UFC 323 arrives this Saturday, giving us two awesome title fights on the main card. We keep going 2-1 with our MMA DFS core plays, but eventually a clean 3-0 sweep is coming again, propelling you to some big wins at DraftKings.
I think I’ve got the right plays for UFC 323, so it may just come down to getting sneaky in 1-2 spots (and hitting all of your picks) to get us where we want to go.
Ready to piece together a winning lineup? Let’s get started the right way with my top MMA DFS picks for UFC 323:
UFC 323 DFS Core Plays
- Merab Dvalishvili ($9.5k)
- Alexandre Pantoja ($9k)
- Terrance McKinney ($7.6k)
I think there’s always the chance that Petyr Yan drops the hammer and knocks Merab out. But literally nobody has every done that. He is tough as nails, understands angles and spacing as well as anyone, and has elite defense.
The likely outcome is boring, but something we should just embrace; Merab will keep Yan’s striking at bay and he’ll take him to the mat at will. I doubt we get a finish, but Merab is worth the price given the extra rounds, takedowns, and seemingly guaranteed win.
Merab is a blocker pick, as he will be chalky. But hopefully the rest of your lineup is in strong position to fend off the rest of the field.
Pantoja is similar for me. I respect Joshua Van’s tenacity and confidence, but he simply isn’t as strong or as skilled as Pantoja. The end is probably not too far away for the 35-year old Pantoja, but he is still physically very good and there’s little reason to suggest he can’t continue defending his title.
Van is a threat and will be in play as an elite value at $7.2k, but this fight definitely stinks of the “too much, too soon” variety. Pantoja is another level of fighter than has seen everything and will know how to avoid dangerous spots. Ultimately, his wrestling wins out.
In lieu of any MMA DFS GPP picks, I’ll give you on in the core via Terrance McKinney. He is a savage and he is risky, but he provides some much-needed value to the MMA Core considering the two studs we are locking in.
McKinney is not a lock to win, as Chris Duncan is quite good. However, he is an elite finisher with a 4-1 run over his last five fights. He comes in with an awesome projection, too. His fighting style simply does not give way to Decisions. I love his upside here, but if you’re not with me, I’d be playing the other side of this fight with Duncan.
Other fighters I like but am not married to: Barboza (punt), Fares Ziam, Marvin Vettori, Brandon Moreno, and Iwo Baraniewski.
Leave a Reply