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It’s a solid card with some fringe contenders at UFC Fight Night on ESPN this evening, with light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Aleksandar Rakic leading the way. And there’s plenty of DFS contests like DraftKings MMA $400k Throwdown, with $100,000 guaranteed for first place with just a $15 entry.
Each fighter is been given a salary, and rosters can’t exceed the salary cap of $50,000. With bonus points for stopping opponents early, picking effective strikers and submission specialists that can end things in one round or less, or very active fighters that strike and takedown their opponent frequently, is the best way to score. Being an active fighter that gets finishes is the best for your roster.
Here’s how the scoring works, and notice how heavily it leans towards winning big and early:
Moves
Significant Strikes: +0.5 Pts
Advance: +3 Pts
Takedown: +5 Pts
Reversal/Sweep: +5 Pts
Knockdown: +10 Pts
Fight Conclusion Bonuses
1st Round Win: +90 Pts
2nd Round Win: +70 Pts
3rd Round Win: +45 Pts
4th Round Win: +40 Pts
5th Round Win: +40 Pts
Decision Win: +30 Pts
And with that, here are our picks for tonight’s action:
Alex Caceres ($7,400)
When his salary was set, he was facing Giga Chikadze. Now that he’s got newcomer Austin Springer as his opponent, he goes from underdog to favorite here. Way too much value to be passed on simply due to the card change. On value, he’s about $1,400 underpriced here, and that’s something you’ve got to have on your card despite what his ownership might be.
Sean Brady ($9,300)
Brady is up to a -455 favorite, and he gives you the best of both worlds: In his two decision UFC wins he has 100.5 DFS points averaged, which is the safest fighter to have on your roster. If someone can score and give you the possibility of a finish as well, that’s the best. Especially as that big a favorite.
Maki Pitolo ($7,700)
Pitolo’s activity and UFC experience can provide plenty of value here. Lots of undefeated fighters on their way to the octagon haven’t really defeated anyone, and Impa Kasanganay’s not fought anyone of note so far before his UFC debut tonight. “Coconut Bombz” Pitolo has heavy hands and speed, and if he can keep it in the stand-up, he can get back in the mix in the division.