With the holiday weekend behind us, the DraftKings Dream Stream is back to its full schedule of six Madden sims per day this Tuesday, with the Madden simulated season winding down. The three games on the featured classic slate are each part of Week 16 in the upcoming NFL season, and that slate kicks off at 6:00 p.m. ET when the Detroit Lions visit the Atlanta Falcons. At 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime, the New York Jets host the Jacksonville Jaguars, and we close out the slate with a Madden After Dark matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Houston Texans, who are each in a playoff position in the current standings.
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
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions, $7,200 — If there is ever a scenario to pass on an elite rushing QB like Deshaun Watson ($8,100), this is it. Ryan is an elite passer in a great matchup while Watson is in a matchup against an excellent defense where he is high-risk. Watson always has a high ceiling, but he’s also much more expensive, and Ryan should be poised to match or even exceed Watson’s production against the Lions’ lowly-rated secondary. The veteran QB still has Julio Jones ($7,400) in these sims and has averaged 267.3 passing yards over his 96 sims while throwing 196 touchdowns. He had 19.34, 23.48, 19.28, 17.64, 15.3 and 24.32 DKFP in his previous matchups with the Lions and is coming off a solid 17.24 DKFP against the 49ers in his most recent sim.
Other Option — Deshaun Watson ($8,100)
Value
Gardner Minshew II, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets, $5,700 — Minshew is definitely volatile, but he brings a very high ceiling as the cheapest starting QB on the slate. He has over 16 DKFP in three of his past five games and in four of his six matchups with the Jets in Madden 21. He went off for 26.6 and 24.56 DKFP in two of those matchups against the Jets and would be an awesome value if he has that kind of production in this rematch. He isn’t a lock, but his upside is hard to ignore if you want to pay up for multiple studs in other roster spots.
Other Option — Justin Herbert ($6,000)
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Running Back
Stud
Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans, $7,500 — Ekeler is the all-purpose RB for the Chargers and has been a workhorse throughout Madden 21. In his 96 sims, he has 82 touchdowns and has averaged 69.8 rushing yards, 3.8 catches and 28.8 receiving yards per sim. He had a down game the first time these two teams met in Madden 21 but has been rolling lately with over 12 DKFP in seven straight and in 12 of his past 13.
Other Option — Todd Gurley II ($6,900), Chris Thompson ($6,000)
Value
Duke Johnson, Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $4,300 — On the other side of the late game, the Texans use a timeshare in the backfield and Duke Johnson is the third-down back. He has averaged 2.4 catches for 18.7 receiving yards in addition to his 12.7 rushing yards over his 87 sims. He has over 7.0 DKFP in five straight sims, making him the best cheap RB play.
Other Option — D’Andre Swift ($5,200)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions, $7,400 — Jones has been one of the best WRs in Madden 21, and the Lions don’t have anyone in the secondary who can match up with him. In each of his four most recent meetings with Detroit, Jones has over 18 DKFP, highlighted by nine catches for 129 yards and 24.9 DKFP in one of those contests. He is averaging 5.3 catches for 83.9 yards per game with a total of 68 touchdowns and exactly 500 receptions in 94 sims.
Other Options — DJ Chark Jr. ($6,100), Marvin Jones Jr. ($5,700)
Value
Jamison Crowder, New York Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $4,900 — Serving as the Jets’ WR1, Crowder works as the primary slot receiver and has averaged 3.8 catches for 46.9 yards per game. He had 111 yards and 20.1 DKFP against the Dolphins in his most recent sim and has posted at least 8.0 DKFP in eight of his 11 most recent contests. He had eight catches, two touchdowns and 27.3 DKFP the last time he faced the Jags.
Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons, $4,100 — Amendola has also had success out of the slot even though he is the Lions’ WR3. He had at least three catches in five of his six earlier meetings with Atlanta, highlighted by a 21-DKFP performance in which he totaled exactly 100 yards.
Other Options — Keenan Allen ($5,500), Dede Westbrook ($4,600), Chris Hogan ($4,300), Joe Reed ($3,900), Russell Gage ($3,600)
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Tight End
Stud
Chris Herndon, New York Jets vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, $4,700 — Herndon has a good matchup against the Jags, who have been beatable by TEs in these sims. He has also been very involved in the Jets’ offense, averaging 4.7 catches for 47.8 yards per sim. With his consistent workload, Herndon is a low-risk play on this slate.
Other Option — T.J. Hockenson ($5,400)
Value
Tyler Eifert, Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets, $3,700 — This is a surprisingly affordable salary for Eifert, who averages over 10 DKFP on 4.3 catches for 40.7 yards per game. The PPR beast had a three-touchdown game in one of his earlier games against the Jets, finishing with 39.4 DKFP. While he probably won’t reach that ceiling in this rematch, he’s by far the best play under $4K at any position.
Other Option — Hunter Henry ($4,300), Darren Fells ($4,000)
DST
Stud
Chargers DST at Houston Texans, $3,100 — The Chargers do a good job limiting opponents’ scoring, and they produce turnovers as well. In their 96 sims, they have 86 takeaways to go with 209 sacks and six defensive touchdowns. For the Texans, Watson has been great but also turnover-prone at times, so the Bolts’ defense remains a solid play.
Value
Texans DST vs. Los Angeles Chargers, $2,800 — Since both teams run a lot, this should be a fast-moving, low-scoring contest, and the Texans’ defense has been stepping up and making plays lately. Houston has at least 6.0 DKFP in four of five sims including a 12.0-DKFP game against the Jags in its most recent contest. J.J. Watt leads a strong pass rush that has multiple sacks in six of its past seven sims.
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