G2 Esports
Roster: Top – Wunder | Jungle – Jankos | Mid – Caps | Bot – Perkz | Support – Mikyx
The term superteam is thrown around quite liberally, but this team arguably upgraded after their top 4 worlds placement. With possibly the biggest roster move of the off season, G2 decided to bring in Caps the superstar mid laner from Fnatic and moved Perkz down to Bot while adding Mikyx as his support. This team on paper looked extremely strong as long as Perkz’s role swap worked out and thus far it has, only losing to Origen thus far. They have quick games and win lane for lane amongst majority of their competition making them a safe bet as a top of the table team and potential split winner.
Vitality
Roster: Top – Cabochard | Jungle – Mowgli | Mid – Jizuke | Bot – Atilla | Support – Jacktroll
After their surprise strong performance in a group of death last year at Worlds, the team has only swapped out their Jungler for former Afreeca Freecs player in Mowgli. Looking to recapture and continue their momentum from Worlds, the team has dropped some games here and there and sometimes will outplay themselves against teams they should beat lower in the standings, but still look like they have clear top team ceiling especially after their game against Schalke especially with consistent performer in Cabochard and Jizuke. Honestly if they can keep strong like they have in more recent weeks they will should deserve more betting odds in the LEC.
Schalke 04
Roster: Top – Odoamne | Jungle – Momento | Mid – Abbedagge | Bot – Upset | Support – IgNar
Schalke this year decided to go with a clean slate for a roster with the only returning member being star Bot Upset while adding veteran pieces such as Odoamne, Momento and Ignar and adding a rookie midlaner in Abbedagge. Thus far the team has played consistently and much like G2 and Vitality are deserving of their top spot as they look like possibly in contention for top 3 teams. Despite their few losses, with their current form only teams like Origen, Vitality and G2 should contest against them and in this weekend can claim the throne from G2 if they beat them and SK. Expect this team to continue to hover around the top 3 or 4 spots until the end of the split.
Splyce
Roster: Top – Vizicsacsi | Jungle – Xerxe | Mid – Humanoid | Bot – Kobbe | Support – Norkseren
Continuing the trend of roster revamping, Splyce is also no stranger. Pick ups for the squad include Vizicsacsi, Humanoid and Norskeren while keeping Xerxe and Kobbe to round out the team. Right now their record shows a good middle of the pack team and they can deliver as long as they can stall out until late game to get Kobbe online and win in late game team fights. That being said, against some teams that lack consistent strong early this is a fine strategy, but any team above them should have the advantage and Fnatic have also taken them down and Origen looks like in the upcoming week can knock them down a little further as well. Against the rest though Splyce will most likely be favoured in odds and can squeak into the playoffs if they do so.
Origen
Roster: Top – Alphari | Jungle – Kold | Mid – NukeDuck | Bot – Patrik | Support – Mithy
Returning after their relegation years ago, Origen is looking to reclaim their former glory as a contender in the European scene. Origen decided to accrue several well respected veterans with names like Alphari, Kold, Nukeduck, and Patrik (formally known as Sheriff) and Mithy. With a slow start, Origen looked fairly weak but in recent weeks they’ve kicked it up and notch and even took down the undefeated G2 in rather stylish fashion. The teams week by week is improving and is becoming a dark horse to snag one of the top spots by the end of the split. If they can keep their current form and improve it will be harder and harder to bet against the team who’ve shown they have what it takes to be in the discussion.
SK Gaming
Roster: Top – Werlyb | Jungle – Selfmade | Mid – Pirean | Bot – Crownshot | Support – Dreams
SK much like Origen are a former EU LCS team years ago looking to make an impact on the scene like they did before. SK decided to build around a core from Spanish team Mad Lions, with Top Werlyb, Jungler SelfMade and Bot Crownshot and rounding out the team with Korean players in former SKT Mid sub Pirean and former Misfits and Vitality sub / academy Support Dreams. The team has glimpses of a solid middle of the pack team with stellar games coming from SelfMade who is the current leader in the LEC for Player of the Game. It should be stated though the SK have not won against a team that is higher than them in the standings, but that being said they have secured enough wins to possibly round out the playoff squads if they can show up against a struggling Misfits and continue to snuff out the lower seeds. They’re a safe bet when it comes to the lower half teams with their consistency against them.
Misfits Gaming
Roster: Top – Soaz | Jungle – Maxlore | Mid – Febiven | Bot – Hans Sama | Support – GorillA
Misfits on paper developed a very hyped up roster that before the split looked like a championship contender. Keeping Jungler Maxlore and Bot Hans Sama was a strong core to build around by adding Fnatic Top Soaz, Clutch Gaming Febiven and KingZone Support GorillA. Unfortunately for this team, being good on paper does not always translate to success and currently Misfits do not look like they’ll even punch a ticket into the top 6 for playoffs. Coming off of 0-4 streak and one of those being a loss to the previous winless Rogue, Misfits is hard to be confident to bet on and will need to step up against the middle of the pack teams and possibly upset the top teams if they want a chance to prove themselves otherwise it they might have to go back the drawing board.
Fnatic
Roster: Top – Bwipo | Jungle – Broxah | Mid – Nemesis | Bot – Rekkles | Support – Hylissang
From World Finals to 8th in LEC, Fnatic reran the roster that got them all the way to the summoner’s cup just to fall short but lost an important piece in Caps. Deciding to start Bwipo and add former Mad Lions Mid Nemesis has seem to not be the move Fnatic needed to repeat their success. With the slow start they have made improvements over the week but still have a long ways to go if they want to defend their EU championship title. The new patch does seem to favour Rekkles to carry, but their only wins have been against Splyce, Excel and Rogue so much like Misfits they need to continue to beat the lower of the table teams while making a surge against the top teams otherwise it will be curtains for them until the summer split.
Excel Esports
Roster: Top – Expect | Jungle – Caedral | Mid – Exileh | Bot – Jeskla | Support – Kasing
Excel is a completely new team joining the LEC but have a few familiar faces for their roster. Former G2 Top Expect, H2K Jungler Caedral, UOL Exileh, Rookie Jeskla and former Splyce Support Kasing. The team’s expectations with such stacked competition could’ve seen them maybe just outside playoffs and as of right now that seems to be the case of where they will end up. Despite some good plays from all members, none of them were enough and they have only picked up 2 wins against Rogue and the struggling team in Misfits. They could still come out of the gates to make up some ground, but much like Rogue this maybe time to start thinking ahead of what they can do in the next split to improve. From here on out unless they surprise, I’d hold onto my bets for this team.
Rogue
Roster: Top – Profit | Jungle – Kikis | Mid – Sencux | Bot – HeaQ | Support – Wadid
Rogue are in a very similar boat to Excel. Brand new team, a roster that looks like a mid to bottom half team and sadly living up to those expectations. The roster consists of former Roccat Top in Profit, Vitality’s former Jungler Kikis, Misfits’ Mid Sencux, Roccat’s Bot HeaQ and G2’s Support in Wadid with recent sub ins coming in the Top role with Finn and Support role from Vander. The first round robin saw the team going winless throughout in and not finding a win until the substitutes came in which seemed to have a positive change for the squad. That being said, it’s still hard to bet for this team for the remainder of the splits since teams will not take them lightly because the playoffs race will be close this year and every team needs as many wins as possible.
