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Welcome back RotoBallers to my League of Legends DFS column! We will continue to extend our analysis for LoL DFS across different leagues and sites, bringing you the insight you need to succeed. Thanks once again for the outpouring of support from the DFS and ESports communities. I can't thank you enough for the kind words on Twitter, and your support has afforded me the opportunity to write about something I love every day.
After LPL finishes its spring playoffs, there will be no overnight League of Legends for us to sweat until mid-June. Tonight may possibly be the last slate, and there are already some massive contests posted in the DraftKings lobbies, including the 10-dollar Titan's Fury that pays 20k to first place!
Today, I'll be providing my League of Legends advice, analysis, and picks, for this two day LPL slate on DraftKings that locks at 5:00 AM on Sunday, April 26th, 2020. Make sure you are following me on Twitter @Mr_Malmanger as I often post starting lineups when I see them and other useful info for the slate.
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LPL Semifinal
4/26/20 5:00 AM: IG (-235) vs. TES
What a final four we have in the LPL, and with the changes to the World Championships format, we could see all of these teams in October. That noise you are hearing is the collective chattering of teeth and knocking of knees of every other region.
First things first, I think this is the matchup to target more heavily of the two as both of these teams get down and dirty when they lose. Especially IG, and with their supreme belief in their own talent and ability to outplay, they often opt into fights they shouldn't.
TES has been a whirlwind since signing JKL, and now he'll be looking to take out his old team on Sunday morning. IG, as I've often said, seem to get objectives by accident; they come into this one with a better baron percentage than TES. TES counters with better vision numbers and a better drake percentage. IG generate more gold and translate that into more damage per minute than any other team in the WORLD.
No team in any top region outputs more damage than this Invictus squad. Team stats outside of the damage numbers are pretty close let's look at the players. The matchup between top-laners theshy and 369 is a good one.
I've had plenty of people tell me theshy sucks, and I can see why they would say that. He spends a lot of time getting camped in the top lane as teams try to set him behind, and somehow he still makes more impact on a 0-4 Aatrox than any other top can on a 4-0 champ. Leyan has played very well for this squad and has no playoff jitters as they were all squeezed out of him at last years worlds. Karsa has continued to struggle this season, tho he has looked better since the arrival of JKL.
Knight might be the best MID in the world right now, and though it pains me to say it I give him the advantage over Rookie. JKL and YY versus Puff and Southwind is also an advantage for IG.
Even when this duo was on the side of Vici gaming in 2019, they proved to be a handful for JKL and Baolan, his former lane partner on the side of IG. In the Knight era, they have NEVER beaten IG in a series, and IG holds the game score 12-4.
I think that TES was able to defeat WE by out-talenting them across the board. That is not a strategy that you're capable of using to defeat IG, and I expect them former world champs to continue their run over TES on Sunday morning.
Prediction: Invictus 3-1
Top IG Plays:
- Puff - ADC ($7,600)
- Southwind - SUP ($5,600)
- theshy - TOP ($6,400)
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4/27/20 5:00 AM: JDG (-105) vs. Fun Plus Phoenix (-130)
JDG will finally have a chance to step up into the upper echelon of the LPL with a win over FPX on Monday morning. They previously made a miracle run as the eighth seed in the spring 2019 LPL playoffs.
Most regard that as somewhat of a fluke, and I admit I too am guilty of that. Trying to quantify what JDG has become with Zoom's return to the roster is difficult. Outside of a win over IG, they played a soft schedule following Zoom's return. Kanavi is a beast, but where he excels at carrying, but Tian makes up for with vision plays and setting up his teammates. Kanavi being a rookie is also a minus for me, and although he played some games last split this is his first playoffs.
For me, this matchup breaks down to a bit of topside vs. bottom. I like the bottom half of the map for FPX over the bottom half of JDG. Doinb is that dude, and I'll take him over Yagao his champion pool is unbannable because you never know what he will pull.
When is the last time you saw Ryse in competitive, there have been 32 games of Ryse across all the top leagues in season ten. The last match versus EDG, Doinb pulls it out and gets a Penta-kill. You cant prep for that. Loken is the epitome of always the bridesmaid but never the bride.
His history is littered with second and third-place finishes. Lvmao is a great shot caller and has his litany of pocket picks, but I'll take crisp's over him as well. JDG has better baron numbers, but FPX wins the vision game and has better drake numbers. The vision, the history, the rookie, the pressure, and the stronger bottom half to me make this one a win for FPX.
It's entirely reasonable that JDG breakthrough and likely make for a nice GPP play to allow you more pieces from the first match, which will be more bloody. With the two-game slate or for the single-game mode, I like the idea of playing Kanavi as a one-off. Just the way he scores in JDG wins make him viable for some differentiation.
Prediction: Fun Plus Phoenix 3-1
Top FPX Plays:
- Tian - JNG ($7,000)
- Doinb - MID ($7,600)
- Crisp - SUP ($5,800)
- Lwx - ADC ($7,800)
Summary
- It's a two-game playoff slate, and we've been through a few of these so far guys get ready to tie.
- I think the first series is going to be the bloodier of the two, so the best route will be prioritizing players from that series.
- History stands firmly on the side of FPX and IG, and so do I. If a solid month of LOL DFS action hasn't taught you anything about variance, I don't know what will.
- On the recent OPL/LPL slate stacking the OPL 4/3 over the LPL ended up being the best build. Try some weird ones have fun and I hope to see you back in June when the LPL and LCK kick off their summer split.
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