Fantasy LCS: The Best of the Best
TOP LANE
Wickd
Players on winning teams earn substantially more points than players on losing teams. In the top lane, this translates to roughly 10 extra points per game. While Wickd may not be the most exciting top laner in the EU LCS (except, perhaps on Irelia), Elements is poised for a season with a high volume of wins. This makes him one of the safest early picks this split.
Quas
Despite a less-than-stellar season for Curse, Quas was an exceptional fantasy top laner in 2014. He actually finished last split two points ahead of Wickd, which defies every statistical trend in fantasy. This makes him an extremely safe early round pick, because he is certain to have value even if his team struggles, whereas players like Wickd are valuable purely because of their team. While some of the Liquid lineup is new to the NA LCS, Quas is another season more experienced and ready for a repeat performance.
JUNGLE
Shook
As with the top lane, not surprisingly, junglers who win are much more valuable than junglers who lose. This is especially true in Shook’s case. Few junglers bring as many damage-oriented champions regularly to the EU LCS stage as he does. He certainly has plenty of competition for kills, but expect Shook to be heavily involved in every offensive maneuver his team makes.
Meteos
The undisputed king of the North American jungle, Meteos’ talent simply cannot be ignored. Cloud9 took a significant step back last split, but turned things around for the playoffs and they look ready to continue moving forward this season. If that is the case, Meteos will be a powerful force in the jungle and a welcome addition to any fantasy team.
MID LANE
Froggen
Froggen continues to be one of the most impactful mid laners in the LCS, and that will likely show in his fantasy performance. The difference between Froggen and the next best mid laner is substantial, due to the high probability that Elements will once again take first place in the EU LCS. Furthermore, with such a proven track record, Froggen is one of the safest picks you could possibly take.
Hai
While much of the NA LCS is in question, few would contest the notion that Cloud9 look like the strongest team going into the split. The leader of his team, a mid laner with an assassin-heavy champion pool, and a key player on a winning squad -- there is no reason not to draft Hai with one of your first available picks.
AD CARRY
Rekkles
If Rekkles is not one of the very first picks in your draft, something has gone horribly wrong. He was far and away the very best player in fantasy last season. He has moved from a dysfunctional roster to the strongest team in Europe with an aggressive jungler and a veteran support. The ceiling for Rekkles this season is so high, it’s virtually invisible.
Sneaky
While Rekkles likely deserves the first overall pick on opportunity and history, a strong case could be made for Sneaky. Cloud9’s AD carry has gotten better every split, and his performance at IEM San Jose showed that trend is alive and well. Cloud9 arguably has stiffer competition in North America, but no team has a proven track record of success quite like Sneaky’s crew.
SUPPORT
Nyph
Supports are valued in fantasy based on the player they are supporting. When you play beside the best AD carry in the EU LCS, you are going to find yourself involved in a large number of kills. While Nyph is a great player in his own right, his high fantasy value comes purely from the fact that he will be supporting Rekkles, possibly the best AD carry in EU LCS history.
LemonNation
There is a realistic chance that Sneaky has a better fantasy season than Rekkles, though it is unlikely. In that scenario, LemonNation’s value would surpass that of Nyph. Even if Rekkles and Nyph come out on top, LemonNation will still be involved in a high volume of kills, and rack up enough assists to make any fantasy owner very happy.
TEAM
Note: Do not draft a team in the first few rounds. Don’t do it. You will cost yourself so many points at a key position and no team is worth it. If you do, you may lose your league. Understood? Good.
Elements
It turns out that when all of the players on a team have a lot of value, that team will also be extremely valuable. While many teams have potential, no one has the proven track record of this Elements roster. The only position to change was the AD carry, and Elements swapped a talented player in Tabzz for one of the best carries in the world. This team will win a lot of games, kill many dragons and barons, and earn more fantasy points than any other team.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
While most people will prefer to go with a safe first round pick, there are a few players with slightly more risk that are worth consideration. These picks should only be made with the clear understanding that you are putting your faith in something that may very well blow up in your face, but could be beautiful if it works out. AltecWhile most high draft picks are valued because their teams are likely to be winners, Altec has proven he can be valuable even if his team isn't showing up. If Winterfox turn out to be even a mediocre team, Altec will have an outstanding fantasy season. If they turn out to be a great team, he may even surpass Rekkles and Sneaky.
XiaoWeiXiao As the only returning member of LMQ, there are many questions surrounding XiaoWeiXiao’s success this season. However, he has proven that he can win his lane against anyone, and make an impact in any game in which he has a lead. While Impulse may struggle early in the season as they learn to synergize with one another, there are few mid laners more likely to end the season with the vast majority of their team’s kills.
Other honorable mentions include…
- Piglet
- Balls
- FeniX
- Xpecial
- PowerOfEvil
- WildTurtle
- Bjergsen
