Parody is becoming the name of the game for everyone not named MAD Lions or Rogue. G2 seem to be done and Excel continue to prove that they are growing as a team. I am excited to see what version of Origen decides to show up against Fnatic and will Misfits find another opportunity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Plenty of chalk to bet here but also some clever pick ups that can prove to be the difference in your matches!

Game #1: Team Vitality versus Excel Esports

Cann’s Pick: Excel Esports

Game #2: Misfits versus Schalke 04

Cann’s Pick: Misfits

Game #3: G2 Esports versus Rogue

Cann’s Pick: Rogue

Game #4: MAD Lions versus SK Gaming

Cann’s Pick and lock of the week: MAD Lions

Game #5: Fnatic versus Origen

Cann’s Pick: Origen

Fantasy Value Breakdown

Cann’s Starting Lineup for 7/25

$50,000 out of the $50,000 salary cap

Captain (x1.5 Points): Carzzy 

Top: Dan Dan 

Jungle: Xerxe 

Mid: Larssen 

ADC: Hans sama 

Support: Kaiser

Team: MAD Lions

Captain (1.5x Points)

Tier 1: Carzzy (MAD Lions/$12,000): This is an EXPENSIVE pick but well worth it. Carzzy is consistent and requires very little attention by his team to get online. He is ranked second according to DraftKing’s in FPPG at 29.6 which at the captain slot is a LOT of points. Carzzy really shines in the early scrappy fights where is part of 42% of MAD Lions’ first kills of the game and it does not slow down after that with a total of 46 total kills through 12 matches.

 Value Pick: Patrik (Excel Esports/$11,100): Excel Esports have completely turned their season around. Through the first 3 or so weeks Excel always came up in the same breath as league worst Schalke 04. In that time the shining light for this team has been the ADC, Patrik. Now that the team is elevating, so has the ability for the ADC to shine. Through 12 matches, Patrik has a little over 3 KDA and is part of almost 80% of all of Excel’s kills. If Excel continues on the same trajectory, you could be pulling in serious points here.   

Top

Tier 1: Prime (MAD Lions/$6,800): Many of the questions about MAD Lions for this season has been about the play of Orome. In his match against against Fnatic on Friday, he put those questions to rest. He had 8 kills, 6 assists, and only died once while carrying the struggling Lions through the early game into the late game and becoming something Fnatic could not control any longer. I like Orome into Jenax, especially if Shad0w (Jungler) looks to get him ahead early like he did on Friday.

Value Pick: Dan Dan (Misfits/$6,400): Dan Dan and Misfits found their heart ripped out again on Friday after a sizable lead slipped through their fingers and they fell to top team Rogue. Dan Dan played well, but late game team fights and objective control were an issue yet again. That being said, Dan Dan (with a 3.1 KDA) is up against the league’s worst team and top laner in Schalke 04 and Cabochard. Dan Dan has had some inconsistencies but if you’re looking for a place to cut some corners to preserve your salary cap, this is a decent place to do it.  

Jungle

Tier 1: Shad0w (MAD Lions/$7,400): MAD Lions live and die with the advantages that Shad0w can get them. It is amazing to see how creative Shad0w is in his ganks into lanes and how between him and Kaiser can crack games wide open regardless of current game state. Through 12 games he is responsible for 58% of all of MAD Lions’ first kill and he uses that to snowball different key teammates. Expect big points from this pick into a flailing SK Gaming.

Value Pick: Inspired (Rogue/$5,800): For the jungler with the highest KDA (10.1) to be this cheap is insane. Inspired finds ways to get his other laners the kills while absolutely strangling the enemy out. Rogue is into G2 Esports who have the ability to run away with games, if they show up. Jankos has a 2+ KDA and has struggled to get any consistent play out of his laners. If Rogue play to the level we expect them to, this should be another strong showing at a discount.

Mid

Tier 1: Humanoid (MAD Lions/$7,800): Humanoid is one of the biggest threats on the fastest and most aggressive teams in the WORLD. Analysts now discuss the ceiling for MAD Lions in the World Championships, already looking past the rest of the LEC. I think ZaZee (SK Gaming) has had great performances but he also has had some of the worst performances this split. This will be one of the harder ones to watch.

Value Pick: Larssen (Rogue/$6,600): The highest scoring mid laner in the league in terms of KDA (9.6) and FPPG (31.8) this cost is actually criminal. Don’t get me wrong, in form G2 and their mid laner (Caps) are world elite. Caps ended the last season’s World Championships second in the world. This split, G2 is flirting with the chance of not making the Spring Split playoffs (currently in a 4 way tie for 6th place). Larssen is poised to be the all-split first team mid laner with his consistent and aggressive play. There really hasn’t been a game that Larssen has had to rely on his team to carry him through a bad performance. I do not think it starts in this match. .

ADC

Tier 1: Carzzy (MAD Lions/$8,000): This man is on a mission. He has the highest FPPG of all ADCs of almost 30 and has shown up against all lanes he has seen and with his top tier laning partner (Kaiser) I think SK Gaming’s Crownshot will have a really difficult time trying to transition into the late game as he likes to do.     

Value Pick: Hans sama (Rogue/$6,400): My call to pick Neon from Schalke 04 in Friday’s match against G2 seems now like the most brilliant move ever. Now take Schalke 04, give them better players, a focused team identity, and more secure team fighting. Now you have Rogue and Hans sama should upstage the performance that Neon put on Friday. With a 6.4 KDA and 45 total kills this split, Rogue stays on the top of the table behind Hans sama.
SUP

Tier 1: Kaiser (MAD Lions/$6,200): Kaiser is averaging the amount of fantasy points that could make him a consideration for the captain spot. According to DraftKing’s he has a FPPG of 24.9 and has a KDA of 7.4. The most impressive thing about that KDA is the fact that he has played overly aggressive champions like Pantheon, Wu Kong, and Leona rather than safer caster mages. This is almost a required pick for your lineup.

Value Pick: Jacktroll (Origen/$4,600): Take Friday’s performance out of the equation, Jacktroll has had a pretty smooth transition into the league. This pick though is less about what Jacktroll brings to the table but what Upset (his ADC) brings. Upset is one of the highest rated ADCs in the LEC and Jacktroll is an aggressive playmaker. This should lead to a lot of kills in lane and Jacktroll making plays into the late game. If Jacktroll can turn the aggression on and off when needed, Origen should rack you up serious points.

TEAM

Tier 1: MAD Lions ($6,000): While they “share” the #1 spot on the table right now, this is the best team in the region and is top 3 in the world. Pick them up. There are very few teams with the same point value possibilities as they do.

Value Pick: Origen ($4,600): I am not sure how much I like this pick, but there is good value here. Origen laid an absolute egg against Team Vitality on Friday. Like that were completely disassembled by a team that had no business being close at any point in this game. With that said, Fnatic may be one of the most disappointing teams this split. They may be 6-6 and tied for 3rd, but their play the last 3 weeks is extremely troubling with the type of talent they have on their roster. Even in Fnatic wins this game, they won’t do it cleanly or efficiently so you will pick up points with this pick.

Value Combos:

*Larssen and Hans sama (Mid and ADC/Rogue/$13,000): Rogue is so undervalued by DraftKing’s and you need to capitalize on it before they catch onto it. To get two carries from the same team for $13k flat is an absolute steal. Pick these two up… unless your in my lobby then don’t/

*Xerxe and Upset (Jungle and ADC/Origen/$13,400): This is a pairing you normally don’t see, but if Origen are going to beat Fnatic, it will because these two showed up to play. Xerxe can control the early game against Selfmade (Fnatic jungler) who usually has his top and mid lanes hemorrhaging gold which allows Xerxe to invade as he pleases. Upset is into Rekkles and Hylissang which on paper seems like a hard lane, outside of the fact that Hylissang has 56 deaths in 12 games. That is an insane amount and Upset will cash that in.

Top Picks: Humanoid, Larssen, Dan Dan, Kobbe

These players are solid players that are into inferior competition. They will cost a little more than others in their position but they will be worth it. I would look to try and fit in as many into your lineup as possible.

Top Value: EVERYONE FROM ROGUE

Their value has not caught up on DraftKing’s yet. Cash in on their mistake now!