esports

CS:GO Slate Summary: ESL (8am EST)

• 4 series on DK
• Best of 3

CS:GO Matchup #1: Natus Vincere (-175) vs ENCE (+125)

The first matchup on the CS:GO slate sees NAVI taking on ENCE, who is coming off a rather impressive win over Heroic. Since both teams ban Vertigo first at 90+% rates, I expect neither to sue their first ban on it; instead, I can see ENCE taking away Inferno and NAIV choosing to ban Mirage. In turn, ENCE will likely select Train, whilst NAVI will probably turn to one of Dust2 or Nuke. With s1mple remaining under 10K, he is firmly in play for both the flex and captain spots, if you’re comfortable stooping down into some low-priced value plays; the AWPer’s 1.39 K/D and 0.81 KPR over the past three months is simply uncanny, and his upside on this slate is second to none.

Top Plays: s1mple ($9,800), electronic ($7,800), flamie ($5,400)

CS:GO Matchup #2: BIG (-200) vs OG (+150)

The second matchup sees two familiar foes in BIG and OG taking one another on for yet another matchup. Ever since they went on their ridiculous run dating back to DreamHack in the spring, BIG has owned OG in their head-to-head matchup, and I don’t see how that changes here today. BIG bans Train first at an 89% rate while OG bans Vertigo first 94% of the time. With how dominant BIG has been on Dust2, I expect them to continue picking it, while OG will likely turn to Inferno with their selection, where they are riding a 6-map winning streak and hold an advantage in winning percentage. While the trio of syrsoN, tabseN, and XANTERES will always find a way to get theirs, k1to’s 1.30 K/D and 0.76 KPR on Dust2 is what makes him such an intriguing play from a point/$ perspective, and I’ll definitely be overweight compared to the field.

Top Plays: syrsoN ($9,000), tabseN ($8,800), k1to ($6,800)

CS:GO Matchup #3: Heroic (-400) vs AGO (+275)

The third matchup on the CS:GO slate has our biggest favorite and #2 team in the world, Heroic, taking on AGO. While mhL can keep AGO in matches such as this one, Heroic has been playing as good as anyone since the return from the player break. With them being the heaviest favorite on the slate as affordable prices, I’m expecting massive ownership on both stavn and TeSeS, and would likely be slightly underweight in large field tournaments, although they do make for a solid core in cash games and single entry tournaments.

Top Plays: stavn ($8,000), TeSeS ($7,400)

One-off: mhL ($6,600)

CS:GO Matchup #4: Evil Geniuses (-350) vs 100 Thieves (+250)

The last matchup on the CS:GO slate sees two NA teams as familiar with one another as it gets. With how little these two teams play on both Overpass and Mirage, look for neither of them to be in consideration here. Rather, look for EG to turn to Inferno, if 100T doesn’t ban it, or Nuke, while 100T will likely select Vertigo, should it be available. EG holds all the map advantages necessary here, with the lone exception of Vertigo, and I expect EG to go for a 2-0 sweep here. CeRq is an elite play sitting under 9k, and his 1.25 K/D and 0.78 KPR online has really seen him take his game to another level.

Top Plays: CeRq ($8,200), Ethan ($7,800)

One-off: jks ($7,000)

You can find me in the WinDaily Discord chat and on twitter @DFS_Ghost!

CS:GO Slate Summary: ESL (8am EST)

• 4 series on DK
• Best of 3

CS:GO Matchup #1: Heroic (-188) vs ENCE (+137)

The first matchup on the CS:GO slate sees the ESL One: Cologne winners, Heroic, taking on ENCE. Climbing the world rankings to the current #2 positions since being on an absolute tear after coming out of the player break, Heroic seems to be in a prime spot here versus an ENCE team yet to play since CS:GO returned to action. Heroic bans Overpass first at a 68% rate while ENCE bans Vertigo first 97% of the time. I would expect Heroic to turn to Nuke here, where they’ve been on fire and hold a significant advnantage over ENCE, while the latter will likely counter with Dust2 as opposed to their typical first pick in Train since Heroic holds a better win rate there. Heroic primary rifler, stavn, has been lights out in the past few weeksn and has gone +40 in his last 6 maps played, while both TeSeS and niko have shown flashes of being good pieces to our DFS lineups; with the run that Heroic is on, combined with the fact thst this is ENCE’s first series out of the player break, give me the favorite here.

Top Plays: stavn ($8,200), TeSeS ($7,600), niko ($8,000)

CS:GO Matchup #2: Vitality (-188) vs Ninjas in Pyjamas (+137)

Taking over the #1 spot in the world rankings, ZywOo and Vitality take on NiP for the second time in just a few weeks. Vitality bans Train first at a 98% rate while NiP bans Dust2 first 79% of the time; should NiP choose to ban Vertigo again, Vitality will pick Dust2, or vice-versa, while NiP will likely test Mirage after losing on Overpass last time out. As everyone knows by now, ZywOo is one of, if not the best player in the world and his 1.41 K/D and 0.86 KPR is very hardd to fade on this slate given his price tag sitting just under 10k; shox is also a great point/$ option, going +49 in his last 9 maps played. The #1 team in the world takes this one for the second time this month.

Top Plays: ZywOo ($9,600), shox ($7,800), RpK ($6,400)

CS:GO Matchup #3: FURIA (-300) vs Cloud9 (+225)

The third matchup on the CS:GO slate sees some interesting targets in FURIA. Their opponent, C9, have lost 4 of their last 5 series and haven’t looked themselves since returning from the player break. FURIA bans Dust2 first at a 100% rate while C9 bans Mirage first 91% of the time; it’s nearly impossible to predict which maps whill be played here, with all five remaining possibilities having been chosen in the past and the winning percentages being so tight. However, with C9’s poor play as of late, I’ll side with FURIA here, although I’m not opposed to fading this series altogether given how expensive the top targets are.

Top Plays: KSCERATO ($9,000, HEN1 ($8,800), yuurih ($8,600), arT ($7,400)

One-off: oSee ($6,800)

CS:GO Matchup #4: FaZe (-275) vs mousesports (+200)

The last matchup of the CS:GO slate has some attractive options for our cash games given the likelihood of a FaZe sweep here. FaZe bans Vertigo first at an 81% rate while mousesports bans Overpass first 52% of the time; look for FaZe to take Mirage or Inferno with their first pick here, while mousesports will likely counter with one of Nuke or Train. If you’ve been keeping up with the CS:GO content as of late or even before the player break, you’ll know how much I hate mousesports’ level of inconsistency and the fact that they’re severely outmatched here doesn’t help their cause. With NiKo and his 1.09 K/D and 0.74 KPR leading the charge over the past 3 months, to go with broky’s 1.12 K/D and 0.66 KPR, FaZe is in a smash spot for our late night hammer.

Top Plays: NiKo ($9,400), broky ($8,400), coldzera ($7,800), rain ($7,400)

You can find me in the WinDaily Discord chat and on twitter @DFS_Ghost!

CS:GO Slate Summary: ESL (8am EST)

• 4 matchups on DK
• Best of 3 series

CS:GO Slate Overview

Game #1: Natus Vincere (-175) vs GODSENT (+125)

The first of four matchups on the CS:GO slate sees NAVI taking on GODSENT. With electronic struggling mightily since returning from the player break, NAVI is seemingly relying on s1mple even more so than before – my issue, however, is less about his teammates poor play, and more so the fact that GODSENT hasn’t played a single match since the player break, while NAVI has already played 7 maps in three series. NAVI bans Vertigo first a 92% rate while GODSENT bans Mirage first 94% of the time. I expect NAVI to get creative with their map selection; while they typically select Dust2 first, at a 50% rate to be exact, they hold substantial advantages on both Inferno and Train, and I think they turn to the latter here with GODSENT selecting Nuke, where they’ve had much greater success online compared to LAN. As mentioned time and time again, s1mple is the man to own here: his 1.37 K/D and 0.80 KPR in the past three months puts him into elite company, while electronic will likely come in under owned due to the field’s recency bias.

Top Targets: s1mple ($10,200), electronic ($7,600)

Game #2: G2 (-225) vs OG (+162)

A rematch from one of the quarterfinals at ESL One, OG takes on G2 in our second matchup on the CS:GO slate. While OG almost came through as our live ‘dog pick last time out, they did manage to outscore G2 in DFS and lost in overtime on the third map of the series; win or lose, we want the highest scorers from that game and I think they’re severely underpriced here again. G2 bans Over pass first at a 92% rate while OG bans Vertigo first 94% of the time; it played out this way in previous matchups and it should continue here again. With OG making a questionable pick in Nuke last time, I think they’ll learn from their mistake and go to Inferno the time out, while G2 will likely counter with one of Nuke or Train despite only holding a win percentage advantage on the latter; since OG is comfortable on either Train or Dust2, expect them to later ban Mirage and be content with one of the two formers being left as the third possible map. With more preferable pay up options in the two matchups to follow, I have no interest in either kennyS or huNter- in this spot; I rather take a shot on nexa or even stoop down to AmaNek for value, while mantuu is ridiculously cheap if you’re targeting OG here: he has a 1.23 K/D and 0.72 KPR in the past three months, including a +1 or better performance in 8 of his last 9 maps played.

Top Targets (G2): nexa ($8,000), AmaNek ($6,600)

Top Targets (OG): mantuu ($6,800)

Game #3: Team Liquid (-400) vs Chaos (+275)

The focal points of our cash game build on this CS:GO slate starts in this third matchup, where TL faces Chaos for the third time since returning from the player break. In the two previous encounters, TL swept Chaos and I foresee them making it three in a row here. Both teams ban Vertigo and Train every matchup and today should be no different; with TL cruising on Inferno in previous matchups, they’re likely to continue their reign there while Chaos scrambles to find an edge on either Mirage or Nuke. With the addition of Grim, TL has bolstered their rostered like no other and their team members are still not priced accordingly; take advantage.

Top Targets: Grim ($7,800), Twistzz ($7,200), EliGe ($9,200) or NAF ($8,800)

Game #4:BIG (-450) vs AGO (+300)

The last matchup on the CS:GO slate is not one that you want to fade. BIG, the #4 team in the latest world rankings, had spent numerous weeks as the best team in the world and they are still potentially just that. While the only two maps that AGO has a better winning percentage on are Vertigo and Inferno, I expect them to turn to the former here while BIG will likely select Dust2, where they post a remarkable 87% win rate and are riding a 5-map winning streak. Team AWPer syrsoN will always be the focal point of their DFS production, and his 1.23 K/D and 0.75 KDR in the past 3 months shows just how great he’s been since the month of June when BIG won DreamHack in the summer. While he’s pricey, both he and tabseN make for great options, as well as k1to from a point/$ perspective.

Top Targets: syrsoN ($9,600), tabseN ($8,200), k1to ($7,000)

Other Options: XANTERES ($9,000), tiziaN ($7,400)

You can find me in the WinDaily Discord chat and on Twitter @DFS_Ghost!

CS:GO Slate Summary: Early ESL (2am EST)

• 2 matchups on DK
• Best of 3 series

CS:GO Slate Overview

Game #1: ORDER (-200) vs Avant (+150)

The first of two matchups on the Early CS:GO slate sees ORDER taking on Avant for the fourth time since the player break, where the former holds a 2-1 record thus far. ORDER bans Overpass first at an 84% rate while Avant bans Vertigo first 98% of the time; every series has begun this way and it should continue in this matchup. The map selections here are tough to predict given how frequent these two teams have faced another, but both Nuke and Train have been selected every time they’ve faced each other, so it’s probable that the trend will continue here, while all three of Inferno, Mirage, and Dust2 are possibilities warranting consideration from both sides. Although ORDER holds the advantage on all five maps left to choose from, they’ll be wary of Train and Mirage, where Avant has proven to be able to matchup fairly well. Both aliStair and Rickeh make for viable pay up options, especially the former, who is carrying a 1.25 K/D and 0.77 KPR in the past 3 months. On the flipside, sterling is simply too cheap for someone of his calibre; he has a 1.22 K/D and 0.77 KPS in the past 3 months and should be crucial to his team’s success as always. An interesting punt play that I’ll have exposure to in MME in BL1TZ, who has gone +27 on 134-107 in the three previous matchups despite losing in two of them.

Top Targets (ORD): aliStair ($8,400), Rickeh ($7,800), USTILO ($7,200)

Top Targets (AVT): sterling ($7,400), BL1TZ ($6,000)

Game #2: ViCi (-425) vs Invictus (+300)

The second of two matchups on the Early CS:GO slate has ViCi taking on Invictus for the fourth time since the break where ViCi will be looking to continue their dominance over Invictus; ViCi is 3-0 in the previous 3 while only dropping a single map. ViCi bans Dust2 first at an 89% rate while Invictus bans Overpass first 73% of the time; it’s been this way for three games straight and it shouldn’t be any different here unless Invictus chooses to ban Nuke instead. ViCi selects Nuke first at a 44% rate and have a whopping 93% win rate on 15 maps played, including three consecutive victories there, and should Invictus ban it, they’re still in a premier spot to win the series. Invictus has tried using Inferno, Vertigo, and Mirage with their first pick, with only Inferno being successful in a 19-17 overtime win; look for them to take their chances there again or turn to Mirage. With the trio of JamYoung, kaze, and aumaN leading the charge, ViCi should cruise to another victory here, and the trio are a combined +136 on 448-312 in the previous three encounters.

Top Targets: JamYoung ($8,600), kaze ($8,200), aumaN ($8,000)

Salary Saver: zhoking ($6,600)

CS:GO Slate Summary: Main ESL (9am EST)

• 2 matchups on DK
• Best of 3 series

CS:GO Slate Overview

Game #1: Heroic (-125) vs G2 (-110)

The first of two semi-final matchups on the Main CS:GO slate sees a rematch between Heroic and G2. While the former has mightily impressed since coming out of the player break, the latter looked quite sloppy yesterday in a win versus OG, and although they did get the best of Heroic in the first encounter, give me the slight favorite here in Heroic. Since both teams ban Overpass first at 71% and 92% rates, look for Heroic to do as they did last time and remove Dust2 from the selection since it is G2’s map of choice. Since Heroic dominated G2 16-7 on Nuke and they select it first at a 29% rate, I see no reason for them to differ to another map here. On the flipside, since Dust2 has been predicted as a ban, look for G2 to turn to Vertigo if their map of choice is gone; with Heroic matchup well on Train and Mirage, look for them to close out the ban phase by removing Inferno and being content with whichever map is left.

Top Targets (Heroic): stavn ($7,800), TeSeS ($6,000)

Top Targets (G2): nexa ($7,400)

Game #2: Vitality (-170) vs NiP (+125)

The second of the semi-final matchups on the Main CS:GO slate sees ZywOo and Vitality taking on NiP, who are coming off an impressive victory at the hands of Astralis. Vitality bans Train first at a 98% rate and considering NiP’s strength on that map, there isn’t another map I see them banning here. NiP can take two courses of action: choose to ban their typical map in the first round, Dust2, which they do 80% of the time, or choose to eliminate one of Vitality’s stronger maps in Nuke. With that being said, Vitality will choose Nuke or Dust2, in that order of preference, while NiP will likely counter with Overpass, which they pick first 39% of the time, or Mirage, where they hold a decent map advantage over Vitality. Despite NiP running hot at the ESL, including picking up victories over BIG, NAVI, and Astralis, I think they run into a wall here with Vitality, who hold the advantage on every map other than Mirage. Statistics are needed to justify playing ZywOo, but also consider RpK as one of the best value plays on the slate; he has a 1.09 K/D and 0.73 KPR since coming out of the player break, including 62 DK FPPG in during that stretch.

Top Targets: ZywOo ($10,000), shox ($8,200), RpK ($5,400)

One-off: hampus ($4,600)

You can find me in the WinDaily Discord chat and on Twitter @DFS_Ghost!

CS:GO Slate Summary: ESL Early (2am EST)

• 2 series on DK
• Best of 3

CS:GO Matchup #1: Renegades (-1400) vs Chiefs eSports (+650)

The first matchup on the CS:GO ESL Early slate is a clear and cut mismatch. The Renegades will cruise to victory here, and I’d be shocked to see the Chiefs steal a map, left alone even have a shot to take the series. The Renegades are ranked as the #53 team in the world and have won all 5 of their past series, while the Chiefs are ranked at #139; the Renegades hold all the map advantages other than on Dsut2, and it still wouldn’t surprise me to see them win there as well. The trio of dexter, INS, and Sico have been on an absolute tear in the past 3 months, sporting K/D ratios of 1.27, 1.28, and 1.18, respectively, while both dexter and INS have absurd KPR at 0.84 and 0.81, respectively. Lock and load.

Top Plays: dexter ($10,200), INS ($8,600), Sico ($9,400)

CS:GO Matchup #2: Tyloo (-1000) vs Beyond (+650)

The second matchup of the Early CS:GO slate is yet another mismatch, where Tyloo sees familiar foe, Beyond. The favorite holds the advantage on all 7 maps here and should cruise to another 2-0 sweep of their opponent, just as they did in their last three encounters dating back to the beginning of June. While all 5 players are viable here, dank1ng is the pay up option you’d want; he has a 1.25 K/D and 0.75 KPR in the past 3 months. While it is impossible to build a lineup of 3 Tyloo players with 3 Renegades, you need at least 4 in your lineup, and I’d highly recommend finding a way to fit 5 with one of them at captain.

Top Plays: dank1ng ($9,800), Attacker ($9,000), SLOWLY ($8,400), somebody ($8,000)

CS:GO Slate Summary: ESL (9am EST)

• 3 series on DK
• Best of 3

CS:GO Matchup #1: Ninjas in Pyjamas (+110) vs Natus Vincere (-150)

The first matchup on the main CS:GO ESL slate sees NIP taking on NAVI in the battle of two Top 15 clubs in the world. While we called the Complexity upset over NAVI the other day, I like them to bounce back here with a win over NIP. NAVI bans Vertigo first at a 93% rate while NIP bans NAVI’s best map, Dust2, first at an 83% clip. With Dust2 off the board, I expect NAVI to turn to Train or Inferno, while NIP will likely select one of Overpass or Mirage. Led by s1mple and his absurd 1.40 K/D and 0.82 KPR in the past 3 months, I’m expecting big things from the former #1 team in the world.

Top Plays: s1mple ($9,800), electronic ($8,800), flamie ($5,200)

CS:GO Matchup #2: Fnatic (+125) vs Heroic (-175)

The second matchup on the CS:GO slate sees a surprising underdog in Fnatic taking on a streaking Heroic. While they did manage to steal a map from G2, Heroic ultimately fell short in a 2-1 loss, just as we had written two days prior. Their matchups are typically fairly close, and I expect this one to be as well. FNC bans Vertigo first at a 63% rate while Heroic bans Overpass first 74% of the time; don’t expect to see either one here. FNC will likely turn to Inferno with their first pick, which they do at a 41% rate, while Heroic will likely turn to Nuke first, which they do at a 30% clip. I expect each respective team to take their map choice and for this one to go to 3, with Heroic emerging victorious on either Mirage or Dust2, if they play the ban phase correctly. While stavn makes for a great target with his 1.14 K/D and 0.72 KPR, TeSeS is an intriguing play worth looking at for tournaments for his point/$ upside; he has a 1.11 K/D and 0.73 KPR in the past 3 months and could be a crucial part of Heroic’s gameplan if they want to win this matchup.

Top Plays: stavn ($8,400), TeSeS ($7,000), niko ($7,400)

CS:GO Matchup #3: 100 Thieves (+150) vs FURIA (-200)

The last of 3 matchups on the second CS:GO slate of the day sees 100T taking on FURIA. The latter bans Dust2 first at a 100% rate while 100T bans Overpass first at a 79% rate; both squads tend to pick Vertigo first, so look for FURIA to turn to Nuke or Mirage with their pick and let 100T select Overpass, with Train the likeliest map to be leftover. Although jks will make this one interesting for FURIA, who is a good one-off candidate in the mid-range of pricing, I expect FURIA to take this one behind the trio of yuurih, KSCERATO, and HEN1. The 3 have both great K/D ratios and KPR; HEN1 and KSCERATO should be the first targets considering their success on Overpass, which is the only map we’re guaranteed to see here, but yuuirh is their most consistent contributor.

Top Plays: yuurih ($8,600), KSCERATO ($8,200), HEN1 ($9,400), arT ($7,200)

One-off: jks ($7,600)

You can find me in the WinDaily Discord chat and on twitter @DFS_Ghost!

CS:GO Slate Summary: ESL (9am EST)

• 3 series on DK
• Best of 3

CS:GO Slate Overview

CS:GO Matchup #1: Complexity (+125) vs Natus Vincere (-175)

The first matchup of the CS:GO slate is the best of them all, with two world class squads facing off against one another. Complexity, currently sitting at #7 in the world rankings, won their first series out of the player break, sweeping MAD Lions 2-0. On the other hand, NAVI, the #4 ranked team in the world, also won their first series out of the break and boasts one of, if not the best player in the world in s1mple. Complexity bans Overpass first at a 69% rate while NAVI bans Vertigo first 93% of the time so don’t expect either map in this one. COM will likely turn to Mirage with their first pick, although they will give Nuke some consideration as well, where they have an 88% win rate and are riding a 6-map winning streak. NAVI will likely counter with Dust2, which they select first at a 45% rate, but COM has a 92% win rate there on 12 maps played so look for them to possibly select Train instead. While s1mple’s 1.42 K/D and 0.82 KPR are simply amazing and electronic is a great rifler, the trio of blameF, oBo, and poizon will present a tough challenge for the duo and I do think they pull off the upset here, although I will have shares of both sides.

Top Plays (COM): blameF ($8,000), oBo ($6,800), k0nfig ($6,800) or poizon ($6,600)

Top Plays (NAVI): s1mple ($9,600), electronic ($8,800)

CS:GO Matchup #2: G2 (-175) vs Heroic (+125)

The second matchup on the CS:GO slate features G2 and Heroic. Both teams ban Overpass first so look for G2 to eliminate a map where they are outmatched, such as Train, and let Heroic use their ban on Overpass. I expect G2 to select Dust2 or Vertigo here, while Heroic will likely counter with Nuke. These clubs have had closely contested matchups before, including a marginal 2-1 victory by G2 in their last matchup at Spring DreamHack, but I’m expecting big things from them in this one. The 3-headed monster of huNter-, kennyS, and nexa all have K/D ratios of 1.10 of higher in the past 3 months and lead the charge in KPR in nearly every series. On the flipside, stavn makes for an intriguing one-off with a 1.16 K/D and 0.73 KPR in the past 3 months.

Top Plays: huNter- ($8,200), kennyS ($8,400), nexa ($7,800)

One-off: stavn ($7,200)

CS:GO Matchup #3: Triumph (+275) vs Cloud9 (-400)

After losing Grim to TL and with curry no longer on the team, Triumph is simply not the same club they were before the player break. This one should come easy to C9, but anything can happen in eSports. Triumph bans Train at a 48% rate while C9 bans Mirage first 89% of the time; both teams like to select Overpass first so look for C9 to select Inferno or Triumph to turn to one of Vertigo, Nuke, or Dust2. Barring a colossal disaster from C9, they should sweep 2-0 with ease here, led by floppy and oSee. The duo have K/D ratios of 1.07 and 1.20, respectively, over the past 3 months, and lead their team in KPR with 0.73 and 0.76 kills per round, respectively.

Top Plays: floppy ($8,600), oSee ($9,000), motm ($7,000)

You can find me in the WinDaily Discord chat and on twitter @DFS_Ghost!