‘Dancing with the Stars’ slugfest: Who’s the front-runner to win, and who’ll be on the struggle bus on ‘Elvis Night’? [WATCH]

“Dancing with the Stars” aired its season premiere episode on September 19, and viewers and judges already eliminated their first celeb: model and actor Jason Lewis. But that still leaves a whopping 15 contestants in the ballroom. So who will win now that we’ve seen everyone perform? And how will the celebs fare with the tough dances coming up in week two? Watch my video slugfest above with Gold Derby contributors Cordell Martin and Jeffrey Kare where we recap “Premiere Party” and preview “Elvis Night.”

The race is wide open according to Martin, who thinks at least half a dozen celebs have what it takes to prevail in terms of their talent and their probable fan bases. He explains, “I could see Daniel [Durant] being a contender. I could see Jordin Sparks. I could see Wayne Brady because I think he definitely fits that prime demographic that watches ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and he has the showmanship. Of course Charli [D’Amelio] I think just because of her natural dance ability … Never bet against the ‘Bachelorette,’ so Gabby [Windey] of course will be in the conversation. And Shangela could be a wild card.”

But it takes more than just one dance to win the Mirror Ball Trophy. The stars are coming right back on September 26 with “Elvis Night” dances. “It should be interesting to see how Selma [Blair] and Daniel will pull off their routines given their disabilities,” says Kare. Blair, who has multiple sclerosis, and Durant, who is deaf, are being thrown in the deep end with fast-paced jives. So is reality star Teresa Giudice, who landed in the bottom two on premiere night and who we’re expecting to struggle again with that same technically challenging dance style. “Jersey Shore” alum Vinny Guadagnino might also have difficulty with his quickstep following his lowest-scoring salsa. As for high-scoring Charli D’Amelio? We’re pretty sure she’ll be fine no matter what routine she gets.

Be sure to make your predictions so that the contestants can see how they’re faring in our racetrack odds. You can keep changing your predictions until just before the next episode airs every Monday on ABC. You’ll compete to win a spot on our leaderboard and eternal bragging rights. See our contest rules and sound off with other fans in our reality TV forum. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.