FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Hollis Michael L.   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Diamondback Energy, Inc. [FANG] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) VP and Chief Operating Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) 500 WEST TEXAS, SUITE 1200 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/16/2017 (Street) MIDLAND, TX 79701 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 02/16/2017   A   20,000 (1) A $ 0 82,525 I (2) By MBH Investments, Ltd. (2) Common Stock 02/16/2017   A   13,650 (3) A $ 0 96,175 I (2) By MBH Investments, Ltd. (2)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Hollis Michael L. 500 WEST TEXAS, SUITE 1200 MIDLAND, TX 79701			VP and Chief Operating Officer

Signatures

/s/ Randall J. Holder, as attorney-in-fact for Michael Hollis		02/21/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	These securities are performance based restricted stock units for the performance period January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 that were granted under the issuer's equity incentive plan. All of these performance based restricted stock units vested as of December 31, 2016 upon certification by the issuer's compensation committee of attainment of the applicable performance conditions on February 16, 2017.
(2)	These securities are held by MBH Investments, Ltd., which is managed by MBH Financial, LLC, its general partner. Mr. Hollis, his spouse, and the Hollis 2014 Irrevocable Trust hold 100% of the membership interests in MBH Financial, LLC, of which Mr. Hollis is the manager.
(3)	These securities are restricted stock units that were granted under the issuer's equity incentive plan. 4,550 of these restricted stock units vested on February 16, 2017, and the remaining 9,100 restricted stock units will vest in two equal annual installments beginning on February 16, 2018.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.