Top Teams Starting to Emerge in the LCS
After five weeks in the LCS, the strongest teams are finally rising to the top. Team Liquid, Cloud9, and TSM have proven themselves as contenders in this league before.
Below them, the rest of the league is struggling with inconsistency. In our power rankings, there is a tie for the sixth and final playoff spot. This matches the league standings, where four teams are tied with 4-6 records, and two more teams are just one game behind them.
Does that mean most of the league is below .500? Yes, it does. Welcome to the 2019 LCS, where almost everyone is struggling. Let’s dive into the rankings:
Power Rankings
| Rank | Team | Points |
| 1) | Team Liquid | 30 |
| 2) | Cloud9 | 27 |
| 3) | TSM | 23 |
| 4) | FlyQuest | 22 |
| 5) | Echo Fox | 17 |
| 6) | Golden Guardians | 14 |
| 6) | OpTic Gaming | 14 |
| 8) | 100 Thieves | 7 |
| 9) | CLG | 6 |
| 10) | Clutch Gaming | 5 |
Here’s a brief breakdown of how each team ended up where they did:
Struggles of 100 Thieves, CLG, and Clutch Gaming
Things are going from bad to worse for 100 Thieves. They had a huge lead over OpTic in their first game last Saturday, but somehow blew it all.
Clutch Gaming managed to win against Echo Fox last week by putting top laner Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon on a tank. However, they made a series of horrible decisions and ended up throwing against OpTic.
Middle of the Pack
OpTic got lucky in their matches against 100 Thieves and Clutch, but they also made strategic moves to prolong those games. They worked well as a team and didn’t lose focus.
Echo Fox suffered their first 0-2 week, breaking jungler Lee “Rush” Yoon-jae’s streak of not losing two games in a row. Despite that, they still maintain their spot in the power rankings. FlyQuest also went 0-2, but their tough opponents were Cloud9 and TSM, who are currently stronger teams.
The Top Contenders: Liquid, Cloud9, and TSM
Welcome back to the top, TSM. They are currently just one point ahead of FlyQuest, but most voters believe TSM is the stronger team. They have displayed strong objective control and are winning their lanes consistently. If they keep performing like this, they have a chance to challenge Liquid and Cloud9 at the top.
Liquid and Cloud9 are still the best teams in the league, but they are not perfect. These three organizations have invested heavily and drafted smartly to secure their positions. They will continue to dominate the league for the rest of the year.
All photos via Riot Games.