As we reach week seven, I can finally say that the NA LCS power rankings and standings have gone back to normal, at least somewhat. Again, we have three teams vying for the top spot in the region, a handful of other teams battling for playoff positions, and a few teams settled in at the bottom.

There are a few big storylines to follow for the last two weeks of the split. For example, can Cloud9 continue their impressive run through the second half of Summer? Could they be a possible top three team? On the other side of the coin, will Team Solo Mid find a way to claw back up the standings before the end of the season? Or will this horrible split cap off the worst year in the organization’s history?

Let us take a look at the NA LCS power rankings for Week Seven.

1. Team Liquid (10-4) [↔️]

With wins against 100 Thieves and FlyQuest, it looks like Team Liquid is comfortably sitting atop the NA LCS power rankings. Even still, their week-seven matches were not complete stomps. Both games against 100 Thieves and FlyQuest were back and forth, with each team finding advantages down the stretch.

However, it would be Team Liquid’s superior team fighting, as well as Doublelift’s ability to carry on Kai’sa, that would provide the difference. Also, Xmithie was playing great on Kindred over the weekend, a champ he is very familiar with. I still think that Olleh has some work to do as support, but I do think that consistent success as a team will be good for his growth and return to form.

In the second to last week of the split, TL is going up against some pretty easy competition in Cloud9 and OpTic Gaming. The standings are still close, so if Liquid wishes to stay on top of the pack, they’ll need to take these two wins going into the playoffs.

2. Echo Fox (9-5) [⬆ 1]

Echo Fox finally bounces back with a 2-0 of their own this week. They were stuck in a perpetual 1-1 record for the past few weeks now. However, it looks like having a presence in the bottom lane has worked wonders for their confidence and late-game plays.

Lost and Smoothie have been playing well for Echo Fox, with Smoothie’s shotcalling and leadership helping the team in tough situations late in the game. A great example was in their close game against Team Solo Mid, where they would call for a backdoor of the TSM base.

Having reliable laners for Dardoch to trust is key here, as Damonte has been looking decent over the past few weeks that he has started. I still think that Echo Fox will have to prove themselves against Team Liquid and 100 Thieves, who they have matches against in the last two weeks of the split.

3. 100 Thieves (9-5) [⬇ 1]

And, at least for now, the North American crown is still out of reach for Aphromoo and the 100 Thieves. In their Team Liquid match, their early game was looking great, with good roams from AnDa and Ryu. However, after being outplayed in a couple team fights, they were on the receiving end of a tough loss.

I do believe that AnDa needs to press their advantage whenever an opportunity presents itself. Xmithie was level one at four minutes. FOUR minutes. I was so surprised that 100 Thieves weren’t able to push the envelope against TL, with how behind Xmithie was.

On the other hand, their other game in week seven against the Golden Guardians was clean and controlled. They were able to pounce on any weakness that GGS would show, and their decision making was on point in every team fight. They need to exemplify that poised, calculated style of attack every time they hit the Rift.

4. Cloud9 (7-7) [⬆ 1]

Look out, the new and improved Cloud9 roster is taking the power rankings by storm! Well, maybe not by storm, but I do think that if they solidified their roster earlier, they would be a top-three team in the NA LCS. For example, in the last four weeks, they’ve only lost two games. This is a stark difference to the abysmal start they had to the season. Week seven was no different, with C9 taking two wins against Counter Logic Gaming and Clutch Gaming.

It feels like the shotcalling and communication has drastically changed between team members. When listening to the comms in the Mic Checks, there’s a completely different feeling from the comms from the last split with Smoothie on the team. This move to a more group-centric shotcalling system has improved Cloud9, as far as we can see.

Blaber seems to be transitioning quite well into the NA LCS, with his aggressive playstyle being complemented by the precise, calculated attack from Sneaky and Jensen. This team has moved from being a possible playoff team to being one of the favorites, once again.

5. OpTic Gaming (7-7) [⬆ 1]

OpTic Gaming looks like one of the more exciting teams to watch in the NA LCS. Their tendency to try risky moves is what makes them such an enjoyable team for fans right now. However, they did get beaten down by Clutch Gaming this week, even though it took more than 40 minutes. They still have holes in the gameplan, but with a little more time, those too can be fixed.

Their win against FlyQuest was a great example of their all-in style of play working well. Even when behind, Dhokla is diving into the carries, and the team is playing with a new found confidence. They were able to push back from a 6,000 gold deficit to come back and win the match.

The playoffs are still in reach for this budding new squad. However, they have one of the hardest weeks of any team next weekend. They face off against Echo Fox and Team Liquid, two of the best teams in the NA LCS.

6. FlyQuest (7-7) [⬇ 2]

Just when I was dishing out praise in last weeks’ power rankings for FlyQuest, they manage to shut my hopes down. Week seven hasn’t looked good for their chances at playoffs. They were taken out pretty convincingly by Team Liquid, and they threw a 6K gold lead against OpTic Gaming for a 0-2 weekend.

They still seem to have some underlying communication issues because their team fights always seem sloppy and disorganized. For example, in the game-losing team fight against Team Liquid, Keane is forced into his Zhonya’s Hourglass right at the start. Flame’s positioning didn’t allow him to do anything in the fight as well. Also, Wildturtle would waste several precious auto-attacks on Xmithie, who was in Kindred’s ultimate.

Again, the playoffs are still within striking distance, but FlyQuest needs to get their act together quick. They do have some winnable matchups next week against Clutch Gaming and Counter Logic Gaming, so they will try to hop up the standings again.

7. Team Solo Mid (6-8) [⬆ 2]

Team Solo Mid takes a very small step forward and miraculously hops up two spots in our power rankings. Yes, they lost against Echo Fox in a very familiar manner, but they were working together at a more proactive rate than before. They were also much more committed to plays, even though they made mistakes.

However, there are still way too many issues to overly praise this team. There still seems to be communication and synergy issues across the board. This feels like the most disconnected TSM roster in the organization’s history.

Also, Grig doesn’t seem to be ready for the big stage, and it’s showing time and time again. He had such a huge lead with his Kindred and had nothing to show for it. It may be time to bring up MikeYeung from the NA Academy, now that TSM is committing to a more proactive style of play.

We need to see how far TSM can push themselves, as this is the most adversity they’ve had to deal with in some time. I still think this TSM squad will not make the playoffs this year, but maybe in the next two weeks, they can prove me wrong. As Bjergsen says, “We don’t have much time left to turn this split around so the next weeks are going to be crucial.”

8. Golden Guardians (5-9) [⬇ 1]

I was scared that Golden Guardians would lose steam leading up to the playoffs, and my fears have been realized. Even though the first half of the season was looking great, it seems that inconsistency has reared its ugly head for the boys in blue and gold.

I think that the Golden Guardians need to work on their mid- to late-game shotcalling. They would have decent early games, only to lose their footing going into the 20-minute mark. Lourlo is still playing decently, but Mickey, Deftly, and Contractz have not shown up in a few games now. With week seven behind us, there are not many chances for GGS to push for the playoffs. They are also facing some tough competition next week against Cloud9.

The miracle run for the Golden Guardians has probably ended, and they have taken their familiar spot at the bottom half of the power rankings.

9. Counter Logic Gaming (5-9) [⬇ 1]

A message to the faithful: this might be the last split you see some of your favorite players on this team. Another 0-2 week for CLG seems to have closed their road to the playoffs this split. They just haven’t been looking good at all recently. Their mid game has consistently been bad all season, and it hasn’t shown any signs of improvement.

They’ve made a big change with firing Coach Zikz, but I doubt that will do any good for them this season. Next season, I expect one or two players to leave or be replaced. I think that building around the bottom lane duo of Stixxay and Biofrost would be best, although Huhi hasn’t been terrible either.

Maybe finishing as one of the worst teams in the league would be a wake-up call for the organization. Everyone knows they need it.

10. Clutch Gaming (5-9) [↔️]

Although they went 1-1 this week, Clutch Gaming still has way too many problems to deal with. They are still playing way too scared, even when they have a lead. It’s like they are afraid to make a mistake, and so they prolong the game due to their fear. For example, in their win against OpTic Gaming, it took them so long to close out a game where they had a 10K gold lead for most of the match. They can’t expect results when they don’t take any risks.

Seeing Apollo and Hakuho in the lineup is nice, but they need to work on their confidence as a team. Maybe it’ll be something they can make progress with when the NA LCS offseason begins.

What do you think of our NA LCS week seven power rankings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If you missed last weeks power rankings, check us out here!