This is Part 2 of my "Best Operators in NA" series, which will focus on Challengers Playoffs. Part 1 focused on Operator performance during the Challengers Group Stage. To recap, OpTic yay was the best statistically, with XSET Cryo being a clear second. Behind them were players such as TGRD Sayaplayer, LG bdog, PKS ban, SEN TenZ, NRG s0m, and V1 penny.
Once again, I must clarify that the following list is strictly sorted by operator kills and not necessarily operator skill. I'm focusing on statistics, not my personal opinions. Also, per recommendation, I will be including kills/map, rather than simply kills, in this list. By default, all Jett/Chamber (operator agents) maps will be counted. Maps played with Raze (Saya) or Killjoy (Mitch), for example, will not be counted. As a final note, Chamber ultimate kills count as Operator kills in this list.
The Rookie SoaRs to First
XSET Cryocells: 72 op kills, 14 ult kills, 86 kills, 10 maps, 8.6 k/map
Cryo posted a 65-40 statline in a 1-2 first round loss to OpTic. Notably, he went 12-7 in first bloods and 16-7 against Yay, his closest competitor. His red-hot streak continued through the lower bracket. Cryo destroyed the Knights (and ban) with a 58-22 statline, obliterated LG (and bdog) with a 47-19 statline, and ultimately fell against C9 (43-40, the sole bright spot on the team) to finish 4th. Although XSET's run ended in disappointment, Cryo's individual performance gave us a glimpse into his bright future. His 287.7 ACS, 1.76 KD, and 175.9 ADR were all the highest in the playoffs.
The Steady Veteran
OpTic yay: 87 op kills, 17 ult kills, 104 kills, 13 maps, 8.0 k/map
Although I gave 1st to Cryo for variety's sake, Yay is basically 1b on this list. He did his job as consistently as usual, allowing OpTic to cruise through the upper bracket and become the 1st NA team to qualify for Iceland. After a quiet round 1 victory against XSET, he carried OpTic against C9, finishing with a 60-42 statline and a 33K map. Yay then silenced the Guard with a 42-23 statline to qualify, and he top-fragged the seeding match (2-3 loss) Grand Final.
The Rest
PKS ban: 33 op kills, 1 ult kill, 34 kills, 5 maps, 6.8 k/map
Despite early elimination at the hands of XSET and C9, ban performed well in a limited sample size. His match MVP efforts against C9 gave Knights a fighting chance, but ban's quiet performance against XSET and Cryocells marked the end of his tournament run.
C9 mitch: 24 op kills, 9 ult kills, 33 kills, 5 maps, 6.6 k/map
Fan-favorite mitch is surprisingly high on this list. Nothing against him, but he's not a Chamber/operator one-trick, so he's not considered one of NA's best operators. Mitch shared operator duties on C9 with Leaf and used it more effectively during this playoffs, even picking it up one map on Killjoy.
TGRD Sayaplayer: 51 op kills, 11 maps, 4.6 k/map
Sayaplayer flexes to Raze after Jett and hasn't touched Chamber yet, but that hasn't hurt his performance with the Operator. When called upon, he was very effective with the weapon and should represent NA well at Iceland.
LG bdog: 19 kills, 12 ult kills, 31 kills, 7 maps, 4.4 k/map
SEN TenZ: 14 op kills, 4 maps, 3.5 k/map
V1 penny: 17 op kills, 11 ult kills, 28 kills, 9 maps, 3.1 k/map
C9 leaf: 30 op kills, 5 ult kills, 35 kills, 12 maps, 2.9 k/map
Honorable Mention
TGRD neT: 9 op kills, 21 ult kills, 30 kills, 10 maps, 3.0 k/map
I think neT deserved a special place at the bottom of this list. He didn't touch the operator much, but he had the most Chamber ultimate kills in the event. He and Saya share operator duties much like mitch/leaf, and both are effective.
Discord