The 2020 worlds knockout stage is playing out very similar to the worlds 2019 knockout stage. In the first semi-final match we have G2 versus the number one LCK seed in Damwon Gaming, a rematch of their quarter-final match from 2019 which G2 won handily 3-1. On the other side we have the LPL’s numbers one and three seeds in Top Esports and Suning. At last year’s world championship, we saw G2 take down SKT and FunPlus Phoenix beat the former world champions Invictus Gaming. However, the landscape of this year’s semi-final matches is much different. Damwon has significantly improved from 2019 to 2020, taking over as the LCK’s best team and came into this year’s world championship as one of the pre-tournament favorites, whereas G2 isn’t looking as dominant. G2 struggled more than they ever have in the LEC and couldn’t find their footing in the group stage as they struggled against Suning and were upset by Team Liquid. Across the bracket, both Top Esports and Suning are new to the world championship having qualified for the first time. Top Esports entered the tournament as one of the favorites to win it all, but heavily struggled against Fnatic in their quarter-final match. Suning on the other hand, has been getting better and better with each stage of the world championship. They finished first in their group going 2-0 against G2 in phase two and then dominated JDG in their quarter-final match. Both semi-final matches will be very close and will be difficult to predict, making all players available for big points.
Today’s free pick is Mikyx ($6,600 DK, $8,500 FD) from G2 Esports. Mikyx and BeryL have very opposing playstyles, at the world championship Mikyx has favored the peel/disengage supports in Tahm Kench, Rakan, Bard, and Senna. BeryL has played the tank/engage supports in Leona, Pantheon, Alistar, and Thresh. These clash of styles will lead to a heavy advantage to one team or the other. With G2’s bot lane performing so well since the second phase of group stage, their strong laning and roam potential should punish Damwon’s bot lane style of playing safe and farming. Mikyx is the cheapest player available and should be the go-to value pick for this series.
Subscribers will additionally gain access to MVP and STAR player selections, how two bot lane styles will clash, if Caps be able to continue his hot streak against ShowMaker, which jungler to select, and what two players you should avoid.
DraftKings users now have an additional style of game, Showdown. Showdown is very similar to FanDuel’s single game style which focuses only on one best-of-five series as opposed to two. The DFS picks will follow the Showdown style on DraftKings and FanDuel’s one and only single game style. DraftKings users will select a roster of four players, two MVP players (1.5x points) and two flex players. Exactly like the quarter-final matches, FanDuel users will select a roster of five players, one MVP player (2x points), one STAR player (1.5x points), and three utility players.
MVP DFS Picks for October 24, 2020
Perkz ($17,400 DK, $14,500 FD) and Ghost ($17,700 DK, $15,500 FD) both had great quarter-final performances off the back of Caps and Canyon respectively. Both AD carries have shown great performances on Jhin—whose prioritization in drafts has been rising rapidly—and all the premier AD carry champions. However, they play opposite roles for their teams. Perkz plays a more lane dominant style allowing for early bot lane tower dives and dragon control. Ghost plays a much more supportive style playing safe allowing his support to roam and influence Damwon’s strengths in top, jungle, and mid allowing for a stronger mid game spike in teamfights. Both AD carries will be very influential for their team’s performance.
STAR DFS Picks for October 24, 2020
Caps ($11,200 DK, $14,000 FD) seems to have flipped the mid lane meta after his quarter-final match against GenG. The mid lane meta at worlds 2020 has been about supporting your jungler and playing for the entire map as opposed to your lane with champions like Twisted Fate, Galio, and Orianna. While Caps is still great at all those champions, in the GenG series, G2 put all their eggs in Caps’ basket. He had a KDA of 21/4/35 in only three games, one game on Twisted Fate and two games on Sylas. Caps has been playing more of a carry role for G2 at worlds 2020 with champions like Ekko, Sylas, and Lucian. He will have his toughest task of worlds 2020 against ShowMaker, but in Caps’ current form, he doesn’t seem like he can be stopped from making the worlds final three years in a row.
Utility (UTIL) or Flex Picks for October 24, 2020
ShowMaker ($10,800 DK, $14,500 FD) has managed to nullify almost every mid laner he’s faced in 2020 through flawless laning and mistake-free gameplay. He averages the least deaths per game of all players at worlds 2020 while playing his fair share of melee and teamfight engage mid laners. Taking out Damwon’s only loss at worlds 2020 ShowMaker has died only four times in eight games. In the LCK he shutdown Faker, Dove, BDD, Fly, and Kuro, then at worlds has shutdown Yagao and Chovy. The question remains if he will be able to shutdown Caps and G2’s fast paced, hectic playstyle.
Jankos ($8,800 DK, $11,500 FD) has been able to refine his playstyle over the course of worlds 2020. He started off the tournament making many mistakes and was one of the main reasons for G2’s rough group stage performance. Over the past three years his role on G2 has been exclusively about supporting his laners and sacrificing his own resources for the better of the team. With the meta at worlds 2020 all about high farm jungling and laners supporting the jungler, Jankos didn’t seem to fit the description. However, with G2 putting a higher focus on Caps, Jankos seems much more comfortable.
Although Mikyx and BeryL ($6,800 DK, $9,000 FD) have clashing playstyles, should Damwon’s bot lane get ahead through laning or roams from mid and jungle tank/engage supports can become more valuable than the more naturally squishy peek/disengage supports due to their trading patterns and item advantages. Draft prioritization will be of the upmost importance in this series as both teams prefer to draft around their solo laners.
DFS Picks to Avoid for October 24, 2020
Wunder and Nuguri rank fourth and eight respectively in most average deaths per game, Wunder being the second highest on his team and Nuguri being the highest on his team. Both players have been playing heavy dive champions like Kennen, Camille, Renekton, Ornn, and Shen. These champions and playstyle often result in many deaths per game especially for the play on the losing teams. Avoid both top laners especially for MVP and STAR selections.
