This article is part of our Call of Duty series.
The final week of the Call of Duty League Stage 3 is upon us and it's time to look at some players to target, and fade, heading into the final qualifier slate of Stage 3.
Players to Target
Prolute
Brought in as a substitute for iLLeY who is dealing with a thumb injury, Prolute has taken the CDL by storm and turned OpTic Texas into a ruthless team. After disappointing finishes at the Pro-Am Classic and Stage 2, it looks like OpTic are back on top, especially after dismissing FaZe 3-1. Prolute has been wildly impressive throughout his time on the team, with a 1.73 KD in SND and a 1.17 KD overall putting him third in the CDL for Stage 3. OpTic have two very winnable matches in the final week, against NYSL and LA Thieves, both places Prolute should shine.
Cellium
Cellium finally had a bad series by his standard against OpTic Texas. That said FaZe have always been a team happy to play with a chip on their shoulder and bounce back after disappointing losses. With matches against Rokkr and LA Guerrillas on the docket for the final week, Cellium should be primed to bounce back in a big way. The main AR of Atlanta FaZe is still among the top MVP favorites for the season and has led his side to the top spot in the CDL Standings. While FaZe have yet to win an event in 2022, Cellium has taken a step forward as one of the best players in the world.
Owakening
Owakening remains one of the most controversial players for fans and fantasy managers in the CDL. The flex player for Florida has consistently been criticized for his passive play style and lack of objective time. For fantasy managers he's been just fine though, with one of the top KD's in the league, and leading Florida to some surprisingly strong finishes in the CDL. In the final week of Stage 3, Florida is set to take on Seattle and Boston, two teams that have been struggling for identity and struggling for consistency. Owakening should have every chance to feast against both.
Players to Fade
Jimbo
Just for a few matches it looked like Jimbo had made the adjustments to be a strong SMG in the CDL, but how quickly he has faded. The entry player is still just as fast as he was before, but unless he is in absurd individual form he simply takes fights he cannot win. Jimbo and Paris have sunk firmly down to the bottom of the CDL standings once more, and look simply disconnected. While it's uncertain if Paris intend to make any roster changes, barring a true miracle in the final two stages, it's already a near certainty they will not make CoD Champs. Jimbo's 0.79 KD ranks as the second worst in the CDL.
Vivid
Vivid is the only member of Florida who flies forward with reckless abandon, creating space for the rest of the team to work. Unfortunately that nearly disintegrates his fantasy value, Vivid has a 0.88 KD, one of the worst in the CDL of all active players. His playstyle simply doesn't lend itself to major fantasy days, at least not on this roster. Florida isn't a bad team, and are favorites against both Seattle and Boston, but Vivid has simply showed that he isn't a fantasy option in this environment, and his 0.88 KD is doing little to assuage those concerns.
Kenny
Kenny has disappointed since 2019 and yet he still finds himself as the centerpiece for LA Thieves to build around. That doesn't make much sense to us, or most fantasy managers. Kenny's stats since switching to the SMG role for LA Thieves have been awful. During Major 3 Kenny has a 0.77 KD, putting him second bottom in the league for the stage. While it appears unlikely for LA Thieves to make any sort of roster change before the end of the season, Kenny certainly shouldn't hold the same belief from fantasy managers. Kenny has been one of the worst players in the CDL throughout Stage 3, and faces tough matches against Boston and OpTic.
Stats courtesy of Breakingpoint.gg
