‘Dancing with the Stars 16’ rankings: Sean Lowe slides; Kellie Pickler still #1

As the field narrows on “Dancing with the Stars,” it’s becoming more and more clear (as it does every season) that in some ways, being a good dancer is only half of the battle. You have to also have a legion of fans who are ready and committed to take you to the next level, since otherwise you end up being a surprise elimination like Wynonna Judd or stuck in the bottom two like Andy Dick.

We’re also trying to be forward-thinkers when it comes to these rankings, as well; even though you may not be performing during the results shows, for example, the way in which you carry yourself impacts how viewers will perceive you moving forward. Ultimately, that takes us directly into the start of this week’s story.

10. D.L. Hughley & Cheryl Burke (last week: 9) – We would have D.L. higher on this list were it not for the results-show rant he made about being unhappy with his scores, since he either must have a secret underground fan following or people are voting because he’s paired with Cheryl Burke. However, his attitude is pretty awful for a guy who is supposed to be a comedian, and we’d much rather take a boring dancer who’s happy to be there over a guy who seems more interested in complaining.

9. Andy Dick & Sharna Burgess (7) – Maybe Andy being in the bottom two had something to do with the fact that he performed early in the show, which is never good for any performer when you have so many contestants remaining. He’s probably not a good enough dancer to win the show or even make it to the top six, but if he can find a way to deliver some more funny performances that aren’t disasters, we could see him lasting a couple more weeks.

8. Lisa Vanderpump & Gleb Savchenko (11) – Now that “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” is over, the real test will begin as to whether or not Lisa has a substantial following. She’s probably not going to be given a dance that suits her as well this week, and that could spell trouble.

7. Victor Ortiz & Lindsay Arnold (10) – After being in the bottom two, the boxer and his partner emerged with a pretty fantastic performance. Will it be enough to actually stay out of danger? In the short-term, sure, but we’ve already learned that there is not much of a cross-section between “Dancing with the Stars” fans and people who watch boxing. (Well, we should have figured that, anyway.)

6. Ingo Rademacher & Kym Johnson (8) – Apparently, it doesn’t matter that no one other than “General Hospital” fans know who this guy is. The soap opera voting block is a big one, and they’ve kept him safe despite performances that are really so-so at best so far this season.

5. Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas (3) – These two remain to us the biggest mysteries wrapped in enigmas out of anyone in the ballroom. They’re very good, but we almost expected them to be phenomenal based on the skill set that Aly brings to the table. Maybe they are getting the technique down before they explode to the front of the pack, and we’re looking forward to seeing that happen.

4. Sean Lowe & Peta Murgatroyd (2) – At this point, let’s hope that there is no questioning if Sean is an outstanding dancer. He’s not, but he is likable and has a substantial following behind him. Somehow, he still manages to have that everyman quality to him that is relatable, even though he just came off of an experience that involved dating over a dozen women at the same time.

3. Zendaya & Val Chmerkovskiy (4) – We have a feeling that we will say all season long that Zendaya is the best performer on this season, since she is strong at just about everything: she has great technique, acting experience, and knows how to work an audience. The only thing that could her back at this given moment is that she probably came into this without much of an audience at all, and she’s having to pick it all up here rather quickly.

2. Jacoby Jones & Karina Smirnoff (5) – We’re not really seeing any dominant male performers this year, and that stinks coming off a season where some of the guys were completely smoked by the ladies. Jacoby is a strong, confident dancer, but he’s not at the level yet that a football player needs to be in order to win the show.

1. Kellie Pickler & Derek Hough (1) – It’s hard to rank Kellie anywhere other thank first right now. She has a huge block of country fans supporting her, she’s a great dancer, has a popular partner, and also is a great personality. There’s almost no way that we see her leaving this competition before the finale, let alone being in the final two.

Who is your “Dancing with the Stars” favorite right now? Be sure to share what you think in the poll below, and you can also read some more news on what Kellie has coming up on the show over at the link here.

Photo: ABC