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James Swindell's League of Leagues (LoL) analysis and LEC DFS lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings on 6/26/20. 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 all coverage of the LEC here on RotoBaller. There are plenty of exciting headlines going into the third weekend of LEC competition, and more opportunities to make some money with smart DFS plays.
I'll be bringing you my top League of Legends advice, analysis, and picks, for the LEC slate on Friday, June 26th, 2020 at 12:00 PM EST. This 5-game slate features battles between top LEC contenders as well as mid-field teams fighting for a final playoff spot and the opportunity to go to worlds in October. Follow me on Twitter @s28_james and hit me up if you ever want to talk about LoL lineups or roster construction. I am more than happy to chat with you all!
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.
Excel Esports (-180) vs. FC Schalke 04: DFS Targets
Excel Esports (XL) surprised the League of Legends competitive scene over the weekend by upsetting SK Gaming (SK). XL built up an early gold advantage by taking advantage of kill opportunities in the bot lane. SK flipped the momentum in the mid-game, but ultimately a late-game Baron buff and team fight win sealed the victory for XL. As for FC Schalke 04 (FCS), they could not capitalize on mistakes that Misfits made throughout the game to capture their first win of the season.
Patrik played exceptionally well for XL, putting up a fantastic 10/2/4 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) ratio versus a tough opponent. It may be too early to consider any of the XL players as plug and play DFS options, but they have shown signs of life throughout the season and this week they were finally able to execute their gameplan successfully. Patrik has also produced 33.2% of his teams total damage to champions, showing that they consistently rely on his damage output from his ADC role. We have seen some bright spots from Abbedagge, but the fact that FCS is struggling holds their individual players back from good DFS scoring.
This matchup does not seem too enticing at first, but a closer look will reveal there is value to be had on the side of XL. Although they haven't performed well so far, last week's win versus SK could be the turning point for XL this season. Patrik could be a great value play on sites such as DraftKings who rank players based on team odds as opposed to recent performance. XL might not be the safest play, but since they have a good matchup versus a struggling Schalke roster, XL has a few legitimate budget plays this week.
XL Plays: Patrik, Team Slot
Team Vitality vs. Misfits Gaming (-195): DFS Targets
Team Vitality (VIT) lost to Mad Lions (MAD) on Saturday, but they did manage to put up a good fight. VIT did their best to come back from an early deficit with a late-game Baron steal and a team fight win after they secured the Baron buff, but they ultimately fell short to MAD's late-game scaling team composition. Misfits (MSF) looked shaky versus FCS, to say the least.
MSF did a good job to secure the early-game advantage but gave away an ocean drake and an outer mid-lane tower during the mid-game that almost allowed FCS to come back. MSF did manage to secure the victory, but they did not perform nearly as well as they should have versus a struggling FCS team.
Team Vitality should have an advantage In the top lane in this matchup. Cabochard has performed consistently will with a 3.3 KDA and a 69.7 KP% (kill participation percentage) conversely, MSF's top lane Dan Dan has contained to give away early game advantages. Comp has also performed well for VIT but his bot lane opponent Kobbe is world-class even if his team is letting him down. Kobbe was the star of the game versus S04 posting a 3/0/6 KDA while his season average sits at a respectable 5.5.
Although some of the hype around these two teams have died down, there are still good matchups to find for DFS plays. Cabochard should be able to capitalize on early mistakes and create an advantage top-lane while Kobbe and Doss will look so scale into the late-game and let Kobbe dominate on a traditional style ADC champion.
VIT Plays: Cabochard
MSF Plays: Kobbe
G2 Esports (-575) vs. SK Gaming: DFS Targets
G2 Esports (G2) looked exceptionally strong on Saturday, perhaps signaling a return to form for the LEC Spring split champions. G2 took down a tough opponent in Rogue (RGE) who was undefeated coming into the game. G2 showed patience and skill, contesting each objective throughout the game and playing as a much more cohesive unit during team-fight opportunities. Although SK Gaming (SK) got taken out by a bottom tier team like XL, it is not time to give up on them yet. SK lacked team synergy and despite great individual play, they fell short of expectations.
The most impressive player in G2's performance was Caps, he posted a 5/1/6 KDA and he has an incredible 71.5 KP% on the season. Jankos looked much more comfortable as well, continuing his success playing RekSai in the jungle. Although his 2.2 KDA does not inspire confidence, his KDA on champions other than Lee Sin is 8.67. G2 has returned to playing champions that their players are comfortable with and the results have been excellent. Crownshot is the breakout star for SK this split, as shown by his 5.0 KDA, 77.6 KP%, and 34.3% of his team's total damage to champions.
SK has shown the LEC that they are a contender for a playoff spot at the end of the split. They have impressed in almost all of their matchups so far and Crownshot is having a breakout campaign. That being said, G2 is in the process of getting back to their dominant form and when G2 is hot, it's not wise to play anyone against them.
G2 Plays: Caps, Jankos, Team Slot, Perkz
Mad Lions vs. Origen (-145): DFS Targets
As the odds suggest, this game should be a very close battle to prove who the second-best team in the LEC is. Mad Lions (MAD) took a very convincing win versus VIT who have been performing well thus far. MAD put up an impressive 25 kills to VIT's 9. Origen (OG) had an impressive win versus one of the strongest teams the LEC has to offer in Fnatic. OG controlled objectives early in the game and know when to trade objectives for in-lane towers. This methodical, tactical style of gameplay ultimately allowed them to secure the win by gaining small advantages throughout the game and ending it with a massive bot-lane push.
Humanoid is quickly entering the discussion for top three mid-laners in Europe. Over the past 4 games, Humanoid has put up 6+ kills in 3 of them. Outside of MAD's lackluster performance versus G2 to kick off the summer split, he has at least 4 kills and 6 assists in each game. Destiny has an impressive 5.4 KDA and 68.2 KP% from his support role, combined with Upset's 8.8 KDA and incredible 81.5 KP%, this duo is clearly one of the best in all of the LEC.
This matchup will tell us a lot about the strength of the playoff teams in the LEC. MAD and OG are definitely within the top 4 teams in the league, the question is exactly where do each of them fall. This matchup should be high scoring as MAD and OG will both look to scale into the late game. Both of these teams are very good but I would be wary of playing either of them in a 3-3-1 stack since the game could go either way. Look to play two players from either side in a 4-2-1 stack.
MAD Plays: Humanoid, Orome
OG Plays: Destiny, Upset
Fnatic (-190) vs. Rogue: DFS Targets
This matchup is one of the best of the weekend without a doubt. Fnatic (FNC) lost a close game to OG but still looked strong throughout the game. Rogue (RGE) fell to G2, but this might show more about G2's strength rather than RGE's weakness. Fnatic has played Rekkles as a support ADC the past two games and it hasn't worked out either time. RGE stuck with an on-meta composition but were outplayed by G2.
Rekkles has continued to be one of the best bot-laners in the league, but as of late FNC haves experimented with him playing a more support oriented ADC role. This makes sense for the team due to jungler Selfmade's fantastic play, but it hurts Rekkles as a potential DFS target. Vander has played excellent for RGE thus far, with a 27.0 KDA and his first death of the season coming at the hands of G2. Vander also has a 76.2 KP%, the highest of any support main in the league. Hans sama has also continued to impress with his mechanical skills along with a 6.7 KDA, but when RGE struggles so does Hans sama, as shown by his 3/3/0 KDA versus G2.
Fnatic has looked shaky over the past few games but this game is a good opportunity to turn their losing streak around. As for Rogue, they look to prove that they can compete with the top teams in the LEC for a playoff spot. This matchup will be heavily focused on the hard carried for each team whether it be Rekkles for Selfmade for FNC or Hans Sama for Rogue. Hans sama could score a lot of points if RGE takes the victory, but expect the more experienced FNC roster to take this one in a close game.
FNC Plays: Rekkles, Selfmade
RGE Plays: Vander
Summary
- G2 looks to be the strongest play in either a 4-2-1 or a 3-3-1 stack. Whichever stack you decide to go with, it's hard to pass up on G2 when they are playing well.
- XL and MSF have some good options at the ADC role for a one-off play if you are looking for a more budget-oriented ADC role to complement players from more expensive teams
- Look for price discrepancies on different DFS sites. DraftKings will price players based on odds and FanDuel tends to price players based on recent performance. A player like Rekkles who hasn't been performing as well lately might not be the best value on FanDuel whereas a player like Humanoid who has been playing incredibly well on a team who isn't as favored could be a great value on DraftKings.
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Readers of RotoBaller's eSports DFS articles have been winning money on DraftKings and FanDuel regularly. Some of them are winning contests daily and bringing in some serious cheddar. Check one out below and lots more here!
Did you read a RotoBaller article and win too? Send us your screenshots on Twitter @RotoBaller and we'll add it to our winners Hall Of Fame!
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