Fantasy Esports Picks: CS:GO (IEM): Top DraftKings DFS Targets for December 18

More action is coming your way from the IEM Global Challenge on Friday, including a blockbuster matchup between Astralis and Vitality. We take a look at the reasons to back some players on your DraftKings roster from the two-game slate.

Set your DraftKings lineup here: CS:GO $40K Quickscope [$10K to 1st] (IEM)

Captain

ZywOo ($13,200)

One of the most difficult traits in professional CS:GO is consistency. The best players separate themselves from the rest by being disciplined and consistent. ZywOo is now the best player in the world as a result of just that. He put in yet another high positive K-D performance in the previous game against Complexity on Wednesday with 38 kills and 24 deaths at an average damage per round of 99.5.

Others to consider: device ($12,900)

High-priced flex options

device ($8,600)

Astralis was beaten 22-19, 16-10 in the previous game by BIG. Despite a straight-maps loss, device still had a productive outing with 44 kills and 41 deaths. That level of production increases exponentially when Astralis is able to win without dropping a map. That might not be the case against the might of Vitality but there is still a serious chance that device has a stellar individual performance.

NAF ($7,400)

NAF can occasionally be undervalued on this Liquid team. He doesn’t quite have the same killing proficiency as some of his colleagues, which is understandably a liability. However, he has a steadier all-round game, which ensures his death rate isn’t as high. In the previous game, against Natus Vincere on Thursday, he had 42 kills and 36 deaths. He is a solid option for Liquid if EliGE ($7,800) doesn’t quite hit his best.

yuurih ($8,200)

Three players finished with high K-Ds in the previous game against Heroic for Furia. yuurih was predictably one of them. He has been arguably the most consistent player in his team this year, which is a crucial fantasy characteristic in a topsy-turvy sport like CS:GO. Instead of wondering which player to choose on the day, it’s a tested strategy to back the more consistent player because there is more reliability in his game.

Others to consider: EliGE ($7,800)

Value flex options

dupreeh ($7,200)

dupreeh led Astralis in kills against BIG. He had 48 kills with 47 deaths at an average damage per round of 77.7. Based on his level alone, he would be an automatic choice in many fantasy rosters at this price. The fact that he is from Astralis makes for a happy stacking opportunity. He has also been averaging a high fantasy output of 59.5 DKFP per game.

shox ($6,400)

shox is probably second-in-command in this Vitality set-up behind ZywOo. He is coming off a team-leading performance against Complexity that included 39 kills and 21 deaths. He had a 1v2 successful clutch win, as well as an ace (all five kills in a single round) on the first map. To be able to draft a player of his quality at a price of just $5,400 is an absolute steal.

Others to consider: Grim ($6,200)

Set your DraftKings lineup here: CS:GO $40K Quickscope [$10K to 1st] (IEM)

Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.

Nikhil Kalro is the Founder and CEO of Altletics Esports.