Wednesday's Madden showdown is a single game, LAR @ BAL, with a $50,000 salary cap and a captain slot that scores 1.5x points at 1.5x salary. Lineups lock Wed 11/4 at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).
The top of our model's rankings is Lamar Jackson of BAL at $10,800, with a ceiling of 36.6 against a DraftKings average of 19.6. Derrick Henry of BAL is next at $9,200 and a 29.9 ceiling, while LAR's Puka Nacua at $9,800 tops out at 29.0 and Matthew Stafford at $10,200 at 28.7. Kyren Williams of LAR, at $8,200, carries a 28.0 ceiling and a 17.1 DraftKings average.
The best value on the board is Rashod Bateman of BAL. At $4,800 he shows a 31.6 ceiling, well above his 8.1 DraftKings average, which makes him a cheap way to chase upside. Davante Adams of LAR at $7,600 has a ceiling of 18.1 and an average of 9.8, a more modest option for those who want a LAR piece without paying up for Nacua or Stafford.
The crowd is likely to gather around the expensive names. Jackson leads projected ownership at 67%, followed by Stafford at 54% and Henry at 47%. Nacua also sits at 47%, and Zay Flowers of BAL is at 38%. Kyren Williams and Adams are each at 30%, while Bateman checks in at 24%, so he offers some separation from the field.
Our model's top lineup uses the full $50,000. It puts Jackson in the captain slot at $16,200, then adds Henry at $9,200, Williams at $8,200, Mark Andrews at $7,200, Bateman at $4,800 and Tyler Loop at $4,400. That build leans on Jackson as the centerpiece and fills out the rest with a mix of featured backs and a low-priced Bateman.
Lineups lock at 12:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
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