While Cloud9 continue marching towards perfection, the rest of the LCS is fighting for a spot at worlds. TSM will be looking to bounce back against Immortals, Cloud9 will continue their pursuit of perfection against a surging 100 Thieves, Golden Guardians will look to improve their record against Team Liquid, and Evil Geniuises will look to right the ship against Counter Logic Gaming.

Captain

Zven ($12,300)

Possessing a 4/1/6 KDA across his last eight starts, Zven has shown he can really do it all against anyone. Against TSM he showed some flexibility with a surprise Wukong pick into Varus that went 6/0/5 while his support played a fasting senna. If you want a reliable star there is no one better than Zven when he’s playing especially against a subpar Cody Sun.

Alternatives to consider: Doublelift ($11,700)

Top Lane

Kumo ($6,000)

A value pick, Kumo has been a consistently good top laner in an otherwise up and down EG. While his stats will not blow you away, he is going against CLG’s academy top laner Deus who did not enjoy his time against Team Liquid’s Impact. If you want to go all in on value and prioritize mid or ADC I’d recommend maxing out on savings and picking up 100 Thieves Ssumday at $5,000. While he’s up against Licorice, he has been in really good form and has been the anchor that 100 Thieves has needed to stay relevant for playoffs.

Alternatives to consider: Ssumday ($5,000)

Jungle

Closer ($6,000)

Golden Guardians have been on the up and up recently, and a big reason is due to Closer’s playmaking abilities. Going 12/3/11 on Lee Sin, Closer was able to out jungle former LCS MVP Svenskeren and help GGS become relevant in the playoff race. He has a tough individual matchup against Broxah, but if you are uncomfortable with the gamble then I suggest sticking with one of the world’s best in Blaber.

Alternatives to consider: Blaber ($7,600)

Mid Lane

Nisqy ($8,000)

Cloud9 are a world-class team trapped in the LCS, and Nisqy has proven to have no direct equal in the LCS. While some have played well (Bjergsen especially), no one has come out as a direct competitor for your mid laner dollars. If you do want to pinch some pennies than Bjergsen is poised for an amazing performance against whoever Immortals fields.

Alternatives to consider: Bjergsen ($7,600)

ADC

Cody Sun ($6,000)

Yes, I know I bashed Cody earlier, but he’s secretly started to improve the past few weeks. He is generally a very safe ADC these days and I would love to see the power farmer have a breakout game against Zven. If you’re unwilling to take the plunge with me,  then I would recommend spending a bit more on TL’s hidden gem Tactical.

Alternatives to consider: Tactical ($7,200)

Support

Biofrost ($5,600)

Biofrost is a solid support that I decided to go for after having some money left over in my initial picks. Paired with one of NA’s brightest homegrown stars Doublelift, Biofrost is always a safe pick especially against a mediocre team such as Immortals. If you want to take ahigher-performing support than look no further than Cloud9’s Vulcan but expect to pay a top laner price. 

Alternatives to consider: Vulcan ($6,200)

Team

Cloud9 ($6,000)

The team doesn’t lose, and they always do so in style. What more do you really need? If Cloud9 are playing then you should be playing them or be ashamed of yourself. If you really believe that Cloud9 are ripe for an upset than put your money where your mouth is on 100 Thieves.

Alternatives to consider: 100 Thieves ($3,800)

Top Stacks:

Zven and Nisqy

Cloud9 are stacked with talent and the bot mid stack of Zven and Nisqy are extremely overpowered. Having either as your captain is ideal and both are guaranteed to provide a ton of value despite their high costs.

Doublelift and Bjergsen

The TSM duo have been together twice now and they are still at the top of the league. Their staying power has translated to consistent play and a matchup against a bottom of the barrel IMT should translate well for both TSM standouts.

Jensen and Tactical

A great veteran midlaner paired with an excellent up and coming rookie ADC, Tactical has proven he belongs with the best. Jensen has been a consistent performer for Team Liquid and this pair is easily the most slept on in the LCS.

Top Picks: Zven, Nisqy, Blaber

All of the picks are straightforward for how good they are at their roles. Zven has a favorable matchup against the 100 Thieves botlane, Nisqy outclasses Ryoma in midlane, and Blaber is the best jungler in the LCS by far. I know stacks on top picks are uncommon, but if there ever was a time this is it.

Top Value: Closer, Kumo, Smoothie

Closer has proven his value over the past few weeks as the Golden Guardians jungler has rapidly improved over the course of the split. Kumo is a solid top laner with great upside against an academy top laner, and Smoothie is a veteran support that will have a good time against the relatively weak Immortals.