Thursday's one-game Madden showdown puts LAC at ATL, with a $50,000 cap and a captain slot that scores 1.5x points at 1.5x salary. The slate locks Thu 10/29 at 4:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. PT).
Bijan Robinson of ATL is the top play by our model's ranking. He costs $11,400 and carries a 44.0 ceiling, well clear of everyone else, with a DraftKings average of 23.8. Tua Tagovailoa is next at $8,800, with a 30.1 ceiling and a 15.8 average. Justin Herbert is the top LAC option at $10,000, with a 29.5 ceiling and a 15.5 average. Ladd McConkey ($9,600, 24.5 ceiling) and Kyle Pitts Sr. ($7,400, 21.6 ceiling) round out the group of core skill players.
The value plays come from two spots. Oronde Gadsden II is only $4,800 but has a 27.0 ceiling, a big number for the price, even though his DraftKings average is 8.9. Cameron Dicker is $4,200 with a 16.2 ceiling and a 7.7 average, which makes him a cheap way to open up salary elsewhere. Omarion Hampton at $8,400 has a 26.1 ceiling and is the more expensive option in the same neighborhood.
The crowd is expected to gather around the biggest names. Herbert leads projected ownership at 68%, followed by Tagovailoa at 54% and Robinson at 48%. McConkey sits at 47%. Hampton at 30%, Pitts at 32% and Gadsden at 20% are all far less owned, which gives lineups a way to separate from the field without giving up much upside.
Our model's top lineup uses $49,900 of the $50,000 cap. It puts Robinson in the captain slot at $17,100, then fills the FLEX spots with Tagovailoa ($8,800), Hampton ($8,400), Pitts ($7,400), Dicker ($4,200) and Nick Folk ($4,000). Building around Robinson as captain leaves enough room to pair him with quarterback Tagovailoa and still afford Hampton.
Lock is Thu 10/29 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
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