This article is part of our DraftKings League of Legends series.
Games (EDT)
- 4:00 a.m. Hanwha Life Esports vs. Afreeca Freecs
- 5:00 a.m. OMG vs. Rogue Warriors
- 6:50 a.m. JD Gaming vs. Team WE
- 7:00 a.m. Team Dynamics vs. DRX
HLE vs. AF
Coming into the Summer Split, Hanwha Life had high hopes, but they have just flat out not looked good. HLE is last in every stat category and the problem with this team is that they are switching out their top and jungler constantly. They have no stability in their lineup and this is a big problem moving forward until they can settle on one. No consistency means no games will be won. AF came across two of the best teams in the league and played them pretty well. AF have the best first-blood rate and second best mid-game rating in the league, and the only way this team loses is if they lose early. This matchup though should be easy as AF is good at scaling and mitigating the early game pressure for the most part. A team like HLE with no sense of direction will not be coordinated enough to pull a strategy like this.
Prediction: AF 2-0
AF Players to Target: Everyone
OMG vs. RW
I would call this game a toilet bowl game, but as bad as it sounds, OMG has looked good in recent form. Rogue Warriors are back to subbing guys in and out every game and every series, which is the biggest flaw for this team. Coaches don't understand that no matter
Games (EDT)
- 4:00 a.m. Hanwha Life Esports vs. Afreeca Freecs
- 5:00 a.m. OMG vs. Rogue Warriors
- 6:50 a.m. JD Gaming vs. Team WE
- 7:00 a.m. Team Dynamics vs. DRX
HLE vs. AF
Coming into the Summer Split, Hanwha Life had high hopes, but they have just flat out not looked good. HLE is last in every stat category and the problem with this team is that they are switching out their top and jungler constantly. They have no stability in their lineup and this is a big problem moving forward until they can settle on one. No consistency means no games will be won. AF came across two of the best teams in the league and played them pretty well. AF have the best first-blood rate and second best mid-game rating in the league, and the only way this team loses is if they lose early. This matchup though should be easy as AF is good at scaling and mitigating the early game pressure for the most part. A team like HLE with no sense of direction will not be coordinated enough to pull a strategy like this.
Prediction: AF 2-0
AF Players to Target: Everyone
OMG vs. RW
I would call this game a toilet bowl game, but as bad as it sounds, OMG has looked good in recent form. Rogue Warriors are back to subbing guys in and out every game and every series, which is the biggest flaw for this team. Coaches don't understand that no matter how much a team subs guys in and out to find a good lineup, there will never be any stability and playing with new players. Communication, team decision are so impactful and that is what OMG has over Rogue Warriors. Even though Rogue Warriors is horrible, this is another test to see if OMG is the real deal with their new playstyle. Since Rogue Warriors is a type of team to cause chaos around the map, I would say this is a bad matchup for OMG, but if they can continue to play their new up-tempo style and have polished it over the week off, then this should be a solid win for a team that has the talent to be a playoff team.
Prediction: OMG 2-1
OMG Players to Target: icon ($7,000), H4cker ($6,600)
JDG vs. WE
This is going to be Thursday's highlight game on the slate as these two teams have been playing at the same level this split. JD Gaming is having a tough time adapting to this meta and it shows in their gameplay because Kanavi should thrive in this meta, but Zoom is having a hard time playing weakside. The one thing about WE that people have a misconception of is that they are not doing anything special. I have said this in all my writeups that this team does not get punished for their champion pool and decision making. I would say 90 percent of their games go like this. Beishang ganks bottom to get Jiemung ahead, Teacherma gets bullied in lane, WE loses early hard, WE scales because teams can't close them out and then WE wins mid to late game teamfights. This catches teams off guard because in almost all their games it seems like the other team is on cruise control and then WE starts to turn teamfights around. JDG is ahead of WE in dragon and baron control and their win condition against WE is to ban Aphelios and Galio to target their main picks. Once that happens, JDG will need to close out the game as quick as they can before WE scales and I do believe that JDG has the staff and players to realize that WE are very punishable.
Prediction: JDG 2-1
JDG Players to Target: Everyone
DYN vs. DRX
Even though DYN have been playing very well together, they are running into the titans of the LCK on Thursday. DragonX is insanely good this split and even when they drop games, this team comes back in Game 3 and stomps. Most of the time DragonX drops a game, it's due to their drafts. This team will pull out a crazy draft, but they can't seem to execute something at that level against smart teams. Team Dynamics is better than DRX when it comes to first blood and first turret, essentially making them obviously better at the early game. However, DRX has been able to survive thanks to a strong mid to late game, with a rating over 15.5. They have the best first baron and baron control in the league, allowing them to take multiple towers within minutes, likely explaining the noticeable jump in mid-game production. DRX should win this easily as they rarely get bullied early, and if they can hold off Team Dynamics' early game pressure then they should be able to stomp them in the mid to late game.
Prediction: DRX 2-1
DRX Players to Target: Chovy ($7,800), Pyosik ($7,200)
