Fantasy Scouting Report Week 2

The age of Team Dignitas is upon us.

Week 2 is in the books for the LCS and fantasy jitters should be fading away. You've read notes and articles, "don't bench your studs," and maybe been bitten by flash in the pan players. You’re probably a pro now, a grizzled veteran. But in case you still need a little seasoning (it's only two weeks, after all), there were plenty of risers and fallers in the fantasy ranks after a hectic week of LCS action. And remember, a big free agent add could be the difference between a trip to the top or bottom of the standings. Stay sharp.

Rising Players

Shiphtur - Mid, Team Dignitas

There is a strong chance that your team is in the lead if Team Dignitas' mid-laner anchors your team. Shiphtur's been great in his transition thus far. Shiphtur was already a dominant force in the LCS when part of Team Coast, but his skillset (team fight execution and strong lane phase) seems to have been fully realized with the new talent around him. As a result, Team Dignitas's record is at 5-1 and last week's victories were over notable teams (Team SoloMid and LMQ). His 42.4 points showing placed him in the top 5 for Mids for Week 2. The reason for his high totals in consecutive weeks is beyond CS score or his ridiculous 9-0-11 KDA; it's the opportunity to implement the same roaming and play-making style as he did on Coast, but with more talent around him.

MrRalleZ - ADC, Supa Hot Crew

MrRalleZ is an up-and-coming ADC on a similarly rising team, Supa Hot Crew (SHC). He scored 45.5 points (behind only Woolite and imaqtpie among ADC's) and is the absolute focal point of the SHC attack. An overflow of talent, MrRalleZ' 10-3-12 score over Week 2 was no fluke as it was backed by an insane 705 CS. A killer in team-fights, a CS monster, and with a strong Mid Laner in Selfie continuing to draw attention, the value for MrRalleZ will only get higher from here.

imaqtpie - ADC, Team Dignitas

The same argument for Shiphtur can apply to imaqtpie -- same style with more talent around him. An already potent ADC in the NA LCS, imaqtpie can safely farm because of the security that Shiphtur and Darshan "ZionSpartan" Upadhyaya bring in the solo lanes. The theory for imaqtpie's sustained value lies in the success of Team Dignitas. Chemistry amongst the team should only improve and Team Dignitas' schedule was nothing close to a cake walk (matches against Team SoloMid, LMQ, C9). The high scores (last week's 46.2 ranked second amongst ADCs) should only improve as the team will.

Falling Players

Bjergsen - Mid, Team SoloMid

How the mighty have fallen. It may be an overreaction to Bjergsen's last week's scores (13.34 points) or his lack of raw statistics over two games (2 kills, 3 deaths, 3 assists), but it's still a reason for concern. The high draft pick price alone should result in a little panic. Also, Team SoloMid is underperforming to some degree (3 losses already is half of the team's entire total in Spring Split). There's an easy fix for this: wait and see. It's still early in the split and new players are still adjusting to team synergy. Bjergsen may just have a bit too much on his plate, but until the team settles into a better rhythm, he’s a player to keep an eye on.

Wickd - Top, Alliance

Wickd is the perfect case of an awesome role-player on a great team, but low point totals reflect his true value. A mediocre 18.8 total points for last week isn't because of the position he plays (Top lane), but his role on his team. Wickd's role of a damage-absorber and initiator doesn't translate into solid raw statistics as his average of 15.59 pts/game during the Summer Split indicates.

Jankos - Jungle, ROCCAT

Jankos' value sinks with every loss that ROCCAT sustains. He was the top CS player for Junglers in the Spring Split, but should now be seen on many league's waiver wires or team's benches. ROCCAT is suffering with a 1-5 record, and Jankos' low fantasy score is a reflection of it. In fact, most of the ROCCAT roster is fantasy waiver wire material at this point. Until the team finds a winning way, and Jankos can start ganking as frequently as he did last split, he is a risk fantasy owners must consider carefully.