Postseason Overwatch League grades: The Fuel had superstars on the damage line, but not everyone bought in

Ah, the Dallas Fuel DPS line. It was the most electric and dramatic piece to the Fuel’s lineup and season.

To get it out of the way, Jang “Decay” Gui-un was the best player on Dallas all season despite parting ways with the team on Aug. 3.

He was their superstar and often carried fights and matches toward the beginning of the season. Because of Decay’s heroics, the Fuel found themselves in close matches against top teams like the defending champion San Francisco Shock.

Kim “DoHa” Dongha was also problem for opposing teams, partnering with Jang for most of the season. Those two made up the Fuel’s best damage line in the team’s history, and gave them an opportunity to compete no matter the strength of the opponent.

It’s important to note that the success of Decay is purely about gameplay. His ability to work with Fuel was another story, and this report card will get to that a bit later.

First, let’s look at some numbers.

Decay was one of the best Tracer players in the league. He averaged 8,879 damage per 10 minutes on the hero, which was the second best in the league among players that recorded at least 100 minutes on Tracer.

Decay’s Widowmaker was the highlight of the Fuel’s season. Dallas stomped Houston on Rialto in the May Melee after Decay’s explosion on Overwatch’s sniper and helped the Fuel record an Overwatch League best finish on the map.

His Zarya might have been his most dynamic hero of the season, and that’s something Fuel fans might not want to hear because he dominated on the offensive tank for another team.

Decay signed with the Washington Justice in time for the team to make a furious playoff run after struggling as one of the worst teams in the league all season prior.

Dallas saw its best player go carry another team, while the Fuel suffered from a lack of coordination and were in shambles after Jang left, along with the departure of the head coach and an assistant coach.

Kim became the Fuel’s star, and he was strong in the role. When OWL reached a Genji-heavy meta in time for the Summer Showdown he proved to be one of the best in the world.

DoHa averaged 10.4 final blows and 8,948 damage per 10 minutes on the hero -- third best in the league with 100 minutes played on Genji. He helped the Fuel stay competitive in the Summer Showdown against Paris on July 3.

The difficulty for the Fuel was replacing the value of Jang. Stefan “Onigod” Fiskerstrand stepped in on June 19 before and immediately got playing time because the Fuel’s superstar was refusing to practice, according to Envy Gaming Owner and Chief Gaming Officer Mike Rufail.

Onigod, a hitscan specialist on McCree, Ashe and Widowmaker, didn’t have all the cards in his deck because he was playing from Norway. That meant he was on anywhere from 150 to 200 ping in matches, making it hard for him to execute abilities and win one-on-one duels.

He was still impressive in moments, but couldn’t carry the Fuel past their synergy problems.

In fact, Onigod’s numbers on Ashe were comparable to Decay’s. He registered 10,490 damage per 10 minutes on the ranged-hero, while Decay’s mark was 10,596. Neither of them were in the top-10 of that category among OWL players.

Dallas' DPS line will receive the best grades from the season, but synergy issues are a team effort so they will reflect that. While Decay, DoHa and Onigod filled the highlight reel, they also cost the Fuel with solo plays and mistimed ultimates.

The Fuel can build for the future with their damage players if they choose, but the team has to be a working machine with all parts working in tandem.

Player grades

Jang “Decay” Gui-un: Performance A, Overall, C

Explanation: There’s a serious difference between Jang’s two grades for a reason. He was the Fuel’s best player and proved how valuable he could be for a team with Justice. That doesn’t mean holding out on practice wasn’t hurtful to the Fuel when they needed cooperation.

Kim “DoHa” Dongha: Performance B, Overall B+

Kim made more mistakes than Jang in matches as the team’s superstar, but he kept the Fuel afloat when they needed him. That’s not just with his gameplay. Fuel players have raved about Kim’s attitude and work ethic as a player. That helped his grade.

Stefan “Onigod” Fiskerstrand: Performance B-, Overall B

Fiskerstrand had as difficult a role as any player on the team being asked to fill in during the middle of the season with an ocean between him and his teammates. He also was filling the shoes of the team’s superstar. Because of that, Fiskerstrand exceeded expectations, but will be held to a higher standard if he returns for Dallas.