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This article originally appeared on Lucky Trader: UFC 288 DraftKings Reignmakers Breakdown.
This week, DraftKings Reignmakers is offering up $125,000 in prizes between its five tiers of contests: CORE, RARE, ELITE, LEGENDARY and REIGNMAKER.
All players from DraftKings’ Heatwave, UFC 281, UFC 282, UFC 288 and Genesis sets are eligible to compete in these contests.
With that said, this article breaks down the best fighters to consider adding to your team via the Reignmakers’ marketplace. All listed prices refer to CORE tier unless otherwise noted, but the recommendations can be agnostically applied to all other tiers.
The Good
Below are the best fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC 288 event.
Aljamain Sterling and Belal Muhammad ($2.80, $1.85 - Event)
Let’s get both five-round fights out of the way in one recommendation. Sterling is fighting Henry Cejudo for the UFC Bantamweight Championship this weekend after the latter’s extended absence from the octagon. Sterling opened as a favorite, but he’s a slight underdog now, and this truly is a toss-up fight. Sterling is a high-volume, long-range striker with non-traditional wrestling, while Cejudo is a heavy-handed counter-striker with traditional wrestling. The edge goes slightly to Sterling, but just make sure to pick someone in this fight.
As for Muhammad and Gilbert Burns, Muhammad is always underrated. He’s a +110 underdog against Burns, who is returning to the octagon a bit too quickly after his fight with Jorge Masvidal. The sharp action is on Muhammad as the underdog, and Burns tends to fade later in rounds four and five. This is a bit of an unusual case because it is a non-title fight, but it will be five total rounds as the co-main event. If Muhammad’s chin can hold up, he should be able to use his wrestling and forward pressure to wear down Burns and find a win. But, this fight is also a toss-up. Make sure to pick a side here in most DraftKings Reignmakers lineups.
Drew Dober ($3.79 - Event)
Dober vs. Matt Frevola is an early contender for Fight of the Night, and Dober should be on the winning side of this one. Frevola is a heavy hitter that comes out fast and aggressive. Dober is no stranger to coming on strong, but he’s the more intelligent and better-conditioned athlete. If he doesn’t get caught in the first few minutes of the first round, Frevola will wear down. Dober can mix in wrestling and takedowns, and he should eventually find a knockout victory. Given his upside, Dober is possibly the best play this weekend on DraftKings Reignmakers.
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The Bad
Below are the worst fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC 288 event.
Devin Clark ($0.65 - Event)
Clark gets a challenging matchup this weekend against Kennedy Nzechukwu, one of the better strikers in the division. Nzechukwu has been working on his defensive wrestling, and the only way Clark sneaks out a victory in this fight is to get Nzechukwu to the ground on at least two separate occasions. Nzechukwu has an eight-inch reach advantage, which means Clark is going to be shooting with his head and chin up, and eventually, Nzechukwu should be able to catch him. The best-case scenario this weekend for Clark is seemingly a low-output decision win. Avoid at all costs.
The Obvious
Below are the most obvious fighters to roster for the upcoming UFC 288 event.
Kalinn “Khaos” Williams ($9.40 - Event)
Williams is currently a -300 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, and he should mop the floor with Rolando Bedoya. Williams has wrestling upside that he can work in if he wants to, but he’d only be testing his skillset, as he is the much better striker. He is currently -135 to win inside the distance and the top play on DraftKings Reignmakers. His UFC player card is much more expensive than other elite options, like Dober, but if money is no concern, pay up for Williams. He’s unlikely to be on the losing end of his fight this weekend.
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