UFC 312 DFS Picks: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2

If you crave violence, artistry, and competition in its purest form, the Ultimate Fighting Championship might be for you.

Colloquially known as "UFC," the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion holds around a dozen MMA fights a vast majority of weekends throughout the year. The promotion has fathered some of the largest combat-sport stars of the 21st century, including Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Jon Jones.

There are plenty of ways to get in on the action every Saturday. In this piece, we'll look at the fights through the lens of playing UFC DFS contests on FanDuel Fantasy. Fighters score fantasy points for significant strikes, takedowns, knockdowns, and submission attempts, but a quick finish provides the best way to win!

Without further delay, let's take a look at the main slate for UFC 312: Du Plessis vs. Strickland 2, taking place at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on Saturday.

UFC 312 DFS Picks

Studs to Target

Quillan Salkilld ($22)

As Saturday's largest favorite, Salkilld has a chance to make a much larger impression than he did with a decision win on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS). His +1.00 striking success rate (SSR) and 9.00 takedowns per 15 minutes came with solid efficiency, and Anshul Jubli's 51% striking D ceded a knockout to Mike Breeden (1-4 UFC) in his debut.

Wang Cong ($21)

"The Joker" got caught in a homecoming in which she was dominating. She had a +28 striking differential in just under nine minutes before a seminal blow by Gabi Fernandes (2-2 UFC) derailed the hype train. I still love her +4.18 SSR, 2.3 submission attempts per 15, and overall fight-finishing intentions -- especially since Bruna Brasil, her opponent, is up 10 pounds from her usual strawweight class.

Dricus Du Plessis ($18)

As mentioned in my UFC 312 best bets, I've got Du Plessis modeled as a -190 favorite and 46.8% likely to win inside the distance. Six of his eight UFC wins have come that way, meaning it's usually been unwise to fade the middleweight champion in this format. I actually think he won't be popular; fan favorite Sean Strickland is a popular pick to reclaim the belt at a lower salary.

Kody Steele ($17)

Steele was one of the most notorious prospects outside of UFC prior to last summer's DWCS bid, which clinched him a roster spot via second-round (T)KO. I don't think the build-up process ends opposite Rongzhu (1-3 UFC), whose -0.35 SSR has even more concerningly been accrued against just two multi-time UFC winners in seven bouts. Most of his (ugly) stats come from the Road to UFC program in Asia.

Viacheslav Borshchev ($15)

Tom Nolan was flattened in his debut and dropped in a second fight before a wild comeback. The third trip was just an uneventful decision against Alex Reyes (0-3 UFC). "Slava Claus" isn't perfect, but he'll be a step ahead on the feet behind his striking accuracy (53%) and defense (56%), and he's amassed five knockdowns in seven fights as a show of power. Nolan's lack of wrestling upside hurts an upset pick.

Value Plays to Target

Tallison Teixeira ($14)

The heavyweight division badly needs fresh talent, and 6'7" Tallison Teixeira's toolkit is special. He's raw, though, and Justin Tafa's power has produced four UFC (T)KOs. The problem? Tafa has lost all four fights that exited the first two minutes. If Teixeira weathers an early storm in Tafa's home country, he likely cruises to a win.

Jimmy Crute ($14)

I can't believe the Jimmy Crute erasure this week. Rodolfo Bellato was nearly finished in his UFC debut and is now a -164 favorite to defeat the five-time UFC winner? Malarkey. "The Brute" is still an elite grappler at 205 pounds behind 4.84 takedowns and 2.0 submission attempts per 15 minutes with first-round upside in just about any matchup.

Jack Jenkins ($12)

"Phar" Jenkins just keeps winning in dominant fashion. His only "L" was a broken arm opposite Chepe Mariscal, and his analytical profile is sparkling. Though Gabriel Santos is a step up in competition, Santos' lone UFC win came against Yizha (0-2 UFC). This is a coin flip at worst.

Jonathan Micallef ($12)

Kevin Jousset melted at the slightest bit of adversity in his home country of France, so being a -245 favorite near his "adopted" home in New Zealand is generous. We didn't learn much about Micallef in a round-one submission on DWCS, but Jousset hasn't faced a submission threat himself. I'm surprised he's such a distant 'dog with all the unknown.

Colby Thicknesse ($10)

UFC markets get bet by "name" more than "skill" constantly. Is Alexsandre Topuria the next in a long line of UFC brothers to fail? It's possible. The best pro record on his resumé is 3-1, and his last fight was in May of 2023. City Kickboxing's Thicknesse had been trending toward a DWCS appearance before this last-minute call, and he'll have the home crowd on his side. Nepotism is in vogue these days; Topuria might not merit a roster spot by way of skill.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.