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Koby Hanson's DraftKings DFS lineup picks for Call of Duty on 1/26/24. He analyzes the COD slates and top lineup targets for eSports DFS contests.
Hello there eSports DFS enthusiasts, and welcome back to RotoBaller's coverage of Call of Duty DFS contests for DraftKings! Major 1 is here! After a crazy first day filled with many resets and oddly enough all sweeps, it seems clear that those coming from the winner's bracket may end up being crowned, especially the likes of Toronto or Atlanta. Toronto made quick work, Optic got revenge, NYSL got massively upset, and FaZe did FaZe things. That being said, a new day starts for those in the loser's bracket, so let’s get on with it!
This is easily one of my favorite sports to cover here at RotoBaller because I play a ton of COD myself and I like to think I'm pretty good at it as well. I have been following the COD League for about six years now and finally get to put all this knowledge to the test! First things first, we have NYSL looking to get back on track against the Carolina Royal Ravens, then the battle of L.A. as the Guerrillas take on the Thieves, and after that we have Miami Heretics taking on the Vegas Legion. Finally, we have the Seattle Surge taking on the Boston Breach!
Today, I'll bring you my COD DFS advice, analysis, and lineup picks for eSports DFS contests on DraftKings on Friday, January 26, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. EST. Feel free to follow me on Twitter/X @DFSKoby or find me in Discord as I am happy to engage with readers and try to answer your questions!
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Call of Duty: Major 1
Best of 5
- New York Subliners (-750) vs. Carolina Royal Ravens (+450)
- LA Guerrillas (+115) vs. LA Thieves (-148)
- Miami Heretics (-250) vs. Vegas Legion (+185)
- Seattle Surge (+180) vs. Boston Breach (-240)
Slate Overview
NYSL has a clear advantage in all game modes. Carolina has looked a bit better in Hardpoint, so there is a chance we see something there, but if Carolina doesn't get the win in map 1, then I don't see them getting it elsewhere. They are awful at SnD and have looked poor in Controla as well. Give me the 3-0 NYSL.
Every time I think LA Thieves should come in and win, they go out and lose to LAG. It has happened multiple times over the last few seasons. So this time I'm switching it up, LAG smoked them in their last meeting and I wouldn't be surprised to see them go out and do it again. I do believe, however, this one comes down to the Control. Both teams have been decent at it, so I could see it going either way. That being said, LAT has been a solid SnD team but an atrocious Hardpoint team. That also being said, I'm going to say LAG 3-1, but I wouldn't be surprised at LAT 3-2.
Vegas has been nothing but disappointing. Purj has been awful, and Nero has been inconsistent. Attach and Standy never seem to have a good game together, it's either one or the other. Miami is coming off a rough loss but I think that just plays to our advantage as I believe they will go lower owned than normal because of that loss. Miami is still the better team here, the best shot for Vegas to get a win is in SnD. If that doesn't happen, I expect a swift 3-0.
Last but not least, I think the odds are a bit steep on the Boston side as neither team has shown much this season, so I do think it's closer to a pick'em. Seattle Surge looked rough today, but I think that was more on Toronto looking phenomenal rather than Seattle looking bad. This one comes down to the Hardpoints, Seattle should win SnD, and I think Boston clearly wins Control. So that being said, I'm going to say 3-1 Boston, but not with a lot of confidence as this game should be a banger.
COD DFS Basics
- Like in CSGO, players receive two points for a kill and are penalized -1 for dying. Therefore, the most straightforward stat to look at here is the K/D ratio.
- You need to roster a team slot on both sites. Teams accrue fantasy points for games won (+4), matches won (+10), and Search and Destroy/Control rounds won (+.5).
- Teams will be playing best-of-five matches on a rotation of various game modes. Those modes and the order in which they are played are as follows: Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, Control, Hardpoint, Search & Destroy.
- In hardpoint rounds, players with positive K/D ratios are usually the highest scorers and these rounds are often the bloodiest.
- They also have changed the game mode from Domination to Control for League play. This gameplay will be a lot different as it's round-based and not the first to 200. They play first one to three round wins. You win by capturing both points or killing the enemy team until they run out of their lives. One team defends and the other attacks.
- There is a sweep bonus this year as teams and players both can get a 20-point player sweep and a five-point team sweep. In the chance they do sweep, they also get a bonus of 20 points for not playing hardpoint and five points for not playing the final Search and Destroy map. So that adds up in a sweep to a total of 45 extra points, which will be very crucial this year.
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COD DFS Captain Considerations
Hydra: NYSL might have got swept, but that didn't stop Hydra from being the LANimal that he is where he dropped 61 kills in three maps and still finished with a solid 93 fantasy points. This time around, I think it will be NYSL doing the sweeping as he is the priciest on the slate but I think for good reason. Everything is set up for him to have a great game and I think we get it. I could see something of upwards 120+. The only reason I would recommend fading him at all is because of his ownership; if you are looking to stay away from chalk, then move elsewhere.
DiamondCon: LAG is hard to trust, but there is one game that LAG has been able to win consistently over the years and it's almost always against LAT. In fact, DiamondCon had his best game this season against them where he dropped 117 in their sweep of LAT. Although I don't see it ending in a sweep again, I still believe DC is a solid play. He has had four games this season of 98 DK points or higher. When LAG isn't getting swept, DC is having solid games. I think he is an excellent cheaper option for captain.
Other captain plays: Capsidal, Sib, Afro, Gwinn (GPP)
COD DFS Value Plays
Vikul: This is an interesting price for a favored team. Let alone one of their better players. Miami had a rough going against Optic, but Vegas has been down badly this season. Unless they magically become gods on LAN, I expect a much better performance out of Vikul. He didn’t have a bad game against Optic and was only -2 on the day in a game where they got slaughtered. 6.6K for a player with 110+ potential is crazy. He averaged 98 DK points per game this season. He is by far one of the best options for super cheap.
Snoopy: This is kind of the same instance with Vikul, but in this instance, I am surprised Snoopy is this cheap. He hasn't had the greatest start to his rookie season, but has shown some flashes, including a game against Miami where he went for 96 kills in four maps! He finished with 127 fantasy DK points. I see this game being a close one which could end up resulting in close maps and lots of kills. At just 7K, I like Snoopy as a pair with Capsidal or even as a one-off.
Other value plays: Abuzah, Skyz, Clayster (GPP)
COD DFS Stacks
Miami: I think this is the perfect spot to attack Miami players, they are coming off a rough loss and now they get a great matchup against the Vegas Legion. The ownership majority is going to land on NYSL, but I think Miami has just as big of a chance to win. Vegas has been awful this season and their only win was against the worst version of Minnesota in the first game of the season. As for the players, I think you can choose any of them, but I would stay away from Lucky as he is a bit overpriced and doesn't end up with a lot of kills normally. My favorite pairing is Mettalz and Vikul.
Other Team Plays: NYSL, Boston
Summary
TLDR: NYSL 3-0, LAG 3-1, Miami 3-0, Boston 3-1
- NYSL: ALL
- Carolina: Gwinn (GPP), Clayster (GPP)
- LAG: Estreal, DiamondCon, Fame
- LAT: Afro, Cammy
- Miami: Mettalz, Jurnii, Vikul
- Vegas: Attach (GPP)
- Boston: Capsidal, Snoopy
- Seattle: Huke, Abuzah
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