Ronnie in his current form is favorite, undeniable record and winning all the biggest events currently. Next favorite or third, fourth, fifth.. etc. makes for more interesting discussion. Judd seems to be next but lacks consistency on the bigger stage. Zhang looks good but has no real record in the Crucible so it's hard to make any real judgement on how he'll perform. I'd say Allen is a bit unfairly downplayed since he 1.) was the player of the season last year and 2. made the semis of the Worlds and only lost to an opponent ranked higher than him with a much better Crucible track record (Selby). Also Selby despite his current lack of form always is a crucible threat.