League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) & Pro League (LPL)

February 25, 2022 (Starts @ 2 AM ET)

 

(-360) Gen.G v Nongshim RedForce (+255)

(+215) Kwangdong Freecs v Damwon Gaming KIA (-300)

(+105) ThunderTalk Gaming v LGD Gaming (-135)

(+295) Anyone’s Legends v JD Gaming (-415)

(-218) FunPlus Phoenix v Rare Atom (+167)

 

While most of Thursday went the way of chalk, we were able to see some solid performances from underdogs and big-time showings from all-star talent. Friday is shaping up to give us a similar outcome with potential upsets in NS over Gen.G, TT over LGD, and Rare Atom over FPX. The heaviest hitters (and my picks to be most likely 2-0 winners on Friday) come in the form of DWG and JDG, both being organizations with long storied histories of success. With some high-flying players as well as potential sneaky underdogs to choose from, let’s dive in!
 

Series #1: Gen.G v Nongshim RedForce

Cann’s Pick: Gen.G (2-1) 
 

Series #2: Kwangdong Freecs v Damwon Gaming KIA

Cann’s Pick: Damwon Gaming KIA (2-1)
 

Series #3: ThunderTalk Gaming v LGD Gaming

Cann’s Pick: LGD Gaming (2-1)
 

Series #4: Anyone’s Legends v JD Gaming

Cann’s Pick: JD Gaming (2-0)
 

Series #5: FunPlus Phoenix v Rare Atom

Cann’s Pick: Rare Atom (2-0)


 

Fantasy Value Breakdown

 

Captain

Favorite: Hope (JDG: $12.000) I said this the last time JDG played, but Hope has changed the organization's actual approach to the game since he joined. In his 15 games played, he is averaging over five kills per game played and pulls in over 30% team kill ownership. He is the carry for JDG right now and he actually benefits from the fact that his mid laner (Yagao) has the occasional sleeper performance. Look out for Hope to have a huge kill total on Friday and it should be more than enough to justify the big price tag.  

Value Pick: Strive (RA: $9,600) 
 

Top 

Favorite: Doran (GEN: $6,600) In the LCK, Doran has the fourth-most kills (59) and has the second-most assists (118). He can play a wide range of champions and play styles which allows Doran to pick up points in any approach to the game. While Kiin and the KD Freecs have been playing at a better level as of late, their last loss was to DWG – a team with the pieces to be a top-three team in this league, but they just need to put it together. 

Value Pick: xiaolaohu (FPX: $6,200)
 

Jungle

Favorite: Kanavi (JDG: $7,600) The two K’s of the LPL (Kanavi and Karsa) set the standard for LPL jungling. Kanavi is on this slate, meaning you should probably be jumping on him as a pick. His jungler-leading 91 kills set him apart from other junglers and can make him a legitimate possibility for your captain. Their opponent, Anyone’s Legend, loves to fight and it'll help Kanavi and JDG pick up big KDA numbers on Friday. 

Value Pick: Leyan (RA: $6,000) 
 

Mid

Favorite: Chovy (GEN: $7,800) This is just so much money, but you do have the assurance that you're getting a player who is almost guaranteed to be the favored player in whatever matchup he is in. He leads all LCK mid laners with 97 kills and a 7.8 KDA. Bdd is a skilled mid laner, but he is a game manager rather than a game-changer.  

Value Pick: Forge (AL: $6,800) 
 

ADC

Favorite: Ruler (GEN: $7,600) The second piece of the Gen.G puzzle is Ruler. Now, he doesn’t have as many kills as his mid laner (88 total kills) but he makes up for it in the number of assists he has (130). We find that while Chovy gets active early, Ruler will rack up his kill participation in the late game. He plays out team fights slowly, which helps maximize his total amount of fantasy points in a match. 

Value Pick: iBoy (RA: $6,000) 
 

Support

Favorite: Missing (JDG: $6,200) This is a really expensive pickup, so much so that I'll personally most likely fade this pick because the fantasy point-per-dollar needs to be high compared to the other supports. What makes Missing a solid pick here, though, is the fact that Hope/Missing are just too much for Betty/QuiQui to handle. Anyone’s Legend will most likely continue to struggle on Friday morning here. 

Value Pick: Peter (NS: $4,400) 
 

Team

Favorite: JD Gaming ($5,800) The highest ceiling versus the lowest floor is usually the place I look for my possible team slot pickup. JD Gaming is rapidly rising in power rankings across the globe and they are facing one of the most disjointed teams (Anyone’s Legend). It is my pick for most likely to be a 2-0 series and I would imagine the most convincing set of games as well. 

Value Pick: Rare Atom ($4,400)

 

Cann’s Example Lineup

DraftKings Classic – $50,000 Salary Cap
 

Captain (x1.5): Kanavi (JDG: $11,400)

Alternate: Eric (LGD: $11,100)

Top: Doran  (GEN: $6,600)

Alternate: Canna (NS: $6,000)

Jungle: Peanut (GEN: $7,000)

Mid: Chovy (GEN: $7,800)

Alternate: ShowMaker (DWG: $7,200)

ADC: iBoy (RA: $6,000)

Support: Lehends (GEN: $5,800)

Team: LGD Gaming ($4,800)