Published on: 08/02/2022
Fantasy LCS – Your Crash Course
If you’re a fan of League of Legends, there’s a high chance you’ll enjoy Fantasy LCS. While this is by no means a new concept, being as it gained popularity back in 2014, it’s not something that immediately jumps to mind in the world of esports. However, for more than five years, League of Legends betting fans have been enjoying Fantasy LCS on the side, as another way of getting involved with the platform as a whole.
These days, the official Fantasy LCS platform, originally backed by Riot Games, doesn’t exist. Although, that doesn’t mean you cannot participate in fantasy League of Legends gameplay. Instead, players have transitioned to other, third-party platforms, like Sleeper.app, SuperFantasy, and DraftKings.
If you’re totally new to the world of fantasy gaming, you’re in luck. There’s a very slight learning curve compared to high-risk betting markets, and for newcomers, it can be a casual way to learn which teams and players have the advantage in-game. When you participate in Fantasy LCS, you’re competing against other fans, your friends, and the rest of the world. There’s very little effort required, and ultimately, if you play your cards right, you could even win a little money playing fantasy League of Legends tournaments.
Let’s get right into the guide and learn everything you need to know about Fantasy LCS.
How to Play Fantasy LCS
There’s no ‘one way’ to play Fantasy LCS. It’s a fact that most newcomers are happy to hear, as it means they can learn the game at their own pace and play how they see fit. While differing platforms may have specific rulesets, there’s no strict guidance on the players you pick, the changes you make, and the people you play with. However, with that in mind, there are some core concepts that will crop up on every platform, regardless of where you’re playing.
Firstly, there’s the budget mechanic – and this is a feature of every fantasy gaming platform in the world. Ultimately, the budget determines the scope of your team, so when you’re assigning League of Legends pro players to your side, you can’t just pick an entire squad of the world’s greatest LoL players. It’s a simple concept – the better the player, the higher the salary requirements. And, as the season unravels, the performance of players may cause their salary requirements to change on the fly.
Next, there’s the all-important role system. When it comes to League of Legends, each pro team will have several roles to fill:
- Top Laner
- Jungler
- Mid Laner
- Bot Laner
- Support Player
Depending on your Fantasy LCS platform of choice, you may be required to mirror the League of Legends esports team structure when you’re compiling your squad. Although, in some cases, these fantasy platforms may invent roles to flesh out the board. For instance, DraftKings’ offering comes with the option to put in place a team captain, who will often yield a boosted points accumulation throughout the play.
Lastly, there’s an inherent need to earn points – this is how you rank in your leagues, tournaments, and against your friends. It’s the chief goal of the game, and you’ll earn points when the players that you’ve chosen secure kills, assists, slay minions, or capture objectives. Although, in most cases, you’ll also lose points if your chosen players give away deaths. It’s one of the only tactical aspects of Fantasy LCS that really requires acute knowledge of the players themselves.
How to Make a Strong Fantasy LCS Team
It’s important to avoid one of the biggest traps in fantasy sports, and that’s stuffing your team with big-name players. Firstly, you’ll drain your budget almost immediately, and you’ll have no wiggle room later on in the tournament. In most cases, having one or two top-tier players alongside a team of potential up-and-coming players could be the difference between huge points and total bankruptcy.
For instance, let’s say you pick up a rookie player that has a fantastic start to the Fantasy LCS season. This player will not only net you a huge allotment of points, but they’ll also gain in value. So, when it comes time to open up the transfer window, you can sell them for a profit and pick up another player or two off of the proceeds, and begin the cycle anew. As a tip, we’ll say that you want to prioritise solo laners and bot lane carries, as they’ll be earning more points than the other roles.
And of course, you’ll want to make sure that your captain (if the mechanic exists on your platform) is a player with big point-scoring potential.
It’ll pay off to learn a little about the game and the players. One of the best ways to do this is to take part in discussions on platforms like Reddit, listening out for key tips and predictions. While most could be the ideas of average players, some predictions may turn out to be golden nuggets of information, and you’ll eventually learn where to pay the most attention.
Finally, you should bear in mind that your team doesn’t necessarily need to win the tournament for you to win. On platforms like Sleeper.app, SuperFantasy, and DraftKings, tournaments will payout if you land in the top spots, even if you’re not in the pole position. Regardless of how you play, your team will likely net points, and over time, you’ll accumulate more knowledge of Fantasy LCS.
Where Can I Play Fantasy LCS?
Currently, you can play Fantasy LCS on platforms like DraftKings, Sleeper.app, and SuperFantasy. In 2021, Riot Games announced that Sleeper would be the official partner for Fantasy LCS gaming, but that doesn’t mean the other platforms don’t offer a viable alternative.
For example, DraftKings is one of the biggest betting platforms in North America, offering markets for esports tournaments like the LCS, LEC, and LCK. It boasts large-scale, immersive Fantasy LCS tournaments that come equipped with decently-sized prize pools. If you’re going to get involved with Fantasy LCS gaming, we recommend you pick one of these platforms, maybe leaning towards DraftKings.
