DraftKings MMA DFS Picks | UFC Vegas 55

DraftKings MMA DFS Picks for UFC Vegas 55

UFC Vegas 55 is the last card of this current stretch before we get a week off, so let’s make the most of it! With another high-variance card to play, you must keep your options open and get as different as you can. It’s Holly Holm fight week, so make sure you watch the head kick finish over Rousey 152 times to prepare. We also get a very exciting main event between Michel Pereira and Santiago Ponzinibbio and the debut of Heavyweight Jailton Almeida going against the Heavyweight king, Parker Porter. I’ve got three plays and a fade for you this week when it comes to constructing your lineups, so let’s get into it!

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Play #1 – Jailton Almeida ($9400)

As close to a gimme as we have on this entire card, Jailton Almeida should be able to showcase his tremendous skillset against Parker Porter. Jailton is moving up from Light Heavyweight and did weigh in at 224 pounds this morning. Almeida has a 2-inch height advantage but will be giving up over 40 pounds to Porter by the time this fight rolls around.

Parker Porter scores surprisingly well, putting up 4.05 raw DraftKings points per minute and over 94 in his three UFC wins. However, unless Porter falls on top of Almeida and lays there for 15 minutes, I do not see how he can get the victory here.

I am picking Jailton Almeida by way of finish and I’m picking the first round. I expect to have close to 100% of this fight in my lineups, with 70-80% exposure going to Almeida. Whichever lineups do not have Jailton, I will put in Parker Porter because I refuse to be left out in the cold with zero exposure if something crazy happens.

Play #2 – Michel Pereira ($8200)

Michel Pereira is a fighter I will be targeting in both cash games and GPP tournaments. Scoring 3.05 raw DraftKings points per minute, Michel has proven that his exciting style, which has been reigned in a bit, can do well in DraftKings. Pereira also has a very good defensive pace, allowing only 1.81 raw DraftKings points per minute and under 70 when he loses.

Santiago Ponzinibbio has looked ok as of late, going 3-2 in his last five, but dropping two of his last three fights since his long layoff. Santiago is a good opponent and test for Pereira, but he does give up over 101 DraftKings points on average when he loses. Ponzi has also been finished twice in his four UFC losses.

I like the pace of Pereira and I think he has shown that he can keep that up through 15 minutes. If Michel can avoid the big power shots from Ponzi and get him to gas a bit, I see no reason why Pereira can’t win a 29-28 fight here, scoring around 90 points.

Play #3 – Dusko Todorovic ($7500)

A very risky play here, but I like Dusko Todorovic over Chidi Njokuani this week, and possibly by way of finish. Yes, Chidi KO’d Marc-Andre Barriault in under 20 seconds in his one and only UFC fight, but if Todorovic can fight intelligently and get inside to work the clinch, possibly get some takedowns, I think he has a good chance at a ground and pound finish or possibly a submission.

Chidi has concrete blocks in his hands and has shown that by beating a durable guy in Marc-Andre Barriault. Unfortunately, that is all the UFC tape we have on Chidi, and let’s not forget that he has seven losses on his professional record, six of which came by way of finish.

I will admit that I’m not the most confident in this pick, as Dusko has been KO’d in the recent past, but his upside is too great to pass up. Scoring 3.30 raw DraftKings points per minute and a huge 119.67 per UFC win, I would be a fool to not roster Dusko Todorovic in a large percentage of lineups. As it stands now, his ownership is under 15%. I will be far over that number.

Fade #1 – Ketlen Vieira ($7100)

Ketlen Vieira is the fade I will give you this week. I generally do not like fading either side of a five-round fight, but I am willing to make an exception in this case. Scoring just 2.78 raw DraftKings points per minute and 81.70 when she wins, Vieira is not a fighter that I will have in a ton of larger-field tournaments this week.

Holly Holm is a specialist on the feet, and I do believe her footwork will continue to work for her at 40 years old. Holm moves in and out of the pocket very quickly and finds some of the best striking angles in all of MMA. Her defensive pace is one of the very best on the card, allowing just 1.65 raw DraftKings points per minute and only 87 per win.

I think there is a small chance that Ketlen catches Holm in this fight, so I will have some Vieira in bigger tournaments, but I expect to be under the field. I see this fight going to decision often, with Holly Holm getting her hand raised. I will have more Ketlen in cash games, is I do think she could score 40-50 points in a loss, but I am not too confident in her finding a finish against Holly Holm.

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.

-Monk AKA The Monkmatician AKA Monk Master Flecks