Yo Yo Yo!
I noticed DraftKings fired up a MMA live final.
UFC 268 will be the first week to qualify. So those that are about that life, here’s some data for a starting point. Good Luck!!
A couple of things I like to consider when playing MMA DFS:
· Choose active fighters. Coupling an active fighter on his/her way to a unanimous decision will give you key points for your team. Just like any other DFS traditional sport, you want the active, offensive player that scores. Key metrics here are SLpM and TD AVG/15min.
· Play the heavyweights. The approximant overall finish rate in the UFC is 54%. Most of the weight divisions range from 40%-60%, while the heavyweights push a 75% finish rate. You will receive bonus points for finishes inside the distance.
· Try to always include the main event or title fights. Five round fights mean more time to rack up points if you pick the right fighter. In some cases, even if you have the loser, the points can be more than a three-round winner.
· Don’t get excited and rush a pick based on stats, consider sample size. Some fighters have limited fights compared to their opponents when looking at metrics. Stats could be exaggerated. Do your research. Watch for spots with debuting fighters as well. Always check the records of the opponents they faced on their way to the UFC. Always pull fight tape as well. You’d be surprised at what you will find.
· Review methods of victory. I supply the finish rates within this article, and as you dive in even more, you can compare method of victory to method of loss for the matchups. For example, you can find matchups where Fighter A has a high % of submission victories matched up with Fighter B, with a high % of submission losses.
Here’s my MMA DFS Heat Chart for UFC 268. As you can see, the chart is ranked based on fight finish odds. Fight finishes are where the points are at in MMA DFS. Take a quick glance at the stack, and we will break down the individual match-ups below.
Two key offensive metrics are strikes and takedowns. They get off on their opponents, watch your points rack up quick. Here's my Offensive Output Meter for the card. With this chart, you can compare historical fighter averages in these two, key metrics as I rank all fighters participating Saturday.
Fights not predicted to make the final bell: (I’ve bolded my preferred fighters.
-120 Usman/Covington
-130 Rose/Weili
-290 Gaethje/Chandler
-240 Pereira/Michailidis
-170 Curtis/Hawes
-200 Shahbazyan/Imavov
-290 Garry/Williams
-136 Barnett/Villante
-172 Jacoby/Allan
-120 Souza/Baghdasaryan
-190 Vergara/Osbourne
Some recommendations as you build out your lineup:
Main event: Usman for me. Covington has an incredible price point though. Stackable in cash.
Top Tier fighters to build around: Garry, Pereira, Jacoby, Usman
Mid Tier fighter considerations: Gaethje, Osbourne
Live dogs that could score: Shahbazyan, Namajunas, Edgar, Curtis, Covington
Thanks Casey it’s been ages it seems since I’ve seen your DFS