Episode 7: Player Rankings

Each week, we rank the remaining players in order of the players we think are most likely to stay in the game to those who have the highest chance to be voted out next week. This player ranking is not definitive, but may provide a little insight on possible outcomes in the next episode. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Last week, I ranked most of the Yanuya tribe at the top because it was pretty clear they were going to dominate any immunity challenge. Fortunately, I was right! I also ranked Bradley second to last because the previews made it look like he was going to dig his own grave, which is exactly what happened. The merge is finally happening next week, which is always a difficult episode to predict because after two tribe swaps and three phases of tribal structures, it could shake out in any number of ways. The previews make it look like we will finally be seeing the Chris vs Domenick battle that we’ve been waiting for. If that’s true, who will join Team Chris and who will join Team Dom? And is it just me, or is this starting to look like Capt America vs Iron Man in a civil war of epic proportions? I can’t wait to see what happens!

Before I get to my rankings, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict what the teams are going to look like next week:

Team Chris (i.e. Captain America)

Sebastian, Angela, Michael, Jenna, Libby

Team Dom (i.e. Iron Man)

Wendell, Kellyn, Desiree, Chelsea

Like Black Widow, Laurel and Donathan will probably be caught in the middle. But which side will they choose?

Without further ado, here are my highly objective, definitive player rankings going into next week. Starting with Most Likely To Stay in the Game:

LAUREL (points earned: 3. Total points earned: 12)

I’m keeping Laurel at the top because she continues to make strong bonds with everyone around her and it’s difficult to see a scenario in which she will be targeted. Also, she will likely find herself with Donathan in a swing vote position, so she will probably be able to dictate the next vote (if it turns out to be a Dom vs. Chris battle, as the previews seem to indicate).

DONATHAN (points earned: 1. Total points earned: 11)

Donathan has made it through the premerge phase of the game, which is when he was most vulnerable. Now he can continue to build relationships and stay under the radar without making waves, and he should be able to safely coast along for awhile.

MICHAEL (points earned: 3. Total points earned: 9)

Idols are going to be extremely valuable at the merge, when everyone will be scrambling for a position in the new tribe. Michael could end up being an easy target if the Navitis stick together, but he will likely play his idol on himself if he senses any danger. For the first time in awhile, Michael’s stock has risen dramatically, at least for this episode.

WENDELL (points earned: 5. Total points earned: 18)

Wendell also has an idol, so he will likely play it if he finds himself in the crosshairs. That’s probably not going to happen though, unless Chris’ alliance decides to target Domenick’s closest ally if they’re afraid that Dom has the idol (which he does). Either way, Wendell will be fine.

DOMENICK (points earned: 3. Total points earned: 25)

Although Domenick may find himself in an epic battle between himself and Chris, he has the upper hand because he has an idol and a legacy advantage, which he can play at 13 (which is this episode). Even if Chris’ alliance gains more numbers, Dom himself will be safe for at least this vote.

JENNA (points earned: 3. Total points earned: 9)

The Malolos could still be in trouble, but Libby or Michael would probably be targeted way before Jenna’s name gets thrown around. Jenna is not a threat at all. In fact, most of the players probably don’t even remember that she’s there (except Sebastian of course).

CHELSEA (points earned: 1. Total points earned: 11)

Chelsea could get blowback from being associated with Domenick. Also, unlike Domenick’s other close ally, Wendell, she has no idol or advantage. She could be targeted in order to weaken Domenick’s alliance, but she’s not the most likely target.

DESIREE (points earned: 2. Total points earned: 10)

Desiree is Naviti strong, which could come back to bite her if Naviti disintegrates at the merge. However, there are bigger fish to fry on the Naviti tribe, such as Chris or Desiree’s buddy Kellyn.

KELLYN (points earned: 4. Total points earned: 13)

Kellyn has an extra vote, which could come in handy this episode. However, she is probably seen, at least by the Malolos, as the face of Naviti. If the Malolos get back together and try to blindside a Naviti, Kellyn could become a target. However, the Malolos won’t have a numbers majority, so that’s probably not going to happen, at least not yet.

LIBBY (points earned: 1. Total points earned: 10)

Of all the Malolos, Libby is the most vulnerable. She’s already gained a reputation as a sneaky, untrustworthy player, and she also has no idols or advantages. If Naviti decides to stick together for the next vote, Libby will probably be the first target.

ANGELA (points earned: 2. Total points earned: 13)

Like Sebastian, Angela is closely tied to Chris, which could definitely hurt her if Domenick’s alliance gains the numbers. Angela is definitely not a threat, but she could become a casualty in the Dom vs. Chris battle.

SEBASTIAN (points earned: 3. Total points earned: 13)

Sebastian will most likely reunite with his buddy Chris, and should Chris’ alliance not get a majority, it’s easy to see a scenario in which his best friend Sea Bass gets taken out by the opposing alliance.

CHRIS (points earned: 3. Total points earned: 17)

 After avoiding tribal council for seven episodes straight, Chris will finally have a chance to be voted out. I would love to see the Chris vs. Dom battle to continue over multiple episodes, but if it does happen this episode, it will probably come to an abrupt end. It’s possible for Chris to get a majority, especially if Donathan decides to side with him and brings Laurel over as well. However, it’s more likely that Chris gets voted out than Domenick. Chris’ best chance to survive the next vote is to win immunity, which based on his challenge record, is a real possibility.

Photo Credit: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment