Max and Luchov rank among top PGL Astana fantasy picks

Fantasy pick statistics ahead of the PGL Astana 2026 playoffs show Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez and Luciano “luchov” Herrera among the five most-selected players, with max the third-most picked overall.

Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets lead pick rates at 37% each; zont1x is listed at $188,000 in the fantasy market.

Luchov is among the most-picked players despite not being a bronze-tier card; he recorded a 1.35 rating during the Swiss stage. Max also placed highly in Swiss-stage ratings, which contributed to his fantasy appeal.

The PGL Astana playoffs use an eight-team single-elimination bracket with a third-place decider. All matches are best-of-three except the grand final, which is best-of-five. Event format notes indicate quarter-final losers will have two elimination rounds while quarter-final winners continue through the rest of the bracket.

In the first round, 9z meets magic; both are the lowest-ranked playoff entrants. A 9z win would lead to matches against higher-ranked opponents in the following rounds.

Fantasy teams can be created on the event’s Fantasy page. User rewards include season points and sponsored skin prizes from Hellcase, including Huntsman Knife | Bright Water (Minimal Wear), M4A1-S | Player Two (Minimal Wear), AK-47 | Searing Rage (Factory New), AWP | Hyper Beast (Field-Tested) and Desert Eagle | Mecha Industries (Factory New).

The potential fantasy value of picking 9z players depends on 9z’s result against magic and on the players producing strong numbers across multiple matches.