DraftKings fantasy MMA daily picks: UFC Fight Night 93, Arlovski vs. Barnett

Here’s a breakdown for UFC Fight Night 93: Arlovski vs. Barnett. In this breakdown, you’ll see which fighters are the best options for your DraftKings lineup.

On Saturday, on Sept. 3 at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany, heavyweights Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett will clash in the main event. In the co-main event of the evening, Alexander Gustafsson will return against Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight bout. The event will begin at 11:45 a.m. ET/ 8:45 a.m. PST.

There will be a total of 11 fights on the card and many things come into play when you’re constructing your lineup on DraftKings, such as high salary and high value plays. Like every fight card, there’s betting favorites and betting underdogs, so you have to analyze each matchup and see which fighters are the best options. Fighters score fantasy points based on statistics like significant strikes and takedowns. Visit the Daily Fantasy MMA League Rules page for more information.

In the next couple of slides, we’ll be breaking down each fight and helping you make the best possible lineup on DraftKings. We’ll start with the first three fights.

UFC Fight Pass prelims

Jarjis Danho ($10,400) vs. Christian Colombo ($9,000)

Prior to signing with the UFC, Danho was undefeated in his career with six wins. He faced Daniel Omielanczuk in his UFC debut and lost by decision. He produced 19 fantasy points in that matchup.

Christian Colombo will be making his UFC debut on Saturday. He’s currently 8-1 in his MMA career and is riding a six-fight win streak.

Danho is an absolute brawler and in the early going, expect him to pressure Colombo and try to hurt him. But, he tends to fade in the later rounds and that’s where Colombo will capitalize. Danho may be a great choice if he gets the early knockout, but Colombo is durable and more technical on the feet. He should be able to weather the early storm and pick him apart on the feet in the later rounds.

Six of Colombo’s eight victories have come by knockout or TKO, so he’s definitely a finisher and has the potential to score a decent amount of points. At his underdog price, he’s a great value play.

Pick: Christian Colombo by TKO in the second round

Scott Askham ($9,600) vs. Jack Hermansson ($9,800)

Scott Askham is currently 2-2 in the UFC, but both of his wins are very impressive first round knockouts. He has averaged 64.5 FPPG (fantasy points per game) in four UFC fights.

Jack Hermansson will be making his UFC debut on Saturday and he’s currently 13-2 in his MMA career.

Looking at tape on both Askham and Hermansson, it’s very evident that they’re evenly matched here because of their styles. Both are tall and lanky fighters who usually have a significant height and reach advantage over their opponents. In this matchup, that may cancel out and it’ll come down to who can implement their game plan best.

Hermansson has a lot of potential, but he hasn’t faced the competition that Askham has faced. Even in his losses in the UFC, Askham has kept the fight competitive and on the feet, he’s a problem for anybody. Look for him to use his kicks and clinch to score points against Hermansson and he has the power to finish the fight. He’s a slight underdog here, so he will make another great value play.

Pick: Scott Askham by decision

Rustam Khabilov ($10,200) vs. Leandro Silva ($9,200)

Rustam Khabilov has had a very successful run in the UFC so far, winning five of his seven bouts in the promotion. He has averaged 60.5 FPPG throughout his UFC run.

Leandro Silva is currently 3-2 in the UFC and is stepping in on short notice to face Khabilov here. He has averaged 51.9 FPPG in the UFC.

Both fighters are primarily grapplers in this matchup. Khabilov is an accomplished wrestler and Sambo practitioner, while Silva is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Rocian Gracie. The ground game may very well cancel out, making this fight a potential striking war, or a fight with great grappling exchanges. In that case, the edge goes to Khabilov in all areas. His striking is always improving and he’s the much better offensive grappler here. He should be able to dictate where the fight takes place without getting submitted on the ground.

In reality, none of these fighters are very appealing on DraftKings. They aren’t very active with their strikes and there’s plenty of other options to look at. If you have to choose, Khabilov is the option because he can score a lot of points based off of takedowns, but that’s about it.

Pick: Rustam Khabilov by decision

ZAGREB, CROATIA – APRIL 10: Nicolas Dalby raises his hands after facing Zak Cummings in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at the Arena Zagreb on April 10, 2016 in Zagreb, Croatia. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

UFC Fight Pass prelims (cont.)

Jessin Ayari ($10,100) vs. Jim Wallhead (9,300)

Jessin Ayari will be making his UFC debut on Saturday. He’s currently 15-3 in his MMA career.

Jim Wallhead will also be making his UFC debut on Saturday. He’s currently 29-9 in his MMA career.

Ayari is an extremely tough fighter who’s pretty well-versed in all areas. He can hurt his opponents when he lands a clean shot and he also has some submission wins to his credit. Wallhead has been in the game for a long time and has shown time and time again that he has the ability to finish the fight in all areas. He has knockout power and he has a great judo background that he utilizes in many of his fights.

Ayari will definitely cause trouble. Being the bigger fighter, he can pressure Wallhead and land some shots to try and finish him, but Wallhead has a lot of experience and has proven himself at the top level. Look for Wallhead to use his whole game to win this fight. Time and time again, he has shown his durability and his ability to mix up his attack to get the victory. A finish is definitely likely, scoring you a decent amount of fantasy points in your lineup. Also, being the underdog, he’s a great value play.

Pick: Jim Wallhead by TKO in the second round

Peter Sobotta ($8,400) vs. Nicolas Dalby ($11,000)

Peter Sobotta’s first stint in the UFC wasn’t a successful one, but once he returned to the promotion after being cut, he went on to win two fights in impressive fashion. He’s coming off of a loss to Kyle Noke and he has averaged 35.3 FPPG in the UFC.

Nicolas Dalby is looking to get things going in the UFC. He had a successful debut, but fought to a draw against Darren Till and most recently, lost a decision to Zak Cummings. He has averaged FPPG in three UFC fights.

Sobotta is an imposing fighter who looks to use his size and physicality to get the fight to the ground and work for a submission win. That has worked against many of his opponents, but it won’t against Dalby. Mostly known for his technical striking, Dalby is also no slouch on the ground. Sobotta will have early success, but Dalby will take over in the later rounds by defending the takedowns and picking him apart on the feet. A decision win is likely, but considering how Sobotta was finished in his last bout, that falls right into Dalby’s game. Look for Dalby to utilize various kicks in this fight, which will lead him to victory. He’s a huge favorite in this matchup, making him a high salary play.

Pick: Nicolas Dalby by TKO (body kick) in the third round

Ashlee Evans-Smith ($9,900) vs. Veronica Macedo ($9,500)

Ashlee Evans-Smith is currently 1-1 in the UFC and 4-1 overall. She has averaged 31.5 FPPG in two UFC fights.

Veronica Macedo will be making her short notice debut on Saturday, replacing Germaine de Randamie. She’s undefeated in her MMA career with five victories.

Evans-Smith has a lot of potential, but she has yet to impress inside of the octagon. She has a favorable matchup here against Macedo, considering that she’s stepping in on short notice, but her record says otherwise. In 2016 alone, Macedo has fought five times. In most cases, a fighter stepping in on short notice means that they don’t have much time to prepare, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem for Macedo. She has also gone the distance in three of her five fights, so her conditioning doesn’t seem to be an issue either.

It’s hard to pick Evans-Smith because of how she has looked inside of the octagon and looking at some tape of Macedo, she looks extremely promising. She has great footwork and striking, especially her kicks. This is the biggest test of her career so far, but expect her to pass it with flying colors by keeping this fight on the feet and picking Evans-Smith apart. She’s a great value play at her price.

Pick: Veronica Macedo by decision

Taylor Lapilus ($10,000) vs. Leandro Issa ($9,4000

Taylor Lapilus is currently 2-1 in the UFC and 10-2 overall. He most recently lost to Erik Perez. He has averaged 57.5 FPPG in three UFC bouts.

Leandro Issa is 2-2 in the UFC and 13-5 overall. He has averaged 52.5 FPPG in four UFC fights.

This is your typical striker vs. grappler matchup. Lapilus will look to keep this fight on the feet, while Issa will look to get this fight to the ground and look for a submission. The edge goes to Lapilus. He has shown that he’s constantly improving his grappling game and his striking is much better in this fight. Issa may cause some trouble early on if he can secure a takedown, but expect him to fade in the later rounds and that’s where Lapilus will capitalize, picking him apart on the feet. He’s a high volume striker, so he’ll score plenty of fantasy points throughout the course of three rounds.

In his UFC debut, he landed 80 significant strikes and produced a total of 71 fantasy points. He also landed 31 significant strikes against Yula Sasaki before finishing him in the second round. He’s a solid value play.

Pick: Taylor Lapilus by TKO in the third round

HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 3: Alexander Gustafsson throws a knee against Daniel Cormier during UFC 192 at the Toyota Center on October 3, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Main Card

Andrei Arlovski ($9,700) vs. Josh Barnett ($9,700)

Andrei Arlovski was on an absolute tear when he made his return to the UFC, winning four fights in a row. But, he has dropped his last two bouts against Stipe Miocic and Alistair Overeem and is looking to get back to his winning ways. He has averaged 68.3 FPPG throughout his UFC run.

Josh Barnett made his UFC return not too long ago and is currently 2-2 since then. Losing his last bout against Ben Rothwell, he’s also looking to get back to his winning ways. He has averaged 69.5 FPPG in the UFC.

In another striker vs. grappler matchup, this doesn’t necessarily mean that both fighters aren’t well-rounded in all areas. Arlovski is primarily a striker, but he is no slouch on the ground and the same goes for Barnett. Barnett is primarily a grappler, but he can also strike.

This fight will come down to who has the best game plan. Arlovski is the better striker, but his chin just doesn’t hold up anymore. Look for Barnett to land some hard shots on the feet, where he can hurt Arlovski and possibly finish him. He’ll be looking to grapple as well, where he has the advantage, and if he gets the top position, he’ll dominate Arlovski on the mat and constantly threaten with submissions.

Both Arlovski and Barnett are even with the odds and at Barnett’s price, he’s a great value play.

Pick: Josh Barnett by TKO (ground and pound) in the second round

Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500) vs. Jan Blachowicz ($6,900)

Alexander Gustaffson is one of the best light heavyweight fighters in MMA and is looking to get back into title contention on Saturday. Has has averaged 72.3 FPPG in the UFC.

Jan Blachowicz looked phenomenal in his UFC debut when he stopped Ilir Latifi early in the first round, but has been met with a few setbacks since then. He got back on track with a win over Igor Pokrajac this past April. He has averaged 56.9 FPPG in four UFC fights.

This fight is all Gustafsson. Being the most expensive fighter on the card, “The Mauler” is a massive favorite in this matchup and it’s with very good reason. It’s extremely hard to see how he loses this fight. Blachowicz is very tough and is very well-rounded with his striking and grappling, but he hasn’t faced someone like Gustafsson just yet.

Look for Gustafsson to pick him apart in the striking department and with his ever-improving grappling, he’ll also mix in some takedowns if he needs to. Blachowicz is tough enough to make it out of the first round, but he tends to fade and eventually, Gustafsson will be too much for him.

Gustafsson is definitely a high salary play and because he is so expensive, he may not be the best choice in your lineup. But, consider him in some of your lineups.

Pick: Alexander Gustafsson by TKO in the second round

Ryan Bader ($10,300) vs. Ilir Latifi ($9,100)

Prior to losing to Anthony Johnson in his last fight, Ryan Bader was on an impressive five-fight win streak. He has averaged 52.7 FPPG in the UFC.

Ilir Latifi lost his UFC debut, but has gone on to win five of his next six fights in the promotion and is currently on a three-fight win streak. He has averaged 68.9 FPPG in the UFC.

Bader is the favorite, but he has a very tough test against Latifi in this fight. Latifi is a very powerful fighter, both with his striking and grappling. If Latifi lands a shot, he can potentially finish Bader. For that reason, he’s definitely worth a look at in some of your lineups.

But, Bader should be able to get the win here. Latifi has a lot of power, but so does Bader. He seems more fluid and comfortable on the feet in every fight and that should be no different in this one. Look for Bader to use his improved striking to score some points and use it to set up his takedowns en route to a decision win.

Pick: Ryan Bader by decision

Nick Hein ($10,500) vs. Tae Hyun Bang ($8,500)

Nick Hein is currently 3-1 in the UFC and 13-2 overall. He has averaged 45.1 FPPG in four UFC bouts.

Tae Hyun Bang is 2-2 in the UFC and 18-9 overall. He has averaged 39.8 FPPG in four UFC bouts.

It’s hard to see how Hein loses this matchup. Bang has a lot of powerful and when he lands a clean shot, he hurts his opponents. But, Hein is superior in every way. He’s the more technical striker and he’s the better grappler. Hein should be comfortable wherever this fight takes place and should get the win. He’s the betting favorite and at his price, he’s definitely a high salary play in a favorable matchup here against Bang.

Pick: Nick Hein by decision

High Salary plays

Alexander Gustafsson ($12,500): Gustafsson should dominate this fight in every aspect. Blachowicz should be tough enough to make it out of the first, but will get finished in the second.

Nicolas Dalby ($11,000): He may have some trouble in the early going, but Dalby should take over as the fights goes on with his superior striking and a late finish is a possibility.

Nick Hein ($10,500): Hein should be able to win this fight wherever this fight goes en route to a decision win. In this win, he should land a lot of strikes and takedowns.

High Value plays

Taylor Lapilus ($10,000): Having the striking edge, look for Lapilus to keep the fight standing and pick Issa apart. A late finish is likely.

Josh Barnett ($9,700): Barnett has the ability to hurt Arlovski on the feet and if he can secure a dominant position on the ground, he’ll finish him.

Jim Wallhead ($9,300): His experience will be a huge edge in this matchup. He may face adversity, but he will find a way to win with his striking and grappling.

Christian Colombo ($9,000): Danho will come out strong, but Colombo should be able to weather the early storm and pick him apart in the later rounds.

Suggested Lineup