This article is part of our Call of Duty series.
The Call of Duty League is back for it's fourth and final stage. With different winners at every single event this season it's been one of the most unpredictable in the history of CoD. With the MVP race heating up and qualification for CoD Champs on the line here's a look at some players to target, and fade for CDL Stage 4 Week 1.
Players to Target
Insight
Toronto Ultra are getting hot at just the right time, and they're doing it behind their superstar main AR. Insight has been on fire lately and is climbing up the stat sheet. On the year he has a respectable 1.04 KD, but in Major 3 he posted a 1.13 KD and Toronto looked the best they have since the Kick-off Classic. Insight earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 and if he's back in form Ultra could be on the way back to the CoD Champs finals. Insight opens Stage 4 against LA Guerrillas and London Royal Ravens, two teams Toronto should handle with ease.
Pred
Coming off of an incredible Major win it's impossible to ignore the unmatched form of Pred. He might be a rookie, but his brilliance on the map and his flat-out slaying skills have made him a top fantasy option immediately. Pred sits with a 1.06 rating on the season including a strong 1.09 in SnD, add to that his place on the reigning Major champions and he becomes an interesting fantasy play throughout Stage 4. Pred and co. will start their title defense against Paris Legion in Week 1, a match that they will hope to turn into a glorified victory lap.
Dashy
Dashy and Cellium are in a two-horse race for MVP and Stage 4 could prove to be the difference -maker. If Dashy wants to put one hand on the trophy his opening week in Stage 4 could be just what he needed a match with Boston and Minnesota should give the Green Wall a comfortable start. Back-to-back top-6 finishes in the Major are disappointing for the team many want to crown as the best in the game, but Dashy has performed consistently nonetheless. Even more impressive has been Dashy and OpTic online in qualifiers where they have been next to untouchable. OpTic has struggled to bring that form to LAN but that shouldn't scare anyone away from Dashy and his absurd 1.22 KD so far across the season.
Players to Fade
Spart
Spart is back in the starting lineup in a move that reeks of desperation. LA Guerrillas want to recapture the magic that saw them win Major 2, but it simply doesn't seem likely. Spart was absolutely awful in Stage 3 and was promptly replaced by Gunless once more. This rotating door of flex players for LA Guerrillas aren't going to help their consistency and Spart has shown next to nothing in the CDL outside of his miracle run in Major 2. Don't fall for the story, at least not in Week 1. Maybe Spart comes back on fire, but he needs to earn the trust of fantasy managers before he makes his way into lineups.
Kenny
Kenny is a mega-talented SMG and Flex player and yet he has been one of the worst players in the CDL throughout the 2022 season. LA Thieves have made improvements and barring an epic collapse should be on their way to CoD Champs in August, though more often than not that has been despite Kenny, not because of him. This roster has all of the talent in the world and consistently struggle to accomplish anything with Kenny right at the heart of the issues they face. There's always the chance that Kenny bounces back to form and becomes one of the best in the world once more, but at this point it's firmly in the "see to believe" category.
Prolute
Prolute is... back? OpTic have been desperate to bring iLLeY back into the fold, but it appears that he won't be able to recover from his thumb injury in time to play. Prolute is back in the starting lineup and is looking to bounce back after an awful showing at Major 3. OpTic online have been the best team in the game, but it's hard to think that Major 3 isn't going to dent Prolute's confidence. Week 1 is a chance for Prolute to show he deserves his spot on the Green Wall as well as a chance for fantasy managers to see which direction OpTic are heading. Prolute has a favorable first week against Boston and Minnesota - if he can't make it work this week he could even find himself looking over his shoulder at the potential return of General.
Stats courtesy of Breakingpoint.gg
