DraftKings MMA DFS Picks | UFC Austin

DraftKings MMA DFS Picks for UFC Austin

UFC Austin is here, and I am more than excited for another non-Apex UFC event. Last I checked, Austin was in Texas and Texas is notorious for judging fights a bit…differently, so let’s all hope for some violence in order to keep these fights out of the judges’ hands. The main event between Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett should be an absolute war on the feet, and right before that one, we have the battle of the old men; Donald Cerrone x Joe Lauzon. This card is absolutely stacked, so be sure to give this a read before constructing your lineups for UFC Austin.

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

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Play #1 – Phil Hawes ($9000)

I really like Phil Hawes to not only get the win over Deron Winn, but to snatch a big score as well. Phil scores 4.70 raw DraftKings points per minute and over 106 when he wins, making him one of the top scorers on this card. He also scores 1.72 points per minute in takedowns and control time, giving him the option to dominate his opponent wherever the fight goes.

Not only has Deron Winn not fought in a year and a half, but he had another rough weight cut today. He did reach the 186-pound limit for a middle-weight fight, but he needed the box of shame to get there. Winn also scores very well in his UFC career, but I think this line is right if Hawes doesn’t get clipped with that one big shot.

Hawes is at least four inches taller than Winn with a seven-inch reach advantage, which is the main reason I’m leaning Hawes this week. It can be difficult to take a much taller guy down, and I’m hoping Phil can keep Deron off him and finish this fight early. If that happens, Hawes should be able to pay off his $9000 salary.

Play #2 – Albert Duraev ($8600)

The second fighter I will be looking to roster is Albert Duraev. Duraev scored very well in his first UFC fight, racking up 3.97 raw DraftKings points per minute as he got the decision victory over Roman Kopylov. Duraev scored 1.00 points per minute in that one from takedowns and control time alone. He also found mount and dropped 30 ground strikes on his opponent but was unable to finish.

Joaquin Buckley is one hell of a fighter, and you really must put this guy’s lights out to finish him. 4-1 in his last five with three KO/TKO wins, Buckley will be looking for that big power shot/combo to finish Duraev where he stands. Duraev will have to keep his head on a swivel to avoid that, and possible look to get this one to a dominant position on the ground.

I know he has only one UFC fight, but I like Albert to get the win inside the distance against Buckley. Maybe he gets this to the ground and can get Buckley’s back or finish this on the ground in another way. While I will have both sides of this fight, that is the scenario I’ll be looking for when doing lineup construction.

Play #3 – Joe Lauzon ($7900)

The final play I will give you is going to be Joe Lauzon. I know, I know, this is the battle of the old guys. I personally think this one does not start the third round, so I will be looking for that Lauzon finish. And early. Lauzon hasn’t fought in around 32 months, but his energy looks great, and it seems like he is focused.

Normally I would not give you Joe Lauzon as a must-play in GPP tourneys in the year 2022, but in this case, his opponent is Donald Cerrone (so I will). Cerrone is 0-4 (1 NC) in his last five fights and I get the feeling he may be focusing on things other than fighting these days.

Again, I like Lauzon here because I don’t think there is any way this fight hits the third, and I think Lauzon simply wants it more. It certainly helps that he is at the underdog salary of $7800, making it easier to fill out your lineups with the other fighters you like.

Fade #1 – Guram Kutateladze ($7800)

The fade for UFC Austin is going to be Guram Kutateladze. Guram has one UFC fight which happened over a year and eight months ago in which he scored only 1.74 raw DraftKings points per minute and 56 total in that win. He allowed 1.67 points per minute in takedowns and 0.42 points per minute in control time in that fight against Mateusz Gamrot.

Ismagulov is 23-1 in his professional career, going 4-0 in the UFC. Damir scores well per minute, tallying 3.33 raw DraftKings points and almost 80 when he wins. His defensive pace is more important, allowing only 1.01 RDKP/min over 60 minutes of fight time. Incredible.

Long story short, I think this one goes to decision with Damir getting his hand raised in the end. Guram is in a show-me-first spot before I am comfortable rostering him in a significant amount of GPP lineups.

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

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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.