UFC Vegas 99 and our DFS MMA cash picks and strategy for Hernandez vs Pereira on October 19th starts here! This time we have a 11-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 2020 NBA 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 from NBA to MMA, and 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!
MMA UFC Vegas 99 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 or taking someone who is severely mispriced. 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 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.
Apr 8, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Rob Font (red gloves) fights Adrian Yanez (blue gloves) during UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
DFS MMA UFC Vegas 99 Cash Core Plays
Robelis Despaigne (-350) 9.4k
Despaigne is my favorite cash play in this 9k range. He is a -350 favorite. That means he is the most expensive fighter and priced as the 3rd biggest favorite. Vegas fully expects this fight to end quickly with a fight ends Inside The Distance (ITD) prop of -1400. In this scenario Vegas is fairly confident in Robelis getting the win with a wins ITD prop of -400 (best on the entire slate). I am locking him into all my cash game builds and strongly suggest you do the same!!
Melissa Martinez (-140) 8.4k
Martinez is another fighter I like on this card for cash games in the 8k range. She has strong upside at her salary, especially when you consider her opponent is pretty much a part-time fighter. All signs point to her being a solid cash game play. I have Melissa locked in my own personal cash game build as we speak. I strongly suggest you do the same.
Jake Hadley (-500) 7.7k
In order to fit the higher-priced fighters on this card you are going to have to punt with an underdog or 2 on this card. Hadley is my favorite cash punt on the entire UFC Vegas 99 card because he allows us the luxury to get 4 or more favorites into our cash game builds. He is taking an opponent taking this fight on short notice and he is now the biggest favorite on the entire card and he is priced as an underdog. This is the route I am taking on this card and I think you should entertain the thought as well.
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 UFC 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 Sniper’s GPP Article here.
MMA UFC Vegas 99 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.
Daniel Pineda (-115) 8.2k vs Darren Elkins (-115) 8k
This fight carries a -200 Fight Ends ITD prop. Both fighters have paths to putting up strong DFS scores and the winner of this fight has a strong chance to be in the optimal lineup. I will personally have a good amount of exposure to this fight in tournaments (north of 70%). This fight will score well for DraftKings purposes. My preferred play is Pineda. He is the fighter more likely to end this fight early, plus I think he will carry lower ownership than his opponent. Having said that be sure to get some exposure to Elkins because the longer this fight goes the more this fight swings in his favor. If you plan on playing multiple lineups in UFC Vegas 99 tournaments this is a great fight to target both sides of in my opinion.
DFS MMA UFC Vegas 98 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.
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Good Luck Army!