Draik04's Mini Fantasy Guide: IEM Cologne 2023 Playoffs

There's a lot to look forward to with the IEM Cologne Playoffs coming up, including taking part in HLTV's Fantasy leagues for a shot at securing some nice prizes, or in Dust2.us' public league for bragging rights. There is a wide range of factors to consider when trying to build a winning lineup. The goal of this guide is to give you a grasp of some strong teams and players in this event that you can make use of when crafting your squad!

Format Considerations

As there are only six teams in the single-elimination playoff bracket, you're going to want to have your finger on the pulse for who's going to be taking it all the way to the finals. Since this Fantasy event is so short, this guide will also be in a more condensed format than it usually is, featuring fewer players per section and shorter rationales.

High rollers: Strong but expensive players

A key piece to any successful team is a star player. If you want your fantasy team to rise to the top, you'll need to secure a star of your own as well. Star players can net you a significant amount of points thanks to their consistently strong performances, but it's important to budget accordingly as too many stars will set you back when building the rest of your team. Some star player picks worth considering this event are:

• ZywOo (Vitality) - $232,000
  + Third-highest rated player of the event (1.27 rating)
  + Quarterfinal start allows him to earn more points if Vitality go far
  + Does not face G2 in the semifinals

• sh1ro (Cloud9) - $223,000
  + Fifth-highest-rated player of the event (1.25 rating)
  + Quarterfinal start allows him to earn more points if Cloud9 go far
  + Does not face G2 in the semifinals

AWPers: Avoiding the $4,750 decoy

Equally important to the star player is the AWPer. In some cases, these players fulfill the role of the star while AWPing, but regardless of whether the AWPer you pick is a flashy star or a quiet but consistent performer, they should be a key component to your fantasy team, netting you plenty of points from both performances and roles. Here are just a few AWPers that stand out:

Here are just a few AWPers that stand out:

• m0nesy (G2) - $214,000
  + Highest-rated player of the event (1.33 rating)
  + Team are arguably favorites to win whole event
  - Semifinal start offers fewer opportunities for points

• cadiaN (Heroic) - $212,000
  + Posted a solid 1.11 rating, the third-highest on team
  + Quarterfinal start allows him to earn more points if Heroic go far
  - Slated to face G2 in semifinals

Wading through a minefield: Players to avoid

Whether it be because of cost, poor recent performances, or an unfortunate bracket placement, there are some players that it would simply be wise to avoid purchasing, as tempting as they may be. Players that you might be considering but probably shouldn't include:

• Ax1Le (Cloud9) - $217,000
  - Playing first match of the season, could sink or swim
  - Tough opening match against Vitality could lead to early exit
  + Does not face G2 in semifinals

• HooXi (G2) - $174,000
  - Semifinal start offers fewer opportunities for points
  - Despite G2's success in the group stage, only managed a 0.93 rating
  - Other options exist that are both cheap and could theoretically net more points

Balling on a budget: Cheap but effective players

Star player and AWPer choices tend to be fairly ubiquitous across fantasy teams; the real difference-maker is found in the players you round out the rest of your team with. Oftentimes, you'll want to have a cheap player on your squad to facilitate purchasing a high-performing star player, but it's important that they don't end up being a burden for your team. If you're looking for players that won't break the bank but will still net you results, look no further than here:

• huNter- (G2) - $196,000
  + Sixth-highest-rated player of the event (1.24 rating)
  + Team are arguably favorites to win whole event
  - Semifinal start offers fewer opportunities for points

• electroNic (Cloud9) - $202,000
  + Punched above his price point in the group stage (1.06 rating)
  + Quarterfinal start allows him to earn more points if Cloud9 go far
  + Does not face G2 in the semifinals

Honorable mentions: Rounding out your five

There are many options available to you when making your team, as has been mentioned previously, and a number of players not yet mentioned are still worth considering for a variety of reasons. These players could be on strong teams likely to make it far, consistent in their fragging output, or cheap enough to free up cash elsewhere for your team among other reasons. Players you may consider completing your roster with include:

Draik04's Dream Team

If you've gotten this far and still don't have a clue who to field, you can always take some inspiration from my perfect, immaculate team. For the IEM Cologne Playoffs, I've decided to run:

• m0nesy (G2) - Main AWP

• huNter- (G2) - Multi Fragger

• apEX (Vitality) - IGL

• flameZ (Vitality) - Attacker

• sjuush (Heroic) - Defender

My rationale is as follows:

• m0nesy and huNter- were G2's top performers in the groups, and my favorites to win the event outright

• Vitality could very well catch Cloud9 off guard, and I'm confident in their ability to beat ENCE in the semifinals

• sjuush played very well in the group stage, and Heroic could very well come out on top against Astralis and provide a close game against G2

Previous results

To be transparent with how I'm doing this season, I'll be sharing my overall placements at every event in the Fall 2023 Fantasy season so that you can see which events I crafted a sublime team or an embarrassment that should never have come to light. My placings so far are:

• BLAST Premier Fall Groups - Top 28%

• IEM Cologne Play-In - Top 19%

• IEM Cologne Group Stage - Top 74%

There is now less than a day for you to finalize your fantasy team for the IEM Cologne Playoffs. With all this valuable information in mind, you can now construct a team that even the sweatiest HLTV forum poster will fear. If you're confident in your team, show it off in Dust2.us' public league, where you can go head-to-head with some of North America's greatest fantasy minds. Best of luck in your fantasy endeavors!