This article is part of our DraftKings MMA series.
It's no question that daily fantasy leagues are becoming one of the most rapidly rising facets in the entire world of sports, as fantasy owners across the country are falling in love with the idea of being able to compete every single day. As DFS sites look to expand their offerings in terms of competitions to participate in, it was only a matter of time before Mixed Martial Arts contests were brought into the mix, and DraftKings.com is the current leader of the pack. While every MMA event is different, there are a few factors that every DFS player should consider before putting a MMA roster together.
Before moving forward, let's run down the general DraftKings rules. Users get a $50,000 budget to select five fighters, and the scoring is distributed as follows:
Moves Scoring:
- Significant Strikes (SS): +0.5 PTS
- Advance (ADVC): +1 PT
- Takedown (TD): +2 PTS
- Reversal/Sweep (REV): +2 PTS
- Knockdown (KD): +3 PTS
Fight Conclusion Bonuses:
- 1st Round Win (1rW+): +100 PTS
- 2nd Round Win (2rW+): +70 PTS
- 3rd Round Win (3rW+): +50 PTS
- 4th Round Win (4rW+): +40 PTS
- 5th Round Win (5rW+): +40 PTS
- Decision Win (WBD+): +25 PTS
Scoring Notes:
- Significant Strikes are any Distance Strike or Clinch/Ground Strikes that are considered "Power Strikes" by official scorers.
- Advances include: moving to half guard, side control, mount or back control.
Taking into consideration the above scoring, here are six additional keys for success in daily MMA on DraftKings:
1. Location Matters
One of the best examples of this point took place at UFC 188 in Mexico City. Cain Velasquez, the man whose cardio was considered amongst the best (pound-for-pound) in all of MMA, looked exhausted after about four minutes of fighting. There's no doubt that the beating Fabricio Werdum laid on him played a factor in that, but the bigger factor was the fact that Velasquez hadn't yet grown accustom to the altitude of Mexico City. He came to Mexico City about two weeks before the fight to adjust to the altitude, but that clearly wasn't enough, as Werdum had been there for almost two months. Furthermore, with the UFC holding more and more events in Europe and South America, fighters sometimes have to travel halfway around the world before they even step into the octagon. It's not a recipe for success. In every team sport, you'd rather play a deciding game at home. MMA is no different. Visiting fighters are still going to pick up their share of victories, but you'd always rather be the fighter who gets to fight in his or her own backyard (or at least their own country).
2. Styles Make Fights
Keep in mind the strengths of each fighter. For example, if a fighter has a wrestling base, he could potentially be in trouble going up against a submission artist. A perfect example of this was the fight in late May between Charles Oliveira and Nik Lentz. Lentz is a pure wrestler, while Oliveira is one of the most talented submission artists in the world. Even when Lentz was able to get Oliveira to the ground, he immediately was at the risk of being submitted. It's the main reason why the most important thing in MMA is to have a well-rounded game. At that level, if a fighter has any weaknesses, they will be exploited. It's exactly how athletes can come into the UFC with these fantastic records, but still not be competitive. They simply don't have the well-rounded game to succeed. Take a look in what areas each fighter excels before you make your picks.
3. Pick Upsets
You'll never be able to fill out your lineup with all of the favorites. You simply won't have anywhere near enough salary available. If you're looking over the fights and you think a fighter has a reasonable salary, take him or her, even if they are the underdog. If you select fighters who are heavy favorites, you're going to have to fill out your lineup with a couple fighters who are big underdogs, Another option would be to select all fighters with salaries that are somewhere in the middle. Both are acceptable strategies, but you have to remember that you can't stick with just one game plan. You need to adapt on a card-by-card basis. Every event has different fighters and different matchups. As the old saying goes: no risk, no reward. It's the same thing here. No matter how you look at it, you're going to have to pick some underdogs. Do your homework and trust your instincts.
4. Take Rust Into Account
MMA can be a brutal sport that often leads to a ton of injuries. It always has been, and always will be. Guys get hurt not only during fights, but in training and sparring. In a sport where an active fighter fights about three times a year, it's far from rare to see fighters who go more than a year between bouts. As a result, rust is often a factor. This may not always be the case for the elite fighters -- if Ronda Rousey missed 18 months due to injuries, I'd be fairly confident she'd come back and smash whoever they put in front of her -- but it is for most. Velasquez sat out for 20 months before his recent fight against Werdum. It wasn't the reason he lost, but it sure didn't help. He looked nothing like the fighter he did when he fought last in October 2013. You can train and spar all you want, but nothing simulates fighting like being in the octagon. Don't ignore a fighter just because he's coming off a long layoff, but if you're undecided, it's something else to factor into your decision, and could help you pick an upset.
5. Camps & Trainers Matter
There's a reason that a large majority of the best fighters in the world fight out of the same camps. As Joe Rogan likes to say, "iron sharpens iron." Being able to spar and train with fellow top fighters and coaches gives fighters a significant advantage. There's probably 10-12 elite camps in the MMA game and they are spread out all over the world. Greg Jackson's group (Jon Jones, Carlos Condit, Donald Cerrone) is located in Albuquerque. American Top Team (Robbie Lawler, Hector Lombard, Tyron Woodley) and the Blackzilians (Anthony Johnson, Vitor Belfort, Rashad Evans) are located in Florida. Luke Rockhold, Daniel Cormier and Cain Velasquez fight out of the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose. Camps can be found all around the world, not just in the United States. Tristar Gym in Montreal is home to Georges St. Pierre and Rory MacDonald. Nova Uniao in Rio de Janeiro is home to Jose Aldo, Renan Barao and Junior dos Santos. The point here is that you will occasionally find a fighter who has a lot of success training out of a small and unknown camp, but it doesn't happen often. These big gyms have the best coaches and can provide the best facilities and training methods for their fighters. Keep an eye out for where the fighters you select train out of. It can be the difference between winning and losing.
6. There's Luck Involved
This is probably an obvious point, but it's perhaps the most important. No matter how much research you do, or how much we think we know what's going to happen, nothing in the world of MMA is set in stone. A freak checked leg kick can fracture a fighter's fibula, a referee can leave the fighters on the mat for way too long when they should have been stood up, or an accidental clash of heads can force a cut that ends the fight. A heavy underdog can always land a lucky right hook and knock out a champion. The list goes on and on. These things don't happen often, but they do happen. On the bright side, if you do your research and sprinkle in a little good fortune, Daily MMA can certainly serve as another way to build your bankroll. Here at RotoWire, we're always striving to put as many tools in your hands as possible to set you up to succeed.
Whether you're new to daily MMA or an experienced DFS player, feel free to talk strategy in the comments section below. Good luck!
