LoL Fantasy Preview: EU LCS - Week 3, Day 1
Check out the preview for all the games coming up this Thursday. This article will cover slates on both AlphaDraft and DraftKings.
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Roccat (+175) vs Origen (+370)
Origin had improved results in the second week but I don’t think it’s a trend that will continue at least on this slate. Roccat is a strong team and after standing toe-to-toe with G2, they looked primed to solidify themselves as a top 4 team in EU. It’s difficult to find a strength for OG at the moment and I’m still not convinced there is much fantasy value at least from a predictive standpoint. There is a chance this veteran team can have a strong performance but predicting when that will happen is almost impossible so stay away from rostering anyone. Roccat features the usual suspects of strong options in star players Betsy and Steelback. I don’t hate the secondary players on the team but I think there is value to be had in other games so I’m taking a few Roccat studs and running with them. I don’t think this one will feature an upset and I’m confident in carries like Betsy and Steelback to deliver.
Roccat
Elite Plays
-Betsy (DK $7,200, AD $8,200) – One thing that makes Betsy an enticing option is his consistency. Sure the matchup is a plus but he’s managed to secure at least 9 assists in each of his 4 series’ and he’s had one of the toughest schedules thus far in the region. As the schedule softens up he should be in line to break out even more.
-Steelback (DK $7,300, AD $8,300) – This is more of a bargain play on DK than AD but I think it’s a very strong option at this position. Steelback has been spectacular this summer with Roccat and with at least 5 kills in 4 of his last 5 games, he is on the upswing. OG’s bottom lane with xPeke is one of the worst in the region and exploitable in any matchup at this point.
Secondary Plays
- None
Origen
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
- None
Fnatic (+103) vs FC Schalke 04 (+603)
Just as I started singing the praises of Fnatic they started to let me down. Losing 2-0 to H2K didn’t necessarily surprise me but it was a fairly poor showing by the team and it shows they have a lot of room to grow. Fnatic was not the only team with a down week as Schalke 04 had a 1-3 record last week and they looked far from the strong team we saw in the first week. It’s worth noting that I think this version of Schalke is closer to the real thing. Fnatic on the other hand should bounce back and I think they definitely have the tools handle S04 fairly easily. Spirit is looking strong and the meta shift in the top lane plays in decent favor to Gamsu. With both teams being on the shorter end of average game time, don’t expect this matchup to be rich with fantasy numbers so I’m going to pick and choose a couple of Fnatic players at most. I do have a good feeling about Fox who has been one of the more successful EU mid laners against Febiven and if he can snowball a lead, he has a chance to make this an interesting series and put up decent numbers. Definitely on my radar more than paying up for Febiven especially since I don’t like what I’ve seen from him recently. He was handled by Ryu and I just don’t see him breaking out this week.
Fnatic
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Spirit (DK $6,700, AD $7,800) – This is sort of a boom or bust type play just by the way Spirit plays but you have to love the upside. He has secured at least 5 kills in 3 of his last 4 games and he’s been sticking with “carry-oriented” junglers which gives him the potential to go off at any time. Fnatic is the heavy favorite but I don’t love a ton of the lane matchups for them so Spirit should be a fine pick if you aren’t stacking any other FNC players with him.
Schalke 04
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Fox (DK $6,200, AD $7,300) – Fox is one of my favorite sleepers for the mid lane or flex slots on this slate. I will be looking his way for GPP lineups in that flex spot especially. As odd as it may sound, Fox has been pretty solid in the matchup against Febiven. In their last 6 meetings Fox has 2 games with 9 kills in each and is averaging 5 kills and over 5 assists over that 6 game span. Febiven is the better player but to some degree, Fox has had solid performances against him and I like him again to perform and hit value.
Team Vitality (+137) vs Unicorns of Love (+394)
This is the game I am least excited for when it comes to building a lineup. Unfortunately, neither team has provided much in terms of fantasy aside from a few spot performances here and there so I don’t trust either team to give me much return value. Much like the start of spring, Vitality continues the slow methodical play that results in very few kills and it not only hurts them, but the value of their opponents suffers as well. You could certainly make a case for Nukeduck against a struggling Exilah but I just don’t have enough faith to invest in Nukeduck with the other mid laners on this slate at a seemingly higher value. Cabochard has looked shaky in his last few outings but we know the talent is there it’s all about how the team puts him in position to succeed. Unicorns of Love is a whole bunch of nothing as far as I’m concerned and I would prefer players on Giants or S04 if I’m going to dig into the bottom of the barrel for budget players. Vitality should win but I don’t think it will be pretty or fruitful for daily fantasy.
Team Vitality
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Cabochard (DK $6,500, AD $7,400) – I want to get out in front of Cabochard before he returns to form and while the salary is reasonable. This is a play on the meta changes more than anything. Carry oriented top laners are back now and it fits what Cabochard wants to do so I’m assuming VIT will realize this and give him the tools to dominate. If they fail to do so, I’ll likely get burned but I’m comfortable with that risk considering his upside.
Unicorns of Love
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
- None
H2k Gaming (+312) vs G2 Esports (+190)
This is not only the highlight matchup for the day but I think it’s going to be a profitable one for fantasy players. Just at first glance you can see how enticing some of the salaries are on H2K and the price isn’t insanely steep for G2 players either. This is my match of the week for stacking and you can reasonably get 2 players from each team in your lineup. That is the route I will be taking in cash games and it’s not a bad GPP strategy as long as you fit some high upside options into your flex spot. I do expect G2 to have the edge here because H2K has shown some issues with team communication but G2 needs to pick it up if they want to clean sweep this two game set. Roccat was able to punish G2 across the map with strong rotations and team play and if H2K settles into their comfort zone, this matchup could swing heavily in their favor. As much as I usually like Perkz, I won’t be opting in to him this week and Ryu has looked very comfortable lately. This is the one headline positional matchup that I might shy away from and look to the side lanes more for my lineup. Mid lane is fairly deep this week with a few options across the board that present lower risk. Make sure to keep in mind that Kikis is no longer the top laner for G2 as he has been replaced with Expect. I just can’t invest in Expect until we see him more on the stage and see how he fits with the team.
H2k
Elite Plays
-Odoamne (DK $6,100, AD) – Odoamne is my favorite choice in the top lane. He hasn’t been racking up kills necessarily but he’s just a safe, solid option and he has a nice price tag this week. His experience gives him a nice edge against a rookie like Expect. Odoamne’s 72% kill participation just shows how strong his teamfighting and TP play has been which will be necessary against an aggressive G2 team.
Secondary Plays
-Jankos (DK $5,800, AD $7,600) – I’m totally fine playing either or both junglers in this game especially on DraftKings. Jankos didn’t quite keep pace with his strong first week but he’s still been very solid and he’s maintaining that high kill participation.
G2 Esports
Elite Plays
-Mithy (DK $5,300, AD $7,100) – If I’m going to grab a bottom lane duo, G2 is who I like. It hasn’t been a blockbuster season thus far for them but they are looking better and better and I think a close, action packed series is where Zven and Mithy thrive. With the other ADC’s on this slate, I will prioritize Mithy slightly over Zven.
Secondary Plays
-Zven (DK $7,200, AD $8,100) – There are several high end options at ADC that I think are viable but to me, Zven is the safe cash play. Getting him paired with Mithy may be a risk, but the upside is unmatched and I think this is really the series he goes off. Zven has the lowest gold % of all EU ADC’s but the highest damage % at the position. If the team starts to funnel more resources towards him, the results could make for very high fantasy numbers.
-Trick (DK $6,100 Only) – While Jankos is a risky pick with high upside, Trick is certainly the safer option. I think stacking this game is a must so it’s a possibility to have both but one or the other is probably the optimal play. Trick may be statistically behind Jankos in most areas, he has only 9 deaths through 8 games so he isn’t going to hurt you. Highest floor on G2.
Splyce (+120) vs. Giants Gaming (+507)
This is the matchup we would dread to see in the spring but it isn’t quite as bad this time around. Splyce has been looking much better and they have been lauded as a real playoff threat by many experts. Giants have also shown improvement as they are on the backs of yet another mid lane talent. Night, however, is looking better than what we saw from xPepii and I expect his progress to continue even if I’m not keen on him in this matchup. There is certainly value to be had in this one, especially on the side of Splyce but it’s still a risk. I understand that they look improved but so do the Giants and I’m not utterly convinced this won’t be a tied matchup at the end of the day. I would even give the Giants a shot at a 2-0 showing in this one but that just tells you how little I want to invest in this one.
Splyce
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Mikyx (DK $5,900, AD $6,800) – Though Kobbe has been getting a lot of praise for his improved play this summer, I don’t trust him for fantasy. I do like his support Mikyx and I think his ownership numbers will be so low that he can give you a real edge in tournament games. He needs to cut down on the unnecessary deaths but he’s a nice play in a good matchup.
Giants Gaming
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
- None