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James Swindell's League of Leagues (LoL) analysis and LEC DFS lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings on 8/1/20. 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. Friday gave us a few wild games in the European League of Legends scene as some of the top teams fell and we saw struggling teams pull off surprising upsets. The playoff race in the LEC is still very marginal, with only one win separating third place and eighth place. As the LEC competitors make a final push for playoff spots, the matches will only grow in intensity. The seventh Saturday of LEC action is another one that you don't want to miss.
I'll be bringing you my top League of Legends advice, analysis, and picks, for the LEC slate on Saturday, August 1st, 2020 at 11:00 AM EST. The 5-game slate features a red hot Rogue team facing off against last year's LEC champs G2 and many more exciting games. You can follow me on Twitter @s28_james and hit me up if you ever want to talk about LoL lineups or roster construction.
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 share before you make your final decision.
FC Schalke 04 vs. Origen (-225): DFS Targets
FC Schalke 04 (FCS) started off Friday's slate with an impressive win over Excel Esports (XL) and the game's final kill total finished at 12-4 in their favor. FCS was able to swing the game's momentum in their favor with a few successful ganks in the top lane. Eventually, the gold/objective lead proved to be too much for XL, as FCS took the game in convincing fashion. Conversely, Origen (OG) fell to first place MAD Lions (MAD) and find themselves at a disappointing six and eight this split. OG kept up with MAD early but the tides of the game turned when OG lost a crucial team fight top-lane around the 24-minute mark. After they fell behind in kills, OG was unable to come back from the deficit they found themselves in.
Once again Jungler Gilius provided a much needed early game presence for Schalke in their win versus SK, and he finished the game a solid 2/2/6 KDA ratio (kills/deaths/assists). Gilius set up in-lane ganks for his teammates as well, allowing Neon to rack up seven kills and 3 assists of his own. Alphari had a decent performance on Quinn as OG looked to play through his favorable matchup, but were unable to find success as he finished at a 0.75 KDA on three kills.
After falling into a three-way tie for sixth this split, OG needs to pick up wins fast if they want to make playoffs. Although it's highly unlikely that FCS can make a miracle playoff run, they have been strong as of late and are looking to finish the season on a high note. Origen's roster has not looked cohesive and FCS is on a three-game win streak playing solid fundamental League of Legends. Schalke should be able to capitalize on the struggles Origen has been having and pull off their fourth upset in a row.
FCS Plays: Gilius, Odoamne, Neon
OG Plays: Alphari, Upset
Excel Esports vs. Misfits Gaming (-135): DFS Targets
Unfortunately for fans of Excel Esports, they find themselves in a tough spot after dropping Friday's game against FCS. While XL managed to get off to a strong start competing with FCS early, the number of kills they gave away created too large of a lead to come back from. XL did their best to fend off Schalke's advances at their nexus, but they were simply outplayed in this matchup. As for their opponents Misfits Gaming, they were able to come out with a win in one of the most exciting games we have seen this split. MSF beat SK Gaming (SK) in a back and forth match that lasted over 40 minutes and had 32 total kills, 15 of those secured by Misfits. Although MSF got off to a rocky start, they showed determination and resilience against a strong team and came out victorious.
XL let us down on Friday, but they still have talented players who are capable of bouncing back. Patrik has been the strongest link on the XL roster, maintaining a 3.8 KDA on 76.3 KP% (kill participation) and 33.3 DMG% (percentage of team's total damage dealt to champions) on the season prior to today's matches. Kobbe had a great game statically at 5/2/5, but new Support addition Denyk was the star of the show, providing some much-needed leadership and direction for a team that has struggled with communication.
Prior to Friday's slate, I would have been inclined to pick my favorite dark horse contender XL. With the substitution of Denyk for Doss, Misfits seems to have rekindled some of the team chemistry they had in the previous split. XL has an immensely talented roster and it has been a pleasure to watch them grow as a team this split, but the Misfits roster has more experience in high-stakes games and they should be able to take this match.
MSF Plays: Kobbe, Febiven, Dan Dan
XL Plays: Patrik, Caedrel
SK Gaming vs. Rogue (-245): DFS Targets
In Friday's match against Misfits, SK Gaming was unable to come out with a win after a hard-fought battle that saw many momentum swings back and forth. SK was able to get out to an early lead but lost it as the match entered the late-game. Despite an incredible effort to surmount MSF's lead, a few small errors in positioning during team fights allowed Misfits to gain a numbers advantage and end the game. Rogue came out of today's match with an impressive win over Fnatic as well as a guaranteed spot in playoffs. The game's final kill total finished at 15-5 in favor of RGE, representative of how Rogue was able to dominate Fnatic throughout the game. Once again, Rogue stuck to the textbook style League of Legends that they have been so successful with this split.
ZaZee has stepped up his game in a big way as of late, and today he had another excellent performance on Orianna, racking up an 8.5 KDA on 94.1 KP%. As for Rogue, mid-season MVP candidate Larssen was back to his usual mid-lane dominance, securing eight kills and two assists against only one death in Friday's huge victory. Hans Sama deserves a mention as well for his stellar 7/1/7 performance.
SK Gaming fell to 7-7 after their game today, putting them tied for third in the LEC standings. Unfortunately for SK, one game separates third and eighth so a loss here would most likely put them in a must-win scenario next week. While Rogue's playoff spot is already secured, they won't be satisfied tied for first and will look to solidify themselves as Europe's premier team heading into week eight. SK has shown us they have a talented roster and can compete with top teams, but Rogue has superior in-game strategies and should be able to pick up the win here.
SK Plays: Crownshot, ZaZee, LIMIT
RGE Plays: Larssen, Inspired, Hans sama, Vander
MAD Lions (-345) vs. Team Vitality: DFS Targets
The MAD Lions had a strong comeback victory on Friday after their loss last Saturday, beating Origen and totaling 17 kills to OG's 9. Once again MAD used an off-meta team composition that was highly successful, proving that they have an excellent understanding of each patch we have played on this split. In addition to great team comp recognition, MAD used superior team fighting skills to create an advantage that snowballed into a massive late-game lead. Team Vitality (VIT) fell to G2 Esports (G2) today, only managing to secure 4 kills against 14 from G2. Unfortunately for VIT, it appears as if G2 is finally hitting their stride, and Vitality was dominated throughout the game.
Once again Humanoid, Shad0w, and Kaiser were all excellent for MAD. The trio piled up 14 kills, 22 assists, and only had 7 deaths. Carzzy also had some great plays, providing healing that was essential to keep his teammates alive during team fights. Team Vitality did not have many good performances versus G2, but Milica and Comp have been core to their success this summer. Comp has been particularly good for VIT, averaging 4.5 kills/game over their last 6 outings.
Team Vitality has made drastic improvements from Spring to Summer, already picking up three more wins then that had all of last split. As for MAD, they got back on track with a big win over Origen and are locked for the playoffs. VIT has a small chance to pull off an upset here, but the best team in Europe should be able to keep their momentum rolling.
MAD Plays: Humanoid, Shad0w, Kaiser, Carzzy Team Slot
VIT Plays: Milica, Comp, Skeanz
Fnatic (-105) vs. G2 Esports (-125): DFS Targets
G2 was able to pick up a convincing win over Team Vitality on Friday, building a steady gold/item advantage throughout the game that translated into a healthy kill lead. In addition to the itemization advantage, G2 demonstrated excellent vision/map control which allowed them to secure all of the game's neutral objectives. This performance emulated the type of dominance that we have been expecting from G2 since the beginning of the split. Fnatic looked out of sorts again in their loss to Rogue today, failing to communicate properly when they were attempting to engage/disengage from team fight scenarios.
Unfortunately for Fnatic, Hylissang has been hung out to dry many times by his teammates this split and that pattern continued on Friday, resulting in his 1/5/2 KDA ratio. On the other hand, G2 finally seemed to put this together as Perkz had a nice five kill one assist game and Caps continued his run out outstanding play, finishing with a perfect KDA on seven kills and five assists.
For the second time this Summer we will get to see these two LEC juggernauts compete on Summoner's Rift. Our last game of week seven should be one of the closest as Fnatic and G2 always show up for this rivalry matchup. Fnatic has talent on their team but they severely lack proper communication and aren't playing well as a unit. Conversely, G2 is gaining momentum heading into the final weeks of LEC play and should pick up another win on their way to playoffs.
FNC Plays: Rekkles, Bwipo
G2 Plays: Caps, Jankos, Perkz, Mikyx, Team Slot
Summary
- MAD and RGE have the best matchups of the week and will be chalky plays. That being said, both teams have consistent DFS performers and despite the fact they should be high-owned, they should be smart/safe stacks.
- Differentiation and covering a range of possibilities will give you the edge over players who choose more popular stacks. Look for stacks in games that will have low team ownership such as FCS/OG or MSF/XL, the G2/FNC game could be another strong stack since it should have a high kill total but it is riskier since the outcome isn't as clear. Don't be afraid to pick tougher matchups but remember that the most important thing for your rostered DFS players is a win.
- 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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