RADIO
Dennis' FanDuel DFS lineup picks for UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Volkov. Read his MMA DFS analysis, and build winning daily fantasy MMA lineups.
UFC on ESPN 11 takes place on Saturday night and will resonate from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card will be headlined by two tough heavyweights, with Curtis Blaydes having his sights set on a championship opportunity in the near future by defeating the heavy-handed Alexander Volkov. After the 25-foot octagon delivered plenty of exciting finishes last weekend, things should once again get crazy.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy MMA lineup picks for FanDuel for UFC Fight Night on 6/20/2020. You can check out our DraftKings MMA DFS picks as well. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced fighters and value picks on FanDuel.
Give me a follow on Twitter @DennisMClausen. Good luck.
Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 50% off using code SMASH. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!
UFC Fight Night Heavyweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Curtis Blaydes, $23 - vs. Alexander Volkov
Blaydes comes into this one as the favorite and will be looking to set himself up for a UFC Heavyweight Championship opportunity somewhere (soon) down the line. He has an extensive history with the promotion dating back to his debut in April of 2016. Since that time, he's acquired eight wins to go along with two losses, with both of his defeats coming at the hands of No. 2 ranked heavyweight, Francis Ngannou. He is a bad dude, scoring decisive victories over some of the sport's biggest names, including Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, and Mark Hunt.
Volkov isn't a slouch, nonetheless, and has racked up a 31-7 record throughout his tenure as a professional. With stops in M-1 and Bellator before his arrival in the UFC, the Russian has also defeated some notable competitors over the years, possessing wins over Roy Nelson, Fabricio Werdum, and Greg Hardy. He is a former Heavyweight Champion in his previous promotions and poses a significant threat to Blaydes' journey to a title shot.
While this won't be, by any means, a walk in the park for Blaydes, he should be able to pull off the win here. He averages almost seven takedowns per 15 minutes, and while Volkov does maintain a reliable ground game, he is most comfortable on his feet and striking. With a smaller octagon working in Blaydes' favor, he can potentially close the gap, take Volkov down, and go to work.
UFC Fight Night Catchweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Roosevelt Roberts, $20 - vs. Jim Miller
Miller has been a UFC mainstay for years. Making his initial appearance with the promotion back in 2008 when Roosevelt was still in his early teens, the 36-year-old undoubtedly has the experience edge in the one. Among active competitors in the organization, he ranks third in wins, sixth in finishes, third in submissions, and sixth in Fight Night bonuses. Miller is a dangerous all-around fighter for sure, but he still has a massive hill to climb if he hopes to achieve victory over the young, up-and-comer.
"The Predator" will be entering the octagon for the second time in less than two months. His last victory came against Brok Weaver at the end of May, which saw the 26-year-old walking away with 120 fantasy points, thanks mainly in part to his 40 significant strikes and a second-round submission win, courtesy of a rear-naked choke.
With both of these fighter's history in the submission game, the downsized octagon should inevitably take this one to the mat, with Roosevelt holding the advantage due to conditioning and youth. However, don't count out Miller, who could be a sneaky pick for a win, which would ultimately break a lot of lineups on Saturday night.
UFC Fight Night Featherweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Shane Burgos, $17 - vs. Josh Emmett
Burgos has lost just once since he debuted with the organization back in 2016 and is in the midst of a three-fight win streak. He will be fighting for the first time since dispatching "Mr. Finland" Makwan Amirkhani in November at UFC 244. Averaging just over seven significant strikes per minute, he is lethal on his feet while also providing a takedown defense of 94 percent.
Emmett is the eighth-ranked fighter in the Featherweight Division and holds an impressive professional record of 15-2. He has won his last two fights, with his latest victory occurring nearly a year ago against Mirsad Bektic.
Though both of these men can put anyone to sleep at any moment, this fight still favors Burgos. He is a better striker, a better counter-puncher, and has the edge on the mat. Expect this one to get nasty as both of these guys attempt to climb their way closer to a Featherweight Title opportunity.
UFC Fight Night Lightweight - MMA DFS Lineup Picks
Clay Guida, $12 - vs. Bobby Green
Both of these competitors are household MMA names at this point, but Guida has a reputation that has stood the test of time. "The Carpenter" is a significant underdog entering Saturday night, but with career wins over the likes of B.J. Penn, Nate Diaz, and Anthony Pettis, he is far from being a cake-walk for anyone he enters the octagon with.
Green is expected to take home a win decisively. However, his track record shouldn't suggest that this fight is in the bag by any means. Throughout his previous seven appearances in the UFC going back to 2014, he has a record of 1-5-1 and has struggled decisively during that span.
Let's be clear, Green could end up winning this bout. However, Guida also has a legitimate chance to score a win here, and for only $12, fantasy managers have the opportunity to offset some of the cost associated with the more expensive combatants over the weekend.
Also Consider: Bobby Green ($19), Oskar Piechota ($17), Raquel Pennington ($17), Gillian Robertson ($16), Cortney Casey ($15), Lauren Murphy ($13)
