jL Picked by One in Five BLAST Porto Fantasy Teams as Vitality Stand-In

Justinas “jL” Lekavicius has quickly become one of the most intriguing Fantasy selections for BLAST Open Porto 2026, with roughly one in five teams selecting the Lithuanian stand-in ahead of the group stage.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his temporary place in Vitality, jL is already the organization’s most-picked player in the HLTV Fantasy game. Spirit superstar Danil “donk” Kryshkovets remains the overall favorite, appearing in 38% of submitted lineups at the time of HLTV’s August 25 update.

Quick Summary

Detail	Status
Event	BLAST Open Porto 2026
Fantasy stage	Group Stage
jL Fantasy price	$200,000
jL pick rate	Roughly 20%
jL popularity	7th most-picked overall
Vitality popularity	jL is the team's most-picked player
Most-picked player	donk
donk pick rate	38%
donk Fantasy price	$245,000
Vitality change	jL replaces mezii
Reason	mezii is on paternity leave
Group-stage format	Two 8-team double-elimination groups, all matches BO3
Event dates	August 26–September 6, 2026

The Fantasy selection data was reported by HLTV on August 25 and can continue changing until the game locks.

What Happened: jL Becomes Vitality’s Most Popular Porto Fantasy Pick

The biggest uncertainty around Vitality heading into BLAST Open Porto has also created one of the group-stage Fantasy game's most popular value propositions.

jL has been priced at $200,000 — effectively a neutral valuation reflecting the difficulty of projecting his performance as a temporary member of Vitality. Fantasy managers have nevertheless backed the former NAVI player heavily.

According to HLTV, roughly every fifth submitted lineup contained jL when its Fantasy update was published. That made him the seventh most-picked player in the game and, notably, the most-selected Vitality player.

The attraction is understandable from a Fantasy perspective.

A $200,000 price does not require the same investment as the game's premium superstars, while jL is entering an established Vitality lineup containing Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Robin “ropz” Kool and Shahar “flameZ” Shushan.

What remains unknown is how quickly the temporary lineup can translate its individual quality into Fantasy points.

Why jL Is Playing for Vitality in Porto

jL is standing in for William “mezii” Merriman at BLAST Open Porto 2026 while the British player takes paternity leave. HLTV lists the substitution specifically for the event.

That makes Porto fundamentally different from evaluating an established five-player lineup.

Vitality's Porto lineup

Player	Porto status
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire	Starting lineup
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut	Starting lineup
Robin “ropz” Kool	Starting lineup
Shahar “flameZ” Shushan	Starting lineup
Justinas “jL” Lekavicius	Stand-in for mezii
William “mezii” Merriman	Paternity leave for the event

The substitution is confirmed for BLAST Open Porto, but it should not be interpreted as evidence of a permanent Vitality roster change.

Spirit Star donk Still Leads BLAST Porto Fantasy Selections

While jL provides the most interesting Vitality storyline, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets is the clear overall favorite among Fantasy managers.

The Spirit star was present in 38% of teams in HLTV's August 25 snapshot despite carrying a $245,000 price tag.

That premium valuation follows another major individual performance: donk enters Porto after earning the MVP award at the Esports World Cup, where Spirit defeated FUT 3-1 in the final.

His opening path also helps explain his popularity.

Spirit begin against DENDELE in the group quarter-final. The winner advances to meet the winner of G2 versus Aurora. HLTV specifically highlighted the possibility of Spirit collecting Fantasy “padding” through their group-stage path.

That makes the contrast between the two popular selections particularly interesting:

Player	Team	Price	Pick rate	Fantasy proposition
donk	Spirit	$245,000	38%	Premium superstar
jL	Vitality	$200,000	~20%	Stand-in/value gamble

The final column is analysis rather than an official Fantasy classification.

Background: BLAST Open Porto 2026

BLAST Open Porto runs from August 26 through September 6 and features 16 teams competing across Copenhagen, Denmark and Porto, Portugal.

HLTV lists the total event prize pool at $1.1 million, divided into $400,000 in player prize money and $700,000 in club share. The tournament is also classified as a ranked event.

The group stage consists of two eight-team double-elimination groups, with every match played as a best-of-three.

Group winners advance directly to the playoff semi-finals. Teams finishing second and third move into the quarter-finals. The playoffs then use a single-elimination bracket, with BO3 matches before a BO5 grand final.

Confirmed field

Spirit, Falcons, FURIA, Vitality, MOUZ, FUT, Legacy, Natus Vincere, G2, Aurora, 9z, paiN, Lynn Vision, DENDELE, Inner Circle and M80 are listed among the 16 participating teams.

Why the jL Fantasy Pick Matters

jL's approximately 20% selection rate is notable for reasons extending beyond simple popularity.

First, there is unusually high uncertainty attached to his price. Fantasy valuations normally benefit from a player's established role and recent performances within the same lineup. jL's Porto situation offers much less directly comparable information.

Second, his popularity creates meaningful ownership risk.

If jL performs strongly, managers who avoid him could lose ground to a sizable share of the Fantasy field. If the temporary Vitality setup struggles, his approximately $200,000 neutral valuation could instead become an opportunity for managers who invested elsewhere.

Third, Porto provides an early competitive test of how Vitality functions without mezii.

Fantasy ownership therefore offers an interesting snapshot of community expectations before the matches begin: managers are willing to accept the uncertainty surrounding jL because of his price and the team around him.

It does not, however, establish that jL will outperform Vitality's regular starters.

Timeline

Date	Development
July 1, 2026	jL departs Natus Vincere
August 4, 2026	jL's Vitality stand-in move is officially reported for mezii's absence
August 25, 2026	HLTV reports jL is in roughly one fifth of Porto group-stage Fantasy teams
August 25, 2026	jL ranks seventh in overall ownership and first among Vitality players
August 25, 2026	donk leads Fantasy ownership at 38%
August 26, 2026	BLAST Open Porto begins
September 6, 2026	Scheduled tournament conclusion

HLTV's news archive records jL's NAVI departure on July 1 and the Vitality stand-in announcement on August 4.

Key Details

Category	Detail
Main storyline	jL selected by roughly one in five Fantasy managers
Team	Vitality
Stand-in	Justinas “jL” Lekavicius
Replaced player	William “mezii” Merriman
Absence reason	Paternity leave
jL price	$200,000
jL ownership	~20%
jL overall popularity	7th
Most-picked Vitality player	jL
Fantasy ownership leader	donk
donk ownership	38%
donk price	$245,000
donk team	Spirit
Event	BLAST Open Porto 2026
Event field	16 teams
Event dates	Aug. 26–Sept. 6
Confirmation status	Confirmed Fantasy data snapshot / confirmed stand-in

Impact Analysis

Fantasy impact

jL creates a classic risk-versus-price decision.

His $200,000 valuation leaves considerably more budget flexibility than donk's $245,000 price, but managers have less evidence for projecting how he will perform inside Vitality.

That uncertainty is exactly what makes his ownership significant.

At approximately 20%, jL is neither a niche differential nor a near-universal selection. His results could therefore create a meaningful separation between Fantasy lineups.

Vitality impact

The competitive implications are broader than Fantasy.

Vitality must temporarily integrate a player into a lineup normally built around mezii. Individual skill alone does not guarantee a seamless substitution, particularly when established communication, positioning and responsibilities are disrupted.

Specific tactical responsibilities for jL at Porto had not been detailed in the cited Fantasy report, so any exact role assignment should remain TBD until confirmed through matches or team comments.

Spirit impact

Spirit enter from the opposite position.

Rather than uncertainty around a stand-in, their Fantasy appeal centers on donk's proven individual output and favorable perception of their group-stage path.

His 38% ownership despite a $245,000 price demonstrates how strongly Fantasy managers are prioritizing his potential ceiling.

VRS and Ranking Impact

BLAST Open Porto is listed as a ranked event, with HLTV showing a July 6 VRS date and a $1 million VRS weight.

However, this article does not project specific ranking movements for Spirit, Vitality or any other participant.

Those outcomes depend on tournament results and the applicable ranking calculations. Any exact post-Porto VRS changes therefore remain TBD.

What Changes Now?

For Vitality, the immediate change is straightforward: jL enters the active five for Porto while mezii is unavailable.

For Fantasy managers, the decision is less straightforward.

jL's ownership means his performance can influence a large number of entries, while donk's 38% selection rate makes Spirit's star an even larger component of the Fantasy metagame.

There is another important distinction: HLTV's current Fantasy game covers the group stage only. A separate playoff game is scheduled to go live after the groups conclude.

Fantasy managers therefore do not need to evaluate the entire tournament when constructing this particular lineup.

What to Watch Next

jL's role inside Vitality: The opening matches should provide the first concrete evidence of how Vitality redistributes responsibilities without mezii.

Whether jL's ownership continues rising: The roughly 20% figure is a snapshot rather than a guaranteed final percentage.

donk's premium value: At $245,000 and 38% ownership, donk has the largest combination of price and popularity among the players highlighted by HLTV.

Spirit's group-stage route: Spirit's opening match against DENDELE will test the expectations behind donk's heavy ownership.

Vitality's temporary lineup performance: Porto will show whether the team can maintain its competitive level while incorporating jL.

Playoff Fantasy: A separate game is expected after the group stage concludes.

Related Teams, Players and Events

Teams

• Spirit

• Vitality

• Natus Vincere

• G2

• Aurora

• DENDELE

Players

• Justinas “jL” Lekavicius

• Danil “donk” Kryshkovets

• William “mezii” Merriman

• Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut

• Robin “ropz” Kool

• Dan “apEX” Madesclaire

• Shahar “flameZ” Shushan

Event

• BLAST Open Porto 2026

• BLAST Open Porto 2026 Group Stage Fantasy

Region

• Europe / international competition

• Group stage: Copenhagen, Denmark

• Event also staged in Porto, Portugal

Article date

• August 25, 2026

Confirmation status

Confirmed. HLTV's Fantasy ownership figures are a pre-event snapshot and may change as additional teams are submitted. jL's substitution for mezii at Porto is also confirmed.

FAQ

How many BLAST Porto Fantasy teams have picked jL?

Roughly one in five submitted teams featured jL when HLTV published its August 25 Fantasy update. That placed him seventh among all players in ownership.

How much does jL cost in BLAST Open Porto Fantasy?

jL is priced at $200,000. HLTV described the price as neutral because his performance as a Vitality stand-in is difficult to project.

Why is jL playing for Vitality?

jL is replacing William “mezii” Merriman for BLAST Open Porto while mezii takes paternity leave. The move is an event-specific stand-in arrangement based on the currently confirmed information.

Who is the most-picked BLAST Porto Fantasy player?

Spirit's donk leads ownership at 38% in HLTV's August 25 snapshot. He costs $245,000.

When does BLAST Open Porto 2026 start?

The tournament begins on August 26, 2026 and is scheduled to conclude on September 6. The 16-team event carries a total $1.1 million prize pool.