written by @Wimpy in the DFS Hero Discord
With the introduction of the new LoL (League of Legends) tools, here is a guide to help start you off on your process of creating good LoL lineups. I have played League of Legends basically since the game was introduced in 2009, but I have been playing LoL DFS since the pandemic. This write up will be more focused on DraftKings, though most of what is said here can be used on FanDuel too.
For those of you who are new to League of Legends, or to League of Legends DFS, let's first take some time to cover the basics of it. There are four major regions of LoL DFS that show up as contests on DraftKings:
LPL – The major league that plays in China.
LCK – The major league that plays in Korea.
LEC – the major league that plays in Europe.
LCS – the major league that plays in North America.
In League of Legends DFS, there are 5 positions on the map that you have to choose from: Top, JNG, Mid, ADC, SUP, as well as a Captain (CPT) position (that gets 1.5X) and a Team position. Any player can fill the captain position, but just like basketball, the rest must be filled by the corresponding position player.
Here is what you need to know about the different positions:
TOP – Generally plays on the side of the map away from the rest of the team. Normally a tank or brawler character, not a great source of fantasy points.
JNG – plays in the “Jungle” portion of the map. Responsible for getting certain objectives for the team, as well as helping out with the different lanes (TOP, MID, ADC). The best jungle players have a lot of kill participation, but can get stuck on a less kill heavy champion. This position’s fantasy production is the most variable of them all, but can have big fantasy production at times.
MID – Plays in the middle of the map to start out with. One of the positions that can carry a game. In line to get a good amount of kills and assists, a great source of fantasy points.
ADC – Plays on the bottom side of the map to start out with. The champions playing this position are designed to do the most damage at the end of the game and therefore tend to be the one with the most fantasy points at the end. They are priced the highest for a reason.
SUP – This is the supportive player that helps facilitate the lanes and mid/late game. This player rarely gets any kills, but is a great position for racking up the assists.
Team – The team position gets points for specific objectives, winning teams tend to get the most fantasy points.
For this strategy article, I will be giving advice that works for most LoL slates. LoL is a heavily correlated DFS game that requires a certain type of build for the best results.
Let’s break down scoring in league:
For all character roles (Top, Mid, Jungle, ADC, Supp), the breakdown of the scoring is as follows:
Kills = +3 Points
Assists = +2 Points
Creep Score = +.02 points per minion killed
Deaths = -1 Point
2 bonus points are given if the player racks up either 10 kills or 10 assists in one game.
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Team scores are as follows:
Turret kills (11 total on the map) = +1 per Turret
Dragon kills = +2 per times killed
Barons killed = +3 per times killed
First blood (who ever gets the first kill) = +2 points
Win = +2 Points
Win under 30 minutes = +2 Points
LoL DFS strategy can be broken down into three major parts:
Stacking
Because LoL is extremely correlated, two stacks tend to be the most optimal build. On DraftKings, the best way to stack is 4:3. On Fanduel, the way to stack is 3:3:1.
Use ADC, MID, or JNG captain.
In the current state of LoL DFS, ADC, MID, and JNG are the most viable captain options. ADC is the highest likelihood of having the most points, but because it is the most expensive role, it is often hard to get to. MID and JNG can provide some needed savings for your lineup.
Target teams that should win their matchup as your stacks.
This one is self-explanatory. Because LoL is a snowball game, teams that are winning the game have a better chance to score more points and therefore tend to be in the winning lineup more often. It is alright to play a less expensive Jungle captain in order to get two teams that should win in your lineup.
Target teams that are favored and have a high kill score average. I look up team kill scores on a website called Oracle’s Elixir
You can also target a favored team that is playing against a team with a high kill score average.
If you think a team that is a slight underdog will win, use them as your second stack. This makes it more likely that you will get an ADC captain, giving you the highest ceiling possible.
Lean on DFSHero data to help you build your lineups. I have had great success using their lineup builder with the correct advanced settings (remember: stack 4:3, ADC/MID/JNG captain).
If you are using DFSHero data, don’t be afraid to bump a team a little more or less depending on if you like them more or not.
