2. Nick Wilson
Both parts of the Mason-Dixon line are in a pretty good position come the swap, but I think Nick takes a step back here. He’s currently leading the “counter” alliance against Gabby, effectively shifting the blame for the blindside and putting it on Christian’s partner (after Christian did so). That way, he has coverage in blowback from Christian while the support of the rest of the David tribe.
Additionally, Nick also has the benefit of being an average player on the face. He’s subtly charming, not too strong to target, not too weak to vote out for tribe strength purposes and has the right amount of tenacity. Plus, he’s one of the few people to get a winner quote so far.
1. Christian Hubicki
While there’s still a bit of wariness when it comes to the Survivor superfan archetype, Christian has more than proven his worth solving puzzles. He’s been given a quirky, snarky, hilarious edit so far, and he’s putting himself in a good place with the David tribe even if it means throwing his number one alliance partner, Gabby, right under the bus for his moves.
That will likely be his undoing later on but now’s not the time. Tribes will value his puzzle prowess in the swap phase, and he has an in with the Mayor of Slamtown should he find his way over to his tribe. There’s a bit of a mutual appreciation there, and he could be the lynchpin for a blindside should push come to shove.