PUEBLO, Colo. — 2024 PBR Teams Expansion Draft? Check.

2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft? In the books.

10 action-packed, bond-forging training camp sessions? Those are in the rearview, too, at this point as the PBR Camping World Team Series prepares to launch its third season of 5-on-5 greatness this weekend in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma!

And with the Oklahoma Wildcatters, one of the league’s two new expansion teams in 2024, set to put on one hell of a show for the fans and tour alike, season-opening sessions inside Paycom Center July 12-14 couldn’t get any closer …

… because for the first time in nine months: IT’S GAME WEEK!

Knowing each of the 10 squads will be on display as the industry prepares to shift gears to the camaraderie-driven format, it’s time to kick up the drama and make our best case for this year’s first in-season power rankings!

These rankings serve as a mere suggestion as to how each of the units stack up against one another during the early-season sessions and will be updated regularly, with weekly rankings posted to PBR.com on Tuesdays once the season is officially underway.

Fans can stay tuned to the league’s official 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Series standings here once the action begins and are encouraged to share their own rankings with us on @PBR social media channels!

With all of this summer’s action set to debut on the Merit Street Media, be sure to download the Merit+ app and bookmark the Merit Street Media homepage, as they’ll be the home to all 10 teams and 12 events of the epic summer series!

To catch all the PBR action on Merit Street, fans can use the channel finder on meritstreetmedia.com or call 1-877-844-3700 for local help.

Additionally, PBR events will stream live on the free Merit+ app, which is available on all digital devices as well as on streaming devices such as smart TVs, Roku, etc.

No. 1: Austin Gamblers (Preseason No. 1) We’ve gone back to the drawing board several times on these but there aren’t many instances where the Austin Gamblers weren’t sitting atop the Week 1 power rankings. So, here we are, suggesting the veteran trio of Jose Vitor Leme, Kaique Pacheco and Dalton Kasel has what it takes to not only capture what would be a third-straight regular season title for the green and black contingent, but finally find some Championship Sunday luck they’ve been waiting for. Finishing their most recent trip to T-Mobile Arena second to only the 2023 PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers some nine months ago, there’s no reason they can’t grind their way back to another final four appearance. And if coaches Michael Gaffney and Adriano Moraes can get the most of their men during this summer’s ramp-up training camp activities, they have every shot to ride their way back to success in 2024.

RELATED: Top projected performers for all 10 PBR Camping World Team Series contenders

No. 2: Kansas City Outlaws (Preseason No. 2) Similar to the Gamblers, the Kansas City Outlaws have too much firepower to be found anywhere outside of the Top 3. And if 2024 World Champion Cassio Dias has anything to say about it, he’ll ensure his orange and black unit stays atop the regular season race during each of this summer’s 12 action-packed events. We’ve known Dias has superstar potential for about a year now after seeing the Brazilian explode during last summer’s 5-on-5 series. Throw in the very capable talents of Koltin Hevalow, Julio Cesar Marques, Wingson Henrique da Silva, Sandro Batista, Marcus Mast and several talented rookies from the 2024 PBR New Rider Draft and it’s rather apparent this is one of the league’s deepest teams entering year three. Now, it’ll be up to J.W. Hart and Guilherme Marchi to ensure their guys are rested up and matched up well come Oklahoma City! Fans can expect this team to compete off the rip and push Austin to give their all. And if there are two mega-favorites to capture the 2024 PBR Teams MVP honors, they stem from Kansas City or Austin, in the dramatic duo of Leme and Dias.

No. 3: Arizona Ridge Riders (Preseason No. 4) The more things change, the more they stay the same. And with our first change of heart (compared to our preseason power rankings), we have the Arizona Ridge Riders all the way up to No. 3 after beginning the preseason ranked No. 5. Maybe we had them a bit lower than they deserved to start, as they are the only team to compete on both of the first two Championship Sunday showdowns in Las Vegas. The real question remains whether they’re able to take things to the next level and that starts with having a strong regular season run. Which is totally in the cards considering they are right next to the Outlaws in having one of the deeper squads in year three. Adding the likes of Eli Vastbinder, Dener Barbosa and JaCauy Hale to an already skilled squad which includes Keyshawn Whitehorse, Nick Tetz, Eduardo Aparecido, Luciano De Castro and beyond, Head Coach Colby Yates has plenty to work with during what should be another successful season for the black and white unit. Despite losing Vitor Losnake to the New York Mavericks, they remain one of the readiest “win now” teams on tour.

RELATED: Nick Tetz wins third-consecutive PBR Canada event at Friday night's Cody Snyder Charity Bullbustin'

No. 4: Carolina Cowboys (Preseason No. 5) Similar to the Austin Gamblers, the Carolina Cowboys will live and die as their top-tier trio performs, as Daylon Swearingen, Cooper Davis and Sage Steele Kimzey are set to return to the checkered flag squad in 2024. And in a format where only five guys get an opportunity to make an impression in each game, every single one of those five outs matter A TON. Thankfully for Jerome Davis and friends they’re equipped with one of the hardest-working groups on tour. Originally slotted at No. 5 during the first iteration of power rankings, we’ve got the blue and white squad up to No. 4 after further considering just how impactful this unit can be. Specifically, 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis should have a leg-up on the competition, as the veteran opted out of the 2024 PBR Unleash The Beast campaign in hoping to enter the third year of 5-on-5 showdowns with a good bill of health. Which seems to be exactly the case! There’s definitely several outcomes where the Cowboys could finish the season either a few spots higher or a few spots lower depending on how frequently some of the roster’s depth guys can contribute. For now, they’re a safe lock to be participating in the postseason gauntlet inside T-Mobile Arena, but only time will tell.

No. 5: Texas Rattlers (Preseason No. 3) While the Rattlers are very much in the second tier of contingents as things sit right now (with Austin and Kansas City operating alone in tier one), we’ve opted to move them back from their original No. 3 ranking after thinking deeper into how this team was able to pull it off last year. They were, no doubt, one of the heaviest-hitting squads in 2023, turning in several three and four qualified rides when they were on fire. But in the same right, they had too many performances throughout last summer’s regular season to be named a contender off the rip in 2024 despite winning it all last fall. Part of that harmony revolved around the idea that they were able to “outlast” other squads in being able to stay healthy for the most part while continuing to see their aces in Brady Fielder, Joao Ricardo Vieira and friends deliver when the circumstances were dire. But when it comes to lining them up to the other top-tier teams in year three, we’re going to start the 2024 campaign off with them in the No. 5 spot. We wouldn’t be surprised to see them enjoy some early-season success should Cody Jesus and Daniel Keeping get things going in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, next weekend. But we also wouldn’t be surprised if they endure another up and down campaign before turning up the concentration come playoffs. Either way, they are the defending champions and will very much have a target on their back.

No. 6: Florida Freedom (Preseason No. 7) After beginning the preseason ranked No. 7, just one spot behind the expansion Oklahoma Wildcatters squad, the Florida Freedom find themselves up to the No. 6 spot ahead of their first campaign with a revamped roster and home state. The biggest addition to said squad, and largest reason we’ve moved them ahead of Oklahoma comes in the form of John Crimber, who just turned in a No. 2 overall ranking during his rookie premier series campaign. Nearly besting Cassio Dias for the gold buckle honors in dramatic fashion, the son of Head Coach Paulo Crimber has already proven he’s plenty capable of succeeding within the individual landscape. Now, set to team up with a healthy mix of youngsters and established talents in Casey Roberts, Alex Cerqueira, Conner Halverson, Joao Lucas Campos and beyond, the red, white and blue squad has plenty of firepower to wield in 2024. And if fellow youthful standout Caden Bunch can fire on all cylinders alongside Crimber, they will stay at or above the six spot all season long.

No. 7: Oklahoma Wildcatters (Preseason No. 6) Assuming that Austin Richardson isn’t available for this weekend’s opening showdown in Oklahoma City, the Wildcatters are down one spot from No. 6 to 7 after a closer look at who’s actually going to be available for them early in the season. While Clay Guiton is expected to give it a go after working his way back from some rookie year bumps and bruises endured back in March, he’s still never experienced the perils of 5-on-5 action or showed that he’s capable of continuing his all-star status within the summer series. For that matter, the same could be said for Cort McFadden, who was just 1-for-10 in 2023 for the Gamblers. We’ve seen both of the respective UTB rookies showcase their stuff in 2024, of course. But a change of scenery, the pressure of giving their all for Head Coach J.B. Mauney and all of the fun, new changes to the team-based format could be a lot for the youngsters to grasp off the rip. At the same time, if they can keep it simple and let Josh Frost and Kyler Oliver lead the way, they have every chance of competing in their inaugural season.

No. 8: Nashville Stampede (Preseason No. 9) Between seeing different guys fitting in at respective training camp sessions and watching Instagram reels showcasing a sneak peak of what we can expect beginning this weekend, we couldn’t help but move the Nashville Stampede up a spot. Revisiting the tier breakdown, tier three seems to consist of the Wildcatters and Freedom as things sit in Week 1, with the Stampede, Missouri Thunder and New York Mavericks rounding out the power rankings. But at the top of the fourth tier, we’re hard-pressed not to name the Stampede at No. 8, as they are the only of the three squads with a certified superstar in Kaiden Loud. Up one rank from their initial No. 9 placement earlier in the offseason, Nashville has a young pillar in Loud to build around for several seasons. And the way Justin McBride and company continue to mix up the personnel pool, which includes a ton of capable veterans including Chase Outlaw, Alan de Souza, Silvano Alves, Jess Lockwood, Mason Taylor and beyond, they could very much surprise the tour once again in 2024. With the Cinderella squad shocking the world back in 2022 en route to capturing the first-ever PBR Teams Championship, we know they have some tricks up their sleeves in year three. If there’s one team that we wouldn’t be shocked to end the season in the Top 4 or so, it’s the yellow and blue contingent, 100%. Keep an eye on Nashville this year.

No. 9: Missouri Thunder (Preseason No. 8) We’re splitting hairs at this point and that’s nothing against the skilled men who plan to represent the Missouri Thunder this summer. Head Coach Ross Coleman expects this team to compete in 2024 and that’s exactly what they’ll look to do after making an insane “out of nowhere” run during the 2023 PBR Teams Championship. The biggest problem for Missouri, however, is that like the New York Mavericks, they lack a surefire superstar to anchor the lineup. Sure, you could say that the 2023 PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers were in similar company last year when they completed their own epic run. But with veteran JRV and plenty of capable cowboys on the squad, they still got the job done when it counted most. Exactly what newcomer Boudreaux Campbell will look to do as he teams up with Andrew Alvidrez, Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, Felipe Furlan and friends as the former “dynasty-forward” unit has cashed in some of their assets in hoping to put on a better regular season show than in years 1-2. Arguably the hottest squad on tour to end last season, they’ll have every opportunity to exit Wildcatter Days in favorable position if they can get past the Mavericks, Rattlers and Outlaws during their Week 1 matchups.

No. 10 New York Mavericks (Preseason No. 10) Just as we have nothing against the No. 9-ranked Thunder to start the season off, we aren’t rooting for the first-year Mavericks to fail, by any means. But a brief look at their roster definitely puts them towards the bottom of the 10 to begin with. Combine the idea that it’s the first season for Kody Lostroh and Ednei Caminhas working together in getting the most out of their fresh group, the fact that the bonds they need to create have been forged over the past two months or so (compared to the two-plus years some of the original eight teams have enjoyed together) and that a majority of the team is 23 years old or younger adds up to some potential stumbles for the second of two new expansion units. That said, Leonardo Castro and Vitor Losnake are a quality one-two punch who could get them off to a good start in any given game. Depending on what version of Braidy Randolph shows up, they might not need to lean on youngsters in Hudson Bolton and Maverick Smith as much. But with fellow rookie Marco Rizzo set to miss the first month or two of action as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury, they will need to make the most of their early-season endeavors.

RELATED: New York Mavericks sign 4x PBR World Finals qualifier Mauricio Moreira

Fans are encouraged to share their feedback and power rankings of their own by tagging @PBR social media channels!

Summer supporters can also stay tuned to PBR.com and Merit Street Media platforms as we continue to ramp up 5-on-5 series content ahead of the third season of dramatic showdowns!

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media