Daily Fantasy MMA Picks for UFC Fight Night 91 - 7/13/16

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Don't worry DFS fans, you don't have to wait until the All-Star Break is over - get into the action Wednesday night and play a UFC Fight Night 91 contest. It's the UFC's first event in South Dakota and after a star-studed International Fight Week, Fight Night 91 has lesser known talent as well as a handful of fighters making their UFC debut. Fight fan or just looking to try out MMA over the all-star break, start your research here.

Note – I’ll be checking the comments section right until lineup lockup, so let’s get the conversation going. I mean, what’s better than talking daily fantasy?

VEGAS FAVORITE ($10,500+)

Josh Samman ($10,600)

Vegas Line: -230
Finish Prop: +280
Career Record: 12-3
UFC Record: 3-1
Record In Last 5: 4-1
Strikes Landed Per Minute: 2.13
Finishes: 7 KO / 4 Subs / 7 First-Round
Losses by Stoppage: 2 Subs
Last Time Out: L, 3rd Round Sub - Tamdan McCrory

First things first - Tony Ferguson is the undeniable top play on this card but with a salary of $11,500 he can be hard to fit into most lineups (though I do have an option in the cheat sheet). On to Josh Samman. The veteran is 3-1 in his UFC career and 4-1 in his last five fights. He also has recorded 11 wins via stoppage in 12 career victories, including three UFC finishes. He takes on Tim Boetsch, whose recent struggles have forced him to move down to Welterweight on Wednesday. Boetsch usually fights at Light Heavyweight but has taken an early exit in three straight outings. Samman is a technical fighter and I don't see him getting caught by the one-punch KO power of Boetsch. Samman should dominate the fight and I expect Boetsch to gas out after a large than usual weight cut - making Samman a viable cash and GPP play.

Prediction: Samman - 2nd Round Submission (Rear Naked Choke)

MID-RANGE TARGET ($9,500-$10,400)

John Lineker ($9,900)

Vegas Line: -170
Finish Prop: +150
Career Record:27-7
UFC Record: 8-2
Record In Last 5: 4-1
Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.57
Finishes: 12 KO / 4 Subs / 7 First-Round
Losses by Stoppage: 3 Subs
Last Time Out: W, Unanimous Decision - Rob Font

John Lineker is a 10-fight UFC veteran and has been on a tear, moving into the top-10 of the bantamweight division and looking for a fifth straight win. This fight should be a close five-round contest - making it a good idea to stack Lineker and main event opponent Michael McDonald in cash lineups. When picking between the two, the salaries are comparable but Lineker has the higher potential for a finish with a +150 prop to win inside the distance. McDonald is a solid fighter but really seems to struggle when he takes a step up in competition and Lineker's recent form makes him just that. Lineker has been stopped just once in his 34-fight MMA career and a five-round main event should give him plenty of time to rack up points.

UPSET ALERT (UNDER $9,500)

Matthew Lopez ($9,400)

Vegas Line: -120
Finish Prop: +175
Career Record: 8-0
UFC Record: 0-0
Record In Last 5: 5-0
Strikes Landed Per Minute: N/A (UFC Debut)
Finishes: 3 KO / 4 Subs / 7 First-Round
Losses by Stoppage: None
Last Time Out: W, 1st Round Sub (Elbows & Punches) - Eli Finn

I'm admittedly taking advantage of the system on this one as the line continues to shift and Matthew Lopez is a favorite at -120 but priced as a slight underdog on DraftKings at $9,400. Lopez is making his UFC debut but if he can overcome those jitters, he has proven to be a first-round finish machine in the cage. Seven of his eight career wins have come by stoppage, all of which were in the opening frame. He takes on submission specialist Rani Yahya and even though scouting says Lopez is no slouch off of his back, it's expected he will try and keep the fight standing.  I like that Lopez has a few paths to victory, assuming he can avoid the sub, he can rush Yahya for an early finish or if he needs to overcome UFC those jitters it's unlikely he gets knocked out, giving him time to work himself into the fight. Lopez is one of the better options (aside from the heavyweights) when looking for an early stoppage and his price tag only helps his case.

Prediction: Lopez - 1st Round TKO

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