X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community!

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
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

UFC 217: MMA Main Card Predictions and DFS Picks

What's up RotoBallers. In this column, I will be taking a look at the main card for UFC 217. Our analysis will help you with your DraftKings MMA lineups. We will be keeping track based on picking winners and losers. We will also predict how the fight will be finished, but that will not reflect in the records (Justin's Record: 158-79).

MMA has one of the best sweats in DFS. Two fighters compete at a time with only one coming out as the winner. It's the best feeling in the world when you are watching the main event of a show and know you need a first round knockout to win the entire tournament. And nothing feels worse than when you need a first round knockout by Stipe Miocic to win thousands of dollars in a tournament, but when he lands that knockout punch, you realize that you placed 14th because Jacare Souza was too dominant in a previous fight. This was a serious scenario that I had to live through when Miocic won the Heavyweight Championship. Without anymore waiting, here are our DFS lineup picks and DraftKings analysis for the main card at UFC 217.

Editor's Note: Interested in RotoBaller's MMA DFS Cheat Sheet with advanced fighter statistics, deep analysis and detailed insights from MMA DFS Expert Justin Bales? Let us know here.

 

John Hendricks vs Paulo Borrachinha

I wish the UFC would give Johny Hendricks a winnable fight to call it a career. That is not this fight. Hendricks has been on a skid recently, including his recent move to middleweight. Borrachinha, on the other hand, has looked outstanding in two UFC fights. He has not fought the competition of Hendricks, nor has he ever fought anyone as good as Hendricks used to be, but who knows exactly how much he has left in the tank? Borrachinha will have a significant size advantage and he should be able to pressure Hendricks from the start of the fight until he picks up the finish. Keep in mind, Hendricks does have a great wrestling background, which could keep him in this fight against the much less experienced Borrachinha. With that being said, the physical advantage is drastically in Borrachinha’s favor, which should be enough to pick up the win.

Paulo Borrachinha, TKO, 1st Round

 

Stephen Thompson vs Jorge Masvidal 

This is an interesting fight. Jorge Masvidal is the more active and accurate striker, while also possessing better striking defense. With that being said, Thompson’s unorthodox style and diverse striking gives him a small advantage in the standup department. Thompson also possesses more knockout power in his striking than Masvidal. Unfortunately for Thompson, Masvidal has not been knocked out since 2008, making it highly unlikely Thompson will end that streak. On the other hand, Thompson has proven to have an elite chin, as well. Thompson is elite at outpointing his opponents, giving him a slight edge in what should be a fun three round fight.

Stephen Thompson via Unanimous Decision

 

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs Rose Ramajunas

Is Jonna Jedrzejczyk the best pound for pound fighter in the world? Potentially. She has the best striking in the strawweight division, and it does not necessarily seem as if anyone is close. She also has elite takedown defense, nearly certifying all of her fights stay on the feet. What does that mean for Rose Namajunas? Namajunas will be looking turn this fight into a grappling match, while looking for a submission. Simply put, Jedrzejczyk will not allow that to happen. Namajunas will be game for a fight, but she simply does not possess the standup to keep up with the champ.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk via Unanimous Decision

 

Cody Garbrandt vs TJ Dillashaw

This fight has so much bad blood that it certainly cannot disappoint. A good start to this matchup is simply looking at both fighter’s recent fights against Dominick Cruz. Garbrandt dominated Cruz, something no one has ever done before. Dillashaw, on the other hand, lost a questionable decision. Statistically speaking, Dillashaw has better standup than Garbrandt, but this is one of those times that the stats do not add up to the eye test. Garbrandt has flashed tremendous power for his size, something Dillashaw has not done throughout his career. Garbrandt has also never been taken down, and while Dillashaw has a great wrestling background, I’m not sure he will be able to take Garbrandt down. If this fight stays standing, Garbrandt has the advantage because of his elite power. This fight reminds me a bit of when Garbrandt and Cruz fought with many people thinking it was going to be significantly closer than it was. Garbrandt will make his case for one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world in this fight.

Cody Garbrandt, TKO, 4th Round

 

Michael Bisping vs Georges St-Pierre

I do not particularly want to pick this fight, honestly. I have always said that Bisping is a bit of an overrated champion. Luke Rockhold took a fight on short notice and was supposedly injured, which is how Bisping won the belt. He then barely beat a retiring Dan Henderson in his only defense. Georges St-Pierre has not fought since 2013, though, when he won a questionable decision against Johny Hendricks. Bisping is a cardio machine that comes with elite boxing. GSP is much more reserved when striking, coming with tremendous efficiency. The difference in this fight will be GSP’s grappling. He has elite takedown accuracy with tremendous grappling once he is on the ground. If this fight stays standing, I believe Bisping has a slight edge, but I simply cannot imagine that he is able to stop every takedown this weekend. Furthermore, people have been taking about GSP’s age as being his downfall, but Bisping is two years older than GSP. Ring rust, if one believes in it, is a much bigger factor than GSP’s age. Regardless, this should be a fight for the ages.

Georges St-Pierre via Unanimous Decision




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Herro16 mins ago

Remains Sidelined Against Portland
Timothy Liljegren17 mins ago

To Miss "Some Time"
Alec Burks33 mins ago

Questionable On Friday
Dean Wade49 mins ago

Won't Play Against 76ers
OG Anunoby1 hour ago

Ruled Out Again Friday
Nick Senzel10 hours ago

Expected To Miss 3-4 Weeks
Jon Gray10 hours ago

To Start On Sunday
Justin Steele10 hours ago

Likely To Go On Injured List
Anfernee Simons12 hours ago

Out Against The Heat
Max Kepler12 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Max Kepler
Keldon Johnson12 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Justin Steele12 hours ago

Has Left-Hamstring Tightness
Matisse Thybulle12 hours ago

Questionable For Friday
Davis Bertans12 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Friday
Jusuf Nurkic12 hours ago

Questionable Against Oklahoma City
Dario Saric13 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Friday
Noah Clowney13 hours ago

Probable For Nets Friday
Jonathan Kuminga13 hours ago

Questionable For Warriors Friday
Jerami Grant13 hours ago

Considered Doubtful For Friday
Dennis Smith13 hours ago

Jr. Probable For Friday
Lauri Markkanen13 hours ago

Questionable Against Houston
Toumani Camara13 hours ago

Will Not Play Friday
Justin Steele13 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Start
Richaun Holmes13 hours ago

Out Versus Pistons
Cameron Johnson13 hours ago

Out Against Chicago On Friday
Luka Doncic13 hours ago

On The Injury Report For Friday
David Bednar13 hours ago

Still Dealing With Lat Injury
Deandre Ayton13 hours ago

Is Questionable For Friday
Rudy Gobert13 hours ago

Might Miss Friday's Game
Rhys McKee14 hours ago

Searching For First UFC Win
Chidi Njokuani14 hours ago

Drops Back Down To Welterweight At UFC Atlantic City
Kyle Nelson14 hours ago

An Underdog Again At UFC Atlantic City
Bill Algeo14 hours ago

Eyes Sixth UFC Win
Joaquin Buckley14 hours ago

Gets Ranked Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Vicente Luque14 hours ago

Gets Short-Notice Opponent At UFC Atlantic City
Eduardo Rodriguez15 hours ago

Could Throw Off Mound In 5-7 Days
Max Kepler15 hours ago

Leaves On Opening Day With Injury
Nick Senzel15 hours ago

Suffers Broken Thumb
Jason Foley15 hours ago

Earns The Save For Tigers
Tarik Skubal16 hours ago

Tosses Six Scoreless Innings On Opening Day
Corbin Burnes16 hours ago

Pitches A Gem On Opening Day
Royce Lewis17 hours ago

Exits With Quad Injury
Max Scherzer18 hours ago

Throws Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw18 hours ago

"Ahead Of Things" Timetable-Wise
Walker Buehler18 hours ago

Ahead Of Schedule
Corey Seager18 hours ago

Active On Opening Day
Oneil Cruz18 hours ago

Batting Sixth On Opening Day
Bryan Reynolds20 hours ago

In Opening Day Lineup
Jordan Romano22 hours ago

Not Expected To Be Out Long
Aaron Ekblad23 hours ago

Returning To Panthers Lineup Thursday
Nikita Kucherov23 hours ago

Establishes New Career High With 42nd Goal
Shane Pinto23 hours ago

Collects Career-High Four Points
Valeri Nichushkin23 hours ago

Nursing A Lower-Body Injury
Samuel Girard24 hours ago

Battling An Illness
J.K. Dobbins24 hours ago

Visiting With Chargers On Thursday
Oskar Sundqvist24 hours ago

To Miss Rest Of Season With Torn ACL
Ethan Bear24 hours ago

Enters Player Assistance Program
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Coming Off A Career Performance
Davis Thompson2 days ago

Looking To Pay Off A Stellar Run Of Ball-Striking
Akshay Bhatia2 days ago

Coming Into Houston With Confidence
Thorbjorn Olesen2 days ago

Still Trying To Find Footing On U.S. Soil
Patrick Rodgers2 days ago

Fighting Inconsistencies Heading Into Houston
Malik Nabers2 days ago

Shines At Pro Day
Carolina Panthers2 days ago

Jadeveon Clowney Signing Two-Year Deal With Panthers
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Battling Back Injury Ahead of Houston Open
San Francisco 49ers2 days ago

Talanoa Hufanga Expected To Return At Training Camp
Jayden Daniels2 days ago

Raiders To Meet With Jayden Daniels
Tank Bigsby2 days ago

Jaguars Want Tank Bigsby More Involved
Josh Reynolds2 days ago

Signs Two-Year Deal With Broncos
Doug Ghim2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Houston Open
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Seeking Consistency Ahead Of Houston Open
Thomas Detry2 days ago

A Gamble At Houston Open
Ryan Fox2 days ago

Lacks Upside Heading Into Houston Open
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Will Be Chalk At Houston Open
Josh Doan2 days ago

Scores Twice In His NHL Debut
Filip Forsberg2 days ago

Makes History In Big Comeback Win
Jamie Benn2 days ago

Scores In Fifth Consecutive Game
Sidney Crosby2 days ago

Collects Three Points Versus Carolina
Artemi Panarin2 days ago

Continues Scoring Tear With Three Assists
Joey Daccord2 days ago

Shuts Out Ducks
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

Showing Consistency This Season
Wyndham Clark2 days ago

Working Toward Star Status
Scottie Scheffler2 days ago

Heads To Houston At His Best
Sam Ryder2 days ago

Putting The Lights Out Of Late
Joel Dahmen2 days ago

All Systems Go For Joel Dahmen In Houston
Kurt Kitayama2 days ago

Ready For Houston Debut
Ben Griffin2 days ago

Finding Form Heading To Houston
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Made-Cut Streak Heading To Houston
Adam Svensson2 days ago

Hoping For Consistency In Houston
Taylor Montgomery2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back In Houston
Amon-Ra St. Brown3 days ago

Discussing Extension With Lions
Jared Goff3 days ago

Lions Discussing New Deal
J.K. Dobbins3 days ago

Cleared For Football Activities
Los Angeles Rams3 days ago

Tre'Davious White To Join Rams
PIT3 days ago

Sam Poulin Recalled From AHL
Jack Quinn3 days ago

Could Return Wednesday
Scott Mayfield3 days ago

Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
TOR3 days ago

Mitch Marner Skates On His Own Tuesday
Trevor Zegras3 days ago

To Return Tuesday
Justus Annunen3 days ago

Inks Two-Year Extension
Nick Chubb3 days ago

Expected To Start Load Running Next Month
D'Andre Swift3 days ago

Bears View D'Andre Swift As Receiving Weapon
Cordarrelle Patterson3 days ago

Signing With Steelers
Sam Howell3 days ago

Seahawks Believe Sam Howell Can Be A Full-Time Starter
Tennessee Titans3 days ago

L'Jarius Sneed Agrees On Four-Year Contract With Titans
Dak Prescott3 days ago

No Indication A Deal Is Coming For Dak Prescott
Calvin Ridley3 days ago

To Have Big Role In Tennessee
Josh Jacobs3 days ago

To Be Used More In Passing Game
Brandon Saad3 days ago

Gets Another Goal In Monday's Loss
Pittsburgh Steelers4 days ago

Cameron Heyward Expected To Be Healthy For Training Camp
Zach Wilson4 days ago

Jets Could End Up Keeping Zach Wilson
Amanda Ribas4 days ago

Takes Decision Loss
Rose Namajunas4 days ago

Snaps Losing Streak
Edmen Shahbazyan4 days ago

Scores Vicious Comeback Knockout
AJ Dobson4 days ago

Knocked Out In The First Round At UFC Vegas 89
Fernando Padilla4 days ago

Gets Back On Track With Submission Win
Luis Pajuelo4 days ago

Submitted In UFC Debut
William Byron4 days ago

Dominates For Victory At COTA
Ty Gibbs4 days ago

Grabs Another Solid Finish At COTA
Chris Buescher4 days ago

Texas Native Chris Buescher Finishes Eighth At COTA
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Kyle Busch Confronts Christopher Bell Following A Top-10 Finish At COTA
Justin Haley4 days ago

Disqualified After Strong COTA Run
Martin Truex Jr4 days ago

. Rounds Out Top Ten At COTA
NASCAR4 days ago

A.J. Allmendinger Worms Way Up To Sixth At COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen4 days ago

Shane van Gisbergen Comes Down to Earth After Mediocre COTA Run
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Ran Well at COTA as Usual Despite Late-Race Fade
Christopher Bell4 days ago

Furious Charge Falls Just Short at COTA
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Scores Strong Finish of Fifth at COTA
Chase Elliott4 days ago

Finishes 16th at COTA After Lackluster Performance
Billy Quarantillo5 days ago

Suffers Submission Loss At UFC Vegas 89
Youssef Zalal5 days ago

Gets Submission Win In Return To The UFC
Cameron Saaiman5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC Vegas 89
Payton Talbott5 days ago

Scores KO Win At UFC Vegas 89
Justin Tafa5 days ago

Drops To .500 In The UFC
Karl Williams5 days ago

Remains Undefeated In The UFC
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Is One Of The Optimal DFS Options For COTA
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Should Denny Hamlin Be Rostered For DFS Lineups At COTA?
Kaz Grala5 days ago

Is A Serviceable DFS Play For COTA
Shane Van Gisbergen5 days ago

Will Start 12th In First COTA Cup Start
Todd Gilliland5 days ago

Is A Sneaky DFS Play With Upside For COTA
William Byron5 days ago

Is One Of The Top Favorites To Win At COTA
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Is A Comfortable DFS Play For COTA
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

the Favorite to Win at COTA
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Looking for First Career Win at COTA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

2024 NFL Mock Draft: First-Rounder With Trades

The 2024 NFL Draft is less than a month away. Yet, that isn’t soon enough for football fans. While everyone wants to discuss the quarterback class and the first few picks, the NFL Draft doesn’t end after the first round. Teams will find starters and star players on the second and third days of the... Read More


Kyren Williams - Fantasy Football, Waiver Wire Pickups

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact- Part III

Throughout the NFL's offseason, many players see their fantasy football values fluctuate based on their movement and personnel decisions by their respective teams. Throughout this series, we have identified 12 players who have seen their fantasy football value increase over the free-agency period. The final big fantasy football value movement will come after the NFL... Read More


UFL DFS PICKS, FANTASY FOOTBALL, DRAFTKINGS, FANDUEL

UFL DFS Value Plays: Week 1 Bargain Bin for DraftKings Including E.J. Perry, CJ Marable, Jace Sternberger, more

Welcome to the Week 1 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 1 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings'... Read More


2024 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions and Potential Surprises for Round 1

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! With the 2024 NFL Draft fast approaching, we're digging into what might transpire on draft night. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones previews the 2024 NFL Draft and makes some BOLD Predictions about possible surprises and potential landing spots for the first round of the draft. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller!... Read More


George Pickens - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Early Look At Wide Receivers In 2024 Fantasy Football Drafts

The upcoming NFL Draft is less than a month away. While everyone is excited for the NFL Draft, fantasy players are looking forward to the regular season. While we won’t have meaningful NFL football for months, it’s never too early to prepare for your fantasy football drafts. Last year, the fantasy football world saw multiple... Read More


Spencer Rattler, College Football Transfers

Underrated Rookie Draft Targets - Early 2024 Sleepers for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We are a month out from the NFL Draft, meaning if you are here, you are probably looking for draft content and reading up on prospects. You probably have all of the information you need on stud prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s not what you’re here for.  Rookie draft season for... Read More


Breece Hall - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part II

The NFL's offseason, including trades and free agency, can strongly impact a player's fantasy football value. This effect can be positive or negative. For this series, we're focusing on fantasy football players who have seen their fantasy value increase. This can occur via a player's direct movement, such as a trade or signing with a... Read More


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 1: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2024)

It's finally here: the UFL season is set to kick off with two games on Saturday, March 30 and two games on Sunday, March 31. Saturday's games will be broadcast on Fox Sports while Sunday's matchups will be on ESPN. The most anticipated Week 1 matchup pits the 2023 USFL champion Birmingham Stallions against the... Read More


Jared Goff - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Will the Lions Extend Jared Goff's Contract This Offseason? 2024 NFL Outlook

Jared Goff's career in Los Angeles didn't take off like many expected after his appearance in Super Bowl LIII, and he was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. Goff's first season in the Motor City was terrible, but he has completely turned things around over the last two seasons. In 2022, he almost led... Read More


Kyle Pitts - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2024 NFL Free-Agency Winners and the Fantasy Football Impact - Part I

Free agency symbolizes the start of a new NFL season. It's the first opportunity for NFL clubs to start addressing their weaknesses and considerably impacts how the upcoming season plays out. Just as free agency can improve or worsen a team's outlook, a player's fantasy football value is also impacted. Free agency marks the real... Read More


Malik Nabers - Fantasy Football Rankings, College FB, WR, NFL Draft Sleepers

Coach Knows Ball: Malik Nabers 2024 NFL Draft Film Breakdown of LSU WR

Welcome to Coach Knows Ball, an NFL Draft series analyzing the top prospects in the 2024 class. I'm a college football coach with nine years of NCAA experience and have been scouting NFL Draft prospects for over 15 years. This series will give a deep dive into the film of some of the top players... Read More


Avoid These Running Backs in 2024: Fantasy Football Outlook

Football never sleeps at RotoBaller! The staff is already looking ahead to the 2024 season to help our readers get the jump on their competition. RotoBaller analyst LaQuan Jones discusses five Running Backs that you should AVOID in 2024 fantasy football drafts. Win MORE in 2024 with RotoBaller! Be sure to tune into RotoBaller Radio... Read More


Brock Bowers - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Rookies, Draft Sleepers, NCAA College Football, Prospects

Brock Bowers 2024 NFL Draft Stock Update – When Will the Georgia TE Be Selected?

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers was arguably the top tight end in college football over the past few years. Bowers was outstanding his freshman year, totaling 56 receptions for 882 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production slightly slipped in 2022 as defenses started to game plan for the star tight end. Bowers had... Read More