LPL Monday

  • (-650) Oh My God v Rogue Warriors (+400)
  • (-500) Invictus Gaming v Ultra Prime (+325)

Monday’s LPL slate features two one sided matches. Ultra Prime’s top side pales in comparison to Invictus Gaming despite upgrades in the middle lane, whereas their bottom lanes are roughly competitive. Oh My God’s dark technology in their Able upgrade has been paying off greatly for them, and they’re likely to crush Rogue Warriors, whose upgrades between the splits have been viewed as more mediocre.

Captain

Rookie ($10,800)

Money is extremely tight on Monday, if you want the strongest captain at his price point, Rookie is definitely your player: he’s the best overall player on IG and led them to victory against Suning. IG has been underwhelming this season, but their individual pieces, particularly their top side, is far above Ultra Prime. Xiaocaobao and irma both have had some impressive moments as a mid laner, but I can’t see him stepping to one of the best in the leagues. If you want a chance at star ADC Able on your squad, consider picking up IG’s top laner neny, one of the only “new” players on the squad that has impressed me.

Alternatives to consider: neny ($9,900)

Top Lane

New ($6,400)

This is another instance of “better player: better match-up”. While neny has been the new player on IG that caught my attention, New on OMG certainly isn’t bad, despite his poor spring performance. He’s shaped up well enough in summer and his opponent 8917 is one of the worst top laners in the league. Between him and neny, I prefer New since he’s cheaper and cash is short on Monday.

Alternatives to consider: neny ($6,600)

Jungle

XUN ($7,200)

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice? Despite the fact I recognised him as mid-tier early on during his tenure on IG, XUN still has plenty of random games he performs remarkably well, and doesn’t care much for the actual level of the opponent jungler; he’s truly volatile. This split, he’s toned it down a couple notches with a great game against OMG, and some good performances against Suning. I consider H4cker, and OMG as a whole to be a “consistency test” for XUN; H4cker is a relatively weak link on the squad, and if XUN is capable of exploiting him sufficiently, he may be able to claim a degree of consistency. If you care little for team slots, AKi is also a fine pick-up here against Rogue Warriors.

Alternatives to consider: AKi ($7,000)

Mid Lane

Creme ($7,400)

Jeez, I can’t believe I was excited for Xiaocaobao’s promotion. OMG’s Creme is really what they needed to be a solid team again, putting up fantastic performances against two of the best mids in the league in Cryin and Rookie. Honestly, if he wasn’t so darn expensive, I’d put him as captain against Rogue Warriors’ Forge. This dude is a legit young talent who has the potential to go far alongside OMG’s Able. For a different option, I’d recommend Rookie, another solid mid laner.

Alternatives to consider: Rookie ($7,200)

ADC

Wink ($7,400)

I really don’t want to take Wink, but it’s hard to fit Able into a cohesive team. It could be worth to consider a captain sac to pick up both Creme and Able, or sac on support and grab someone like ShiauC (a marvelous support with a weak top side) if you want. This is the problem with DFS though: good players on losing teams don’t collect many points. Wink is a “fine” ADC, but he doesn’t push the limits like someone like Able, Jackeylove, Viper, or even Gala do. Able is the polar opposite. This dude was a flight hazard for nearly a year now, destined to be the successor of Uzi but stripped of his title due to being impossible to work with. His re entrance into the league was absolutely insane and shattered all expectations. He’s a great ADC and sure to win big on Monday. Wink is fine too, but if you can grab him, grab Able.

Alternatives to consider: Able ($7,800)

Support

Lucas ($5,600)

Similar case to above; Lucas is a soft sac, if you want to full sac on ShiauC you can. Money is extremely tight, and I project IG winning; even if IG’s bottom lane isn’t especially impactful, it doesn’t matter much: winning = points. Cold is the best support on Monday, while ShiauC I’d say is a close 2nd, then comes Lucas. I think Lucas is the most “worth it” at his price point though, and I wouldn’t recommend overspending for the other winning player in Cold.

Alternatives to consider: Cold ($5,800)

Team

OMG ($5,200)

Both options are good, but OMG just has the better match-up with a team of hungry young talent, motivated off a win from RNG. Invictus has been experiencing some turbulence relative to OMG, and while I think they can still have a resurgence, I’d rather follow the streak than buy the dip.

Alternatives to consider: Invictus Gaming ($5,400)

Stacks

Rookie & neny

The solo laners for IG are their saving grace. Their entire team I’d consider mediocre (good enough to beat Ultra Prime, most likely) save for these two. They’re worth throwing together, especially since the top side of OMG is their weakness. IG’s top side has shown promise and I’m interested in seeing more from neny.

Able & Cold

The ultimate bottom lane for Monday. Cold is the franchise player of OMG, and has looked good in spite of horrendous teammates. Paired with Able, he’s finally unleashed and looks promising as a result. They’re nearly impossible to pair together, but IG’s bottom lane is resoundingly mild relative to OMG’s, so it may be worth sacing on captain to incorporate these two.

AKi & Creme

The alternative; AKi has had a fascinating resurgence recently despite not being super promising in spring. I hesitate to call him “great” but he will definitely be enough against Forge+Icecoke. Creme looks extremely solid as a mid laner, and I anticipate him smashing Forge, as he looked competitive versus mid laners that topped the league.

Top Picks: Able, Rookie, Creme

OMG’s two new players in Able and Creme are insanely talented and are exciting to watch. Rookie is a great mid laner consistently, despite his recent inadequacies. Overall, these are a good group of players, and running with double mid laner makes sense on Monday.

Top Value: Rookie, New, ShiauC

The tier 2s+a face from UP follows the value picks. New is a decent enough top laner that fills the role of “not 8917” very well. Rookie needs no introduction, he’s just a solid option if you’re looking to save on OMG spots+cash. ShiauC is an underrated support player on a team that could be decent, but just doesn’t have all the marks filled yet.