RADIO
Welcome back RotoBallers, it's been a long couple weeks with no UFC content, but I'm back with a vengeance for UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor.
It's going to be a tough card to navigate but it will be the championship fights that determine your profit Saturday night and I suggest getting exposure to all four contenders.
As usual, I’ve broken down my DraftKings MMA picks into thee sections: Cash game targets, GPP targets and fighters to avoid. I’ll explain what each category signifies below:
- Cash Game: These fighters are great targets in 50/50 or H2H contests, where 50 percent of the field wins money.
- GPP: These fighters are great targets in GPPs (Guaranteed Prize Pools) or tournaments, which require riskier selection in order to win first place.
- Avoid: These are fighters who I will be staying away from.
MMA DFS for DraftKings – Cash Game Targets
1. Conor McGregor AND Jose Aldo (9.9k, 9.6k)
I've said this before, but I think it's mistake if you don't play both Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo in cash games this week. The winner of this fight will be one of the highest scorers on the card and you're unlikely to win if you pick incorrectly.
There are going to be tons of players who come into DraftKings with a strong opinion on this fight, and they'll only take McGregor or Aldo, and that's super exciting because it gives me a huge edge. I'm going to win my money this week because others pick incorrectly, and I'm fine with that.
2. Chris Weidman (10k)
Similarly to the champs listed above, I don't think there's much of a reason not to play Chris Weidman this weekend. He's in a close fight with Luke Rockhold, but I still give Weidman the edge to win.
Per usual, he's fighting in a five-round fight which is a massive advantage for DFS purposes compared to others fighting in a three-round fight, and I expect this fight to take place on the feet for its majority.
Both Weidman and Rockhold are excellent grapplers and I think that will neutralize the ground game and force them to stand and bang, and if Weidman comes out with a win, he's likely to exceed 100 points. For only 10k, he's very difficult to pass up.
MMA DFS for DraftKings – GPP Targets
1. John Makdessi (10.3k)
John Makdessi is coming off a TKO loss to Donald Cerrone in which he broke his jaw and had to call time out during the fight...literally.
That makes me nervous to target him against a decent boxer like Yancy Medeiros, but I think he has upside to finish and that's what I'm looking for in GPPs. Makdessi is definitely the more technical and powerful striker here, but he'll be at a significant reach disadvantage.
Similar to his fight against Shane Campbell, I think Medeiros can land shots at range, but once Makdessi gets on the inside, I think he can put a beating on Medeiros and potentially finish the fight.
2. Max Holloway (10.9k)
My favorite fighter to pay up for this weekend is Max Holloway, who's taking on Jeremy Stephens in what should be a stand-up battle.
Holloway has some finishing potential, but I love his significant strike rate, which is a whopping 5.67 landed per minute. He's capable of scoring 70+ points even with a decision victory, and if he can finish, that score will top 100. There aren't many fighters on this card that I love to pay up for, but Holloway is definitely my top option.
MMA DFS for DrafKings – Fighters to Avoid
1. Urijah Faber (11k)
Urijah Faber is one of my favorite fighters to watch and he has been for some time, but he is just too expensive to target this weekend. At 11k, he's the most expensive fighter on the card, and he's facing a tough guy in Frankie Saenz who should at least put up a fight.
I don't expect Faber to earn an easy finish and I don't expect him to land a ton of significant strikes, so there's really no reason for me to target him.
I do think he's very safe for a win because he should outclass Saenz in nearly every aspect of this fight, but it's simply not a great stylistic fight to target from a DFS perspective and I'm going to pass on him this weekend.
Hope you enjoy RotoBallers! Make sure to follow me on Twitter @BrettAppley and @DailyFanMMA.
