LPL/LCK Sunday

  • (-230) LNG Esports v Oh My God (+175)
  • (-185) Fredit BRION v DRX (+145)
  • (-185) JD Gaming v Suning Gaming (+145)
  • (-240) Nongshim RedForce v KT Rolster (+180)
  • (-275) EDward Gaming v Royal Never Give Up (+200)

Captain

Gori ($10,500)

Nongshim’s mid laner is in fast contention for MVP this split, and for good reason. Faker’s former understudy has improved leaps and bounds since he substituted in for the star back in 2019, and he’s become the centerpiece of Nongshim’s respectable 2nd place status in the LCK. Just recently he crushed his former tutor in a tight match versus T1. His opponent in Dove is a solid middle laner, but KT Rolster as a team hasn’t shown much past decent individual players in recent series. For an alternative, it’s perfectly possible to lock Viper down as captain with a few substitutions elsewhere, and he is likely to be the star carry versus RNG for EDG.

Alternatives to consider: Viper ($12,000)

Top Lane

Ale ($6,200)

The recent close LNG loses may cause concern for fans of Ale, but against a team that’s relatively easy to figure out like OMG, I do not perceive fans to have much cause for concern- the primary weakness for OMG is how easy they are to figure out. Creme and Able are the only strong players of the squad, with their topside being a massive weakness on the roster. Ale should find himself being able to gap top laner New while falling asleep, since the OMG top laner has struggled to find consistency throughout the split. NRF’s top laner Rich is another great option, as Doran stands out on a weakness for the KT roster.

Alternatives to consider: Rich ($6,000)

Jungle

Peanut ($7,000)

Building off of my favor towards Rich, the top side for KT, likewise for OMG, stands out as a weakness for the squad. Blank is a hot-and-cold jungler, predominantly cold recently. Alongside this, NRF’s team is actually relatively complete; no single position stands out as a glaring issue, which is an advantage against a volatile KT Rolster roster. I’d say your second best option is LNG’s Tarzan, one of- if not the- strongest junglers in a league that’s stacked to the brim with great jungle talent.

Alternatives to consider: Tarzan ($6,800)

Mid Lane

Lava ($7,200)

Lava is an upper tier middle laner shackled with lower tier teammates around the rift. Luckily for him, against a bad team like DRX, none of that matters- even a top laner like Hoya, an ADC like Hena, and a support like Delight are likely leagues ahead of their competition across the rift. Lava’s match-up against SOLKA- or Jett, in particular is fantastic, as the DRX middle laners are some of the weakest players in the league. Otherwise, I’d say Scout, Gori, and Yagao are similarly solid choices for your secondary middle laner, and I am in particular partial towards the NRF mid lane.

Alternatives to consider: Gori ($6,800)

ADC

Viper ($8,000)

EDG’s Viper is a top 3 player in the league, hands down. EDG was always a top team to pay attention to, and their #1 standing in the LPL is absolutely no fluke- EDG’s entire team is solid, but the crowning piece is their ADC in Viper, the most worth while (in my opinion) Korean import the region has ever seen yet. He’s well worth his high price tag, but if you’re hungry for money, consider Nongshim’s Deokdam, a capable ADC in his own right, and a menace in teamfights- perfect for grabbing a high amount of points.

Alternatives to consider: Deokdam ($7,200) 

Support

Iwandy ($6,000)

LNG’s support is a masterclass on how to maintain high point values. His mostly enchanter based support play has allowed him to keep his death count low, bolstering his total point yield (plus improving his tendency to grab massive assist numbers in teamfights). Light and Iwandy are a capable lane, and while Able and Cold are strong, the LNG bottom lane is very used to playing safe throughout the lane, and playing for teamfights. Otherwise, for your second pick, EDG’s members are some of the best in the world, and you can’t go wrong with any one of them.

Alternatives to consider: Meiko ($6,200)

Team

Nongshim RedForce ($5,200)

Nongshim are the rightful inheritors of the LCK. Each of their members, aside from Peanut- Ironically, are extremely young, at least as far as premier league professional experience is concerned. Their opponents in KT aren’t a terrible team, but there’s a reason they consistently lose games again and again. Otherwise, I expect BRO to make a comeback against the lack placed LCK squad in DRX.

Alternatives to consider: Fredit BRION ($5,000)

Stacks

Peanut & Gori

The Nongshim jungle mid is a formidable force. Gori replacing Bay has allowed Peanut to return to a caliber we’re much more familiar with, commanding squads like T1, KZ, amongst others to international appearances. Gori is a strong young rookie with a massive ceiling, and is one of the most impressive players we’ve seen entered the LCK in a while.

Ale & Tarzan

The weakness of OMG is in their top side; Creme is a great mid laner, but New and AKi are not the players they need to make a convincing play-offs run. Ale has unleashed his potential this split and deserves recognition, while Tarzan is the Romeo to Viper’s Juliet.

Viper & Meiko

Speaking of which, Viper is one of the best players in  the LPL alongside his former teammate in LNG’s Tarzan. Meiko is a superstar support, and the face of EDG for years now. He’s the absolute best support in the league right now with no exceptions, this is a strong duo against RNG’s comparably powerful bottom lane.

Top Picks: Viper, Gori, Ale

Viper and Gori don’t need any introductions. They’re strong Koreans that are powerful throughout the game. Ale has unleashed the potential he showed flashes on back on early in his career this split, he just needs to remain consistent to be considered one of the greats of the LPL.

Top Value: Gori, Peanut, Deokdam

Three LCK players are underrated relative to the LPL players- Peanut and Gori are a strong mid-jungle 2v2 for your roster against an underwhelming KT top side. Similarly, their ADC Deokdam is a great option to punish KT’s weak support in Harp.