League of Legends LCS power rankings: Week 7
By Josh Tyler
Week 7 of the LCS is done and behind us, with most of the top of the playoff bracket locked up. Which NA League of Legends teams are in the best positions to lock up the final two playoff spots?
In last week’s League of Legends action, Team Liquid won a grudge match over Cloud9 to clinch the number one spot. Most of the top of the LCS power rankings is still the same so most of the intrigue will surround the teams in the middle of the pack, clawing for those final playoff spots.
10. Echo Fox (4-10)
Echo Fox had a rough weekend, dropping games to OpTic and FlyQuest. While those are two teams in the playoff hunt, eSports historian Thoorin recently dropped a video detailing the many issues of the Echo Fox organization.
This is a team with a lot of issues, and they still have to play Cloud9 and Liquid in the last two weeks. To say that it’s a long shot that they win out and end the season close to .500 is an understatement.
9. CLG (5-9)
A lot of people will balk at my putting CLG below a team like 100 Thieves, considering they are still technically in the hunt for a playoff spot. However, it’s deserved after they lost games this weekend to Clutch and Golden Guardians. Those are two teams that CLG really needed to beat to put themselves in a solid spot going into the last two weeks.
Another reason that they are rated so low is that, statistically, CLG has the worst or second-worst ranked player at three of the five positions. Other than Biofrost and PowerofEvil, CLG is struggling mightily to figure out who they can rely on to play well, as evidenced by their decision to sub out Stixxay – the worst ADC in the LCS – for rookie Auto.
8. 100 Thieves (4-10)
Despite losing both games this weekend to TSM and Cloud9, 100 Thieves may – incredibly – have the easiest road to catching those teams currently in a playoff spot even though they’re two games behind. In the last two weeks of the Spring Split, they play FlyQuest, Echo Fox, CLG, and OpTic.
7. Clutch (5-9)
A loss to FlyQuest before taking the needed win over CLG keeps Clutch in striking distance of the playoffs for now. Unfortunately, they end the season playing Liquid, Golden Guardians, TSM, and Cloud9.
The team has been bolstered by the incredible play of late from top laner Huni and jungler LirA, which has boosted their overall strength as a team despite their middling record. Clutch may be – statistically – the best team not currently in the playoffs, but they have the unquestioned hardest road into the playoffs.
6. OpTic (6-8)
OpTic gets to play 100 Thieves and CLG in the last two weeks, making that win over Echo Fox quite crucial. If they split the rest of the games of the season and end the split 8-10, they’ll have a good shot at holding this final spot. One guy to be concerned about for OpTic is top laner Dhokla, who is rated the worst in his position.