TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
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

Isiah Pacheco

Lions Signing Isiah Pacheco on Tuesday
Kalif Raymond

Heading to Bears on One-Year Deal
Rachaad White

a Fallback Option for Seahawks?
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Dawson Knox

Bills, Dawson Knox Agree to New Three-Year Contract
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
Michael Pittman Jr.

a Good Fit With Steelers?
Nate Hobbs

Packers Release Nate Hobbs
New York Giants

Giants Expected to Sign Greg Newsome to a One-Year Deal
Tyler Bass

Bills Revise Tyler Bass' Contract
Chuba Hubbard

a Fantasy Winner to Start Free Agency
RJ Harvey

Stuck in a Timeshare in Year 2?
Kyle Anderson

May Miss Second Straight Game
Jordan Goodwin

Nearing Return From Calf Injury
Bhayshul Tuten

a Day 1 Free-Agency Winner
James Reimer

Posts Shutout With Seventh Franchise
Jalen Smith

Likely Available Tuesday Against Golden State
Devin Lloyd

Signing With Panthers on Three-Year Deal
Tim Stützle

Tim Stutzle Stretches Point Streak to 13 Games
T.J. McConnell

Sidelined Tuesday Against Kings
Justin Sourdif

Amasses Three Points In Monday's Win
Alijah Vera-Tucker

Signing with Patriots
Jarace Walker

Likely to Play Tuesday Against Kings
Connor Bedard

Sets Up Two Goals in Overtime Win
Ivica Zubac

Still Sidelined as Pacers Face Kings
Erik Gudbranson

to Miss Three-Game Road Trip
Kel'el Ware

in Danger of Missing Tuesday's Game
Evander Kane

Dealing With Upper-Body Injury
Max Greyserman

Gradually Improving Each Week in Florida
Oliver Moore

Expected to Miss "Significant Time"
PGA

The Nico Echavarria Roller Coaster Heads to The Players Championship
Andrew Wiggins

Misses Third Straight Game
Ludvig Aberg

a Threat to Contend at The Players Championship
Norman Powell

Remains Out Tuesday
Collin Sexton

Considered Questionable Tuesday
Matas Buzelis

Expected to Play Tuesday
Josh Giddey

Probable Tuesday
Coby White

Sits Out First Game of Back-to-Back
Andrew Nembhard

Doubtful Tuesday
Pascal Siakam

Won't Suit Up Tuesday
Tyquan Thornton

Chiefs to Bring Back Tyquan Thornton
Alontae Taylor

Titans Sign Alontae Taylor to Three-Year Deal
John Franklin-Myers

Inks Three-Year Deal With Titans
Anton Forsberg

Escapes With Overtime Victory
Odafe Oweh

Commanders, Odafe Oweh Agree to Four-Year Deal
Jaelan Phillips

Heads to Panthers on a Four-Year Deal
Quay Walker

Raiders Sign Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean to Help Defense
Tyler Linderbaum

Joins Raiders on a Three-Year Deal
Artemi Panarin

Collects Two Points Against Former Team
Adrian Kempe

Scores Two Goals in Victory
Igor Shesterkin

Stifles the Flyers on Monday
Mika Zibanejad

Scores Twice Versus Philadelphia
Harris English

Hopes to Find Any Sort of Success at TPC Sawgrass
Matt Gay

Raiders Signing Kicker Matt Gay
Pierceson Coody

Looks to Get Back on Track in First Players Appearance
Daniel Berger

Presses On at The Players Championship
Min Woo Lee

an Intriguing Option at the Players
Sahith Theegala

Looks to Continue Strong Form at the Players
Jonathan Kuminga

in Danger of Missing Third Consecutive Game
John Collins

Won't Play This Week
Quinten Post

Starting Monday Night
DeMar DeRozan

Overcomes Illness, Available Tuesday
LeBron James

Listed as Questionable for Tuesday
Payton Pritchard

Iffy to Face Spurs Tuesday
Jason Day

Needs to Find Form Again at Players Championship
Patrick Cantlay

Hasn't Found Consistency This Season
Jesús Luzardo

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

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
James Reimer

Starting Monday Night
Joel Hanley

Returns to Action Against Capitals
Evander Kane

Brock Boeser, Evander Kane Iffy Monday
Spencer Knight

Out Against Mammoth
Jaden Schwartz

Out Indefinitely
Brad Marchand

to Miss "Weeks"
Jake Sanderson

Considered Week-to-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
Nick Seeler

Could Return Monday
Travis Konecny

a Game-Time Call Monday
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
Byron Buxton

Leaves WBC Game After Being Hit by a Pitch on his Elbow
Jackson Chourio

"Fine" After Suffering Hand Contusion
Max Holloway

A Favorite At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Set For BMF Title Fight
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Looks To Bounce Back
Caio Borralho

Set For UFC 326 Co-Main Event
Rob Font

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Raul Rosas Jr.

Looks For His Fifth Consecutive Win
Drew Dober

Returns At UFC 326
Michael Johnson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Rafael Devers

Could Return to Game Action Next Week
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Hopes to be Ready for Opening Day
Jackson Chourio

Won't Play in WBC on Friday
Carlos Correa

Scratched With Neck Injury
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena has Finger Fracture, to be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Suffers Small Fracture in his Finger
Cody Bellinger

Scheduled to Return to Grapefruit League Action on Thursday
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF