After our entertaining Madden simulated season crowned the Seattle Seahawks as champions on Saturday night, the full six-sim schedule is back this Sunday on the DraftKings Dream Stream. The three-game featured slate includes the final three games on the docket, starting at 6:00 p.m. ET with a divisional contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the primetime spotlight shines on the Cleveland Browns welcoming in the Los Angeles Chargers, and we wrap up the night with the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Cincinnati Bengals 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
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $6,600 — Mayfield had put together a strong run of four straight sims with over 20 DKFP before slipping up in the season finale and only posting 6.02 DKFP against the Bengals in a loss that eliminated Cleveland from the postseason. Mayfield has been boom-or-bust in his four matchups against the Chargers, posting 5.68 and 12.6 DKFP in two disappointing showings but also producing 47.34 and 30.7 DKFP in two great games. While he is a volatile option and far from bust-proof, he brings significant enough upside that I think he’s the best pay-up option on this slate, especially in GPP formats where you’re looking to swing for the fences.
Other Option — Dak Prescott ($6,300)
Value
Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals, $5,800 — Minshew also brings good upside, especially in a favorable matchup against the Bengals. Minshew has averaged 15.8 DKFP overall in his 96 Madden 21 sims and has gone over that average in two of his previous three contests against Cincinnati. He has put up over 17 DKFP in four of his past eight sims and has thrown at least one touchdown in 10 straight contests.
Other Option — Joe Burrow ($6,100)
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Running Back
Stud
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns, $7,500 — Ekeler carried the Chargers to the No. 1 seed in the AFC in the simulated season, but they lost the first game after their bye week to the upstart Texans. Ekeler has totaled 86 touchdowns in his 101 sims while averaging 19.3 DKFP on 3.8 catches for 28.9 receiving yards to go with his 69.1 rushing yards per sim. He has posted at least 12 DKFP in 12 straight sims and has feasted against the Browns with 31.2, 27.7 and 21.9 DKFP in three of their four earlier head-to-head matchups.
Other Options — Ezekiel Elliott ($7,300), Chris Thompson ($5,900)
Value
Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars, $5,200 — The Browns and Bengals are the two teams on this slate who use timeshares at RB, and both third-down backs have been solid value plays. I prefer Bernard to Kareem Hunt ($4,900), mostly due to matchup and consistency. Bernard has multiple catches in five of his past six sims with three contests of double-digit DKFP during that stretch. He had 7.5, 14.1 and 14.1 DKFP in his three previous contests against the Jags.
Other Option — Kareem Hunt ($4,900)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns, $6,100 — Allen usually gets plenty of targets working as the Chargers’ WR1 and primary slot option. He is coming off a 10-catch game against the Ravens that resulted in 19.8 DKFP, giving him three straight sims in double digits and raising his average to 12.6 DKFP on 4.6 catches for 52.5 yards per game. Allen produced 10.7, 5.6, 14.7 and 27.3 DKFP in his four games against the Browns in Madden 21 and is the safest play in the top WR tier since he provides such consistent PPR production.
Other Option — Odell Beckham Jr. ($6,400), Amari Cooper ($5,900)
Value
DJ Chark Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cincinnati Bengals, $5,700 — When the Jags’ offense is rolling, Chark is usually the focal point. He has over 10 DKFP in five straight and had 10.8 and 17.3 DKFP in two of his three matchups with the Bengals. Chark has 47 touchdown catches in 96 sims and has been a true WR1 in the Jaguars’ offense, which makes him a very solid play under $6K on this slate.
Marquise Goodwin, Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, $4,700 — Goodwin has an impressive 97 speed rating which always gives him a high ceiling out of the slot for the Eagles. He had two catches and 5.9 DKFP against the Cowboys in his most recent sim and beat them for 20.5 and 36.8 DKFP in two of their three previous meetings after becoming the Eagles’ WR3. He offers a great ceiling at this price and always comes with loads of big-play potential.
Other Options — DeSean Jackson ($5,600), A.J. Green ($5,100), Dede Westbrook ($4,900), Michael Gallup ($4,500), Joe Reed ($3,200)
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Tight End
Stud
Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys, $5,200 — Ertz is the only truly elite play at TE on this slate, averaging 13.7 DKFP on 5.3 catches for 56.2 yards per sim. He has had mixed results against the Cowboys, though, with 6.6, 12.5, 22.2, 1.6 and 7.3 DKFP in their five previous meetings. He still brings the most consistency and upside of any TE on the slate, so pay up if possible.
Value
C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars, $3,800 — Uzomah is surprisingly cheap given his well-established role in the Bengals’ passing game. He has at least 7.0 DKFP in seven of his past eight sims even though he hasn’t scored in any of those contests. He did score in one of his three earlier games against the Jags, producing 9.8, 18.5 and 7.6 DKFP in those three contests. If you need a reliable play under $4K either at TE or FLEX, Uzomah is a great option to consider.
Other Options — Tyler Eifert ($4,100), Blake Jarwin ($4,000)
DST
Stud
Chargers DST at Cleveland Browns, $3,200 — The Chargers have some nice playmakers on their defense and have 218 sacks and 91 takeaways in their 101 sims. They have at least 5.0 DKFP in five of their past six games and posted at least that many in two of their four meetings with the Browns as well.
Value
Cowboys DST vs. Philadelphia Eagles, $2,800 — If you need a cheaper defense, the Cowboys offer steady production, even though their ceiling isn’t quite as high as the Chargers’ ceiling. They have 195 sacks in 97 sims but only 39 takeaways. Against the Eagles, Dallas just had 4.0 DKFP which is part of its current run of at least 4.0 DKFP in eight of nine sims.
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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.