This article is part of our Call of Duty series.
The CDL is back after a five-week break, and it's time for Pro-Am. Featuring all 12 CDL teams and the four top CDL Challengers teams this is the only chance to see the CDL pros against the best of the open circuit. Here's a look at some players to target, and to fade, for the CDL Pro-Am.
Players to Target
Dashy
OpTic may have finished top six at the most recent major, but Dashy has been the fantasy MVP so far in 2022. The main AR has consistently put together some monstrous stats, and with over a month to collect their thoughts and go back to the drawing board, OpTic are one of the early favorites at the Pro-Am. The only concern for Dashy and co. is the absence of iLLeY, who is being replaced by General due to a thumb injury. While that shouldn't be much of a downgrade for pure firepower, the lack of in-game leadership could lead OpTic to another tough finish in the Pro-Am. That said, when Dashy is hovering near a 1.3 K/D for the season it's impossible to put him anywhere except the 'to target' category.
Simp
I promise Simp isn't here out of bias or personal opinion. I acknowledge the reigning CDL MVP is certainly slumping. In fact, he is slumping so hard that in the mid-season coach and GM survey run by Cory Davis of Dot Esports, Simp was rated as the... second best SMG in the league. While being fourth in overall MVP voting. It turns out that when you're the best player to ever touch a game your down years would be career years for anyone else. The fact that the 'slumping' narrative has driven Simp's salary down in all fantasy formats is a god-send for the shrewd fantasy managers, who get a top-five player in the game at a discount. We can only hope Simp turns this 'poor' form around as he looks for his third MVP award in his first four years as a professional player.
Attach
What a strange year for Attach and the Minnesota Rokkr as a whole. After a disappointing start to the season the team made the decision to bench MajorManiak and bring Havok into the starting roster. It's a swap that many expected would send Attach back to an SMG, but the team have announced he will be staying on the flex role. Attach's swap from SMG to flex has been excellent for fantasy managers as Attach has climbed to the seventh best K/D in the CDL, and some impressive stats in all three game modes. With a new roster in a honeymoon phase the Pro-Am should be the perfect tournament for Attach to put together a statement showing as he looks to cement himself as one of the best flex players in the CDL.
Players to Fade
Bance
Where have the Toronto Ultra gone? The second best team in Cold War looks like the second worst team in Vanguard. While the game is certainly different, giving rise to mid-table teams such as OpTic Texas, it's hard to justify the meteoric fall of Toronto Ultra. At the center of the fall lies Bance, who is sitting with a 0.89 K/D on the season putting him right next to Prestinni and Hicksy... who are both bench players brought in as emergency substitutes. That's not the sort of company a two-time Champs silver medalist wants to be keeping. If Bance and co. don't pick it up in the second half a roster change could be on the cards for Toronto Ultra.
C6
C6 has been awful in 2022. While he might be the most successful player of all time he offers next to nothing for fantasy managers. NYSL have been an absolute mess and are set to unveil a new roster at the Pro-Am, none of which gives me any more hope for C6. The flex player has a 0.94 K/D on the year putting him next to John who plays a hyper-aggressive entry SMG role. The talent was there for C6, but he hasn't been a superstar in years and unless he puts together the most surprising career renaissance in CDL history he isn't worth targeting in any fantasy formats.
SiLLY
I truly believed I would not be writing about SiLLY ever again after he failed to find a team in the CDL for 2022. Well he's at the Pro-Am alongside some other players that have consistently failed to make the grade in the CDL, such as Fire40. There's no particularly nice way to put this, Strike X are the fourth-seeded AM team, and are in a group with Atlanta FaZe, Seattle Surge and Toronto Ultra. If they win a single series it will be an impressive performance, and with how tough his last stint in the CDL was it's hard to see SiLLY becoming a fantasy producer out of nowhere. Ultra Academy NA and EU both have some Challengers upside, but SiLLY and co. should be firmly out of fantasy contention.
Stats Courtesy of Breakingpoint.gg
