👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
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

Daily Fantasy MMA: DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks & Advice for UFC 194 - McGregor vs. Aldo

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.

 

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

Scottie Barnes

Tagged Questionable Vs. Phoenix
Alijah Vera-Tucker

Expects to be Cleared for OTAs
Al-Quadin Muhammad

Buccaneers Sign Al-Quadin Muhammad to a One-Year Deal
Cam Spencer

Out Against Mavericks
Kylen Granson

Titans Sign Kylen Granson to One-Year Deal
Walter Clayton Jr.

Sidelined Against Mavericks
Ty Jerome

Unavailable Against Mavericks
Cedric Coward

Sits Out Thursday's Game
Connor Heyward

Raiders Sign Fullback Connor Heyward
Kel'el Ware

Returns to Action as Starter
Bobby Portis

Jericho Sims Active Thursday
Jaquan Brisker

Steelers to Sign Jaquan Brisker
Kevin Porter Jr.

Cleared to Return Against Heat
Klay Thompson

Ruled Out Against Memphis
C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Signs a One-Year Deal with the Bills
Tyler Herro

Misses Second Straight Game
Emanuel Wilson

Seahawks Sign Emanuel Wilson to a One-Year Deal
Haywood Highsmith

Jordan Goodwin, Haywood Highsmith Available Thursday
Calvin Austin III

Giants Sign Calvin Austin III
Andre Drummond

Ruled Out Thursday
Grayson Allen

Won't Play Against Pacers
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jaguars Deny Shopping Brian Thomas Jr.
Obi Toppin

a Late Scratch Thursday
Kyler Murray

Vikings Sign Kyler Murray to a One-Year Deal
Aaron Nesmith

Won't Play Thursday
Andrew Nembhard

Good to Go Against Suns
Ivica Zubac

Set for Pacers Debut Thursday
Jonathan Kuminga

Returns From Three-Game Absence
Dyson Daniels

Unavailable Thursday
Caris LeVert

Remains Sidelined Thursday
Maxi Kleber

Jaxson Hayes Out for Lakers on Thursday
Bobby Brink

a Game-Time Decision for Meeting with Flyers
Evander Kane

Available Against Predators
Mark Stone

a Game-Time Call Thursday
Carter Verhaeghe

Anton Lundell Won't Play Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Returns to Action Thursday
Andrew Copp

to Sit Out Two Weeks
Dylan Larkin

Ruled Out for Two Weeks
Dre Greenlaw

49ers Reuniting With Dre Greenlaw on One-Year Deal
Tutu Atwell

Dolphins Sign Wideout Tutu Atwell to One-Year Deal
Justin Fields

Expected to be Replaced as Starting QB in 2026
Mike Evans

Expected to Fit in Nicely in San Fran as X Receiver
Jonathan Allen

Bengals Signing Jonathan Allen to Two-Year Deal
Zack Wheeler

to Face Hitters in Live Batting Practice on Saturday
Gerrit Cole

Could Pitch in a Spring Game Next Week
Matthew Boyd

Named the Cubs' Opening Day Starter
Rachaad White

Commanders Signing Rachaad White to a One-Year Deal
Stefon Diggs

Patriots Not Shutting the Door on Reunion With Stefon Diggs
Alvin Kamara

Will Alvin Kamara Retire?
NFL

Makai Lemon Runs 40-Yard Dash at USC's Pro Day
Landon Dickerson

Eagles, Landon Dickerson Agree to Revised Two-Year Contract
Maxx Crosby

Committed to Raiders After Trade Falls Apart
Francisco Lindor

Remains on Schedule for Opening Day
Spencer Knight

Available Thursday
William Eklund

Questionable to Play Thursday
Alex Ovechkin

Records Power-Play Assist
Lane Hutson

Extends Road Point Streak to 10 Games
Ivan Demidov

Bags Two Points in Wednesday's Win
Nick Schmaltz

Inks Eight-Year Extension With Mammoth
Owen Tippett

Multi-Point Effort Leads Philadelphia to a Victory
Drake Batherson

Scores Twice Versus Montreal
Bryce Miller

Shuts Down Bullpen Due to More Oblique Discomfort
Zac Gallen

Named Arizona's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Teel

Could Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Josh Hader

to Start the Year on the Injured List
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Shayne Gostisbehere

to Remain Out for "Couple of Games"
Robert Thomas

Blues Hopeful Robert Thomas Can Play Through Upper-Body Injury
Ross Colton

Suffers Upper-Body Injury Tuesday Night
Connor Ingram

"Feeling Well" After Tuesday's Early Exit
Dylan Larkin

Doubtful for Rest of Road Trip
Andrew Copp

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Tuesday
Kyle Teel

Exits Tuesday's Game With Hamstring Injury
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Heading to Players Championship
Rory McIlroy

Set to Return at Players Championship to Defend Title
Jake Knapp

Set to Return at Players Championship
Viktor Hovland

Continues Strong Start to 2026 Season
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking for Bounce-Back at Players Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Will Need to Find Putter to Compete at Players Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Continues Improving Heading to Players Championship
Merrill Kelly

Set to Make Spring Training Debut on Friday
Francisco Lindor

"100 Percent Optimistic" he Can be Ready for Opening Day
Justin Thomas

Continues Competitive Return at The Players Championship
Corbin Carroll

Set to Play in Cactus League Game on Wednesday
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo, Phillies Agree on Five-Year Extension
Corbin Carroll

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
Max Holloway

Drops Decision At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Becomes The New BMF Champion
Caio Borralho

Bounces Back
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Rob Font

Gets Dominated
Raul Rosas Jr.

Extends His Win Streak
Michael Johnson

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Drew Dober

Knocks Out Michael Johnson
Rafael Devers

Back in Cactus League Lineup on Monday
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Consecutive Phoenix Cup Series Win
Christopher Bell

Falls Short of Victory Despite Dominating at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Earns Hard-Fought Finish of Third at Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Quietly Gains Another Top-Five Finish at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Crashes out at Phoenix Despite Strong Run
Tarik Skubal

Could Make Another Start in World Baseball Classic
Jackson Chourio

Should Return to WBC Lineup on Monday
Byron Buxton

"Fine" After Being Hit by Pitch
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
Brandon Woodruff

Making Cactus League Debut on Saturday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF