Welcome again fellow fight fans to a Saturday Night of UFC action. This time we have a 12-fight card taking place in Brasil, Brazil. 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 On ESPN On ESPN+ 28 Cash Core Plays
Amanda Ribas (-345) 9.3k
Ribas is the 2nd highest priced fighter on this card but, she has equal odds to win currently as the fighter priced above her. She typically lands multiple takedowns (4.19) per fight over her 2 UFC fights thus far. Ribas will not only have a size advantage in this fight but, her opponent has also shown that she can be takendown in several of her UFC fights. Adding all of these things up and I think Ribas makes for a strong cash game play on this card and I will be locking her into my own cash game builds.
Kevin Lee (-138) 8.3k vs Charles Oliveira (+128) 7.9k
Since many of you are probably new to the sport of MMA consider this a cash play plus a bonus. Often times in cash games we are looking to lock in safe floor for our builds. One way I often like to do this is by stacking a fight (using both fighters from the same fight). This is a perfect fight to do that in. By locking in both Lee and Oliveira we are ensuring we have the winning fighter in our cash lineup and in essence locking in 100+ DraftKings points. Now many times stacks can produce higher scores than 100. Both these fighters land at solid rates (Lee 4.06 and Oliveira 3.18) Significant Strikes (SS’s) per minute. Looking at Vegas odds they are expecting this fight to go at least 2 rounds (-245 Fight Starts 2 Round). I personally don’t see any reason why this stack doesn’t produce a score of 120+ DraftKings points. I am perfectly fine with that and it’s the route I am taking on this slate.
Bea Malecki (+140) 7.1k
In order to fit the higher priced favorites on this card you are going to have to punt with an underdog or 2 on this card. Malecki is my favorite cash punt on this card. Vegas is 50/50 on if this fight to goes to decision or not. What I like about Malecki even though she is the underdog is that she will have a distinct size advantage (her opponent is moving up a weight-class for this fight). I think Malecki has a good chance of scoring 30-40 DraftKings points in a decision loss, throw in the fact I think she is live to get the win and her ceiling is even higher (100+ Draftkings points). All signs point to Malecki being a solid play in cash games and she is locked into my builds!
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.
Johnny Walker (-140) 8.6k vs Nikita Krylov (+130) 7.6
This fight carries a massive Inside The Distance Prop of (-590). At both their salaries the winner of this fight should be on the optimal lineup and both are worth taking some stabs at in your tournament builds. I will personally have a good amount of exposure to this fight in tournaments because it’s a fight that will score well for DraftKings purposes. My preferred play is Walker because he is the better striker and has more power in his hands. A case can be made for his opponent to get the win. If you plan on playing multiple lineups in tournaments this is a great fight to target both sides of.
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!
