Welcome again fellow fight fans to another Saturday night of UFC action. This time we have a 13-fight card taking place in Abu Dhabi. There are several very close matches on this card which will make for some interesting choices in your tournament builds. But, that’s not what this article is about. My goal is to help navigate you through this interesting card and find some solid fighters to begin your cash game construction with.
For you 1st time readers, welcome and I hope you enjoy the article. For all you regular readers, you will notice a change. Moving forward I am going to gear this article for cash games. If you want my full thoughts on the entire card, you can find them in our MMA coaches notes Yes, I know everyone wants to win that big tournament win! But a major point we make here at DFS Army is proper bankroll management. A major part of that is, of course, cash games. It may not be the sexiest way to build your bankroll but, over time it can be the most consistent. I would love to hear any feedback on this new format, and I look forward to helping everyone learn the art of creating a solid cash game lineup.
We have been on a huge run in all sports at DFS Army! Plus the new NASCAR season has started off right where we left off last season. We just had a huge win by a member last Saturday in MMA! You name the sport we cover it! If you want to join in on the winning use promo code “FORSLUND” to save 20% on your membership.
As always have some fun in tournaments this week. Just remember the Golden Rule! While chasing after the big payout is enticing always remember bankroll management. I am a firm believer in the 80-20 rule. Which is 80% of your allocated bankroll for the night in cash games and 20% in tournaments. Remember to take advantage of our Research Station and Domination Station. Plus check out the podcast, and follow me on Twitter (@MMACashAssassin) for the latest MMA and DFS Army news!
For those of you new to MMA here is a breakdown of the scoring used on Draftkings.
MMA Cash Game Basics for DFS
In cash games, unlike tournaments, we are trying to build a solid floor with our lineups. Many times that may mean using a fighter with great odds to win a match or taking someone who is severely mispriced in a solid spot. Cash games are often times card dependent. For example, if a fighter is expected to be chalky in cash games and I feel they are in a good spot I have no problem eating the chalk and just rostering him. After all, he’s chalky for a solid reason. One major difference between cash and tournament play is getting past your aversion to play the chalk. Often times, the chalk makes a lot of sense. (I’m going to use the word “chalk” a lot, if new, chalk is slang for “popular player.”) If, you ever have any questions pertaining to cash games feel free to reach out to me on Twitter or if you are a VIP shoot me a dm.
DFS MMA UFC 242 Cash Core Plays
Khabib Nurmagomedov (-400) 9.3k
It’s really hard not to like Khabib as a fighter and a scorer on draftkings. In his last 5 fights he has produced wins and has recorded 100+ Draftkings points on every single one (hias highest score was 148 DK points). When you look at his statistics he lands at a solid rate of 4.29 Significant Strikes (SS’s) per minute and lands 5.09 Takedowns (TD’s) per fight. Simply put Khabib is gold in his wins and I am personally locking him in my cash game lineup.
Curtis Blaydes (-475) 9.4k
Blaydes is the 2nd most expensive fighter on the card but, is currently the highest favorite on the entire card. Blaydes is a solid wrestler especially for a Heavyweight. He has almost as high of a ceiling as Khabib does. I like the fact that he is able to get draftkings points through is grappling with advances and through TD’s (6.79 per fight). He most likely has a 90 point floor in a decision win and his ceiling is around 120 DK points. I love targeting grapplers in my cash lineups because they have the ability to score in a variety of ways and Blaydes is no exception. Overall he makes for solid play in your cash lineup builds.
Joanne Calderwood (+190) 7.4k
When constructing your cash lineups you are going to find that you will need to target an underdog in your lineups. Now, they don’t need to necessarily win the fight to be considered a solid play. All we are looking for is a decent floor here in a loss. Let me point you in the direction of Calderwood. Now looking at her odds to win you might not be overly impressed. What, I do like is the high fight goes to decision prop of -350. Calderwood has shown that she is a decent striker and lands at a solid rate of 5.86 SS’s per fight. Even in a decision loss I think she should score around 30-40 draftkings points. That’s all you really need here at her price.
Sure, these are MY favorite cash game plays, but maybe you play GPPs or like others. That’s fine…..you need tools, though. Our MMA Research Station is locked and loaded with every related statistic in an easy to read, color coded fashion that cuts your research time down. It allows several fighters, like the ones I mentioned, to really pop at you and make DFS life easier. But, to access this beast, you need to become a member at DFSA…
And, if you are already a member, we have podcasts related to this UFC MMA card, as well as premium articles breaking down strategy and advice even further to #RaiseYourEdge over your competition. I’m sure you’ve seen our army helmets all over the leaderboards. We have not one, not two, but THREE of the top-ranked MMA players in the world coaching our members up on a weekly basis and helping them become better MMA DFS players. See Marley’s UFC Breakdown article here.
Fight To Target In Hybrids/Tournaments
Now that we covered some cash plays. Let’s breakdown 1 fight I really think you should get exposure to in your hybrid and tournament lineups.
Ottman Azaitar (-210) 8.9k vs Teemu Packalen (+190) 7.3k
This fight carries one of the highest fight ends insides the distance (-225) on the whole card. Both fighter are solid grapplers and the winner could produce a strong score on Draftkings. Azitar is my preferred play here, but just take note he is making his UFC Debut.
DFS MMA Standing 8-Count
Ok, that was a boxing reference to make sure you are still paying attention. I hope you all enjoyed the new format and I look forward to hearing your feedback. Be sure you check out our VIP Podcast! If you are new to the sport of MMA, let us teach you the fundamentals to go along with this be sure you check out our new tutorial on how to MME for MMA by our CEO Geek. Become a VIP at DFS Army right now!! Our mixture of content, tools, and coaching can take the best NBA player and teach him MMA like a boss in a very short time. We have NFL guys learning Nascar, and we even have people learning how to dominate the silent sport of tennis! That’s right…..major edge in tennis, and I help out there, too.
If you are still on the fence, remember, my code FORSLUND knocks 20% off the cover price as long as you remain a member. It’s not a one month code….it’s permanent. And, are a couple quick notes from our members….
Good Luck Army!
