LoL Grind Down: NA - Saturday, July 23rd
Welcome to the RotoGrinders League of Legends Grind Down. In this all-encompassing preview of the upcoming LCS action, every game will be broken down statistically, with several key elements highlighted in our charts.
We provide Defense versus Position data for each team, along with the RotoGrinders original stat, Pace. Every game is also broken down, providing an overview of the game and a selection of players to consider from each match.
Note: As always, if you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use our DraftKings promo code and AlphaDraft promo code to receive the best perks in the industry.
For live game tracking and other eSports news RotoGrinders recommends Instant Esports. Get the app for iOS or Android.
Counter Logic Gaming vs. Team Liquid
| Counter Logic Gaming | Team Liquid | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Sprd | -114 |  | Vegas Sprd | -106 | |||||||
| Avg. Pts. | 12.2 | Avg. Pts. | 12.0 | |||||||||
| Avg. Pts./W | 17.1 | Avg. Pts./W | 18.0 | |||||||||
| FB% | 48% | FB% | 59% | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Darshan | Xmithie | HuHi | Aphromoo | Stixxay | Players | Lourlo | Dardoch | FeniX | Matt | Piglet | |
| Opp. Season | 13.55% | 28.84% | 22.67% | 22.22% | 24.53% | Opp. Season | 26.12% | 16.42% | 15.58% | 8.58% | 12.74% | |
This incredibly important series for both teams should not be void of action for fantasy purposes as well. This is the one game on this slate where stacking on either side isn’t necessarily the wrong move. I think CLG is playing pretty well right now and I like their bottom lane in this slate but the mid and jungle advantage for Team Liquid could prove to be enough to put them over the edge. Both of these teams are near the top in combined kills/deaths per minute and their last matchup earlier in the summer was quite a bloodbath. I’ll be leaning towards things on the CLG side because there is just more value with other teams priced similarly to Team Liquid but one can’t go wrong with players like Dardoch or Fenix who have really stepped up their game over the past few weeks.
Counter Logic Gaming
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Stixxay (DK $6,700, AD $7,500) – For the record, I don’t think Stixxay is very good. I think playing alongside the best support across both NA and EU LCS makes him look like a decent player but in the end it doesn’t matter because he has value for fantasy purposes. In his last 7 games against teams not named IMT, C9, and TSM, Stixxay is averaging 5 kills and 6 assists per game. I like the matchup for CLG against TL in this bottom lane especially for the value. Nice budget play for the flex spot as well.
-Aphromoo (DK $4,900, AD $6,800) – Sure Aphro doesn’t have a great kill participation this summer (65%) but with the high kill/death numbers between these two teams, one has to assume there will be enough action for him to have value in the bottom tier of support salaries. When they met last, Aphromoo had 23 total assists while none of the 3 games exceeded 32 minutes. That sort of volume is premium stuff at the support position.
Team Liquid
Elite Plays
-Dardoch (DK $6,300, AD $7,700) – No team funnels more gold and applies more damage out of the jungle quite like Team Liquid. They realize how good Dardoch is and it shows in the way they play. As I’ve said, this matchup should feature enough kill volume on both sides to make the supports and junglers really strong plays in this series.
Secondary Plays
- None
Team Envy vs. Cloud9
| Team Envy | Cloud9 | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Sprd | +211 |  | Vegas Sprd | -265 | |||||||
| Avg. Pts. | 13.6 | Avg. Pts. | 12.7 | |||||||||
| Avg. Pts./W | 19.5 | Avg. Pts./W | 17.7 | |||||||||
| FB% | 39% | FB% | 54% | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Seraph | Procxin | Ninja | Hakuho | LOD | Players | Impact | Meteos | Jensen | Bunny Fufu | Sneaky | |
| Opp. Season | -34.95% | -37.90% | -29.17% | -31.49% | -39.95% | Opp. Season | 10.95% | 8.52% | 6.51% | 4.45% | 9.51% | |
As usual, I love the Cloud 9 value on this slate. It’s no secret how much I love C9 for DFS and it’s just because they consistently generate volume and they are rarely the overwhelming favorite with the highest salaries on the slate. Players like Sneaky and Jensen are always worth targeting and I think this team in general gets back on track against NV who has been sliding like crazy over the past 5 weeks winning only 4 of their last 18 games and netting them only 2 series’ wins. Seraph and LOD have fallen off from their early carry performances and Ninja has become just as much of a liability as he can be an asset. The one area of weakness for C9 is the top lane and it really isn’t Impact’s fault. C9 provides him with so little gank pressure and he is receiving the lowest farm and rift heralds among all top laners. Aside from that, Cloud 9 is just the better team and they should be a great play on both AlphaDraft and DraftKings.
Team Envy
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Seraph (DK $6,000, AD $7,100) – This is an individual matchup play and sort of a punt play for me. Seraph carries less risk than the likes of Zig and Ray but you could argue that his ceiling isn’t incredibly high either. C9 devotes so few resources to Impact and with the champions currently in the meta, Seraph getting ahead could be a huge advantage for NV and it may be their best win condition which makes Seraph a viable play but not ideal. His RG projections in a loss put him in the top 10 among all players which is at least a sign that he can provide value even if the team ultimately falters.
Cloud9
Elite Plays
-Sneaky (DK $7,200, AD $8,000) – Sneaky is my top play of the day among all players in this slate. He has been fantastic this season and is wading in the top 3 in most statistical categories at his position. The value is there at the position and the last time these teams met Sneaky had 12 kills and 13 assists in just 2 games.
-Jensen (DK $7,200, AD $7,800) – Jensen has been a volatile player from game to game lately but he is always a threat to go off and have huge games and that is a trend I expect to continue. He still leads all mid laners in total kills and Ninja is serving up the second most deaths at his position. I’m comfortable stacking both of the Cloud 9 carries on this slate.
Secondary Plays
- None
TSM vs. Phoenix1
| TSM | Phoenix1 | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Sprd | -3625 |  | Vegas Sprd | +1243 | |||||||
| Avg. Pts. | 15.8 | Avg. Pts. | 10.0 | |||||||||
| Avg. Pts./W | 17.5 | Avg. Pts./W | 19.1 | |||||||||
| FB% | 65% | FB% | 51% | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Hauntzer | Svenskeren | Bjergsen | Biofrost | Doublelift | Players | Zig | Zentinel | Slooshi | Gate | Mash | |
| Opp. Season | 6.25% | 9.35% | 15.01% | 16.70% | 13.79% | Opp. Season | -28.22% | -35.08% | -25.18% | -32.14% | -33.68% | |
I haven’t seen the future but I can tell you TSM is going to win this series. Either that or the previous sentence was the ultimate psych-out, jynx of the year. I’m going with the former over the latter. TSM is the best team in the west and they have so many good fantasy options. Getting all of the ones you want will be nearly impossible so I will prioritize someone like Bjergsen or Doublelift above all else as they are snatching up a massive portion of the team’s kills. P1 has made a valiant effort to escape from the bottom of the NA LCS standings but they simply don’t have the guns to hang with the juggernaut of Team SoloMid. They aren’t even worth the punt plays and it’s possible there will be players with sub-5 fantasy points which is just a nightmare for your lineup. If TSM doesn’t win the series then…well I don’t know what I’ll do but I’m not worried about it because it’s not gonna happen!
TSM
Elite Plays
-Bjergsen (AD Only $8,200) – I honestly can’t believe Bjergsen isn’t the highest salary mid laner on AlphaDraft but I’ll take it and I definitely want to try to get him into my lineup. He has been stuffing the stat sheet all season and his floor is insanely high as well considering we expect TSM to close the series out quick enough to grab the bonus. Safest mid laner on this slate.
Secondary Plays
- Everyone Else – You just can’t go wrong with TSM players on in basically any slate. If I had to rank them based on value it would go as follows: Hauntzer, Svenskeren, Doublelift, Biofrost.
Phoenix1
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
- None
Apex vs. Immortals
| Apex | Immortals | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Sprd | +310 |  | Vegas Sprd | -410 | |||||||
| Avg. Pts. | 12.9 | Avg. Pts. | 14.8 | |||||||||
| Avg. Pts./W | 21.9 | Avg. Pts./W | 16.6 | |||||||||
| FB% | 43% | FB% | 49% | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | DvP Rks | Top | Jng | Mid | Supp | ADC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Ray | Shrimp | Keane | Xpecial | Apollo | Players | Huni | Reignover | Pobelter | Adrian | WildTurtle | |
| Opp. Season | -22.44% | -22.03% | -25.25% | -26.05% | -16.46% | Opp. Season | 24.93% | 37.30% | 18.91% | 33.10% | 25.08% | |
This is a weird one for me because I know Immortals should win this series in 2 games but I still don’t want to commit to stacking Immortals players in my lineup. I think the play in cash games will be to grab as many TSM and C9 players as you can and throw in some CLG players to round out your lineup. That doesn’t leave much room to go for Immortals players who are generally in the price range similar to TSM. That being said, both of these teams are near the top of the league in deaths per game and Immortals also leads the league in kills so there will be enough action to feel comfortable snatching up players on their side. Poebelter has been on a tear this season and there are always reliable players like Huni, Reignover and WildTurtle available to rack up points. Avoiding Apex is probably the smart move outside of top laner, Ray. He is the one “x-factor” on the team that can build a lead and make plays but the matchup will be tough. I expect Immortals to close this out in two games.
Apex
Elite Plays
- None
Secondary Plays
-Ray (DK Only $5,200) – Ray is a risky punt play on DraftKings but he has higher upside potential than anyone in that price tier. The matchup between him and Huni will be a bloodbath with both being at the top in both kills and deaths but if Ray can get ahead, Huni likely won’t stop dying as he’s shown over the course of the summer.
Immortals
Elite Plays
-Reignover (DK $7,000, AD $8,000) – Reignover is almost like Trick in the EU LCS. He consistently delivers strong performances making him worthy of the high salary he carries almost every slate. The difference in reliability between him and the next guy sets him apart and I’m willing to pay up for him.
Secondary Plays
- None
Still need more data to help set your lineups? Check out our eSports daily research tools!