MMA DFS Picks: UFC Vegas 54 Blachowicz vs. Rakic DraftKings DFS

Welcome UFC fans, we are back for another exciting weekend of combat sports for UFC Vegas 54 in Las Vegas. The winner of the main event between Jan Blachowicz and Aleksander Rakic is locked in for the next title shot at light heavyweight. As always, I will be giving my MMA DFS picks and analysis with the help of Awesemo’s expert UFC projections. So, Let’s get started and see what’s on tap for this weekend’s UFC Vegas 54 Blachowicz vs. Rakic fight card live from the Apex.

Make sure to check out the best UFC Vegas 54 predictions from Josh Harris over at the Awesemo MMA betting hub.

UFC Vegas 54: Blachowicz vs. Rakic MMA DFS Picks

Top-End UFC Picks

Nick Maximov | DraftKings: $9,300, FanDuel: $23

Maximov was impressive in his Dana White’s Contender Series fight in 2020. In that fight, Maximov, a middleweight, accepted a fight against a heavyweight. Maximov outwrestled his opponent, who had over a 60-pound advantage, which showcased the Junior College All-American wrestling. That said, Maximov looks like a future middleweight contender. For UFC DFS lineups today, Maximov is a solid play in all formats due to his submission abilities. Awesemo’s MMA projections give Maximov 77% win odds with a 37% chance for a knockout.

Davey Grant | DraftKings: $9,100, FanDuel: $22

Grant is coming off two losses against two of the top bantamweights, losing a unanimous decision to Marlon Vera and spilt-decision to Adrian Yanez. He starts with a furious pace, walking his opponent down while throwing damaging leg kicks and solid combinations. Louis Smolka is a significant step down in competition. That said, Smolka’s weakness is being a stationary target for his opponents, which will give Grant early openings for a early knockout. For UFC DFS purposes, Grant is a solid play with a high ceiling. Awesemo’s UFC projections give Grant 74% win odds with a 51% chance for a knockout.

Maximov was one of the top three fighters in the Awesemo MMA DFS optimizer projections today. He’s a top UFC Pick for this slate. Check out all of our free fantasy MMA DFS Picks and projections in our DraftKings UFC DFS Cheat Sheet and FanDuel UFC DFS Cheat Sheet.

Mid-Range UFC Picks

Ion Cutelaba | DraftKings: $8,900, FanDuel: $19

Cutelaba is a relentless fighter and keeps coming forward with heavy pressure. His background in Sambo, Judo, kickboxing and Greco-Roman has translated well to mixed martial arts. Cutelaba will need to pace himself in this fight and not empty his gas tank early. If he fades, Ryan Spann has the power and skillset to finish him. That said, I expect Cutelaba’s explosiveness and power will prevail in this fight. This should be an exciting fight with absolute fiery exchanges. For UFC fantasy lineups tonight, Cutelaba is a strong play with his power and finishing abilities. Awesemo’s UFC projections give Cutelaba 67% win odds with a 58% chance for a knockout.

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UFC Value Picks

Jan Blachowicz | DraftKings: $7,500, FanDuel: $15

Blachowicz is coming into this matchup off a disappointing submission loss to Glover Teixeira. Prior to that, Blachowicz charged to the top of light heavyweight division with a knockout win over Cory Anderson and a dominant stoppage over Dominick Reyes to win the vacant light heavyweight title. Blachowicz was originally scheduled to fight Aleksandar Rakic in January, but a neck injury forced the fight to be postponed for several months. This should be an exciting fight between two strong and powerful light heavyweights. Blachowicz is a solid value play due to this being a five-round fight and possibly having low ownership, which with his skillset could pay off nicely for MMA fantasy playaers. Awesemo’s MMA projection give Blachowicz 36% win odds.

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