FanDuel is offering League of Legends daily fantasy, and look, if you don't know what that is, it's okay.
I have you covered with a detailed but straightforward primer to get you all set up, whether you're a DFS player looking to dig into the new sport or a League of Legends fan ready to take your action over to FanDuel.
Let's break down the LPL/LCK slate for Friday, July 17th, to see who stands out. (Just a heads up, the slate locks at 4:00 a.m. EST.) Here are the starting lineups for the LPL. Generally, the LCK doesn't release starting lineups prior to the games.
| Team | Match Record | Map Record | Average Towers Per Game | Average Dragons Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DragonX | 7-1 | 15-6 | 7.0 | 2.57 |
| Hanwha Life Esports | 0-8 | 2-16 | 2.4 | 1.89 |
| DAMWON Gaming | 7-2 | 16-4 | 8.4 | 2.30 |
| Afreeca Freecs | 5-4 | 11-9 | 5.3 | 2.50 |
DragonX are the best team in the LCK, and they are taking on Hanwha, the worst team in the league -- making DragonX a clear team to stack.
| Team | Match Record | Map Record | Average Towers Per Game | Average Dragons Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGD Gaming | 5-4 | 11-12 | 6.0 | 2.30 |
| Edward Gaming | 3-6 | 9-13 | 6.0 | 2.23 |
| FunPlus Phoenix | 5-4 | 13-11 | 6.2 | 2.63 |
| Rogue Warriors | 2-8 | 7-17 | 4.8 | 1.96 |
FunPlus Phoenix are strong favorites over the lowly Rogue Warriors, while the other match has no clear favorite.
Star - 1.5x Points
ZWuji, Rogue Warriors ($9,000) is a somewhat off-the-board pick for the MVP spot, but there is plenty of reasoning behind it. Let's get one thing clear: Rogue Warriors aren't the best team, and they come in as the underdogs against FunPlus Phoenix. But, FunPlus Phoenix have lost their last two series, and the two series they won right before that were both via 2-1 victories. They are looking super average right now, and even when they win, they aren't doing it in dominating fashion.
On the other hand, we have Rogue Warriors, who have won their last two series and have lost 2-1 in two of the three series prior to the wins. What does this all mean? When they lose, they are putting up a strong fight, but more importantly, they are on a two-series winning streak.
ZWuji's game log reflects all of this, as he has 74 FanDuel points or more in four of his last five series and 94 FanDuel points or more in three of the five series. On top of that, he is averaging the third-most (6.33) assists per game among full-time ADCs in the LPL. He has strong upside at a cheaper salary and shouldn't be anywhere near popular on this slate.
Top
Xiaoxiang, Edward Gaming ($7,300) entered the starting lineup in the most recent series for Edward Gaming and will be in the lineup against LGD Gaming. He is tied for the cheapest top laner on the slate and opens up plenty of salary for elsewhere if you are looking to jam in the top studs. He has only the one series played this split, where he posted eight kills, seven assists, and six deaths.
Jungle
Canyon, DAMWON Gaming ($8,300) comes in with the second-highest (6.33) Kill/Death/Assist (KDA among junglers in the LCK, averaging the most (8.2) assists per game and the fourth-most (2.25) kills per game. To say he is one of the best junglers in the league would be an understatement. DAMWON (7-2) are strong favorites against Afreeca (5-4), and them coming away with the sweep is on the table considering they have won all seven of their series this split via a 2-0 sweep.
Mid
Chovy, DragonX ($9,100) is a lock-and-load option in the mid lane, but he is the most expensive one in the player pool. Why is he a lock in the mid lane? Well, DragonX (7-1) are taking on Hanwha (0-8), and it's not going to be pretty. This is the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Cincinnati Bengals -- you know which side you want to be on.
With that said, Chovy has posted 62 FanDuel points or more in each of his team's seven victories this split -- with a high of 91 FanDuel points three separate times. He offers an immense amount of safety in your lineups, which shouldn't be undervalued considering he is so expensive.
ADC
Ghost, DAMWON Gaming ($9,700) is putting himself into the conversation for one of the best ADCs in the LCK and is showing that in recent series. Over his last six, he has posted 69 FanDuel points or more in each series with a high of 101 points. Ghost has double-digit assists in all six series, seven kills or more in four of the six, and suffered just three deaths or fewer in four of the six.
You can find the salary savings elsewhere, so look to pay up at both Mid and ADC on this slate since Chovy and Ghost offer a super high floor of points.
Support
Crisp, FunPlus Phoenix ($7,900) has a few duds in his recent game log, but you should look past those to see that he has posted 48 FanDuel points or more in six of his nine series during the Summer Split. He is averaging 7.71 assists per game, the 10th-most in the LPL, and should be a key option if you are looking to stack FunPlus Phoenix. As mentioned above with ZWuji, this series looks like it could go to three games, and that means plenty of fantasy points for everyone.
Team
LGD Gaming ($7,400) in this coin-flip series against Edward Gaming and looks to be a viable fantasy option on this slate. They come in with 16 or more towers destroyed in six of their nine series in the Summer Split, which has helped them post 45 FanDuel points or more in five of those six series. This should be a close series, and there should be plenty of time for them to rack up towers and fantasy points.