Draik04's Fantasy Guide: Gamers8 2023

There's a lot to look forward to with Gamers8 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

Gamers8 offers a different format when compared to the run-of-the-mill formats that other tournaments have run in recent years. Rather than a double-elimination group stage, a Swiss group stage, or whatever bizarre triple-elimination system BLAST runs for their groups, Gamers8 utilizes a 16-team single-elimination bracket, with all BO3 matches. As such, the name of the game is to aim for teams that will at least make it to the semifinals, as an early elimination will provide very little benefit even if the loser manages a strong performance before going out.

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:

• stavn (Heroic) - $217,000
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  + Relatively comfortable side of the bracket
  - Heroic did not show their normal consistency at Cologne

• sh1ro (Cloud9) - $222,000
  + Posted stellar rating at Cologne (1.23 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to win their opening match
  - Potential early ENCE matchup could cause problems

• ZywOo (Vitality) - $228,000
  + Posted stellar rating at Cologne (1.25 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  - Second-most expensive player of the event

• NiKo (G2) - $229,000
  + Posted event-best rating at Cologne (1.35 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  - Most expensive player of the event

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) - $225,000
  + Second highest-rated player at Cologne (1.34 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  - Hefty price tag

• cadiaN (Heroic) - $214,000
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  + Relatively cheap AWP pick
  - Heroic did not show their normal consistency at Cologne

• SunPayus (ENCE) - $216,000
  + Posted a strong rating at Cologne (1.17 rating)
  + Cheap compared to other star AWPers
  - Early Cloud9 matchup could cause problems

• s1mple (NAVI) - $211,000
  + Posted a strong rating at Cologne despite missing playoffs (1.14 rating)
  + Cheap compared to other star AWPers
  - NAVI may not be capable of making deep runs yet

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:

• Twistzz (FaZe) - $205,000
  - Inconsistent form since player break ended
  - FaZe struggled in Cologne
  - Potential early matchup against G2

• iM (NAVI) - $205,000
  - Struggled to replicate GamerLegion form on NAVI
  - Posted a 0.92 rating at Cologne
  - Potential early matchup against Vitality

• KRIMZ (fnatic) - $185,000
  - Posted a 0.93 rating at Cologne
  - Opening matchup versus Cloud9 will be tough
  - Potential early matchup versus ENCE after C9 game

• KSCERATO (FURIA) - $207,000
  - FURIA have had zero promise since recent signings
  - Posted a 0.97 rating at the IEM Cologne Play-In
  - Opening match versus NAVI, potential subsequent match versus Vitality

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) - $208,000
  + Sixth-highest-rated player at Cologne (1.21 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  + Heavy favorites in opening match versus 9INE

• sjuush (Heroic) - $207,000
  + Highest-rated Heroic player at Cologne (1.10 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event
  + Relatively comfortable side of the bracket

• HObbit (Cloud9) - $205,000
  + Had a resurgence in form at Cologne (1.11 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to win their opening match
  - Potential early ENCE matchup could cause problems

• Magisk (Vitality) - $205,000
  + 1.10 average rating throughout 2023
  + Posted solid rating at BLAST Groups (1.19 rating)
  + Team is strong contender to go far in the event

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 Gamers8, I've decided to run:

• cadiaN (Heroic) - Main AWP

• TeSeS (Heroic) - Eco Friendly

• dycha (ENCE) - Defender

• Magisk (Vitality) - Multi Fragger

• apEX (Vitality) - IGL

My rationale is as follows:

• Despite Heroic's subpar performance at Cologne, they are favorites for their side of the bracket, and offer some relatively cheap picks

• Likewise, Vitality are a strong team that offer picks that aren't outrageously expensive, with apEX allowing me to spread my cash elsewhere

• While I'm not necessarily huge on ENCE, dycha is inexpensive while also having the potential for solid individual output

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%

• IEM Cologne Playoffs - Top 13%

There are now only a few days for you to finalize your fantasy team for Gamers8. 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!