DraftKings fantasy MMA daily picks: UFC 203, Miocic vs. Overeem

Here’s a DraftKings breakdown for UFC 203. In this breakdown, you’ll see which fighters are the best options for your lineup.

On Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will look to defend his title for the first time in his backyard against top contender Alistair Overeem. In the co-main event, Fabricio Werdum will look to bounce back against Travis Browne after losing his title. The fight card is set to begin at 6:30 PM ET/ 3:30 PM PT.

With a total of 12 fights on the card, many things come into play when creating your lineup on DraftKings. For example, high-salary and high-value plays are a huge part of it. In every fight card, there are always betting favorites and betting underdogs, so you have to analyze each fight and see which fighters are the best options. Fighters score fantasy points based on statistics like takedowns, knockdowns, and significant strikes. Check out the Daily Fantasy MMA League Rules page to get a better understanding.

We’ll start breaking down each and every fight from here on out, so let’s start with the UFC Fight Pass prelims down below.

CURITIBA, BRAZIL – MAY 13: Yancy Medeiros steps on the scale during the UFC 198 weigh-in at Arena da Baixada stadium on May 13, 2016 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC Fight Pass prelims

Yancy Medeiros ($10,500) vs. Sean Spencer ($8,900)

Yancy Medeiros is currently 3-4 in the UFC and has one no contest. He’s a solid boxer with submissions aplenty in his arsenal. He has averaged 40.6 FPPG (fantasy points per game) in eight UFC fights.

Sean Spencer is also 3-4 in the UFC and is looking to stay more consistent. Primarily a striker, he has averaged 44.6 FPPG in seven UFC fights.

This matchup may very well be a loser-leaves-town fight. Spencer is probably the more versatile in the striking department, but Medeiros is just better everywhere else. Look for Medeiros to get his boxing going early and use his combinations to score against Spencer. If he’s able to get the fight to the ground, he will also look to work his ever-improving submission game and go for the finish. A submission win is likely, which will produce a lot of fantasy points in your lineup. He also makes for a great high-salary play being the betting favorite.

Pick: Yancy Medeiros by submission in the second round

CB Dolloway ($10,900) vs. Francimar Barroso ($8,500)

CB Dolloway is a solid wrestler who’s whole MMA game has come a long way, having averaged 48.3 FPPG in his UFC run.

Francimar Barroso is currently 3-2 in the UFC and he has a lot of potential to be great in his MMA career. He’s averaged 37.6 FPPG in five UFC fights.

Dolloway’s back is definitely against the wall in this matchup, but it doesn’t seem like he’s made a smart choice here. Making his debut in the light heavyweight division, he’ll be facing a bigger and strong fighter in Barroso. It’s very confusing to see how Barroso is such a huge underdog in this matchup, when in reality he has a really good chance at winning. Beyond Dolloway’s wrestling pedigree, it’s hard to see how else he wins.

Look for Barroso to get his striking going early and with Dolloway’s inability to take punishment, a finish is definitely likely for Barroso. At his price, he’s probably the best value play on the card.

Pick: Francimar Barroso by TKO in the first round

Drew Dober ($11,200) vs. Jason Gonzalez ($8,200)

Drew Dober is currently 2-3 in the UFC with one no-contest, having averaged 38.3 FPPG in six fights. He’s in desperate need of a win on Saturday night.

Jason Gonzalez will be stepping in on short notice to face Dober. He’s 10-2 in his MMA career and will be making his UFC debut at UFC 203.

It’s hard to pick Dober in this matchup when you consider just how unimpressive he has been lately. As for Gonzalez, he has shown a lot of promise. With a stint on The Ultimate Fighter, he seems very well-rounded. He has a great chin, solid striking, and a great wrestling base. He will utilize all of his MMA game and score the upset on Saturday night over Dober. Dober is definitely tough and can cause trouble because of his durability and pressure, but Gonzalez has all the tools to win this one.

Pick: Jason Gonzalez by decision

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 15: Jessica Eye celebrates after defeating Leslie Smith in their women’s bantamweight bout during the UFC 180 event at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on November 15, 2014 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

FOX Sports 1 prelims

Jessica Eye ($10,100) vs. Bethe Correia ($9,300)

Jessica Eye is 1-4 in the UFC with one no contest and will be looking for a much needed win in her hometown. She’s averaged 36.5 FPPG in six UFC fights.

Bethe Correia is 3-2 in the UFC and is a former title challenger. She’s averaged 55.3 FPPG in five UFC fights.

There’s no doubt this matchup will be a striking war and both fighters will go for broke. Correia has showcased great boxing and she’s able to mix it up very well, but she’s not good enough to beat Eye. Not only is Eye a versatile striker; she’s in her hometown and hasn’t been this hungry in a long time. She knows her back is against the wall and if she doesn’t win on Saturday night, she may be looking to fight in another promotion. Look for Eye to put on the performance of her life and finish Correia in impressive fashion. She’s a high volume striker, which means she’ll score a lot of fantasy points in the process. At her price, she’s also a solid value play being the slight favorite.

Pick: Jessica Eye by TKO in the second round

Brad Tavares ($9,800) vs. Caio Magalhaes ($9,600)

Brad Tavares is 8-4 in the UFC and holds notable wins over Lorenz Larkin and Nate Marquardt. He has averaged 45.5 FPPG in 12 UFC fights.

Caio Magalhaes is 4-2 in the UFC and has looked very impressive in all of his UFC wins. He has averaged 60.9 FPPG in six UFC fights.

Tavares is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC’s middleweight division. He’s a great striker, a solid grappler, and he’s able to mix it all up very well. The problem is he doesn’t excel in one area. Another glaring issue in his game is his inability to take punishment. At many points in the fight, he can be dominant, but he gets caught by a shot and his opponents take over.

With Magalhaes, we’re talking about an extremely powerful striker with a few submission wins to his credit. Tavares will find some success early on, but Magalhaes will be too much for him. Magalhaes catches him early on and finishes him. On DraftKings, Magalhaes is a slight underdog, which makes him a great value play because of his finishing ability.

Pick: Caio Magalhaes by knockout in the first round

Nik Lentz ($10,200) vs. Michael McBride ($9,200)

Nik Lentz is 10-4 in the UFC with one draw and one no contest. He has averaged 52.4 FPPG in 16 UFC fights.

Michael McBride will be making his UFC debut on Saturday night. He’s currently 8-1 in his MMA career and all of his victories are by submission.

Lentz is very good at what he does. Although his striking has come a long way, he’s a grinding grappler who is effective at getting the fight to the ground and controlling his opponents from the top position. His opponent, McBride, is very good on the ground and that is immediately evident when you look at his record, but he hasn’t faced someone like Lentz just yet. It’s also important to consider that McBride is stepping up on very short notice, so he hasn’t had much time to prepare for someone like Lentz.

Lentz may not be the best choice in your DraftKings lineup since he isn’t very active with his striking, but he is active with his ground and pound, which is worth a look at. In his last bout against Danny Castillo, he landed 59 significant strikes and score a total of 62 fantasy points. Regardless, there’s much better options at his price range. But, Lentz gets the win here with his superior grappling.

Pick: Nik Lentz by decision

CURITIBA, BRAZIL – MAY 13: Stipe Miocic steps on the scale during the UFC 198 weigh-in at Arena da Baixada stadium on May 13, 2016 in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Main Card

Stipe Miocic ($10,000) vs. Alistair Overeem ($9,600)

Stipe Miocic only has two losses in his MMA career and is currently 9-2 in the UFC. He has averaged 84.4 FPPG in 11 UFC fights.

Alistair Overeem is one of the great MMA heavyweights of all-time. He is 6-3 in the UFC and has averaged 64.5 FPPG in nine UFC bouts.

Both fighters are extremely dangerous and have the potential to finish the fight with a single strike. Overeem may be a bit more well-rounded with his kickboxing background and great submission game, but it’s going to be hard to impose his will on the very tough Miocic. Miocic has the advantage with his boxing, his wrestling, and his toughness. All three of these things will be huge factors in this bout and that’s how Miocic will capitalize against Overeem.

Look for Miocic to put the pressure on Overeem early, using his boxing to land solid strikes and his level changes will be key to setting up his takedowns. Overeem is definitely worth a look at in other lineups because of his skill-set and his ability to win fights, but Miocic will prove why he is champion by finishing Overeem inside three rounds. He’s a slight favorite on DraftKings and at his price, he makes for a great value play.

Pick: Stipe Miocic by TKO in the third round

Fabricio Werdum ($10,700) vs. Travis Browne ($8,700)

Fabricio Werdum lost his heavyweight title when he was knocked out by Stipe Miocic at UFC 198. He’ll be looking to bounce back at UFC 203. He’s currently 6-1 in the UFC and has averaged 71.8 FPPG in seven UFC fights.

Travis Browne is 9-4 in the UFC with one draw and is looking to stay more consistent starting on Saturday night. He has averaged 70 FPPG in 14 UFC bouts.

Despite his last loss, Werdum is still one of the best in the world and it’s hard to see how he loses this fight against Browne. Being a rematch, in the first meeting between the two, Werdum dominated the fight in every aspect. Expect this matchup to be no different. Browne definitely has power and if he lands a good shot, it can be a game-changer. However, since switching training camps, he has managed to look worse. That being the case, Werdum should win pretty convincingly and put his name back in the title picture. At his betting favorite price, he’s a great high salary play.

Pick: Fabricio Werdum by submission in the second round

CM Punk ($8,000) vs. Mickey Gall ($11,400)

CM Punk is a former WWE superstar and will be making his long-awaited MMA debut at UFC 203 on Saturday night.

Mickey Gall looked very impressive in his UFC debut against Mike Jackson, which earned him a shot at CM Punk. He produced 105 fantasy points in that matchup.

This fight is extremely hard to choose. For one, we barely know anything about Gall and we know absolutely nothing about Punk. For Gall, he has two professional fights and ended both of those fights in the first round by submission. It’s obvious that he has more experience with fighting and is the more well-rounded fighter going in. Looking at Punk’s training clips from a year ago, he looked very stiff and uncomfortable in the striking department. But, as of late, he has definitely improved in all areas and credit has to be given to his head coach, Duke Roufus, and everyone else at Roufusport.

It’s also been said that he has trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Renzo Gracie for many years, so that’s something to consider. Overall, the safe pick is Gall and he should have the advantage everywhere, but any outcome wouldn’t be so surprising with two fighters who have very little experience.

Mickey Gall is a huge favorite, making him a high salary play.

Pick: Mickey Gall by submission or TKO in the second round

Urijah Faber ($9,700) vs. Jimmie Rivera ($9,700)

Urijah Faber is one of the best lighter weight fighters of all-time. He’s currently 9-5 in the UFC and has averaged 59.8 FPPG in 14 UFC fights.

Jimmie Rivera has looked very impressive in his UFC run so far. He’s 19-1 in his MMA career and is currently undefeated in the UFC, averaging 79 FPPG in three UFC fights.

Both fighters are very evenly matched going in. Both can strike, both can grapple, and both are extremely tough. The experience definitely goes to Faber because he has faced top competition for so many years, but the difference in this matchup is that Faber is on the decline while Rivera is one the rise. Faber will put Rivera in some trouble in various aspects of the game, but Rivera will take the win here in a closely contested contest.

Pick: Jimmie Rivera by decision

Jessica Andrade ($9,900) vs. Joanne Calderwood ($9,500)

Jessica Andrade looked like an absolute killer in her women’s strawweight debut. She’s currently 5-3 in the UFC and has averaged 68.6 FPPG in eight UFC fights.

Joanna Calderwood has looked very impressive so far in the UFC, especially against Valerie Letourneau in her last time out. She has averaged 73.4 FPPG in four UFC bouts.

Calderwood is the more technical striker here, but she has a tendency of getting into trouble early on in the fight before she finds her groove. Unfortunately for her, that’s where Andrade shines the most and if Andrade is able to land some heavy shots early on, Calderwood isn’t durable enough to weather the early storm. Calderwood may be a great choice if she’s able to take the fight into the later rounds where she’ll be able to takeover, but Andrade will pour the pressure on early and get the TKO finish in the first round. She’s the slight favorite here, but she’s another great value play to consider.

Pick: Jessica Andrade by TKO in the first round

High Salary plays

Mickey Gall ($11,400): Having slightly more experience than CM Punk, he should be able to have the edge in every area and a finish is likely.

Fabricio Werdum ($10,700): This shouldn’t be any different than the first fight. Werdum will dominate the striking and grappling exchanges. A submission win is likely.

Yancy Medeiros ($10,500): Medeiros has solid boxing and is the better grappler in this matchup. If he gets it to the ground, he’ll submit Spencer.

High Value plays

Jessica Eye ($10,100): Eye will be fighting in her hometown. She’ll leave everything she has inside the cage and a finish over Correia is likely.

Stipe Miocic ($10,000): Miocic will use his well-rounded game to get the finish. Whether it’s with his boxing or with his ground and pound on the mat, he’ll finish Overeem.

Jessica Andrade ($9,900): Andrade will pour the pressure early on and get the first round TKO stoppage over Calderwood.

Caio Magalhaes ($9,600): Although Tavares is well-rounded, Magalhaes will catch him throughout the course of the fight and finish him.

Francimar Barroso ($8,500): Dolloway may cause some trouble with his wrestling, but Barroso will be able to catch him on the feet and finish him.

Suggested Lineup