Wednesday's early Madden slate on DraftKings has three games: DET @ SF, NO @ NE and NYG @ CHI. The salary cap is $50,000, and the slate locks Wed 10/28 at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).
Our model's top plays start with the backs. Jahmyr Gibbs of DET costs $7,900 and carries a ceiling of 42.2 against a DraftKings average of 21.7. Christian McCaffrey of SF is $8,000 with a 42.0 ceiling and a 21.6 average. Travis Etienne Jr. of NO is cheaper at $6,700, with a 41.6 ceiling and an 18.2 average. At quarterback, Drake Maye of NE is $6,700 with a 39.5 ceiling and an 18.0 average.
The value plays are where the model finds its edge. Darnell Mooney of NYG is only $3,900, yet his 42.7 ceiling is the highest of any player in our top group, and his DraftKings average is 16.0. Jaxson Dart, the other NYG name, is a $6,000 quarterback with a 36.1 ceiling and a 16.3 average. For tight end, Sam LaPorta of DET is $5,900 with a 38.5 ceiling.
The crowd will be heavy on the obvious names. Projected ownership has McCaffrey at 73%, Gibbs at 60% and A.J. Brown at 59%. Maye is projected at 37% and Etienne at 41%, while Mooney sits at just 11% and Dart at 17%. That gap makes Mooney the clearest way to separate a lineup from the field without giving up ceiling.
Our model's top lineup uses all $50,000 of the cap. It starts with Maye at QB, then McCaffrey and Gibbs at RB. The receivers are Darius Slayton at $4,300, Mooney at $3,900 and De'Zhaun Stribling at $3,400. LaPorta takes the tight end spot, Etienne fills the FLEX at $6,700, and the 49ers defense rounds it out at $3,200.
Set your lineups before lock at 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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