DraftKings MMA DFS Picks | UFC 276

DraftKings MMA DFS Picks for UFC 276

UFC PPV week is upon us once again, and 276 seems unable to disappoint! From an awesome presser Thursday to all 24 fighters successfully making weight on Friday, we are in for some bangers this Saturday, July 2^nd. Alexander Volkanovski takes on Max Holloway for the third (and final?) time for the Featherweight Title and Israel Adesanya faces off against Jared Cannonier in the main event for the Middleweight Championship. We also get Robbie Lawler x Bryan Barberena and Jalin “The Tarantula” Turner against City Kickboxing’s Brad Riddell. I could go on and on, but why don’t you read ahead and find out who to put in your DraftKings lineups this weekend!

And as usual, I want all of you to enjoy the fights, so…enjoy.

Before we get started, be sure to check out some of the other amazing content that our experts at Team Rise or Fall have put together. Our very own Kelly Singh has a fantastic PGA DFS article for you, so don’t waste the chance! Get in some of the weekend showdowns and get those takedowns! PGA DFS: John Deere Classic Lineup Strategy is LIVE on TeamRiseOrFall now and includes a wealth of PGA knowledge and information to help you get those winning tickets. Help Kelly help you build that bankroll so you can consistently play in those juicier tournaments! Why not make money instead of wasting it? Click it…click it…click it! Find that and much, much more over on TeamRiseorFall.com and start dominating your tournaments TODAY!

Play #1 – Alexander Volkanovski ($9000)

My first must-play for UFC 276 is going to be the Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Alex has some of the best scoring numbers on the entire card, averaging 4.24 raw DraftKings points per minute and just north of 110 points when he wins, and this is over 11 UFC wins. Volkanovski also has one hell of a defensive pace, allowing just 1.79 raw DraftKings points per minute, the best number of all fighters at UFC 276.

Alex’s opponent, the very familiar Max Holloway, is no joke when it comes to scoring. Max averages 3.49 raw DraftKings points per minute and 104.96 in his 19 wins. Max puts on a decent defensive pace, allowing 2.44 raw DraftKings points per minute, but gives up 97.62 when he loses.

Volkanovski has put up 90+ in 10 of 11 UFC fights, and over 100 in eight of those wins. Alex has also beaten Max twice now, and I think he gets it done again with an even more dominating victory. I will have both guys rostered in GPP tournaments, possibly close to 100% of this fight, with 2 to 1 exposure on Volkanovski, minimum. I also do not mind a stack in cash games but keep in mind that Volkanovski has out-landed Holloway in each of their last two fights, keeping Max’s numbers a bit lower than usual.

Play #2 – Jalin Turner ($8400)

Play number two is going to be a fighter with one of the highest DraftKings scoring upsides on the entire card in Jalin Turner. Scoring 4.25 raw DraftKings points per minute and a whopping 115.92 points per win, Turner is someone I will be heavily targeting in GPP tournaments. Not to mention the extreme height and reach advantage that Jalin will have should give Riddell some problems in the stand-up game.

Brad Riddell is a super tough lightweight, but I believe he is too undersized in this matchup. Riddell is solid defensively but does allow 3.18 raw DraftKings points per minute, with 1.46 of those coming via takedowns and control time. Brad scores only 80 DraftKings points per win, so even if you are on the Riddell side, I would have a cap set with that very low scoring average.

Jalin Turner may have one of the best potential values on the card, even at the salary of $8400. His potential is through the roof, and I think he can get Brad Riddell out of there. Gimme Jalin Turner inside the distance for a triple-digit score and possible optimal lineup status.

Play #3 – Gabe Green ($7400)

The third and final play for UFC 276 is an underdog play at $7400. Gabe Green has fantastic DraftKings upside, scoring 3.80 raw points per minute and 98.51 per win. Green has also made the optimal lineup in one of his previous two UFC fights, and his opponent is relatively unproven.

Ian Garry has a few questions that need to be answered before I can pick him to win a second fight in the UFC, let alone roster him with any kind of decent exposure. Garry scored great in his debut against Jordan Williams but put up only 61.97 in his second fight. $8800 is way too much to pay for Garry, so naturally, I will be looking for upside in his extremely cheap opponent.

Gabe has put up over 90 DraftKings points in both of his UFC wins and over 100 in one of them. Not only do I like Green to pull the upset, but his scoring numbers are such that he should make the optimal lineup in a win.

Fade #1 – Israel Adesanya ($9400)

My biggest fade of UFC 276 may not be an obvious one but hear me out. Israel Adesanya will be a fighter I plan on being well under the field to this Saturday. At $9400, I find Izzy to be relatively unplayable for GPP tourneys, and here is why. Adesanya scores just 2.29 raw DraftKings points per minute and only 87.09 when he wins. Let’s not forget that Izzy has more five-round fights than three-round fights, making these numbers even worse in my eyes.

Israel’s opponent, Jared Cannonier, is someone I will be over the field on, simply based on his extremely low salary of $6800. Cannonier also does not score very well offensively, racking up an average of just over 90 when he wins. I plan on being very low compared to the field for this main event.

Israel is known as a finisher but has only finished one single opponent in his last five fights. The DraftKings points per win in that time is even lower than his career average. If I were assigning salaries, Izzy wouldn’t be more than $8600. $9400 seems like an asinine price to pay on a guy that doesn’t score well and has not been finishing fights.

There you have it, loyal readers. If you cannot get enough of me, please check me out over on Twitter.

I do a weekly show, Game Theory, over on YouTube where I prep you for UFC 276 with everything you need for MMA DFS. Check it out!

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Thank you all for reading & let’s win some money & get those takedowns this weekend! I want all of you to enjoy the fights, so…enjoy.

-Monk AKA The Monkmatician AKA Monk Master Flecks