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
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

UFC 249: Optimal Lineup and Fight Breakdowns for MMA DFS (5/9/20)

The Excitement is Justified. That’s right folks. Even if we weren’t stuck in our homes starving for entertainment, this would be a card that justifiably gets your blood boiling.

I seriously can’t think of a card this stacked since UFC 167, which featured Lawler vs. McDonald, GSP vs. Hendricks, Evans vs. Sonen and Woodley vs. Koshcheck. That was nearly 7 years ago and it took a zombie apocalypse to get us here. So, order some pies, wings and beers and slot out about 6 hours from your busy schedules to soak up as much violence as possible; because even the prelims are awesome.

Ok, I know you RotoBallers are DFS thirsty so I’ll get that out of the way and give you some quick thoughts. I’m taking Fabricio Werdum, Ronaldo Souza and Henry Cejudo as my safest bets. I’m taking risks with Anthony Pettis, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Justin Gaethje. I know, I know trust me it hurts me to bet against two of my favorite fighters in Francis Ngannou and Tony Ferguson, but you have to take risks to win. My optimal lineup is Souza, Cejudo, Werdum, Gaethje, Pettis and Rozenstruik. Be sure to also check out our DraftKings and FanDuel MMA DFS picks articles. Good luck!

 

Legends Abound in UFC 249

Ok now I’d like to discuss the awesomeness of this card. First let’s discuss how many legends and potential legends are featured. Donald Cerrone, Dominick Cruz and Fabricio Werdum will all go into the hall. Tony Fergusson, Justin Gaethje, Francis Ngannou, Henry Cejudo and Jairzinho Rozenstruik all have the potential to be legendary.

Add some really exciting fighters like fan favorites Jeremy Stephens and Anthony Pettis as well as a perennial contender in Ronald Souza and you’ve got a blockbuster night ahead of you. And to make it even more exciting, we’ve got some insane matchups. I won’t write about all of them, but feel free to hit me up on Twitter if you’d like to discuss. I will write in order of my excitement level.

 

Tony Fergusson Vs. Justin Gaethje

Holy moly people this is going to be an incredible fight. Tony has the submission advantage in my opinion and will learn early on that he will need to seduce Gaethje to the ground to win the fight. Gaethje has knockout power and striking skills that I’m not sure Tony has seen. Tony has been hurt by inferior strikers like Anthony Pettis and who knows if he wakes up if he takes that shot from Gaethje.

With that being said, Tony always seems to pull out something unorthodox and I believe he will wind up on the floor with a submission victory. So why don’t I have Tony on my DFS lineup? Because he will be on most and I think it’s close with a serious chance of a knockout for Gaethje. But, Tony is my absolute favorite fighter based on his creativity, stamina and bloodlust. It will be interesting to see what happens when you run that skillset against a guy who always looks like he’s wanting and willing to die in the cage.

I also want to mention that this fight is exactly what both of these fighters need. Neither has faced a fighter of respective caliber and I think that is needed before stepping into the cage with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Tony really hasn’t beaten anyone of note other than Kevin Lee, who has disappointed recently, and Justin took two losses to the best he’s faced in Dustin Porier and Eddie Alvarez. Just think what this fight could lead to? A Khabib Nurmagomedov matchup for one and a Conner McGreggor matchup for the other. We are some lucky spectators with some amazing MMA to look forward to because of this fight.

My Prediction: Tony Round 2 Submission

 

Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

I am so excited for this petrifying matchup. I am also petrified that this fight looks a lot like the Derrick Lewis dud that ruined my night. It is not out of the question that we could be disappointed given the power that both of these men possess and in turn the respect they may give each other in the Octagon. Let’s hope that Ngannou learned from the Lewis fight and will give us what we want.

I ultimately think that the big guy’s length and power will be too much for Rozenstruik, but wouldn’t be terribly surprised to see him get hurt and knocked out for the first time in his career. What fighter has he faced with the speed and power of Rozenstruik?

Derrick Lewis hardly threw a punch, Stipe wore him down, and Junior isn’t what he was when he knocked out everyone with one punch. If either of them hits each other with the shots that nearly took Allistair Overeem’s head or mouth off, it’s night night.

My Prediction: Ngannou Round 2 KO

 

Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz

I personally don’t like when guys, or gals, take time off. I believe that the sport evolves very fast and that active fighters are learning and improving at an exponential rate from those that have taken time away. I am always brought back to the Amanda Nunez destruction of a returning Rhonda Rousey.

And unfortunately for Dominick Cruz, I think this is going to be a long night. If Cruz has lost even a small step to that unorthodox elusive style, Cejudo will capitalize and punish him. After taking severe punishment from Marlon Moraes and coming back to win by punches, I think we see a confident beast in Cejudo who dismantles Cruz pretty quickly.

With that being said there is always the chance and hope that we witness a legend return to stardom. Cruz has been a fantastic commentator and has been in the middle of tons of beef with the likes of T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt who are still in the picture. So a win would create some exciting matchups going forward and a win for Cejudo would allow him to continue his amazing Champ Champ run.

My Prediction: Cejudo Round 1 KO

 

Honorable Mentions

I love Cerrone but think his day has passed. Pettis has also suffered some bad defeats but I think his striking is a bit too sharp for Cowboy. I think Pettis wins a bloody decision.

Fabrico Werdum will knock out Alekse Oleinik and Ronald Souza will beat Uriah Hall in a decision.

Brett Mitchell and the rest of us spectators will be the true victors as we get to binge snacks, drinks and violence for 6 hours.

P.S. I won’t mention Hardy vs. Castro because I feel like these fighters and this fight should be on a Bellator card. No disrespect to Douglas Lima or Ryan Bader who should come back to the real show.

 

Hit me up on Twitter @BrettMitchellFB

More MMA Analysis

More DFS Analysis & Lineup Picks




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Stats & Leaders
Starts and Sit
Daily Fantasy
Who To Pickup
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Michael Wacha7 mins ago

Royals Agree To Three-Year Deal
Reynaldo López16 mins ago

Braves Sign Reynaldo Lopez To Three-Year Deal
Daniel Jones25 mins ago

Remains Giants' Starting QB
Khris Middleton25 mins ago

Remains Sidelined Against Cavaliers
Josh Giddey28 mins ago

Added To Injury Report On Monday
Kevin Huerter32 mins ago

Leaves Shootaround Early, Remains Questionable
Immanuel Quickley37 mins ago

Draws Another Doubtful Status On Monday
Lauri Markkanen41 mins ago

Questionable To Face Bulls
Jakobi Meyers42 mins ago

Has Huge Day In Week 9
D'Angelo Russell47 mins ago

Listed As Probable On Monday
Austin Reaves49 mins ago

Deemed Probable On Monday
Drake London51 mins ago

Likely Dealing With Hip Pointer, Going For More Tests
Las Vegas Raiders56 mins ago

Antonio Pierce Hasn't Decided On Starting QB
De'Anthony Melton57 mins ago

Won't Suit Up On Monday
Caris LeVert1 hour ago

Questionable Against Bucks On Monday
A.J. Brown1 hour ago

Going For MRI Exam On Monday
Kyle Kuzma1 hour ago

Ruled Out Again With Groin Strain
Bucky Irving1 hour ago

Expected To Play On Monday Night
Andrew Wiggins1 hour ago

Probable On Monday Against Wizards
San Antonio Spurs2 hours ago

Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich Out With Health Issue
Keon Coleman3 hours ago

Undergoing Tests On His Wrist Monday
New Orleans Saints3 hours ago

Saints Fire Head Coach Dennis Allen
Rose Namajunas4 hours ago

Drops Decision Matchup
Erin Blanchfield4 hours ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Dustin Stoltzfus4 hours ago

Gets First-Round Knockout At UFC Edmonton
Dak Prescott4 hours ago

Will Undergo MRI On His Hamstring
A.J. Brown4 hours ago

Avoids Major Injury On Sunday
DeVonta Smith4 hours ago

Makes A Case For Catch Of The Year On Touchdown Grab
Zach Hyman4 hours ago

Records Two Points In Battle Of Alberta Win
Saquon Barkley4 hours ago

Goes For Nearly 200 Total Yards, Scores Twice
Marc-Andre Barriault4 hours ago

Knocked Out At UFC Edmonton
Matt Boldy5 hours ago

Hits Overtime Winner Versus Toronto
Jared Spurgeon5 hours ago

Delivers Two Assists In Sunday's Win
Trevin Giles5 hours ago

Losses Third Fight In A Row
Alex Ovechkin5 hours ago

Extends Goal Streak To Four Games
Dmitry Orlov5 hours ago

Nets Two Goals Against Capitals
Jeremy Swayman5 hours ago

Collects First Shutout Of The Season
Connor Bedard5 hours ago

Records Three Assists In Sunday's Win
Mike Malott6 hours ago

Wins Decision At UFC Edmonton
Rome Odunze8 hours ago

Shines With Impressive Performance Against Cardinals
Chuba Hubbard9 hours ago

Scores Two Touchdowns In Panthers Win
Demarcus Robinson9 hours ago

Catches Game-Winning TD
Cooper Kupp9 hours ago

Has 100-Yard Day Against Seattle
Alvin Kamara11 hours ago

Gets 38 Touches In Week 9
Trevor Lawrence12 hours ago

Picked Off Twice By Philadelphia
Evan Engram12 hours ago

Targeted 10 Times In Loss To Eagles
Las Vegas Raiders12 hours ago

Raiders Fire Three, Including Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy
Darius Slayton13 hours ago

Enters Concussion Protocol Sunday
Jamal Murray14 hours ago

Listed As Out On Monday Against Toronto
Bradley Beal14 hours ago

Questionable Going Into Monday Night's Matchup Against Philadelphia
Rudy Gobert14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
Zach LaVine14 hours ago

Listed As Questionable On Monday
NASCAR14 hours ago

Speeding Penalty Foils Martin Truex Jr.'s Last Realistic Shot At Winning
Denny Hamlin14 hours ago

Fails To Advance To Championship 4 But Runs Well
Shane Van Gisbergen14 hours ago

Shane van Gisbergen Earns Best Oval Finish at Martinsville
William Byron14 hours ago

Tentatively In Championship 4 Pending Ruling On Manufacturer Orders
Anthony Davis15 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Monday
Stephen Curry15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
Jaylen Brown15 hours ago

Listed As Out For Monday Night's Matchup In Atlanta
Joel Embiid15 hours ago

Listed As Out For Monday Night's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo15 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Monday Night
MMA18 hours ago

Ariane Lipski Submitted At UFC Edmonton
Jasmine Jasudavicius18 hours ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado18 hours ago

Still Winless In The UFC
Brendson Ribeiro18 hours ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Edmonton
Amir Albazi18 hours ago

Falls Short At UFC Edmonton
Brandon Moreno18 hours ago

Dominates At UFC Edmonton
Artturi Lehkonen20 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
NJ20 hours ago

Nathan Bastian To Miss "Several Weeks"
Brayden Point20 hours ago

Exits With Injury Sunday
Dan Vladar20 hours ago

Set For Second Consecutive Start Sunday
Nicholas Robertson20 hours ago

Re-Enters Maple Leafs Lineup Sunday
Jakub Vrana20 hours ago

Scratched On Sunday
Austin Barnes1 day ago

Returning To Los Angeles
1 day ago

David Robertson To Test Free Agency
Wilmer Flores1 day ago

Giants Exercise Club Option On Wilmer Flores
Owen Miller1 day ago

Shipped To Colorado
Merrill Kelly1 day ago

Staying In Arizona
1 day ago

Eloy Jimenez Headed To Free Agency
Daniel Suarez1 day ago

Will Start 20th At Martinsville
Zane Smith1 day ago

Might Be An Underrated Value Play For Martinsville
Tyler Reddick1 day ago

Is A Top DFS Recommendation For Martinsville Lineups
Joey Logano1 day ago

Will Be One To Watch At Martinsville
Brad Keselowski1 day ago

Should DFS Players Rely On Brad Keselowski For Martinsville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar1 day ago

Is A Great DFS Option For All Martinsville DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs1 day ago

Is Ty Gibbs Worth Rostering At Martinsville This Week For DFS?
Austin Cindric1 day ago

Could Have A Top-20 Performance At Martinsville
William Byron1 day ago

Might Be Usable Only In DFS Tournaments At Martinsville
Chris Buescher1 day ago

Should DFS Players Roster Chris Buescher At Martinsville?
Alex Bowman1 day ago

Expect A Solid Top-10 Performance From Alex Bowman At Martinsville
Josh Berry1 day ago

May Be Set For Long-Run Struggles At Martinsville
Dylan Larkin1 day ago

Scores Twice On Saturday
Cam Talbot1 day ago

Stops 31 Shots In Saturday's Victory
Cale Makar1 day ago

Tallies Goal, Assist On Saturday
Anton Forsberg1 day ago

Records Shutout Victory On Saturday
Philip Broberg1 day ago

Leaves Saturday Early With Lower-Body Injury
Sidney Crosby1 day ago

Nets Two More Goals In Saturday's Victory
Chase Elliott1 day ago

Will Be Tough To Beat At Martinsville
Ryan Blaney1 day ago

A Great DFS Play At Martinsville
Denny Hamlin1 day ago

Wrecks In Practice, Will Start Last At Martinsville
Kyle Larson1 day ago

Going Overlooked At Martinsville
Martin Truex Jr1 day ago

. Will Be Strong At Martinsville On Sunday
2 days ago

Joc Pederson To Test Free Agency
2 days ago

Anthony Rizzo Headed To Free Agency
Freddy Peralta2 days ago

Milwaukee Picking Up Option On Freddy Peralta
2 days ago

Ha-Seong Kim Headed To Free Agency
Adam Pelech2 days ago

To Miss At Least Four Weeks
Mathew Barzal2 days ago

Ruled Out For 4-6 Weeks
Robbie Ray2 days ago

Doesn't Opt Out Of Contract, Stays With Giants
2 days ago

Yankees Could Make Play For Pete Alonso This Offseason
2 days ago

Sean Manaea Opts Out Of Contract, Becomes Free Agent
Cody Bellinger2 days ago

Picks Up $27.5 Million Player Option With Cubs
Gerrit Cole2 days ago

Opts Out Of Contract With Yankees
Rhys Hoskins2 days ago

Staying In Milwaukee
2 days ago

Seattle Declines Club Option On Jorge Polanco
Luke Weaver2 days ago

Returning To New York
Eugenio Suárez2 days ago

Arizona Picks Up Club Option On Eugenio Suarez
Rose Namajunas3 days ago

An Underdog At UFC Edmonton
Erin Blanchfield3 days ago

Returns At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

Dustin Stoltzfus Set To Face Marc-Andre Barriault At UFC Edmonton
Marc-Andre Barriault3 days ago

A Favorite At UFC Edmonton
Trevin Giles3 days ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mike Malott3 days ago

Opens Up UFC Edmonton Main Card
Brendson Ribeiro4 days ago

Searching For 1st UFC Win At UFC Edmonton
Caio Machado4 days ago

Drops Down To Light Heavyweight At UFC Edmonton
Jhonata Diniz4 days ago

Gets Big Step-Up At UFC Edmonton

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, WR, Waiver Wire, NFL DFS, Rookies

Biggest Fantasy Football Busts Of The Week - Fantasy Outlooks For C.J. Stroud, Tank Bigsby, Marvin Harrison, Brian Thomas, Kyle Pitts, Nick Chubb, more

The ninth Sunday of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. Hopefully, you woke up on Monday morning feeling very good about how your matchup went. However, this week's slate of games was certainly stress-inducing for many fantasy football managers. Part of that stress was caused by a group of players who drastically underachieved […]


Quentin Johnston - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 10 Waiver Wire Pickups (QB, RB, WR, TE): Free Agent Adds Include Justin Herbert, Isaac Guerendo, Quentin Johnston, Demarcus Robinson, Taysom Hill

RotoBaller's Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire pickups article for 2024 will cover everyone you need to know that could help your team find replacements for injured players, fill in for players you want to drop, or even help you win a championship. Every week, new players are breaking out. From bench stashes in the […]


Ray Davis - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Waiver Wire Express - Week 10 Lightning Round Including Quentin Johnston, Xavier Legette, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Ray Davis, Jauan Jennings, Cedric Tillman, Bo Nix

October is in the past and many of you are here with shifted clocks, seeking help at wide receiver. Amidst the usual chaos of Sunday's football, we absorbed several high-profile losses at wideout. We're all doing our best to stay hot in November with our fantasy football waiver wire pickups lightning round heading into Week […]


Tyler Allgeier - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Week 10 Waiver Wire Rankings - Fantasy Football Pickups Include Quentin Johnston, Jalen Tolbert, Ricky Pearsall, Ray Davis, Tyler Allgeier, Mike Gesicki

Week 10 will be here in a few days, and it's time to start bolstering those rosters for the fantasy football playoff push. At RotoBaller HQ, we are back with more waiver wire advice to help build those fantasy rosters with our Week 10 fantasy football waiver wire rankings for 2024. There were more crucial […]


Justin Herbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Week 10 Quarterback Pickups - Best Fantasy QB Adds, Streamers Include Russell Wilson, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and more

It was not a banner week for the quarterback position in fantasy football. There wasn’t a single quarterback that surpassed 300 passing yards between Thursday and the main Sunday slate. We did get a five passing touchdown performance (Joe Burrow) and three quarterbacks with three passing touchdowns, but that was it. Four teams have a […]


DeVon Achane - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Injury News

Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances Including Saquon Barkley, De'Von Achane, Alvin Kamara And More

The running back renaissance is truly upon us in 2024. While rushing touchdowns were down this week, matching the lowest number of the season thus far (23), the top-10 RBs had their best week yet. Week 9 was the first time all season that each athlete to be featured on this list all hit 21 […]


Mike Gesicki - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Mike Gesicki, Quentin Johnston, Ray Davis, Demarcus Robinson, Josh Oliver

Week 9 of the NFL regular season provided fans with some exciting action. The Bills defeated the Dolphins in an AFC East clash thanks to Tyler Bass' game-winning 61-yard FG in the final moments. The Titans and Rams also contributed a pair of overtime victories that enthralled audiences. Many big names showed out for fantasy […]


Ray Davis - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Running Back Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups for Week 10: Top Free Agent Adds Include Ray Davis, Jaylen Warren, Tyler Allgeier, Justice Hill

As you read this week’s recommendations from the waiver wire, the planning process for Week 10 roster construction has begun. You have already navigated a collection of obstacles that have emerged through the first nine weeks of the regular season, and should now sustain your efforts to minimize the impact of additional injuries, underwhelming production, […]


AJ Brown - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Top Fantasy Football Injuries From Sunday's Games: Chris Olave, Drake London, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, More

The Week 9 injury report was pretty light compared to the rest of the season. Even still, some big names went down, and they will definitely affect fantasy rosters everywhere. We saw several wide receivers leave games early and had another injury to a starting quarterback. Let’s get into the injury report from yesterday's games […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Buccaneers vs. Chiefs MNF Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, DeAndre Hopkins, Kareem Hunt, Rachaad White, Jalen McMillan, Cade Otton

Week 9 is already here, and setting optimal lineups has never been more crucial as the fantasy football playoffs near. Read our Monday Night Football matchups analysis article for the Buccaneers vs. Chiefs game to help make any fantasy football lineup decisions for both season-long and DFS. This week's MNF contest sees the undefeated Kansas […]


Travis Kelce - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Buccaneers vs. Chiefs MNF Showdown (Week 9)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have a matchup between a pair of banged-up teams in this one, as Baker Mayfield and the shorthanded Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) head up to Kansas City to take on the final remaining undefeated team in the league in the Chiefs (7-0). Both teams are missing key offensive pieces, and let's […]


Hunter Henry - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Tight Ends Fantasy Football Waiver Wire - Week 10 TE Pickups Including Mike Gesicki, Hunter Henry, Taysom Hill and More!

There are going to be millions of fantasy football general managers in need of a tight end for Week 10. The dreaded bye week will sideline Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, Cleveland’s David Njoku, and Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft, three TE1s that fantasy managers could certainly use as we cross the halfway point in the NFL […]


Jalen Tolbert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Pickups - Top Fantasy Football WR Adds for Week 10 Include Jerry Jeudy, Quentin Johnston, DeMario Douglas, Ray-Ray McCloud

Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season is almost behind us. It was an exciting week of football, with a lot of games going down to the wire, including the afternoon slate ending with an overtime game between the Rams and Seahawks. Some of those games featured players on our Week 10 wide receiver fantasy […]