It’s crunch time as playoff races heat up with just a few games left in this Madden simulated season on the DraftKings Dream Stream. All three of the games on the featured classic slate are in domes, so the wild weather we usually have on Wednesday will not be impacting these contests. The action starts at 6:00 p.m. ET when the Washington Football Team takes on the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC East contest. In primetime, the AFC West takes center stage when the Las Vegas Raiders host the Denver Broncos, and we close the slate out with a non-divisional game between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints, which is currently scheduled to be the Monday Night Football matchup of Week 16.
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
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints vs. Miami Dolphins, $6,800 — The Falcons’ loss Tuesday night to the Lions opens up a chance for the Saints to catch them at the top of the division if they can get a win in this sim against Miami. Brees is the best QB option on this relatively thin slate, and he has been playing well lately with over 21 DKFP in four of his past six games. Overall, he is averaging 261.9 passing yards in his 101 sims in Madden 21 with 166 touchdowns. He struggles outside in the elements but gets this matchup with the Dolphins’ underwhelming secondary in the cozy home confines of the virtual Superdome.
Other Option — Dak Prescott ($6,700)
Value
Drew Lock, Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders, $5,700 — Lock has been very inconsistent in these sims and sometimes looks lost due to his low awareness rating. There is some upside here too, though, especially against the Raiders. Lock has multiple touchdown passes and at least 14 DKFP in five of his past six games, highlighted by an impressive 27.2-DKFP performance against the Eagles. He had 16.82, 24.36, 13.72 and 17.38 DKFP in his four earlier matchups with Vegas, so even though he’s normally a stay-away option, he actually becomes my favorite value play on this slate.
Other Option — Tua Tagovailoa ($5,900)
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Running Back
Stud
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. Miami Dolphins, $7,300 — Kamara has been on a touchdown binge, leading the Saints to surge back into the race for the division. He has scored six touchdowns over his past five games, averaging 23.7 DKFP per sim over that span. Overall, he has 86 touchdowns in 101 sims, averaging 56.3 rushing yards, 30.7 receiving yards and 18.0 DKFP per contest. He can star as both rusher and receiver and posted 19.0 DKFP in his most recent meeting with Miami.
Other Option — Ezekiel Elliott ($7,900), J.D. McKissic ($6,600)
Value
Jalen Richard, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Denver Broncos, $4,300 — There haven’t been a lot of fantasy options to love on the Raiders in these sims, but Richard makes a ton of sense as a value RB since his role as third-down back keeps him involved. He had a touchdown and 16.3 DKFP against the Chiefs in his most recent sim and has over 8.5 DKFP in three of his past five. He had a touchdown and 14.3 DKFP the most recent time he faced the Broncos and over 12 DKFP in two of their three previous meetings as well.
Other Option — Phillip Lindsay ($4,600)
Wide Receiver
Stud
Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team, $6,700 — Cooper comes into this divisional matchup red hot with four touchdowns in his past five contests and at least 120 yards in three of those five games. He had nine catches for 129 yards two sims ago in this same matchup and followed that up with 11 catches, a touchdown and 37.0 DKFP against the Giants in his most recent sim. He has 57 touchdowns and has averaged 4.5 catches for 72.3 yards per sim and has posted over 15 DKFP in five of seven meetings with Washington.
Other Options — Michael Thomas ($7,300), DeVante Parker ($6,100)
Value
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders, $5,400 — Sutton hasn’t been a consistent play despite being the Broncos’ WR1, but in this matchup, he makes a ton of sense either stacked with Lock or even on his own. He had 23.8 DKFP in his most recent sim against the Raiders after posting 10.5, 7.7 and 27.9 DKFP in their first three meetings in Madden 21. He has been more boom than bust lately with over 12 DKFP and a touchdown in three of his past five contests.
Jakeem Grant, Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints, $3,900 — Grant brings a high ceiling for a player under $4K due to his speed rating and regular involvement as the Dolphins’ WR3. He has over 8.0 DKFP in eight of his past nine games and posted over 23.0 DKFP twice during that span. He also had multiple catches in each of his three prior matchups with the Saints in Madden 21.
Other Options — Emmanuel Sanders ($5,600), Michael Gallup ($5,200), Tre’Quan Smith ($4,500), CeeDee Lamb ($3,500)
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Tight End
Stud
Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders vs. Denver Broncos, $5,100 — Waller is the fastest TE in Madden 21 and can make big plays down the field. He has at least three catches in each of his matchups with the Broncos with four catches, 40 yards and 14 DKFP in their meeting earlier this sim season.
Other Options — Jared Cook ($4,800), Mike Gesicki ($4,700)
Value
Jeremy Sprinkle, Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys, $4,100 — Sprinkle had a touchdown and 12.1 DKFP in his meeting with Dallas two sims ago and has over a dozen fantasy points in four straight meetings with his division rival. Sprinkle has averaged 3.9 catches for 43.4 yards per sim while scoring 31 touchdowns, making him Washington’s most reliable pass-catcher for fantasy.
DST
Stud
Washington Football Team DST at Dallas Cowboys, $3,200 — Like in real life, Washington’s pass rush is outstanding in Madden 21. In the past four games, Washington has produced at least 6.0 DKFP three times, totaling four takeaways and 10 sacks. Overall, the team has 193 sacks in 94 sims and has averaged a slate-leading 5.9 DKFP per contest.
Value
Saints DST vs. Miami Dolphins, $2,800 — With Cameron Jordan leading a solid pass rush against a rookie QB in Tua Tagovailoa ($5,900), things are set up well for the Saints’ defense as well. The Saints have totaled eight sacks in their three previous meetings with Miami and are averaging a solid 4.2 DKFP on 34 takeaways and 192 sacks in 101 sims.
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