X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Daily Fantasy MMA: DrafKings DFS Lineup Picks & Advice for UFC Fight Night Dublin

If you read my column last week, you probably did pretty well on DraftKings. Scratch that, you WOULD HAVE done well if not for the debacle that canceled the entire slate and ruined the opportunity for major success.

But it's a new week and I'm confident DraftKings will get through the slate without a glitch. The UFC, however, has had glitches surrounding this event, including the cancellation of both the main and co-main events. But there's still an edge to be had, and I'm here to help you find it.

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. Stevie Ray (11k)

Stevie Ray is the highest priced fighter on DraftKings this weekend but he's well worth it in my opinion. For only 11k, you can secure a -550 favorite, which is as safe a bet as there is on this card. For perspective, someone like Norman Parke who costs 10.8k is only a -280 favorite according to Vegas.

And Ray's matchup with Mickael Lebout is a solid one to that favors the Scot in all areas of the game. Lebout is a tough fighter and it wouldn't shock me to see Ray end up with a decision victory, but for cash games, I'll lock in his 70 point floor (with a win) and move on.

2. Scott Askham (9.7k)

For a card with no five-round main event and not a lot of finishes to target, it's difficult to find a huge edge, which means we need to look everywhere for it. Scott Askham isn't a guaranteed win by any means, in fact he's listed as a -135 favorite by Vegas, but at a price of 9.7k, thats a big value.

Askham looked pretty solid in his last fight in the UFC, and he's someone I'd probably target in this matchup anyway. He's a good striker, especially in the clinch, and his grappling game is solid enough to help him keep the fight where he wants. I'm not sure if he'll be highly owned, but he's a sharp play in a tough card.

 

MMA DFS for DraftKings – GPP Targets

1. Bubba Bush (10.5k)

Bubba Bush has only fought once in the UFC, and he was knocked out quickly by Kevin Casey, which I'm hoping sends people away from him Saturday. This matchup is quite different, and his opponent Garreth McLellan is a much different fighter than Casey.

McLellan is a champion from South Africa, but he was completely dominated by a smaller fighter in Bartosz Fabinski in his debut, and was taken down 10 times in the fight. I'm not confident McLellan has what it takes to be in the UFC, and I think Bush actually has the tools to compete.

It is a risk for 10.5k, but I think Bush has a good chance to finish this fight. He's probably better than McLellan everywhere and I expect him to get the fight to the ground. Whether it's an early submission or TKO, I wouldn't be shocked to see Bush on some winning lineups this weekend.

2. Darren Till (9.2k)

Darren Till is only 22 years old and has a 13-0 record, which sounds pretty good. Unfortunately, he's standing across the Octagon from a 14-0 fighter in Nicolas Dalby.

This should be a great fight and Till is definitely a prospect to watch, but he'll have his work cut out form. I expect Dalby to try and get the fight to the ground but it wouldn't be a big surprise if Till kept the fight standing. And if that happens, he should have the edge.

Both fighters have a good kicking game but Till is the better finisher and that's who I like to target for tournaments. His floor is low, but he has one of the higher ceilings on the card.

 

MMA DFS for DrafKings – Fighters to Avoid

1. Tom Breese (10.6k)

I'm very interested to see how this call turns out, and I'll admit that it makes me nervous. But in the end I'm sticking to my guns and here's why:

Tom Breese is a talented fighter, but he's a bit raw. He has a high ceiling in the UFC and a lot of people seem to be high on him for the future, and furthermore, most people hate his opponent Cathal Pendred. But Pendred is a very tough fighter and has way more experience than Breese.

I don't think Pendred is going to wipe the floor with Breese but I do think he'll make it a grinding fight, and I hate those for DFS. I can easily see Pendred holding Breese against the cage, or at the very least giving him a tough decision victory. Pondered is one of the most challenging fighters to finish, and from what I've seen from Breese, I'm definitely not sold on a finish. 10.6k is a lot to pay, and for the reasons I described above, I'll be avoiding Breese outside of shot or two in GPPs.

Hope you enjoy! Follow me on Twitter @BrettAppley and @DailyFanMMA

 

MMA & UFC Live Chat DFS Advice

[iflychat_embed id="c-63" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Shohei Ohtani

Diagnosed With Thigh Contusion
Kyle Tucker

Returns to Lineup on Thursday
Dallas Cowboys

Micah Parsons Expected to Play in Week 1
Chris Godwin

Expected to be Activated from the PUP List
Dru Smith

Aims to Be Healthy for Training Camp
Jayson Tatum

Provides Injury Update
RJ Barrett

Considered a Trade Candidate
Golden State Warriors

Warriors "Remain Very Confident" About Signing Al Horford
Jahmir Young

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Kyle Tucker

Played Through Hairline Fracture in Hand
Zach Neto

Exits With Wrist Injury on Wednesday
Landen Roupp

Carted Off With Apparent Knee Injury
Devaughn Vele

Traded to Saints
Demarcus Robinson

Issued Three-Game Suspension
Lamar Jackson

Dealing With Minor Foot Injury
Lamar Jackson

Suffers Apparent Hand Injury
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista has Surgery on Torn Rotator Cuff
Hideki Matsuyama

Looks to Bounce Back at Tour Championship
Corey Conners

Looking to Reverse Struggles at East Lake
Joe Mixon

Could Begin Season on PUP List
Cameron Young

Stays Hot Ahead of Tour Championship
Harris English

Aims for Complete Game at East Lake
Sepp Straka

Back in Action at East Lake
Ben Griffin

a Strong Value Play at East Lake
Bubba Chandler

to Join Pirates on Friday
Rory McIlroy

Chasing Another Win at East Lake
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for 30th at BMW Championship
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Seventh at BMW Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley

Finishes Tied for 17th at BMW Championship
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at BMW Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 23rd at BMW Championship
Scottie Scheffler

Wins BMW Championship
Brian Robinson Jr.

Not Expected to Play for Commanders This Year
Kenley Jansen

Considered Day-to-Day With a "Physical" Injury
Rashee Rice

Could be Facing 4-6 Game Suspension?
Harry Hall

Hot at the Right Time for Tour Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound at Tour Championship
Jacob Bridgeman

has One Weakness Heading to Atlanta
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Not Expecting to Be Moved Before the Season
Nick Taylor

a Long Shot to Win Tour Championship
Josh Giddey

Bulls Not Interested in Sign-and-Trade Deal Involving Josh Giddey
Brian Harman

Trying to Crack Top 20 at Tour Championship
Andrew Novak

Attempts to Bounce Back in Atlanta
Oscar Tshiebwe

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Justin Rose

Seeks Even More Success at Tour Championship
Washington Wizards

Alondes Williams Joins Wizards for Training Camp
Washington Wizards

Wizards Add Skal Labissiere for Training Camp
Francisco Alvarez

Needs Thumb Surgery, May Play Through Injury
Willy Adames

Out With Side Soreness on Tuesday
A.J. Brown

on Track to Play in Week 1
Jacob deGrom

Being Skipped in Rotation Due to Shoulder Fatigue
Adley Rutschman

Scratched on Tuesday With Abdominal Discomfort
CBJ

Brendan Smith Joins Blue Jackets on Tryout Deal
STL

Milan Lucic Joins Blues for Tryout
DET

Red Wings Pick Up Travis Hamonic
Austin Riley

Doesn't Appear Ready to Return Any Time Soon
Aaron Judge

Unikely to Throw Normally Again This Year
Jalen McMillan

Could be Out Through Week 9 Bye
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Agrees to a Multiyear Contract Extension on Tuesday
Washington Wizards

John Wall Retires After 11 NBA Seasons
Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP