In Counter-Strike, it is easy to look good when your team is winning. When the entry fragger is creating space, the IGL is calling perfect rotations, and the economy is blooming, individual ratings naturally inflate. But how do we measure the players who are truly dragging their teams kicking and screaming across the finish line?
The most honest metric is to look at the gap between a player’s individual rating and their team’s overall baseline. The bigger the difference, the heavier the backpack. Looking at the 2026 data against the top 30 teams, here are the 20 players doing the most heavy lifting for their rosters:
The 2026 Top 20 Hard-Carry Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | Team | Player Rating | Team Rating | Difference |
| 1 | ZywOo | Vitality | 1.42 | 1.16 | +0.26 |
| 2 | donk | Spirit | 1.33 | 1.12 | +0.21 |
| 2 | xKacpersky | Ninjas in Pyjamas | 1.20 | 0.99 | +0.21 |
| 4 | m0NESY | Falcons | 1.27 | 1.09 | +0.18 |
| 5 | 910 | The MongolZ | 1.14 | 1.00 | +0.14 |
| 6 | kyousuke | Falcons | 1.22 | 1.09 | +0.13 |
| 6 | afro | Monte | 1.18 | 1.05 | +0.13 |
| 6 | b1t | Natus Vincere | 1.13 | 1.00 | +0.13 |
| 6 | s1mple | BC.Game | 1.09 | 0.96 | +0.13 |
| 10 | molodoy | FURIA | 1.15 | 1.03 | +0.12 |
| 10 | XANTARES | Aurora | 1.15 | 1.03 | +0.12 |
| 12 | sh1ro | Spirit | 1.23 | 1.12 | +0.11 |
| 12 | Rainwaker | Monte | 1.16 | 1.05 | +0.11 |
| 12 | nqz | paiN | 1.08 | 0.97 | +0.11 |
| 15 | woxic | Aurora | 1.13 | 1.03 | +0.10 |
| 15 | oSee | NRG | 1.10 | 1.00 | +0.10 |
| 15 | nilo | HEROIC | 1.09 | 0.99 | +0.10 |
| 18 | sausol | Gentle Mates | 1.15 | 1.06 | +0.09 |
| 18 | ArtFr0st | BetBoom | 1.13 | 1.04 | +0.09 |
| 18 | KSCERATO | FURIA | 1.12 | 1.03 | +0.09 |
The Usual Suspects: ZywOo, donk, and m0NESY
Before we get to the biggest anomaly on the list, we have to acknowledge the kings of the server. Seeing Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov at the top of the carry list is about as surprising as water being wet.
ZywOo remains a glitch in the matrix. Vitality is the highest-rated team in the world at a staggering 1.16, yet ZywOo still manages a 1.42 individual rating. That gives him a mind-bending +0.26 difference. Meanwhile, donk (+0.21) and m0NESY (+0.18) continue to be the tip of the spear for Spirit and Falcons. They are superstars doing superstar things.
But there is a massive difference between dominating on a top-tier roster and single-handedly keeping a struggling organization relevant.
xKacpersky: The Ultimate Solo Carry
That brings us to Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara.
Tied with donk for the second-highest carry differential in the world at +0.21, xKacpersky is operating in an entirely different reality than the rest of the players at the top of this list. Ninjas in Pyjamas have had a remarkably difficult 2026 campaign and are currently sitting at a sub-average 0.99 team rating. Despite the chaos around him, xKacpersky is casually dropping a 1.20 rating against the top 30 teams in the world.
He is not just a standout player on a good team. He is the sole engine keeping NIP competitive.
Nowhere is this more evident than right now at ESL Pro League Season 23.
The Pole is currently ranked second overall in event ratings and is putting on an absolute masterclass in server impact. After two brutal early losses put NIP on the brink of elimination, it was xKacpersky who stepped up to the plate last night. His phenomenal performance against NRG was the absolute key factor in NIP surviving the elimination bracket. He single-handedly kept their tournament hopes alive when the odds were stacked entirely against them.
It will be interesting to see if xKacpersky can keep up his current form. If so, the question will quickly rise, if NIP can hold on to the talented rifler, when bigger teams come searching for a new addition.
