With only a few days left until The ELEAGUE Major 2017, our CS:GO experts have ranked the 16 teams ahead of their games in Atlanta. The Danes are on the rise, defending champions SK Gaming face an uphill battle for a three-peat and North America has a new champion .

These rankings were voted on by: Dennis Gonzales, Nicholas Doucet and Paul Park. Individual votes can be found at the bottom of this article.

Editors Note: All HLTV Ratings were from the last three months from Jan. 19.

16. HellRaisers

Player to watch: DeadFox, AWPer, 1.01 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

EPICENTER: Moscow - 7-8th

ESL Pro League Season 4 Europe - 11th

SL i-League Season 2 - 13-16th

It's been a long time since HellRaisers have been a top contender and the ELEAGUE Major will mark the team's first Major appearance since ESL One Katowice 2015.

The CIS squad come to the Major with few accomplishments under their belt outside of simply qualifying for the Major. Though it is worth mentioning that they qualified by defeating mousesports as well as Ninjas in Pyjamas and Cloud9, two teams that many community members believe should have been at the major.

HR will look to be the cause of several upsets in Atlanta, but we wouldn't hold our breath.

15. Team Liquid

Player to watch: EliGE, rifler, 1.09 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 North America - 7th

IEM Season XI Oakland - 7-8th

Northern Arena Montreal - 5-6th

If there was ever a case to be made about the impact of a single player on a team, you wouldn't have to look further than Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev's short time with Team Liquid, as the young player took Liquid to the Grand Finals during the ESL One Cologne 2016 Major. Since the Ukrainian star's departure from the North American-based team, they've had a sharp dip of performance.

Their downward trajectory did not stop after they signed former SK Gaming coach Wilton "zews" Prado as their interim coach, as they were eliminated in both Northern Arena Montreal and IEM Season XI Oakland's group stage. The team has also failed to qualify for DreamHack Masters Las Vegas as they were defeated 2-1 by the Detroit Renegades and 2-0 by compLexity Gaming during the qualifier.

With such a weak string of results heading into the ELEAGUE Major, only the most die-hard fans will put much stock into the fallen NA heroes.

14. GODSENT

Player to watch: flusha, rifler, 1.11 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Mountain Dew League Season 23 Europe - 4th

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Europe - 6th

DreamHack Winter 2016 - 3-4th

When a team changes up its roster, there's often a honeymoon period where the team sees a bump in performance. Unfortunately, this was not the case after the much-maligned Swedish Shuffle between GODSENT and Fnatic, as both teams saw a dip in their performance shortly after the high-profile trade. In fact, the shuffle has been so underwhelming that it's since been partially reverted, with further reports of JW and flusha intending to rejoin Fnatic.

GODSENT don't have much to show for their numerous roster changes, but the team notably qualified for the Major by taking out HellRaisers, G2 Esports, and Nordic favorites North. They've also made the conscious decision to drop out of WESG 2016 to focus on the Major, even though WESG's prize pool dwarfed the Major's.

We're doubtful that their sacrifice will bear fruit, as we've unanimously ranked the team in 14th.

13. FlipSid3 Tactics

Player to watch: WorldEdit, AWPer, 1.15 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

DreamHack Leipzig 2017 - 1st

DreamHack Winter 2016 - 5-6th

iBUYPOWER Masters 2016 - 7-8th

With FlipSid3 Tactics' Top 8 finish at the ESL One Cologne 2016 Major, which secured them a spot at the ELEAGUE Major, Yegor "markeloff" Markelov continued his Major streak as he is one of only a handful of players to have attended every single CS:GO Major. That's 10 Majors in a row for markeloff, which is nothing to scoff at, but it's not an achievement that's inspired us much confidence in the team.

Though their Top 8 finish in Cologne was a notable achievement, it was a performance that proved to be an exception for the team and not a rule. And with the Swiss system being used for the group stage, there should be theoretically less outlier results, which is often where F3 find success.

F3 have caused upsets before in high profile events, but the tournament's format is working against them making a Top 8 finish.

12. Gambit Gaming

Player to watch: mou, AWPer, 1.25 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

DreamHack Winter 2016 - 1st

Mountain Dew League Season 23 - 15th

Acer Predator Masters Season 3 - 1st

Much like F3, Gambit Esports are a CIS team that have long floated in the lower end of the Top Tier. And same as with F3, when considering their Major prospects, they have a tendency of giving analysts pause.

Under the leadership of ex-Natus Vincere player Danylo "Zeus" Teslenko and with rising Kazakh star Abay "HObbit" Khasenov at the forefront of the team, this is ostensibly the strongest roster that Gambit have fielded to date and it's shown in their recent results as they won DreamHack Winter 2016 and qualified for DreamHack Masters Las Vegas.

Though there are some caveats in that string of success — as their most noteworthy opponent was OpTic Gaming, who they defeated in a best-of-one. It doesn't take away from their success, but there's a big asterisk when looking at Gambit's potential run through the Major group stage.

Gambit can muster wins, which will help pad their wallets, but we don't expect them to achieve Legend status again.

11. Fnatic

Player to watch: dennis, IGL, 1.13 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Europe - 10th

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 9-12th

EPICENTER: Moscow - 5-6th

A year is a lifetime in esports and 2016 was not kind to Fnatic. They went from winning six consecutive LAN events near the start of 2016 to a team that's barely considered top tier at the start of 2017.

They've tapped the well of upcoming Swedish players, from young gun Jonas "Lekr0" Olofsson to potential IGL John "wenton" Eriksson, but neither stuck. They've shown some promise with former-Epsilon eSports star Joakim "disco doplan" Gidetun, such as their qualification for DreamHack Masters Las Vegas, it's not a clear indication of their return to form.

Fnatic are in recovery mode and are not expected to be 100 percent at the Major.

10. mousesports

Player to watch: NiKo, IGL, 1.09 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 5-8th

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Europe - 7th

IEM Season XI Oakland - 11-12th

After failing to achieve Legend status at the last two Majors, it's been a tough go for mousesports and Nikola "NiKo" Kovač fans. NiKo's shown an insane amount of potential, second only to s1mple, but he and the rest of the team have caved when it mattered most.

mouz have a few things going for them at the ELEAGUE Major as the addition of Christian "loWel" Antoran added some much needed stability to the lineup and the "extra life" from the Swiss-format, compared to the GSL-style format, could help alleviate pressure in the group stage.

mouz' biggest enemy seems to be themselves and having seen them crumble under the pressure time and again, our faith has waned.

9. G2 Esports

Player to watch: shox, IGL, 1.12 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Europe - 5th

IEM Season XI Oakland - 5-6th

Northern Arena Montreal - 2nd

G2 Esports have been at the top of the French CS:GO scene, alongside rivals Team EnVyUs. They feature two big guns in Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom and IGL Richard "shox" Papillon, but they've fallen short at both Majors in 2016 and haven't shown anything recently that would defy that history.

It's not that G2 are a bad team, they just inexplicably fall apart during Majors. For all intents and purposes G2 should attain Legend status, but we're forced to hedge our bets given their Major history.

8. Natus Vincere

Player to watch: s1mple, AWPer, 1.17 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

IEM Season XI Oakland - 9-10th

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 9-12th

EPICENTER: Moscow - 3-4th

This iteration of Natus Vincere was once heralded as a dream team by both CS:GO fans and critics alike. But with only a single LAN title and a number of group stage exits since the team acquired s1mple six months ago, it's a fair to say that the boys in black and yellow haven't lived up to the hype.

Marred by inconsistencies, the "best team to never win a Major" don't look so hot going into the ELEAGUE Major. But crazier things have happened. After all, s1mple helped carry Team Liquid to a Grand Final appearance at the last Major, by what could only be described as a pure force of will.

A betting man would not count on a miracle and nor have we. While we mostly expect a Top 8 finish, our expectations are not all that high considering the immense amount of talent on the team.

6-7. Team EnVyUs

Player to watch: kennyS, AWPer, 1.16 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

World Electronic Sports Games 2016 - 1st

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Finals - 3-4th

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 13-16th

Team EnVyUs have had an inconsistent year in 2016, but after signing Christophe "SIXER" Xia they've had a return to form that, for some, has flown under the radar. They secured Top 4 finishes at Northern Arena 2016 Montreal and ECS Season 2, and won WESG 2016 which included a pot that's only $200,000 shy of the entire prize pool for the Major.

The money doesn't count for much in the Major, but a win does wonders for the spirit, something that nV were sorely lacking. With that momentum and their perceived stability, nV should be a Legend contender in Atlanta.

6-7. FaZe Clan

Player to watch: allu, AWPer, 1.08 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Finals - 5-6th

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 3-4th

IEM Season XI Oakland - 3-4th

FaZe Clan were a team that heavily relied on their firepower and puggy playstyle, but as the meta shifted away from that, largely thanks to the SK Gaming's dominance, FaZe were aimless for a better part of 2016. However, the addition of in-game leader Finn "karrigan" Andersen saw immidiate improvements.

At the tail end of 2016, the team has seen multiple Top 4 LAN finishes, with the only exception being ECS Season 2 where they were eliminated by eventual Grand Finalist OpTic Gaming.

Though the roster is still incredibly young, they have a lot going for them going into the Major but a lot of their success will hinge on karrigan and his calls mid-round.

5. North

Player to watch: Magiskb0Y, rifler, 1.15 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Finals - 5-6th

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 5-8th

DreamHack Winter 2016 - 7-8th

The former Team Dignitas squad have been a top contender for the better part of 2016 and finally had a breakout performance during EPICENTER: Moscow. They've largely kept up their form towards the end of 2016 and look poised for success under the North banner.

After the addition of René "cajunb" Borg and Emil "Magiskb0Y" Reif in the middle of 2016, the team seems to have finally come into their own. And with the backing of F.C. Copenhagen, Mathias "MSL" Lauridsen and the rest of the team should have the freedom they need to prepare in the best way possible.

The team could have placed better in the events leading up to the Major, but their results belie the potential of the team.

4. OpTic Gaming

Player to watch: mixwell, AWPer, 1.14 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 - 2nd

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 1st

DreamHack Winter 2016 - 7-8th

With the absence of Cloud9 from the ELEAGUE Major and Team Liquid's decline, the North American mantle has since been assumed by OpTic Gaming. Though they've been a top contender in NA, their international forays have left much to be desired.

The team finalized their roster with the addition of NA star Tarik "tarik" Celik and brought back IGL Peter "stanislaw" Jarguz but saw some middling results early on. However, after that adjustment period, things just fell into place. A first place finish at ELEAGUE Season 2 and second place finish at ECS Season 2 are strong results in and of themselves, but both Grand Finals were notably against Astralis, who are arguably the strongest team in the world right now.

While OpTic were one of our most divisive picks in the Top 8, there's no doubting their Legend status for the Major.

2-3. SK Gaming

Player to watch: coldzera, rifler/AWPer, 1.18 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 - 3-4th

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 3-4th

IEM Season XI Oakland - 2nd

Though there have been harder falls for previous CS:GO Major champions, SK's decline is one of the more storied and culminated in the temporary replacement of Lincoln "fnx" Lau for former FaZe Clan player Ricardo "fox" Pacheco.

It was a roster change that came fairly close to the Major, as fox will have only been with the team for over a month once the Major starts. Though fox was never meant to be an instrumental piece to the SK machine, only serving as a placeholder, another notable absentee will be Wilton "zews" Prado, who served as the "sixth member" in the team's previous Majors.

Even though the team is a fracture of what it was, the core of SK are still a Top 4 contender. We just aren't expecting a Major three-peat.

2-3. Virtus.pro

Player to watch: snax, rifler/AWPer, 1.07 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

World Electronic Sports Games 2016 - 3rd

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 5-8th

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Europe - 9th

There are not many constants in CS:GO, but if there is one, it's Virtus.pro attending a Major.

It's not unfair to say that VP were in a slump for good portions of 2016, but all of that was thrown out the window when the Majors rolled around. A Top 8 finish at the Columbus Major was followed by a Top 4 finish at the Cologne Major and this upward trajectory continued towards 2017 (online tournaments notwithstanding).

VP were served a somewhat embarrassing loss during WESG 2016 as they lost 2-0 against fellow Polish team Team Kinguin. It will surely leave a bad taste in their mouths heading to Atlanta, but VP have been Major Legends for the past seven Majors, that loss won't hold them down.

1. Astralis

Player to watch: dev1ce, AWPer, 1.24 HLTV rating

Last 3 Tournament Finishes:

Esports Championship Series Season 2 Finals - 1st

ELEAGUE Season 2 - 2nd

IEM Season XI Oakland - 3-4th

The Danes have been playing out of their minds and have shattered their semifinal curse after placing second at ELEAGUE Season 2 and winning ECS Season 2. Their success has largely coincided with the addition of Lukas "gla1ve" Rossander, who has introduced a new system which has clearly worked wonders.

The Danish squad have tapped into the potential they had in 2015, when they were still part of Team SoloMid, and look to be the strongest contender going into the Major.

There was little debate as we unanimously chose Astralis as our top pick.

Ranking Dennis Nic Paul 16 Team Liquid HellRaiser HellRaisers 15 HellRaisers Team Liquid FlipSid3 Tactics 14 GODSENT GODSENT GODSENT 13 Gambit Esports FlipSid3 Tactics Team Liquid 12 FlipSid3 Tactics Fnatic Gambit Esports 11 Fnatic mousesports mousesports 10 G2 Esports Gambit Esports Fnatic 9 mousesports G2 Esports Natus Vincere 8 Natus Vincere FaZe Clan G2 Esports 7 Team EnVyUs Natus Vincere Team EnVyUs 6 FaZe Clan Team EnVyUs FaZe Clan 5 North OpTic Gaming North 4 SK Gaming North Virtus.pro 3 Virtus.pro SK Gaming OpTic Gaming 2 OpTic Gaming Virtus.pro SK Gaming 1 Astralis Astralis Astralis

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