Contestants:
#1 Paul
No surprises here. Paul's dominance continues as leader of the house. There was no clearer demonstration of this than when he rallied almost the entire house to bully Cody and Jess. With an expert social game and the ability to plan and execute on plays, Paul tops the rankings for this week. Paul could run into trouble later in the game if he tries to make too big of a play or if the others catch on to how influential he is but for now, he is the clear favorite.
#2 Alex
Alex is playing a very smart game. She only has one real enemy (Jess) and although she isn't directly aligned with the power group, she has been drifting closer to them over the past couple of weeks. Her relationship with Paul continues to grow. Assuming Paul doesn't make a play to take her out, she is well setup in the game with a strong right hand man in Jason.
#3 Matt
Matt is part of a showmance and in the inner circle of Paul's core group. He has many allies and few enemies. His cool head and ability to avoid drama prevailed again this week during the jody vs. house debacle. Matt should be safe for several weeks but needs to start performing better in competitions to have a real shot at surviving down the stretch.
#4 Raven
Raven being the other half of the showmance is close behind Matt for similar reasons, many allies few enemies. She also seems to be one of the most universally liked people in the house. However, this was not a good week for her as she got too caught up in the drama. Should she continue to be involved in drama, she could move down in the rankings. Like Matt, she also needs to prove she can win a competition.
#5 Jason
Jason is Alex's closest ally but unlike Alex, he does not have a strong relationship with Paul. Until Paul is no longer calling the shots, this will be an issue for Jason but for now he remains a solid floater. He doesn't have many enemies but his social game does not seem to be as strong as others. Despite this, he still cracks the top 5.
#6 Kevin
Kevin on the surface seems like the stereotypical floater. With the status of house dad and the voice of reason when dealing with drama, he does not have any enemies. He knows who has the power and knows how to stay in their good graces. However, his voting record is inconsistent with expectations. This could indicate that he is playing a deeper game than many think and he could have a few tricks up his sleeve when it comes down to it. Kevin is the biggest wildcard in the game at the moment.
#7 Christmas
Had Christmas not been injured, she would appear higher on this list. With the broken leg however, she is not able to participate in many competitions, and so she is reduced to floater status. Although, ironically it may actually help her as others do not see her as a threat. Her social game is alright but nothing that would indicate she has what it takes to make it to the end without winning comps.
#8 Elena
Elena has been trending downwards of late due to her relationship with Mark. Mark has fully rejoined team Jody which also means Elena is being pulled away from the power group. Should she and Mark end their showmance, that could create an issue for her with a possible enemy in Mark and a group of allies that do not see her as trustworthy.
#9 Josh
The meatball himself. Being the current HoH and the lap dog of #1 Paul means Josh is enjoying his highest moment of the season. Josh is an emotional loose cannon who is being expertly manipulated by Paul. His time in the game will end when everyone is too sick of him to justify keeping him around to do their dirty work.
#10 Jessica
Jessica could make a comeback as it seems others in the house genuinely like her but as long as Cody remains and she remains with Cody, she will have a target on her back. With Josh as HoH, it seems likely that she will be in the running to be on the block again this week. She will have to scramble to find allies she can trust and that trust her once Cody is evicted.
#11 Mark
With his relationship with Elena on the rocks and only other allies being Jess and Cody, Mark is not in a good spot. He has also shown himself prone to drama by engaging with Josh. Despite his physical stature, he has also not won a competition this season. With Josh as HoH, it would not be surprising to see Mark on the block this week.
#12 Cody
Cody has had a meteoric fall this season. At the beginning it seemed he would be a top contender, but due to some poor decisions he was eliminated. He battled back, but is still the target in everyone's mind. He has burned so many bridges that him making a comeback seems highly unlikely, and with Josh as HoH he will most likely be on the block again this week.
Images courtesy of CBS - http://www.cbs.com/shows/big_brother/cast/