LoL Rankings: 2016 Top Lane Spring Split Rankings

This article is part of our LoL Rankings series.

In the past, the top lane had often been a lonely island, where teams would send big, heavy, tank champions to slap each other with pool noodles while farming for 20 minutes, only to become viable when finally a team fight would break out. But that was not the case in 2015, when top laners were critical roles in their team and many players were able to break out and become carry threats for their teams across the League Championship Series (LCS). These top laners have created a new dynamic that has made games much more exciting and enjoyable to watch for spectators, as top champions use teleport ganks to make huge plays across the map early in the contest. As such, the top lane appears to be rounding into form and can finally rival mid lane assassins and attack damage carries (ADC) in terms of fantasy output.

At present, I think there are only a few options to consider in the early rounds of drafts and if you miss out on them you are better off looking elsewhere, rather than overpaying for an average top laner. Only two top laners finished in the top 20 in kills across the LCS compared to ten ADCs and eight mid laners. So even though the top lane is in the best shape it has been, you're still better off building your roster through ADCs and mid laners if you miss out on the best of the top lane.

Tier 1 (in alphabetical order): Darshan (ZionSpartan), Huni, sOAZ

Huni is the marquee top laner across the LCS and has distanced himself as the firm No. 1 in the position. A true carry threat, Huni lead all top laners in kills, finished third in creep score (CS), and fourth in assists during the 2015 Summer Split. His move to North America and a new team could have an impact on his performances during the Spring Split, but the chances are still high that he will be among the best players (not just top laners) in the new season.

Darshan, formerly ZionSpartan, had an extremely strong Summer Split which ended with CLG winning the LCS title. He finished third in kills, seventh in assists, but only fifteenth in CS. Like Huni, Darshan has shown the ability to play carry champions such as Gnar, Fizz, Rumble, and Olaf, leading to a high amount of kills. With Doublelift's move away from CLG, look for Darshan to remain a carry threat, perhaps the main carry, for the team moving into the new season.

sOAZ lacked the amount of kills the other members of this tier received during the Summer Split, but where he lacked in kills he made up for in assists and steady play in the top lane. He finished eighth in kills, third in assists, and thirteenth in CS. A lot of people though sOAZ was washed up when Origen returned to the LCS in the Summer, but he provided a reliable top lane option throughout the season. The reason I include him in this top tier is that he had shown the ability and the World Championships and IEM San Jose to play a carry top lane role as well, and he also plays for what looks like the best European team at the moment which should help his fantasy production.

Tier 2: Cabochard, Gamsu, Hauntzer, Impact, Odoamne

If you miss out on taking a top laner early from the first tier, I think you can take solace in the fact that you'll end up with a solid option from this tier. There is a bit of a drop off here, so you shouldn't reach and take one of these players if better options from other roles are on the board, but each player here is a solid fantasy contributor.

Cabochard had a down split in the Summer as his team, Gambit, was floundering near the relegation zones all season. Still, he was able to finish fifth in kills and he led the top lane position in creep score, but only managed to finish nineteenth in assists. Most of this can be attributed to his need to carry his team as he was the only real threat for Gambit last split. On a new team with a strong roster, look for those assists to skyrocket, while his style as a carry top laner should keep the kill total high, providing him with an opportunity for a nice bounceback.

Gamsu had a Jekyll and Hyde Summer Split for Dignitas; some games he totally took over and dominated, while others he was a non-factor and his team was destroyed. Gamsu finished tenth in kills, fourteenth in assists, and tenth in CS. Considering he had some truly dominant games on a select group of characters including Hecarim and Jarvan IV, he should benefit from a scene change to FNATIC, in which he will be joining a stable team with solid teammates across the board.

In my opinion Impact provides the most high risk, high reward of this tier. He played very well when playing ten games on Rumble and Maokai in the Summer Split, and not so well when playing any other character for the remaining six games. He finished fourth in kills, led the LCS in assists from the top lane, and fourteenth in CS. Impact is part of the newly formed NRG eSports, a team that has recruited some Korean imports to their roster. If they bring with them the hyper aggressive playstyle a lot of Korean teams are known for, NRG could be a fun team to watch, while being a risky team to bank on for fantasy production in the new season.

If Impact is the riskiest pick in the tier, I think Hauntzer is the safest, with limited upside. The new TSM top laner had a very strong split for Gravity in last Summer, finishing second in kills, tenth in assists, and fifth in CS. I wouldn't bet on him finishing as high on the kill total this split, as TSM employs two of the best carries in North America in their mid and bottom lanes, but if the kills go down my guess is his assist total will rise to help make up for it. Look for Hauntzer to play tanky and team fight oriented top laners while on TSM, limiting his kill upside, but providing a solid fantasy option nonetheless.

Tier 3: Balls, RF Legendary, SmittyJ, Vizicsacsi, Wunderwear

Make sure to grab your starter from the top two tiers because the drop off to this group is pretty extreme. Balls, Kikis and Vizicsacsi are the only players in this tier with LCS experience and their upside is limited. Balls finished the Summer Split fourteenth in kills, thirteenth in assists, and eighteenth in creep score while Vizicsacsi finished twelfth in kills, seventeenth in creep score, but fifth in assists. Kikis makes for an intriguing option as he moves from the jungle to the top lane. He had a successful spell as UoL's jungler, but I'd take a wait-and-see approach as he moves to the top lane for Gamers 2. Look to these three to serve as backups, possibly starting for you if they have easy matchups compared to your normal starter.

As for the newcomers, I'm taking a patient approach on all three. It is possible that one could break out from this tier and provide some fantasy upside, but none come into the LCS with reputations of being carry threats or great players. All three play for teams that will likely be fighting for relegation as well, which means they will face some tough matchups in the season ahead.