UFC 294 is taking place on Saturday from Abu Dhabi, and because of the location, the card has an earlier start time than usual. The DraftKings DFS slate will lock at 10:00 a.m. ET with the start of the prelims, and the main card will get underway at 2:00 p.m. ET.

UFC 294 underwent massive changes less than two weeks ago. The main event was originally scheduled to be a rematch between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title, but Oliveira had to withdraw due to a cut above his eye that he sustained in sparring. Instead, UFC 294 will be headlined by a highly-anticipated rematch between Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC lightweight title.

The co-main event also had a massive shakeup, as Paulo Costa was forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against Khamzat Chimaev. In Costa’s place, former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will face Chimaev in another highly-anticipated fight. Chimaev-Usman will take place at middleweight.

DraftKings is hosting a huge UFC 294 fantasy MMA tournament that pays out $600,000 in total prizes, including $200,000 to first place. Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $600K UFC 294 Special [$200K to 1st].

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Studs

Muhammad Mokaev ($9,600)

At about -425 on the moneyline, Mokaev is a substantial favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook for his fight against Tim Elliott. Mokaev is one of the best young prospects in the UFC and is considered to be a potential future champion in the flyweight division. Mokaev only has four UFC fights, but he was a strong fantasy scorer in each of those fights on the back of heavy offensive grappling volume. Mokaev is averaging over seven takedowns per 15 minutes, an elite rate, and has recorded 22 total takedowns over his last three fights combined. Mokaev has also recorded plus control time, averaging about 10 minutes of control time per fight over his last three fights.

As a result of his elite offensive grappling, Mokaev is averaging about 117 DraftKings fantasy points per fight, one of the best marks on the slate. Mokaev’s heavy -425 Moneyline also makes him a safe fantasy play in a fight that he is expected to win.

Islam Makhachev ($8,700)

Makhachev is a monstrous offensive grappler who has an elite top game that allows him to drag opponents into the deep end and either control them for a decision win or drown them with a finish. Because Makhachev is so good at smothering his opponents with offensive grappling, he has barely absorbed strikes in his UFC career, absorbing slightly more than one significant strike per minute, which is outstanding. Makhachev generally does not allow many opportunities for opponents to land strikes on him because they are too busy fighting for their lives to defend his takedowns and survive his top game.

The exception to this is his last fight against Alexander Volkanovski. In that fight, Makhachev won a close decision due to his offensive grappling, but some believe that Volkanovski should have been declared the winner. Volkanovski had Makhachev hurt in the final round, and it was Volkanovski who emerged from the fight with less damage. Volkanovski officially landed more significant strikes in the fight, out-landing Makhachev 70 to 57, which was by far the most strikes Makhachev has absorbed in a UFC fight in his career.

However, there are reasons to back Makhachev in the rematch. Volkanovski took this fight on very short notice, having only about 11 days to prepare. Volkanovski said that he weighed about 181 pounds when he got the call from the UFC, so he will have to cut 26 pounds in less than two weeks, which is a lot of weight to cut. Volkanovski also said that he had to send out a bat signal to get his team to come train him, which indicates he was not in his normal fight mode leading up to a fight. Without a full training camp, Volkanovski’s gas tank may not be the same. Volkanovski has outstanding cardio, and his cardio helped him take over late in his first fight against Makhachev. If Volkanovski gets tired late in this fight, it could present an opportunity for Makhachev to secure dominant pinning positions on the ground and possibly even finish the fight.

Makhachev’s style is fantasy-friendly because he generates fantasy points through control time, takedowns and wins. Makhachev has scored at least 100 DraftKings fantasy points in five of his last six fights.

Value Play

Kamaru Usman ($7,300)

Not that long ago, it would have been shocking to see Usman priced at $7,300 considering his body of work, but Usman’s stock has fallen lately. Usman is coming off two consecutive losses to Leon Edwards, and Usman did not look like himself in his most recent loss, getting out-struck by Edwards 120 to 87 in significant strikes and struggling to impose his will. Usman is also facing monstrous rising fighter Khamzat Chimaev, who has thoroughly destroyed most of his competition in the UFC.

Despite the scary opponent, Usman is worth considering as a salary relief play in this matchup. Chimaev was very hittable in his fight against Gilbert Burns, getting out-struck 119 to 108 in significant strikes, including getting out-struck in head strikes and distance strikes. Usman has the wrestling skills to give Chimaev resistance if Chimaev attempts to take this fight to the ground, and if Usman can keep this fight standing, he has a realistic chance to win. Usman’s striking is capable, and his striking was best on display in his wins over Gilbert Burns and Jorge Masvidal where he recorded TKO/KO finishes with a power right and a strong jab.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $600K UFC 294 Special [$200K to 1st]

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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups.