Only three days after we saw the European crowd - especially the Brits - cheering on the LCS teams in Wembley Arena, we’re back for the next week of LCS in both North America and Europe. This week will be pretty special as the top American teams will be clashing while over in Europe Alliance will be fighting to keep their top spot as contenders stumble in their wake. What will this week bring?

EU LCS: Can Millenium underline their latest performances?

Alliance is the top team in the circuit right now. After only losing two games this split, they are two wins ahead of SK, their biggest challenger for the number one spot, and also have some of the best-performing players in ESL Fantasy. This week, both of them will be facing the likes of Millenium and ROCCAT, two teams who appear to have returned to their old strength recently. It will be interesting to see if both of these top teams can march at the same pace or if one will fall behind.

For Millenium, this week marks the point where they can finally shake off the dark horse image and step up to take the position they had in their first split when they were still playing as Team Alternate. For ROCCAT, these two matches mean even more. Having just crawled out of the bottom two spots, taking a win off one of these top teams would mean a lot. Facing off against the top two is no easy task, and as well as displaying skill it’s important for them to not lose their team spirit. Will one of these two teams be able to overcome this test?

For Supa Hot Crew and Fnatic, this week will be interesting. Coming back from Wembley with one win and one loss to their names, both teams still sit in the middle of the rankings. However, the 6-6 scoreline will most likely not stand this week as they face each other after their opening matches against Gambit and Copenhagen Wolves respectively. Can Fnatic shake off the past weeks’ struggles or will Supa Hot Crew once again land a critical hit?

NA LCS: Who will come out on top after the top teams clash?

Despite being split by three wins to their accounts, Cloud 9 and Curse can share almost the same positive mood towards this weeks matches. Squaring off against bottom two Evil Geniuses and compLexity, they could both be in for a relatively relaxing time after two weeks of facing only top five teams. For Curse, this opportunity is even more important. Right now, they’re just one win ahead of the bottom two - can they catch up to the top teams or will their opponents keep them down?

For Dignitas, Team SoloMid, Counter Logic Gaming and LMQ, this week could mean a big step up or losing ground in the fight for the top as all four of them face each other. Taking into account their latest results, there is no clear winner, and everyone could feasibly come out on top. However, this also means four top-notch matches as these North American giants clash. Will these must-watch games finally bring us a single NA LCS leader?

Final thoughts on this week’s lineup

With only four teams having a somewhat ‘easier’ week than the others, our options are limited. If you want to go with players from CLG, TSM, LMQ or Dignitas, keep in mind that all those matches can go either way. As we have seen in the Summer Split so far, those close calls can end up anywhere between an outright stomp or a long, drawn-out war of attrition. Even if you’re correct in picking the winning players, the profit you gain might be limited.

• Top

  Over the last weeks, Wickd played a big role in Alliance’s overall performance. At $1,070, he’s cheaper than the average lane budget and comes with an average of 19 points in the last six matches. Quas has also made himself a quite interesting pick. Over the last three games, he almost touched Wickd’s 19 point mark, and is quite cheap at $785.

  Alternatives: From the high-risk NA LCS options, Dyrus ($1,120) or Seraph ($905) could interesting pickups. Both have played solidly over the last weeks and come at a good price for any sort of setup. Going with Kev1n ($1,380) could be a good choice as well. He is the best top laner in ESL Fantasy but his price has increased by $300 accordingly in the last week.

• Jungle

  Even though Shook ($1,070) is still in a very good position overall, over the last couple of matches Meteos ($1,105) overtook him, and will bring an average of 21 points to your account. Both have a good KD ratio while also racking up plenty of assists as they help out their teammates.

  Alternatives: If you trust in TSM and have the money, Amazing ($1,360) could be your top lane pick. Scoring an average of over 20 points in the last matches, he is definitely worth consideration. However, if you’d rather go with Millenium and believe in them to continue their trend against SK and Alliance, KottenX ($1,160) is a cheaper choice and not much worse statistically.

• Mid

  Alliance dominance in the EU LCS is bound to Froggen ($1,375). Right behind him are Kerp ($1,375) and Overpow ($885), who profited from their teams’ recent good performances, although Froggen is still part of the top three over the last three games. If you’d rather put your trust in Alliance, Froggen is your clear pick for this week.

  Alternatives: If you’d prefer an NA player for your mid lane, Hai ($995) or Voyboy ($730) could be the right choice for you. Both of their teams have a possible good week coming, and their latest performances were not that far off Froggen’s.

• ADC

  If high risk, high reward is what you’re looking for, WildTurtle ($1,145) could be your ideal AD carry. Off the back of TSM’s recent good results, he played himself to the top of the board right behind Doublelift ($1,405). Coming for a far better price, he could help you out if you trust in TSM having a good week against CLG and LMQ.

  Alternatives: Tabzz ($1,445) and CandyPanda ($1,105) also did a good job over the last few games. Sitting at fourth and sixth position in the overall rankings of the last three matches respectively, they come in at almost identical prices to their NA counterparts, albeit with slightly less points. Taking their recent matches into account, EU players might be the safer choice. 

• Support

  Over the last couple of games, Nyph has become first in the overall ranking of the season. With Alliance’s week ahead, he could once again assist his team in keeping the EU LCS number one spot, bringing you a good bunch of points in the process for only $1,175.

  Alternatives: You’d rather put your money on some NA support? Aphromoo ($1,140) and Gleeb ($1,165) have scored even better than Nyph over the last weeks, but they have some hard matches coming their way. If you’d rather play it safe and stick with an NA player, Xpecial ($885) has scored well with Curse, rising from the bottom of the rankings. If you think they’ll do well once again this week, he’s your support!

Now it’s up to you! Log on to ESL Fantasy and select your winning lineup. Additionally, if you want to share your pickups and tips for this week, be sure to put them in the comments below!