Welcome again fellow fight fans to a Saturday night of UFC action. This time we have a 13-fight card taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 245 Cash Core Plays
Amanda Nunes (-310) 9.2k
Nunes is by far my favorite 9k fighter on this card. Not only is this a rematch against her opponent which she won in the 1st round, but she is on an unbelievable run right now. She is quite possibly the best UFC Womens fighter ever and she is finishing her opponents on a regular basis. Throw in the fact that Vegas likes her to get the win ITD (-150) and I am personally locking Nunes into my cash game builds and moving on!
Max Holloway (-175) 8.7k vs Alexander Volkanovski (+155) 7.5k
Typically in cash games I like to target a fight to stack in cash games. More often than not it’s the main event because they have the possibility to go all 5 rounds. This card is not like most cards in the aspect that we have 3 championship fights to choose from and therefore 3 matches that have the chance to go all 5 rounds. Of the 3 championship matches this is my favorite match to incorporate the stack in. Both fighters land at a high rate (Holloway 6.78 SS’s and Volkanovski 6.11 SS’s per minute). Throw into the mix that Vegas likes this match to go the full 5 rounds (-205 Fight Goes To Decision) and I see now reason that this stack doesn’t produce a combined score of 150+ Draftkings points. To sum this up in a nutshell stack this fight and reap the benefits in your cash game builds.
Irene Aldana (+155) 7.4k
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. Aldana is my favorite cash punt on this card. Not only does Vegas expect this fight to go to decision (-325), but Aldana lands at a solid rate (5.87 SS’s per minute). Throw in the fact I am picking her to win this fight and Aldana makes for a great cash game punt on this card!
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.
Punahele Soriano (+100) 8.2 vs Oskar Piechota (-120) 8k
This fight carries a decent -195 Fight Ends ITD prop. While that might not sound like great odds, we have to consider that these fighters are priced right at the mid-range. Plus with this being the 1st fight on the card they should both be relatively low owned compared to other fighters later in the card. I think the winner of this fight has a chance to be on the optimal lineup and are worth taking some stabs at in your tournament builds. My lean is with Piechota and I will have more exposure to him personally.
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!
