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Jason Malmanger provides expert League of Legends (LoL) DFS advice and analysis for DraftKings LPL and LCK LoL slates on 3/27/20. RotoBaller has you covered with the top picks and value plays to build winning LoL DFS rosters for cash games and GPPs.
Welcome to RotoBaller's league of legends DFS column. We'll be ramping up our analysis for LoL DFS this week, bringing you the insight you need to succeed. Today kicks off a huge weekend of slates for ESports DFS.
Friday at 2 AM ET, when most of the world is sleeping, I’ll be tuning in to some of the best League of Legends the planet has to offer. Whether or not you feel like watching I bet you're feeling the itch to get your DFS sweat on. I'm here to help you out by breaking down these matchups and highlighting a few players to target from each one.
Today we'll be bringing on our top League of Legends advice, analysis, and picks, for all the LPL and LCK slates on Friday morning March 27th, 2020.
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League of Legends DFS Basics
We’ll start with some general tips and tricks in case you haven't been bitten by the ESports bug. Both of these leagues, the LPL and LCK, play in a best-of-3 scenario. LPL starting lineups for all the matches are released hours before lock and are widely available on Twitter. LCK lineups, however, are not. I only listed players below who I believe will be playing.
- Once a match starts, anything can happen. Usually, the better teams are very consistent. Be sure to check the player pool carefully and try to craft a roster of players who have been playing recently or do not have listed backups. Players from teams that sweep the series will receive a 20-point games-not-played bonus. If your team sweeps, the team slot receives a 15-point bonus.
- Stacking in LoL DFS lineups is very important. 4-3 stacks are the order of the day with 3-3-1 becoming more popular as people try to differentiate their lineups in these suddenly large-field GPPs.
- In Lol DFS, it is very important to focus on players from winning teams. Think in terms of baseball, one side of the matchup is like a pitcher and the other side the batter. This means there is a very negative correlation between teams in the same match. Players score by accumulating kills, which costs the other side points in deaths. Just like earned runs bring down your pitcher’s score.
- Along with this another mistake I see beginners making is trusting average scoring. Players' scoring potential is only realized in games that are won. If player X averages 50 DKP, that likely comes from scoring 70 in a 2-0 win and 30 in an 0-2 defeat. What this means is that someone who looks like a value at $4800 suddenly might not end up being such a great point-per-dollar play.
- Finally, you're going to want to do your best you fill your captain slot with an ADC or MID. Depending on which teams and players you decide to stack that might not be feasible. The order of preference for your captain slot is generally ADC, MID, JNG, TOP, SUP. Some players in some positions may stand out above the others so consider stats like kill participation before you make your final decision.
Unlike the last time I joined you, there are some very spicy matchups in both leagues for Friday morning.
LCK Matches
Hanwa Life ESports vs. KT Rolster: DFS Targets
Both teams enter this match hot on the heels of an upset. HLE with a shocking 2-1 victory over DRX. KT with a mild but not unexpected upset of DWG. Both will look to carry that momentum over into Friday's matchup. HLE can mix things up quite a bit with a varied roster as well as strategies. Be sure to confirm their starters before lock via twitter. They may be worth a look for some value pieces for GPP builds, but KT Rolster is the play for me. They play a more standard game of league of legends as well as featuring a more steady roster. KT will look to use their superior early game to snowball into the late game. They have the advantage in first blood %, herald %, drake%, and baron %.
bonO - KT - JNG ($6,600)
During KT's current win streak bonO is averaging 73 DraftKings points per match. He leads his team in kill participation at 78.2%. With his price and upside, look for him to be a popular choice on Friday morning's slate.
Aiming - KT - ADC ($7,200)
Aiming was again a huge reason for his teams' win on Wednesday am. He picked up a player of the game nod for his performance on Kalista in game one vs. DWG. He finished the series with 98 DraftKings points while leading his team to two under 30-minute wins.
LCK SANDBOX Gaming vs. Griffin: DFS Targets
This is not last year's Griffin squad. Coming out of the break, they have begun experimenting with new starting lineups. SBG shuffled their starters as well to a much better result. Again this is a case of whether one team can play to get ahead early and snowball the game. SBG have had better objective control both early and late game. They should start ahead and never look back.
Lonely - TOP ($6,800)
The young SBG top has only played two sets so far with the main squad, but both of those have looked good. He even stood up to AFS star top-laner Kiin in a big win earlier today. No matter who starts for Griffin, he will find a much easier row to hoe Friday.
Dove - MID ($7,200)
Speaking of the subs and roster changes. Dove started today vs. AFS, and SBG rolled to s smooth 2-0 victory. He looks to be in a good spot tomorrow as well. Griffins mid-laner Ucal is having a down year and is above 20% of his team's deaths. I look for SBG to continue to punish the struggles that Ucal and Tarzan have shown.
Dragon X vs. T1: DFS Targets
A real clash of the titans in the LCK. It also stands out as a clash of styles. T1 the three-time former world champions are still a shining example of old school Korean league of legends with a dash of new school aggression thrown in for fun. DRX, on the other hand, are one of the faster, more aggressive team in the LCK. T1 are the slight favorites here. If DRX doesn't win early and hard, they won't. T1 is too good at blending the two styles. DRX won't be able to put them far enough behind to capitalize on their early lead. The one player from T1 I'd most look to fade in this scenario is Faker. I know another star MID left out to dry. Hear me out again with the influx of newer players he is perhaps the ONLY name player new people will remember.
LPL Matches
Fun Plus Phoenix vs. Oh My God: DFS Targets
This should be a thrilling series based on the mid lane talent alone. FPX currently sits third in the LPL. OMG is hot on their heels in fourth. Both teams revolve around their star mid-laners. The problem here is I'm not recommending either of them. Wait, what!? Omg has been playing a slower, more controlled style. With their upside capped and a hefty price tag fading the world champs has merit. On the subject of pricing, OMG is dirt cheap. They make for an attractive value. I can't say they're going to unseat the reigning champs, but with very similar numbers across the board, I believe they get a game at least.
Smlz - ADC ($5,800)
Lwx is known for his aggressive gameplay, sometimes even too aggressive. Smlz can be the beneficiary of those mistakes both in-lane and in later game fights. OMG's star ADC has the third-best kill participation on the team. Icon will have his hands full in the mid lane leaving a lot of the playmaking to Smlz.
H4cker - JNG ($5,200)
Speaking of KP H4cker leads the team with a very nice 69.9%. We just saw FPX struggle vs. BLG, a team with a similar style to that of OMG. I look for OMG to come out with some controlled aggression against the champs. H4cker will be front and center if they hope to pick up the win.
Li-Ning Gaming vs. eStar DFS Targets
I could go on and on about the new kids on the block at the top of the LPL. Still, after seeing them straight dumpster 2018 world champions Invictus Gaming its safe to say eStar has arrived. I will counsel a bit of caution in that eStar will be VERY chalky on Friday morning, albeit for a good reason. They crushed IG, but IG fell right into their trap of fighting early and often. LNG may not do that. EDG was able to beat the young gawds with a smart controlled approach, and BLG similarly took a game. LNG will be the ultimate DFS leverage play.
Wink - ADC ($8,600) and Shiauc - SUP ($6,600)
You can feel free to look anywhere on the team as they love to fight. eStar does tend to focus the bot side of the map, and as you can probably guess, the two most expensive players on the slate might be worth it. Who knew right.
Royal Never Give Up vs. Jingdong Gaming: DFS Targets
The last LPL match up of the night will bring another chalky game. JDG is coming off a couple of difficult matchups and faces another top of the table squad. There has been speculation that RNG would bring back super-star ADC Uzi Friday. RNG has instead confirmed they would stick with Betty. RNG should be massive chalk as well, with JDG not looking great in their last two losses. Being priced as the underdog will help people fit eStar or FPX. Could this be another leverage spot for GPP players? RNG is also coming off two disappointing losses. People will look past that to try to shoehorn in more expensive plays elsewhere. Either side of this matchup could be optimal as these struggling squads try to get their season back on track. Not a game stack spot plainly but an excellent hedge position.
Kanavi - JNG ($7,400)
If JDG does prevail, they will have to get their young hard carry back on track. He has a 78.7% kill participation and works very close with Loken and LvMao. Both teams are well equipped to play around the bot side of the map.
XLB - JNG ($5,600)
If RNG does prevail, they will have to get their young hard carry back on track. He has a 63.1% kill participation and works very close with Betty and ming. Again not a spot to try to play both bot duos and both junglers just be aware both sides bring upside.
Excitement for ESports is in the air. DraftKings continues to put up some monster contest for the overnight LPL/LCK slates. The LEC finishes up its spring playoff push Friday and Saturday a.m. Saturday afternoon the LCS returns. Sunday brings us a 300k guaranteed tournament for the LCS finale. Check back throughout the week as we'll publish more ESports League of Legends advice, analysis, and picks at RotoBaller.
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