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After an exciting UFC 258, an event that saw Kamaru Usman retaining the welterweight championship in a bout with Gilbert Burns, we turn our attention back to the heavyweights for a meeting between two ranked opponents.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy MMA lineup picks for FanDuel for UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis on 2/20/2021. These DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced fighters and value picks on FanDuel. You can check out our DraftKings MMA DFS picks as well.
Give me a follow on Twitter @DennisMClausen. Also, be sure to join me and my tag team partner, Brady Grove, for “Tap That,” a weekly podcast dedicated to MMA news and fantasy analysis.
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FanDuel MMA Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Curtis Blaydes, $23 - vs. Derrick Lewis
No. 2 heavyweight Blaydes will look to climb the rankings on Saturday night against No. 4 ranked big man Derrick Lewis, with the winner to likely pick up a title shot somewhere down the line. Blaydes is as tough as they come and has the potential to end fights quickly. He has an impressive amateur wrestling background, having won a state title, and has continued to work on his ground game under the tutelage of Cody Donovan.
The 29-year-old enters this bout, having won his previous four straight, with his most recent victory coming at the expense of the surging Alexander Volkov last June. He has 14 wins in his career and only two losses, with those two defeats coming at the hands of the mighty Francis Ngannou. Since losing his most recent bout to "The Predator," Blaydes has won two of those four fights by TKO.
Lewis has been gaining some serious traction over the last year and a half. After dropping two fights to Daniel Cormier and Junior dos Santos, the 36-year-old has caused some problems in the heavyweight division by picking up wins over Blagoy Ivanov, Ilir Latifi, and Aleksei Oleinik. He is also a capable striker and can end things just as quickly as Blaydes.
If you're looking for a technician affair, this isn't the matchup for you. It is very likely that these two hosses come out swinging. With a KO/TKO rate of over 71% for each man, they have made a career out of making their opponents' eyes roll into the back of their heads.
However, the wildcard in this bout is Blaydes' wrestling acumen. With five potential rounds, Blaydes may land even more takedowns than normal. Look for him to take this to the mat and possibly end this utilizing ground and pound. If that doesn't happen, he may win out by decision. Regardless of the outcome, "Razor" should be a sufficient source of fantasy points on Saturday night.
FanDuel MMA Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Tom Aspinall, $22 - vs. Andrei Arlovski
Aspinall will have an uphill battle against a combatant who has virtually done it all in mixed martial arts, including winning a UFC heavyweight title over a decade ago. Arlovski has defeated some notable names during his tenure as a professional, with that list including Tim Sylvia, Vladimir Matyushenko, Fabricio Werdum, and Roy Nelson. However, the one thing he hasn’t beaten is time, which will be working against him against the young up-and-comer.
Aspinall has won his previous five fights, including his first two appearances inside the octagon. He beat up Jake Collier in short-time in the Summer of 2020 before doing the same to Alan Bardot back in October.
While “The Pit Bull” is a good as they come, his regression due to age should leave him vulnerable to an onslaught from the England native. Aspinall is not looking to get star-struck against Arlovski and will be instead be looking to knock his head off.
FanDuel MMA Heavyweight - UFC DFS Lineup Picks
Chris Daukaus, $20 - vs. Aleksei Oleinik
Daukaus has caught the attention of those in the mixed martial arts community. The 31-year-old is entering Fight Night, having won his first two UFC fights. He made short work of Parker Porter during his debut with the organization at UFC 252, knocking out the veteran in the first round. He followed that up with a quick, 45-second submission win over Rodrigo Nascimento in October. Now, the Philadelphia police officer will face the toughest challenge of his career when he takes on the dangerous Aleksei Oleinik.
“The Boa Constrictor” is capable of beating his opponents in a variety of ways. However, with a background in Brazilian jiu jitsu and sambo, he prefers to end his fights utilizing one of the many submissions in his arsenal.
While Daukaus is the favorite, at least according to the Vegas oddsmakers, this will be his most formidable challenge to date. Daukaus will probably look to slug this one out, primarily with the Russian likely having the edge on the mat. While it is feasible to believe Daukaus will win his third UFC bout by TKO/KO, Oleinik shouldn’t be ignored as a contrarian option, especially if a mistake is made by his opponent on Saturday night.
Also Consider: Ketlen Vieira ($22), Jamall Emmers ($20), Charles Rosa ($20), Phillip Hawks ($17), Danny Chavez ($17), Julian Erosa ($15), Jared Gordon ($14), Yana Kunitskaya ($8)
