This article is part of our DraftKings League of Legends series.
DraftKings LoL LCS: Thursday Cheat Sheet
Half of my lineup did well yesterday with most people on Unicorns of Love as the value play. That worked out as a sound strategy. I personally put too much faith in Fnatic and that cost me in the end. With two upsets yesterday, congratulations to anyone who trusted Elements or ROCCAT -- I didn't really have much faith in either.
Today is kind of like yesterday in the sense that the top teams are expensive outside of Origen, while once again UoL are cheap. The difference between using UoL today as opposed to yesterday is that G2, unlike H2K, actually loves to team fight and are really good at it. That limits UoL today even at cheap price, although you can certainly take a shot on them if you'd like. ROCCAT are priced closer to the top of the salary charts today, more so than usual because of their matchup against the hapless GIANTS!, a team bound for relegation.
Daily Player Recommendations:
Top Lane:
Fredy122 (ROC vs. GIA, $6,700): Not a sexy pick and really not a pick I'm even that confident in, but I have him in my lineup for a couple of reasons. First, although he lacks the upside of the best top laners, he has scored over 20 points in four of his last five games. Secondly, ROCCAT should win this game easily and Fredy122 is the cheapest top laner playing.
Other Suggestions: Cabochard (VIT vs. SPY, $7,500), Kikis (G2 vs. UoL, $7,100)
Top Lane Player to Avoid:
Vizicsacsi (UoL vs. G2, $5,500): We used him yesterday and it worked out well, but I don't have the same expectations for UoL or Csacsi today. G2 likes to fight, H2K doesn't, and the fact that I expect G2 to win this game really limits the potential impact for Vizicsacsi today.
Jungle:
Trick (G2 vs. UoL, $6,800): I love using Trick under $7k. He's been the best fantasy jungler this split and is remarkably consistent. He hasn't scored under twenty points in his last eight games and often finds himself in the 30 point range. The upside is there today, as it always is, and at this cheaper price, he's a no brainer.
Other Suggestions: Shook (VIT vs. SPY, $7,300), Spirit (FNC vs. OG, $6,500)
Jungle Player to Avoid:
Jankos (H2K vs. EL, $7,300): Jankos is actually a very good jungler and has played well all split. However, being the top salaried jungler today makes me want to look elsewhere. He could be worth the price, but he could also fall well short of the 30 points you'd look for if you pay up for him. I just think Trick is the better upside play at a cheaper price.
Middle Lane:
Perkz (G2 vs. UoL, $7,900): Perkz always has the potential to carry games and he's usually above 30 fantasy points in games that G2 win. I like G2 to win this game and would expect Perkz to be worth his high salary today.
Other Suggestions: Nukeduck (VIT vs. SPY, $8,300), Betsy (ROC vs. GIA, $7,500)
Mid Laner to Avoid:
Fox (UoL vs. G2, $6,100): Based on the fact that I like Perkz today, that makes Fox a fade for me. Fox is cheap and he's been consistent all season, so he makes for an intriguing play if you think UoL will win. I personally don't think that will happen and it's probably best to avoid him.
ADC:
Zven (OG vs. FNC, $6,600): I don't know who wins this game, but what I do know is that Zven is underpriced. Fnatic looked a lot better recently until their loss to Elements yesterday which hints there is still some issues with consistency in their ranks. Origen are not the most stable team themselves, but Zven is one of the best ADC's in the game and if Origen wins it'll be on his back.
Other Suggestions: Emperor (G2 vs. UoL, $7,900), Hjarnan (VIT vs. SPY, $8,400)
ADC Player to Avoid:
FORG1VEN (H2k vs. EL, $8,400): I don't expect H2K to go 0-2 this week so they should be able to bounce back and win. But as usual, I don't see the upside with FORG1VEN. Throw in the fact that he's the highest priced player on the split and he's a fade for me. The upside is better with guys listed above.
Support:
Mithy (OG vs. FNC, $4,700): I think I might throw in a Zven/Mithy ministack in some lineups today. Mithy hasn't really played at a high level this split and has the same consistency issues that have plagued Origen overall this split. He did play well yesterday which could carry over making today's game very close.
Other Suggestions: kaSing (VIT vs. SPY, $6,400), Hybrid (G2 vs. UoL, $6,000)
Support Player to Avoid:
Klaj (FNC vs. OG, $5,600): Klaj struggles with his positioning at times and can give away easy kills. He's not too highly priced, but I don't think he has much upside. I'd rather take Mithy in the same game or even take a shot on Hylissang if I'm not paying up today.
Team:
OG vs. FNC ($4,000): OG are my favorite cheap team of the day. I don't think they're a lock, but should be able to at least hang in this game with Fnatic and put up a decent score even in a loss. I think they're worth a shot if you aren't paying up for your team today.
