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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings MMA Preview and UFC DFS Picks: Cormier vs. Gustafsson

Last week was about as perfect as a week as we could have hoped for, as all four of my targets won, and several were in some of the winning tournament lineups across the industry. My "avoid" pick also turned out well, as Gegard Mousasi took a spinning kick to the face to end his night early, along with anyone's who had him for the high price.

This week we have a top-notch card in UFC 192, as Daniel Cormier takes on Alexander Gustafsson. Hopefully we can continue to nail some of the top plays on the weekend!

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. Sage Northcutt (10.5k)

You haven't heard of Sage Northcutt? Well, no biggie, but you probably should know his name heading into UFC 192. Northcutt is a 19-year-old MMA prospect making his UFC debut, and he's got a real chance to be a threat in the division, even if it comes several years down the road.

The kid is a world-champion karate-style striker, but his overall game is more than solid, and he faces a relatively lackluster opponent in Francisco Trevino. Normally I wouldn't jump on someone in his situation, but the pricing is well off on DraftKings.

When salaries were released, Northcutt was a -250 favorite, but he's since climbed to -470, making the biggest favorite on the board and an easy value to target.

 

2. Albert Tumenov (10.3k)

Albert "Einstein" Tumenov will probably be making quite a few appearances in my lineups this weekend, as he gets a tough but solid DFS matchup in Alan Jouban. What I mean by that is Jouban is a good fighter and possess dangerous power in his hands, but Jouban's approach to fighting isn't always the smartest, and he'll probably choose to stand and try to beat Tumenov on the feet.

That's not a great idea.

Tumenov is a super-talented and technical kick boxer, and he's put on impressive performances already in the UFC. I think he'll have the advantage on the feet, and since the fight will should primarily take place on the feet, I expect him to earn a solid amount of points. He has the capability of finishing the fight early, which is great for all formats, but he's also a safe play for the price.

 

MMA DFS for DraftKings – GPP Targets

1. Rose Namajunas  (10.6k)

I've listed Rose Namajunas as one of my favorite GPP plays because I think she has a clear route to a finish. If she doesn't finish this fight against Angela Hill, I'm a little concerned about her point total, and for the price, she might not be worth it.

She'll probably have a decent shot in the stand up, but that's where Hill is at her best, and Namajunas will more than likely look to take the fight to the ground. That's where I think she'll have the true advantage and a great chance to earn a submission.

Namajunas is coming off a poor loss to Carla Esparza in the 115 title fight, and I'm not sure if she'll be heavily targeted. But I do know that she has potential to earn a first round finish, so she's definitely going to be a target of mine.

 

2. Alexander Gustafsson (8.4k)

Whoa, now I'm really going out on a limb here and taking one of the biggest underdogs on the board in Alexander Gustafsson. I actually don't mind Gustafsson in cash, because I think there's a reasonable chance he could get the fight to a decision, and if that's the case, he should more than pay off his 8.4k of salary.

In GPPs you need the win though, and this is more of a gut call, but I think he has a real shot. Yes, Daniel Cormier probably has the overall advantage and certainly has the wrestling advantage, but I'm not as confident as many that Cormier will be able to get the fight to the ground so easily.

I think there's a reasonable chance that Gustafsson can avoid the takedown in a few rounds, and if he can stay on the feet, he should be at a striking advantage. He's so cheap that he allows you to spend up on several fighters, and here's hoping he can pull three rounds out of nowhere and earn a decision victory.

 

MMA DFS for DrafKings – Fighters to Avoid

1. Joseph Benavidez (10.9k)

Joseph Benavidez comes in as the second-most pricey fighter at 10.9k, and he is a -340 favorite. He seems safe for the win, kind of like Mousasi did last week, but I'm just not sure he can pay off the price.

If I'm spending up that high, I want a finish, and I think it's relatively unlikely that Benavidez gets one. His best shot is probably to grab hold of a guillotine against Ali Bagautinov, but submission grappling is also Bagautinov's strong point.

If the fight goes to a decision, I just don't see Benavidez scoring enough. I'd much rather spend the extra $100 to take a chance on Cormier or drop down and save some cap.

 

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
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Garrett Crochet

Ditches Changeup for Splitter
Yimi García

Yimi Garcia Has Been Throwing, Might be Ready for Opening Day
Deandre Ayton

Ruled Out Tuesday
Jakob Poeltl

Listed as Questionable for Wednesday
Ricky Tiedemann

Will be Stretched Out to Multiple Innings
Collin Murray-Boyles

Out Wednesday
Nicolas Claxton

Added to Injury Report
George Springer

Returning From Myriad of Injuries
Cedric Coward

Unlikely to Play Wednesday
Kazuma Okamoto

Will See Time at First Base
De'Anthony Melton

Iffy for Wednesday Night
Andrew Wiggins

Could Miss Wednesday's Action
Reese Olson

Won't Pitch in 2026
Pelle Larsson

Out Wednesday Against Pelicans
Tyler Herro

Ruled Out for 15th Straight Game
Tre Jones

Expected to Remain Out Wednesday
Malik Monk

Still Out With Illness
Zach LaVine

to Miss Third Consecutive Game
Domantas Sabonis

Unavailable Wednesday
Russell Westbrook

Won't Play Wednesday
Lauri Markkanen

Now Listed as Available for Wednesday
Klay Thompson

Won't Suit Up Tuesday
Keyonte George

to Miss Second Straight Game
Lauri Markkanen

Won't Play Wednesday Night
Egor Demin

Available for Wednesday's Matchup
Noah Clowney

Considered Probable for Wednesday
Bilal Coulibaly

Uncertain to Play vs. Cleveland
Jeff Hoffman

Not the Everyday Closer in Toronto?
Cody Bradford

Aiming for a May Return
Jordan Spieth

Looking For a Return to Form at Pebble Beach
Shane Bieber

to Open Season on Injured List
Bowden Francis

Done for the Year After Having UCL Reconstruction
Juuse Saros

Starting Wednesday
Anthony Santander

to Miss 5-6 Months Due to Shoulder Surgery
William Nylander

Iffy for Olympic Opener
Martin Necas

Ready for Thursday
Drake Maye

Says his Shoulder Injury was Significant
Grayson Rodriguez

Must Prove his Health to Earn Rotation Spot
Noah Schultz

Knee Not an Issue, Expects to Make MLB Debut in 2026
Austin Slater

Agrees to Minor-League Deal With Tigers
Brett Baty

a Candidate for Starting Role in Right Field?
Juan Soto

to Play Left Field for Mets in 2026
Kris Bryant

Heads to 60-Day Injured List
Shane Baz

Orioles Believe Shane Baz is a Cy Young-Caliber Pitcher
Xander Schauffele

Trying to Get the Motor Going at Pebble Beach
Francisco Lindor

to be Evaluated for Stress Reaction in Left Hamate
Justin Verlander

Tigers Agree to One-Year Deal
Hideki Matsuyama

Trying to Overcome Sunday Collapse
Michael Thorbjornsen

Showing Great Early-Season Form
Scottie Scheffler

Continues Hot Start Heading to ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Rory McIlroy

Making First PGA Tour Start of 2026 Season
Robert MacIntyre

Returns to Action For ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Si Woo Kim

Doesn't Appear to be Slowing Down Heading to ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Rickie Fowler

Continues Great Start to 2026 Season
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Playing Well Heading to ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Patrick Cantlay

is Playing Well but Needs to Find Putting Stroke
Ludvig Aberg

Needs a Strong Showing at ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Kurt Kitayama

Looks to Build on Momentum at Pebble Beach
Coby Mayo

Could See Work in the Outfield
Ryo Hisatsune

a Scary Play at Pebble Beach Regardless of His Recent Performance
Chris Gotterup

Heads to Pebble Beach as the Hottest Player in Golf
Jason Day

Looks to Keep Long-Running Success Going at Pebble Beach
Pierceson Coody

to Keep Good Form Going at First Career Pebble Beach Appearance
Sam Burns

Needs a Good Showing at Pebble Beach to Shift Fleeting Momentum
Kenneth Walker III

Runs Away With Super Bowl MVP Honors
Vinicius Oliveira

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Mario Bautista

Gets Back In The Win Column
Kyoji Horiguchi

Dominates At UFC Vegas 113
Amir Albazi

Gets Dominated At UFC Vegas 113
Rizvan Kuniev

Earns His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Drops Decision At UFC Vegas 113
Marc-Andre Barriault

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Gets His Third Win In A Row
Las Vegas Raiders

Klint Kubiak Confirms he Will be Next Raiders Head Coach
Jonas Rondbjerg

Out for Olympics
Brad Marchand

Good to Go for Olympic Opener
Gabriel Landeskog

Healthy for Olympics
Jack Hughes

Cleared for Olympics
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Returns to Super Bowl After Injury Scare
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Being Evaluated for Concussion, Questionable to Return
James Pearce Jr.

Arrested Following Police Chase
Quinn Hughes

Enters Olympics in Red-Hot Form
NHL

Juho Lammikko Returns to Switzerland
Pavel Zacha

Misses Olympics
Travis Kelce

Undecided on Playing Future, Leaning Towards Returning in 2026?
CFB

Rutgers Hiring South Dakota Head Coach Travis Johansen as Defensive Coordinator
Vinicius Oliveira

Looks For His Seventh Consecutive Win
Mario Bautista

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 113
Kyoji Horiguchi

Set For UFC Vegas 113 Co-Main Event
Amir Albazi

Looks To Bounce Back
Rizvan Kuniev

Looks For His First UFC Win
Jailton Almeida

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Marc-Andre Barriault

In Dire Need Of Victory
Michal Oleksiejczuk

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Michael Penix Jr.

Says he's Ahead of Schedule After Knee Surgery
Cleveland Browns

Jim Schwartz Resigns as Browns Defensive Coordinator
Malik Nabers

Says his Rehab has Been "Phenomenal"
CFB

Oklahoma Hiring Former NFL Defensive Lineman DeShawn Williams to Analyst Role
CFB

Jahmal Edrine Charged with Sexual Assault, No Longer Enrolled at Virginia
Jakob Chychrun

Makes Big Impact in Thursday's Win
Brandon Bussi

Shuts Out Rangers With 16 Saves
Anze Kopitar

Reaches 1,300 Career Points
Mark Stone

Becomes First Vegas Player With 100 Multi-Point Games
Daniil Tarasov

Injured in Battle of Florida
Andrei Kuzmenko

Hurt Versus Vegas
John Carlson

Suffers Lower-Body Injury
Matthew Stafford

Named 2025 NFL MVP, Will Return in 2026
Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Takes Home Offensive Player of the Year Honors
Christian McCaffrey

Named Comeback Player of the Year
Tetairoa McMillan

Named Offensive Rookie of the Year
Myles Garrett

Unanimously Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award
Brad Marchand

Evan Rodrigues Among Panthers Absentees Thursday
Calum Ritchie

Rejoins Islanders Lineup as Second-Line Center
Zach Benson

Sits Out Second Straight Game
Pierre-Luc Dubois

Available Against Predators
CFB

Houston, Vanderbilt, Tennessee Land Top-Three QBs in 2026 Class
Joe Mixon

Committed to Playing in 2026
CFB

Michigan Signs Top-15 Recruiting Class Despite Coaching Change
CFB

USC Finishes with No. 1 Signing Class in 2026
CFB

Trinidad Chambliss Denied Medical Redshirt Waiver By NCAA
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF