One of the key items to look at during any fantasy season is the waiver wire. Each weekend, there are usually one or two players that no one expected to have a stellar performance. In terms of fantasy, those players become one of the hottest topics for discussion. There are always questions regarding stability from someone’s performance and if they can recreate the fantasy success after their breakout game. This is when the waiver wire becomes the toughest part of fantasy games – is it better to pick up the new player and drop a proven player? Or is it best to wait it out and have someone else pick up the one-game wonder?
Luckily for fantasy owners, one waiver wire move will not define a season (most of the time) so there is a bit of wiggle room when it comes to adds and drops. After this past weekend’s matches, there are plenty of excellent players waiting in the wings for teams that need to fix a few of their problem areas.
The Return of the Hit Scan
Ki-hyo “XZI” Jung, Paris Eternal
Before fans got to watch the walking highlight reel that was KSP, XZI was proving he should be in the conversation as one of the top adds from the Element Mystic roster. The most notable part of XZI’s weekend was his surprising start over fellow Paris hit-scan star Terrence “SoOn” Tarlier. SoOn is a fan-favorite and incredible talent on Widowmaker and McCree, making the benching especially stunning. Despite the initial loss against the Defiant, XZI and the rest of the Eternal showed a lot of promise for the future.
Once the rest of the Element Mystic teammates turn 18, Paris could be a fantasy OWL goldmine.
Kai “KSP” Collins, Los Angeles Valiant
People had been beginning to murmur that the LA Valiant had been over-performing in scrims, and opposing teams were surprised by the revamped roster. After an utterly dominant game against the Dallas Fuel, it became exceedingly obvious the secret was KSP. The rookie DPS for the Valiant absolutely tore apart the Fuel, leaving them scratching their heads as to how they could stop the British hit-scan. Opposing Dallas DPS, Gui-un “Decay” Jang, did everything in his power to slow down KSP, even providing some of the most insane turn around fights from the weekend. Prior to the weekend, KSP appears to be available in the majority of leagues. Don’t miss the opportunity to grab the emerging star early on this season.
Dominant D.Va Players
Se-Won “BERNAR” Shin, London Spitfire
All doubts about the Fusion University product disappeared after the first match against the NYXL. BERNAR impressed the New York audience, eating plenty of Blizzards and causing all sorts of issues for the New York DPS. After the first map the London squad struggled as a whole, but BERNAR did look and play like the stand-out off-tank he was back on FU. The primarily-rookie roster of the Spitfire did show a little sign of hope for their ability to hang with stronger teams, but there is plenty to work on for them moving forward. If he’s available, stash BERNAR for now and reap the benefits when London starts to bloom.
Caleb “McGravy” McGarvey, Los Angeles Valiant
Off-tank players go back and re-watch every dive from McGravy and Jae-ho “RaiN” Park. Their coordination while assassinating Widowmakers and Anas was absolutely beautiful. The aggressive nature of McGravy’s D.Va will be a bright spot for the Valiant as the season progresses. Not only does he secure kills on low-health heroes, he creates ample space for KSP to operate at the same time. The Valiant team may just become as fantasy dominant as the Vancouver Titans if they are able to build off of their impressive start. Check and see if McGravy is hanging out in the waivers, as he can be an extremely valuable fantasy asset in all types of leagues.
From OWWC to OWL
William “Crimzo” Hernandez, Dallas Fuel
The opening weekend was not kind to the Dallas Fuel. Going 0-2 is certainly not the start many Fuel fans had hoped to see, but they were given plenty of great moments from the home team. Another player getting a surprise start was flex-support Crimzo making his OWL debut. While his play may not have been the flashiest of the weekend, it was solid and solid players make for great fantasy roster additions. There is a little bit of doubt whether he keeps the starting job in Dallas, but for the time being Crimzo is worth a bench spot at the very least. Once Dallas is able to play around Decay, both DPS and supports should she a boost in fantasy numbers.
Brice “FDGoD” Monsçavoir, Paris Eternal
Fans should no longer doubt the “Reddit Lucio” playstyle in OWL.
FDGoD took the entire match against London into his own hands, and dominated in every aspect. It may seem like an exaggeration, but going back and watching the match again will confirm it is not. FDGoD was the focal point of several lost fights that turned into point captures, thanks to his ability to make plays from nothing. Assuredly, XZI was right behind him to pump out the necessary damage, but that does not diminish the impact FDGoD had in Paris’ win over London. There are only a few main-supports that can rival flex-support fantasy value and FDGoD is certainly on that level.
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