The DraftKings Dream Stream is ready to bring you some Tuesday night simulated football with six games throughout the day, highlighted by the three-game classic slate starting at 6:00 p.m. ET. The first game on that slate brings plenty of drama as Tom Brady ($6,800) leads his Tampa Bay Buccaneers against Jimmy Garoppolo ($6,000) and the San Francisco 49ers. At 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime, the Indianapolis Colts visit the Dallas Cowboys, and we close out the night with a Madden After Dark matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions at 10:00 p.m. ET.
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
Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers, $6,800 — Brady hasn’t been elite in these sims, but he does have a high ceiling that is touchdown-dependent. He has shown both positive and negative extremes in his two games against San Francisco with only 4.46 DKFP and no touchdowns in one matchup and 24.12 DKFP with two touchdowns in their other meeting. Of the QBs on the slate, though, he makes the most sense since he does have that ceiling and had hit for at least 16 DKFP in five straight before a down game against the Falcons in his most recent sim. He should be able to bounce back on the road, where he has actually been slightly better than at home in these Madden 21 sims.
Other Option — Matthew Stafford ($6,200)
Value
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers at Detroit Lions, $5,800 — Herbert is the cheapest starting QB in play on this slate, but I love his matchup against the Lions. The rookie has also shown a high ceiling with 211.1 passing yards per sim and 138 touchdowns in 96 sims. The Lions’ secondary has struggled and allowed Herbert to put up 17.06, 10.64 and 16.64 DKFP in their three previous meetings. At such a discount, Herbert doesn’t have to do too much to be a good play since the salary saved can help you stock stars in other roster spots.
Other Option — Philip Rivers ($6,100)
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Running Back
Stud
Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts, $7,800 — This slate features a stacked group of elite RBs, but Elliott comes into the matchup in excellent form and should be set up to feast. He has eight rushing scores in his seven most recent sims, bringing his total to 102 touchdowns in 98 sims to go with his 84.6 rushing yards, 3.0 catches and 21.8 receiving yards per contest. He posted 26.4, 27.4 and 29.8 DKFP in three previous meetings with the Colts and should dominate the matchup once again.
Other Options — Raheem Mostert ($8,200), Austin Ekeler ($7,700)
Value
LeSean McCoy, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers, $3,700 — McCoy is ridiculously cheap given his consistent role as the Bucs’ third-down back. He has hauled in 3.1 catches for 21.6 yards per sim and also has multiple catches in five straight. He had a rushing touchdown in each of his two earlier contests against the 49ers, finishing with 15.1 and 15.2 DKFP. He brings both steady value and a high ceiling for a player under $4K.
Other Option — D’Andre Swift ($4,600)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers at Detroit Lions, $5,900 — Allen is almost always a good source of PPR production and should be able to find plenty of space out of the slot against the Lions’ secondary. He had 27.1, 15.6 and 15.7 DKFP in his three previous matchups with Detroit, producing at least five catches in each contest. He also has at least five catches in four straight sims, highlighted by a 10-catch performance against the Ravens, showing how high his upside can be.
Other Option — Amari Cooper ($6,300), Mike Evans ($6,000)
Value
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $5,300 — Like Allen, Samuel is a WR1 that works as his team’s primary slot option, which makes his volume fairly consistent. He had 10.5 and 12.1 DKFP in his two earlier meetings with the Bucs and has over 21 DKFP in two of his past five games, flashing very nice upside when the 49ers have to throw against defenses that slow down their preferred rushing attack.
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $4,400 — Let’s stick with another slot WR for the third selection on the slate and roll with Amendola. He’s extremely affordable for an option that has averaged 3.7 catches for 42.8 yards per sim with 27 total touchdowns. Two of those scores came in his three earlier matchups with the Chargers, and he had at least four catches in each contest, finishing with 16.9, 6.7, and 16.5 DKFP.
Other Options — Kenny Golladay ($5,700), Michael Gallup ($4,700), Scotty Miller ($4,000), Parris Campbell ($3,700)
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Tight End
Stud
Trey Burton, Indianapolis Colts at Dallas Cowboys, $5,200 — The Colts’ offense hasn't been the source of much fantasy goodness recently in Madden 21, but Burton has been the exception since he gets such a high volume from Philip Rivers ($6,100). Burton has averaged 4.9 catches for 53.5 yards per sim since taking over the starting role and has posted 12.8 and 11.4 DKFP in his two most recent matchups with the Cowboys. Burton had 12 DKFP or more in five of his previous seven sims and should be busy again in this contest.
Other Options — T.J. Hockenson ($5,300)
Value
Rob Gronkowski, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers, $3,900 — Gronk’s salary was over $5K just four sims ago and now it dips all the way under $4K. He has been volatile but brings very good upside if he gets attention from Brady. He had 10 catches and 19.8 DKFP in one of his two earlier meetings with the 49ers but only 4.4 DKFP in the rematch. He’s boom-or-bust but a good play under $4K if you have to go cheap.
DST
Stud
Chargers DST at Detroit Lions, $3,000 — The Chargers have forced 91 turnovers in 102 sims and picked up 218 sacks to go with six defensive touchdowns. A matchup with the Lions should allow them to continue their strong production, and they had 14, 12 and 4 DKFP in their previous Madden 21 meetings with Detroit.
Value
Cowboys DST vs. Indianapolis Colts, $2,700 — The Colts’ offense has also struggled, so the Cowboys are a relatively safe play even though they don’t have the Chargers’ upside. Dallas does have 196 sacks in 98 sims but hasn’t had as many big plays, only forcing 40 turnovers and scoring six touchdowns.
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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.