UFC Denver Daily Fantasy Picks

Well folks, it’s been 25 years since the first UFC event, and the organization returns to the city of its first show by hosting its 25th anniversary party in Denver, CO. And the card itself seems to be a bit of a throwback, no title fights or real divisional drama, but solid matchmaking up and down the entire lineup.

The main card kicks off at 10:00pm eastern on Fox Sports 1, while the prelims start at 8:00pm, also on FS1.  The early prelims kick things off at 7:00pm on UFC Fight Pass.

I use DraftKings for my UFC daily fantasy fix, so if you don’t have an account you can sign up here (and get a 50% bonus on your initial deposit). Also, you can check out the scoring criteria here.

Now let’s get down to business.

Value Picks

• Julian Erosa ($7,100) will never be a ranked fighter, but he has established himself as someone who is willing to trade blows, and land more than his fair share. His opponent, Devonte Smith, is making his UFC debut, and looks like a fighter who is willing to trade as well. What this fight lacks in technique it should more than make up for in activity, so get in on it with that low price tag.
• Yair Rodriguez ($7,700) hasn’t fought in awhile, but neither has Chan Sung Jung. I’m not necessarily picking against the Korean Zombie here, but I am picking that this fight will be a war, and that Rodriguez has a decent shot at coming out on top. As the cheaper (and younger) of the two fighters, I’m rolling with Yair.

Avoid

• Beneil Dariush ($8,900) is incredibly talented, but his lack of athleticism has stalled his advancement and ket him winless for the past two years. Athleticism aside, he’s never been one to rack up the DFS points, so spend those dollars elsewhere.
• Devonte Smith ($9,100) had an impressive showing on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, but are you really going to drop that kind of cash on a debuting fighter? Sure, Erosa isn’t a top talent, but he has the experience edge and isn’t lacking in the athleticism department either. If you’re going to spend $9K, get a sure thing.