Fantasy Love/Hate: Spring 2016 Week 6

Now that we're officially past the halfway mark of the Spring Split, every team has faced off against each other at least one time. So we finally have hard data to look at for all of the games being played this week!

We'll rely on that data whenever possible when making our picks for this week of Fantasy LCS, but we'll also filter some it to account for the roster changes, visa issues, and changing fortunes of teams that's happened so far. Feel free to jump into the comments with your own interpretations of the data!

For Fantasy Week 6, We Love...

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C9's Rush (vs. NRG, TSM)

Rush's Fantasy scores are a bit misleading compared to his current form. He's the #9 jungler overall with a 16.6 points/game average. And, last week, he scored 33.2 points (thanks to C9's loss to IMT) and was the #10 jungler for the week.

Rush is not the #10 jungler and he's going to prove it this week. If we skip the IMT anomaly, Rush has scored an average of 17.8 points in his last 4 games (all C9 wins). Rush was a bit under that average the last time they faced these two teams, scoring 22 points against NRG but only 7 against TSM.

Today's C9 is revitalized and looks incredibly dominant. NRG's Moon is struggling to maintain control of his jungle, and Rush will be more than happy to invade and demand his opposing laners' attention. TSM's Svenskeren enjoys a good jungle scuffle, but Rush has been so on point lately that it's hard to picture him losing a head-to-head if they're on even footing.

The thing that really convinces me to buy into Rush this week, though, is the shared trend of TSM and NRG to have bloody games lately (80 combined kills and deaths in their 4 matches last week). If there's fighting on the Rift, you better believe that Rush will be there.

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G2's Trick (vs. FNC, ROC)

G2's mid laner Perkz may make the flashy plays that get him on highlight reels, but Trick has been steadily building up a massive point total in Fantasy. He's the #2 jungler overall, and his 191 point total puts him just barely behind Perkz (192.6 points).

Very few junglers are able to get that close to their mid laners' scores, and that bodes well for Trick's chances this week -- even against the strength of Spirit (who crushed EL's Gilius but crumbled to UOL's Rudy last week). All three of these teams (G2, EL, and UOL) went 1-1 last week, and they all had high-kill games -- leaving a combined 147 corpses in their wake across their 6 games (24.5 kills/game average).

Fantasy owners should be sharks when it comes to analyzing matchups -- wherever we smell blood, we smell points.

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CLG's Huhi (vs. REN, TIP)

It's been interesting to see TIP and REN continue to develop during the Split as their rosters evolve, but I think we've reached the point that I'm comfortable starting CLG studs against them. Huhi has been extremely consistent this Split. Even while his teammates' scores fluctuate around him, he has scored the following each week: 35, 37, 36, 23, 32.

So if you want roughly 30 points this week, start Huhi. Unless CLG completely collapses, the only way that he's deviating from that trend is a jump upward, fueled by the struggles that both of his opponents have been having in mid lane lately.

But We Hate...

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TIP's Feng (vs. CLG, FOX)

The historical points for these matchups are terrifying: 10 combined points for Feng the last time he faced these two teams.

I know the current TIP is very different than the team that faced off against FOX in Week 1. But we did just see them get squashed by CLG in Week 4, and I'm not ready to take a gamble here when there are so many top laners scoring big in this delightful top-lane-carry meta.

CLG chokes out opponents when they win, and FOX is just too much of an unknown with their now-it's-for-real roster. You can find safer starts this week.

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Origen (Team) (vs. EL, H2K)

It's tough to let go of a team position that you drafted early, especially when you're often trading it for a mid-tier team that happens to have good matchups this week. But it's time, Origen owners.

Now halfway through the season, OG is the #11 team overall in fantasy points (averaging 11.7 points/game). It scored a combined 17 points against these two opponents in Weeks 1 and 3 -- and don't forget that Ryu is back and starting for H2K this week.

I'd keep OG stashed on your bench, if you can manage it. It still have plenty of potential with good matchups. But this is the week you should finally find another team to start.

Josh Augustine's favorite champion is Janna, he's never enjoyed a Darius, and he will always go for the kill, even when he knows he shouldn't. He currently works as a game designer at Daybreak Games. He’d love to talk with you on Twitter.