League of Legends is the most popular multiplayer online battle arena game and the obvious choice for fans of LCS fantasy esports. The LCS is the North American championship and one of the strongest of the main regions, alongside Europe, China, and South Korea.
Fantasy LCS taps into the immense potential of this popular game while providing US fans with a legal form of gaming. Instead of traditional League of Legends betting, this requires contestants to LCS fantasy draft 2023 an ideal team and earn points based on the players’ performance.
Enjoy Fantasy LCS at DraftKings:
What is Fantasy LCS?
Fantasy LCS tasks players with the drafting and managing a team of professional League of Legends players. It focuses on the North American region, which is one of the top 4 leagues in the world. Participants build a team by drafting players from a pool of eligible professional players based on their statistics, past performance, and other factors.
Once the team is built, players earn points based on the performance of those players in official LCS matches. The goal of the game is to draft a team that scores the most points over the course of a season and win prizes. Fantasy LCS is a way for fans of League of Legends to engage with the competitive scene in a new and exciting way. It allows players to show off their knowledge of the game and the players and compete with other fans for prizes and bragging rights.
How does Fantasy LCS work?
DraftKings is the main platform where players can get involved in competitive NA LCS fantasy leagues. They offer the games for free, so participants can learn the ropes before making a deposit and buy into real-money tournaments. Research and a thorough understanding of the game can make the difference between being successful at fantasy LCS and failing.
The North American tournament consists of 10 teams, each with a main roster of five players, plus substitutes, captains and coaches. This means that the LCS fantasy draft 2023 can be fairly challenging as you need to factor in several things.
LoL Fantasy expects players to accurately predict the performance of these teams and their members to earn points. These are secured based on the number of kills, deaths, assists, and creep kills claimed by the players, as well as other in-game objectives.
League of Legends Fantasy differs from traditional LoL betting, but the ability to accurately predict the winners is also rewarded. At the end of the season, the most successful players are crowned fantasy LCS League winners and claim a chunk of the prize pool.
How to play fantasy LCS?
- To play fantasy LCS, you will first need to find a website or platform that offers the game, create an account and sign in.
- Before the season starts, you will have to draft a team of professional players, within the salary cap. Since you need to fill up players from different positions, such as top, jungle, mid, ADC, and support, you must manage these resources well.
- Points are earned based on the performance of the players you’ve drafted, and are awarded for kills, assists, towers, dragons, and barrel. You also will get points if the team wins the match, while you lose them in case of a defeat, or drafted players die in game.
- For each match, you are expected to set a lineup, so punters enjoy a certain degree of flexibility throughout the season. The standings are updated throughout the season, so you can track your performance.
Where to play fantasy LCS?
You can play fantasy LCS for both free and real money on certain websites and platforms. Some popular options include DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo Fantasy which offer free and real money contests for players.
On free contests, players will not be able to win real money or any other monetary prize, but they can still compete for bragging rights and pride. On the other hand, real money contests will require an entry fee, and the prize pool is usually cash. The prize pool is usually built from the entry fees and the website or platform may take a small commission.
It’s important to note that playing for real money is only legal in some countries and it’s your responsibility to check the laws in your jurisdiction. Also check the terms and conditions of the website, as some may have restrictions on who can participate in real money contests.
What are fantasy LCS picks and bans?
This refers to the process of selecting and banning certain champions that will be used in a match. It is something that also happens in all competitive matches, including grant once played by casual players online. It happens before the match begins, and is an important aspect of competitive play in the game, so it also reverberates in fantasy LCS.
Each team takes turns selecting champions to play with and banning champions from the opposing team. This allows teams to have a strategic advantage by picking champions that counter their opponent’s team composition or by banning champions with which the opposing team is particularly strong. A good ban can effectively limit the opposing team’s options, allowing players to earn fantasy points based on that ban.
Enjoy a head start in Fantasy LCS League
Fantasy LCS is every bit as competitive as the North American League of Legends tournament itself. In order to thrive in this environment, you need to learn how to create a fantasy LCS league team and how to draft the best players based on the LCS power rankings.
Choosing the right fantasy platform is equally important, as it can give you a head start in bonuses and free tickets. DraftKings is a good choice because of its flawless track record, the freebies and the nice selection of tournaments. Moreover:
- The registration process is short;
- you can even log in using your Facebook account to access all their services.
- Their fantasy LCS app is the gateway to freerolls and satellites, as well as the fully-fledged multi-entry tournaments.
The North American League of Legends Championship has a high viewership and attracts some of the best players in the world. This makes it even more challenging to choose the top pro-gamers, so the LCS power rankings can help new players make an informed decision.
Dominate the Fantasy LCS with a solid draft
The fantasy LCS League should be regarded as a marathon rather than a sprint, so in order to succeed, you need to play the long game. To do so, you must learn how to create a fantasy LCS league team that will help you maximize the points earned throughout the season. DraftKings has clear rules and salary caps, which require players to adjust their spending in a way that will fit these fictional budgets. Star players are quite expensive, while average and new gamers are more affordable. Under these circumstances, proper bankroll management is just as important as identifying the best NA LCS fantasy league players.
The fantasy esports version of the LCS mirrors the structure of the real competition, so the teams have the same setup. Top LoL laners, junglers, mid laners, and bot lane players are at the core of Fantasy LCS teams, which also have a captain. Since deaths, kills and assists influence the number of points earned, so it pays off to choose risk-averse players in tanking and support roles. Team players are more valuable in fantasy LCS LoL than immensely talented but adventurous ones who produce spectacular plays.
Learning how to create a fantasy LCS league draft is the most important element, but choosing the right organization also matters. DraftKings also requires players to choose a Team and Fantasy LCS 2023 is quite different from the previous season. That’s because new teams were created and many players were brought in from Europe, South Korea and China to strengthen these organizations.
Before you download the fantasy app and start playing, review the LCS power rankings for this year. Also, consider these five effective tips to create the perfect fantasy team:
- Balance your team by selecting players from different positions. It’s important to have a good mix of players from the top, jungle, mid, ADC and support positions.
- Try to find players that are undervalued, as others may have overlooked them but have the potential to earn a lot of points for your team.
- Check the schedule of matches and try to select players from teams that have a favorable schedule. Essentially, look for teams that play more matches, as they will give you more opportunities to earn points.
- The meta, or the most popular and effective way to play the game, is constantly changing, so you should keep an eye on the current meta and try to select players that fit well into it.
- Each website or platform will have a salary cap and you’ll need to stay within that budget while drafting your team. Be mindful of how much you are spending on each player and try to get the most value for your budget.
Top-Tier Players worth spending your Dollars
There is an obvious link between the quality of the teams, their chances to win the LCS and their appeal in the fantasy LCS LoL. At the start of the season, bookmakers publish the odds for the North America League of Legends Championship Series, allowing you to understand which are the potential winners. These help you in evaluating the strengths of all the participants and that information can be also useful in NA LCS fantasy league.
With that being said, Cloud9 and Team Liquid seem to be the squads to beat in this season of the NA LCS, closely followed by 100Thieves.
Cloud9 decided to keep most its players from 2022 and only brought in Diplex, while Team Liquid replaced most of it roster, with Pyosik in the jungle and Summit on top. The latter is one of the best LoL top laners and a solid addition to any fantasy roster.
When you finish downloading the app or registering to the fantasy platform, you can start considering drafting at least one of the players from these two teams, especially the ones we just mentioned.
Keep and Eye on the Dark Horses of LCS 2023
100Thieves is the third-strongest team on paper coming into 2023. The team had a relatively positive season last year, but they still made a few changes to the roster. They will be the most meshed team at the start of the season. Punters betting on LCS will be anxious to see how Doublelift and Bjergsen will play together as the dynamic former TSM duo is reunited. Jungler Closer remains on the roster, and he will be joined by two young and promising support and top players.
Evil Geniuses arguably took the greatest deal of the off-season, picking up two top players from 100 Thieves. They will be integrated in the EG roster, and it will be a pleasure to see them if you watch LCS live stream and especially if you follow key Fantasy LCS players.
Finally, Dignitas must bounce back from a disappointing 2021 as well as a very dramatic off-season. This led to Dignitas rebuilding most of its roster, boosted by the addition of strong players like Armut, Santorin and Jensen. They are no risky pick-ups, as these are seasoned veterans, so we might be looking at one of the top teams in the NA LCS. Considering Dignitas’ Santorin is one of the best LoL jungle players playing in the LCS,it might be worth the risk going with this team from Day 1.
Fill the Drafting Gaps with Team Players from Bottom Teams
Many bottom-tier teams will have a hard time finding success in the NA LCS, as organizations have either picked up unproven talent or veterans that have already shown their potential.
Nonetheless, in bottom-tier teams, there are still some players that have insane value in the NA LCS Fantasy League, especially players that have good carry potential. For example, Vicla joined FlyQuest and while he might not be the best mid-laner in the LCS, he’s still strong enough to carry his team on his back, and he will likely have good stats. If you value more players in other positions, he might be a good last deal to lock the roster.
Another very good option can be CLG’s top laner Dhokla. This veteran player is a fantastic contender for fantasy drafts, so if you read a Draftkings review and want to play, you should consider him. In spite of his age, people have claimed Dhokla is mechanically in his best shape possible. Make sure to keep an eye on him, as he might be the best player from the bottom-tier teams.
Aside from these established veterans, going for new talent can be a risky, yet great strategy. ADC Prince from Fly Quest, jungler River from Golden Guardians and Immortals ADC Tactical might have the potential to have an exploit in 2023. Having them as reserves can be a great idea to balance your budget, especially if you want to avoid other players picking them up.
Play at Fantasy LCS at DraftKings
Images Courtesy of LoL Esports