LEC DFS Picks for 7/18/20 - FanDuel, DraftKings League of Legends Daily Fantasy

James Swindell's League of Leagues (LoL) analysis and LEC DFS lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings on 7/18/20. He discusses the LEC LoL slates and his top targets.

Welcome to RotoBaller's continued coverage of League of Legends DFS for FanDuel and DraftKings. Hopefully, you've been following our coverage of the LPL, LCK, and LCS as well as we intend to cover all LoL leagues for the Summer split. Today, I am focusing on the 5-game LEC slate that has contests available on both FanDuel and DraftKings.

My name is James Swindell and I will be continuing to bring you LEC DFS content here on RotoBaller. The LEC is back this weekend after a break which signaled the end of the first half of the summer split. The unpredictability of the teams in the LEC has led to an incredibly tight playoff race as we enter the back-half of the split. There is plenty to be excited about as a DFS player and as a fan of LoL as we return to European competitive play. If there was ever a week you did not want to miss in the LEC, this is the week.

I'll be bringing you my top League of Legends advice, analysis, and picks, for the LEC slate on Saturday, July 18th, 2020 at 11:00 AM EST. This 5-game slate features a rematch from the start of the year between two top teams and a matchup between two dark horse worlds contenders. You can follow me on Twitter @s28_james and hit me up if you ever want to talk about LoL lineups or roster construction. I am more than happy to chat with you all!

League of Legends DFS Basics

Since LEC contests are being offered on both FanDuel and DraftKings, it's important to note some pricing discrepancies from site to site, but the roster slots, scoring, and roster construction rules are almost entirely identical with the only exception being that FanDuel forces you to roster at least one player (or team slot) from a third team, while you can play only two teams among your seven roster slots on DraftKings.

1. 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. 
2.  Stacking in LoL DFS lineups is paramount. 4-3 stacks are the order of the day (on DraftKings) with 3-3-1 or 4-2-1 are becoming more popular (and necessary on FanDuel) as people try to differentiate their lineups in these suddenly large-field GPPs.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 share before you make your final decision.

SK Gaming (-210) vs. FC Schalke 04: DFS Targets

SK Gaming (SK) had a strong performance against Team Vitality (VIT) on Friday, securing 18 kills to VIT's six. SK created an early lead and controlled the tempo for the rest of the game by performing well in key team fight scenarios which furthered their gold advantage. Conversely, FC Schalke 04 (FCS) came out flat in their game versus Rogue (RGE). FCS was dominated during the early, mid, and late game and all of the major statistical categories. Fortunately for fans of Schalke, there is last week's win to be proud of, but FCS is not ready to compete with the best teams in the league yet.

Crownshot has continued to be the driving force behind SK's success. He had another excellent game on Friday, posting a 9/1/4 KDA ratio (kills/deaths/assists) on a 72.2 KP% (kill participation). Crownshot is a star in the making and he has another great opportunity to show off his talents in this matchup. FCS got thrashed pretty badly versus RGE, but Odoamne had some nice early game outplays in the top lane. Unfortunately, Odoamne finished with a 1.5 KDA, not nearly good enough to be considered a viable DFS play.

This could be a great potential stack, SK proved that they have more talent on their roster than just Crownshot, as ZaZee has been consistent all split and Trick really came alive in the jungle versus VIT. FCS is usually going to give up a fair amount of kills, and it seems that they are struggling once again while SK is solidifying themselves as a playoff contender.

SK Plays: Crownshot, ZaZee, Trick, Team Slot

FCS Plays: Odoamne

Rogue (-360) vs. Excel Esports: DFS Targets

Another week in the LEC, another impressive win for Rogue. RGE dominated FCS on Friday, finishing with the final kill total at 18-4 in their favor. Once again Rogue was excellent all around, creating large advantages in cs (creep score), gold, vision score, and kills. As for Excel Esports (XL), they were beaten soundly by Mad Lions (MAD) on Friday. XL put in a solid effort, keeping pace on kills and gold with MAD up until the mid-game. Although XL did not come away with the victory, they have shown vast improvement from the beginning of the split.

Once again Larssen had an excellent performance for Rogue, he is undeniably one of the three best mid-laners in the LEC, and right now he is definitely the hottest. He secured 9 kills and 8 assists against 0 deaths in Rogue's domination of Team Vitality on Friday. Inspired also deserves some major credit for RGE's success, he and Larssen are one of the premier jungle/mid duos we have in Europe. Patrik is still the main focal point of the XL team compositions and that is for good reason. Despite his less than impressive 3/4/4 KDA ratio, he did play a solid game given how far behind XL fell.

This matchup should shape up to be one of the most explosive of the weekend. Rogue boasts an impressive 14.1 kills/game, which is good for second-best in the league. XL may not look the best on paper, but they have won fournof their last six and are still in contention for a playoff spot. RGE should be one of the higher-owned teams on Saturday and given their recent performances, that is well deserved. Anyone can beat anyone in the LEC, and XL is not a pushover team by any means, but Rogue has been so dominant this split it would be surprising to see an upset here.

RGE Plays: Larssen, Inspired, Team Slot, Finn

XL Plays: Patrik

Misfits Gaming vs. Origen: DFS Targets

There is a lot to take away from Misfit's loss to Fnatic on Friday, the most important thing being that MSF has struggled immensely to finish games this split. Misfits got off to a great start, but indecisiveness and a lack of team communication caused them to collapse during the later stages of the game.

On the other hand, Origen (OG) looked like the team we expected to see this split, showing us a very calculated and controlled style of gameplay that led to control over neutral objectives. OG took down the struggling G2 Esports (G2), with the final kill total at 13-3 in their favor. This win for OG should bolster their confidence heading into their battle between these two 5-5 teams.

Razork started off the game hot and it looked like MSF was continuing their impressive form, but Razork and his teammates gave away a few too many free kills which turned the tide of the game. He finished with a 3.0 KDA, which is fine, but not very impressive considering he started 2/0/5. Conversely, OG looked like they have gotten out of their recent slump after making a roster move and bringing Jactroll into their support role. Upset seemed to benefit greatly from the switch, posting 12 kills and assists versus 0 deaths. Alphari was also back to his usual form, finishing at an 8.0 KDA with 6 kills.

Before the games on Friday, I would have looked at this match entirely differently. Both of these teams did not perform how we expected them to, which was great for Origen and disappointing for Misfits. MSF still played well the majority of the game but their inability to close out matches is worrying. Origen was on a huge slide but seem to have gotten back on track with a timely roster switch and a week off. OG should take this one, but MSF plays an aggressive style of League of Legends that Origen has struggled against in the past.

Misfits Plays: Febiven

Origen Plays: Alphari, Upset, Jactroll

Team Vitality vs. Fnatic (-325): DFS Targets

Team Vitality dropped their first game of the weekend with the loss coming at the hands of SK. Unfortunately for VIT, they gave up an early kill and gold advantage which they could not come back from. VIT did not look like the same team we saw last week that controlled the game from start to finish versus Origen (OG). Fnatic (FNC) got back on track this weekend stealing a win over Misfits Gaming (MSF) who dominated much of the early/mid-game. FNC managed to pull off an incredible comeback by picking optimal times to engage in team fights and push lanes.

Milica did not have a strong performance on Friday and VIT felt it. He finished the game with a 2/4/2 KDA ratio on a champion that he is usually pretty comfortable with. In his defense, Team Vitality was outplayed in the bot lane, leading to the opposition having a significant item advantage. Selfmade kept FNC in the game with a strong 3/4/7 KDA on Khazix, but the one who saved the game was Nemesis. Nemesis is another player who has faced a lot of criticism this split, but he racked up five kills and four assists against zero deaths, with the majority of those kills coming in late-game team fights.

This is one of the more interesting matchups of the week, Fnatic should be able to beat Team Vitality and put up some good points, but the fact they were dominated early versus MSF is worrying. Although I am not entirely sold on Fnatic as an LEC title contender, seeing them get a win after the break indicates they're heading in the right direction. This stack isn't a homerun must-have by any means, but I think the more talented team will win here and we could see a high kill total.

FNC Plays: Selfmade, Hylissang, Rekkles, Team Slot

VIT Plays: Milica

G2 Esports (-170) vs. Mad Lions: DFS Targets

G2 has been one of the most disappointing teams so far in the summer split, and they let us down again on Friday, losing to a struggling OG team. G2 kept it close in the early stages of the game but OG managed to create a seven kill advantage a little over 19 minutes into the match. The kill advantage led to a huge itemization lead for OG and they converted that lead into control over neutral objectives. MAD still sits at the top of the table alongside Rogue, a testament to their cohesiveness and consistency as a team. Even though MAD started off the game slow, they finished with 19 kills to XL's 9 and ended the game with over an 8k gold lead.

All of G2's roster is world-class, but they have not played like it so far, even after the mid-season break where they got time to reassess their gameplay strategies. Caps did not show up again on Friday, posting a 0/2/2 KDA ratio on KogMaw, a champion that he previously had his best game of the split with. Even more worrying was Perkz's performance. After taking time off he did not look sharp, accounting for 1 assist and no kills against 3 deaths. With yet another strong game, Humanoid proved that he is definitely one of the best mid-laners in the LEC along with Larssen and Caps. On Friday we saw him expand his champion pool, styling on XL with his Twisted Fate. Humanoid finished with five kills and eight assists to just one eath, bringing his KDA this summer up to 4.3.

This will be my favorite game of the weekend to watch, but one of my least favorite to call for DFS. G2 has been the premier team in the LEC for the past few years and MAD are serious contenders to take that status from them. Time and time again G2 has let us down this season, but in the past G2 has always risen to the occasion with their backs against the wall. I am confident that G2 will be strong contenders when playoffs come around, but with how they are playing right now it hard to justify paying a premium price for their players. MAD is the best team in the LEC at the moment and they should capitalize on this opportunity to beat G2 while they are struggling.

G2 Plays: Caps, Perkz, Jankos

MAD Plays: Humanoid, Shad0w, Kaiser

Summary

1. Rogue looks to be a good stack again, they will be chalky but are also the safest bet out there to perform well. SK should also have an easy win but their ownership will be up from yesterday.
2. The separation between DFS lineups in this slate will come from the secondary stacks that are being played. FNC should be high-owned and G2 and MAD ownership should be split. Lineup differentiation is key in DFS, don't shy away from more difficult to call games such as G2 v. MAD or OG v. MSF. Differentiation and covering a range of possibilities will give you the edge over players who choose more popular stacks.
3. Look for price discrepancies on different DFS sites. In general, Draftkings prices players based on odds and FanDuel prices based on recent performance. I'm repeating this tip because it gives DFS players a huge advantage knowing this. If you primarily play on DK look for players/teams who are hot right now, if you play on FD look for good individual matchups you can capitalize on.

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Readers of RotoBaller's eSports DFS articles have been winning money on DraftKings and FanDuel regularly. Some of them are winning contests daily and bringing in some serious cheddar. Check one out below and lots more here!

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