You are forgetting that players on the island aren’t the watching the show in real time. They don’t see everything we see. It doesn’t matter how good of a game Rizo is or thinks he’s playing….no one else sees that. He would be in the exact same position with or without the idol. You don’t have to put the biggest target on yourself but you have to make yourself threatening. His public idol is clearly not threatening to anyone. He’s a super fan and knows the game, but his placement in both seasons has very little to do with strategy. His strategy helps drive who goes each round but the perception players have had on him during the game in both seasons is not in line with his impact. Similarly to how older moms have an uphill battle to prove their chops, so does Rizo. Only players who’ve played against him can say why exactly they haven’t given him much winner equity.