Fantasy Esports Picks: CS:GO (ESL) Top DraftKings DFS Targets for August 19

ESL One Cologne resumes on Wednesday with six more games across the Europe and North American regional tournaments. We break down DraftKings’ six-game slate with suggestions for Captain and flex positions.

Set your DraftKings lineups here: CS:GO $35K Quickscope [$10K to 1st] (ESL)

Captain

S1mple ($15,300)

Even though he doesn’t like to admit it, S1mple is arguably the best CS:GO player in the world right now. He had carried Natus Vincere to the top of the rankings almost single-handedly. He still leads his team through tricky tournaments with his proficiency with the AWP. He has averaged 75.5 DKFP per game, highest for any player on this slate.

Others to consider: Niko ($13,500)

High-priced flex options

Niko ($9,000)

Disclaimer to start. There are two Nikos in this game. This is Niko from Faze. Niko has been just behind S1mple in overall kill output. The difference between the two players has been Niko’s higher death rate, which has led to a lower K/D ratio. Niko also has some help from his colleagues. Still, this is an easy inclusion considering Niko is one of the best players in this sport.

Elige ($9,600)

Elige has led Liquid through a tough transition. The last 12 to 18 months have not been kind to Liquid, the former world No. 1 team. Somehow, the team has managed to hold a strong presence in the top 10, primarily due to Elige’s K-D prowess. He should lead Liquid with another strong kill performance against a tricky opponent in Cloud9.

BlameF ($10,600)

After Bubzkji’s departure, Mad Lions has lost plenty of firepower. That may allow Complexity to use its own depth and penetration to keep a strong in-game economy. That will, in turn, help BlameF rack up the kills with long-range weapons, including the AK and the AWP. He is a tad too expensive but he should still provide fantasy value.

Others to consider: Cerq ($9,400).

Value flex options

Hunter- ($8,600)

Hunter- has also lost a bit of his offensive rhythm in this unprecedented year as all tournaments have moved to an online format. That has impacted his output in a massive way. Still, a break would have helped Hunter refresh and reset. Hunter is still the most proficient killing weapon for G2, averaging well over 0.70 kills per round.

Coldzera ($7,200)

This is a stacking play from Faze. Heroic is a decent team but nowhere close to the level of Faze on paper. Coldzera has continually been underrated, as is evidenced by his affordable price of $7,200. When he gets hot, he usually stays hot. If he finds some fluency, he could easily hit 50 kills in a two-map game. He has averaged 54.5 DKFP per game.

Others to consider: Grim ($7,800).

Set your DraftKings lineups here: CS:GO $35K Quickscope [$10K to 1st] (ESL)

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Nikhil Kalro is the Founder and CEO of Altletics Esports.