Saturday Night Live is just about back in full swing, after two solid episodes from Tina Fey and Miley Cyrus to start off the season. The big story heading into Season 39 was the cast overhaul that was forced upon Lorne Michaels due the departure of veteran cast members Jason Sudekis, Bill Hader and Fred Armisen. While the six new cast members have performed admirably over their inaugural episodes, there are also some veterans left over from previous seasons who have been thrust into the spotlight. The even mix of veteran and rookie performers could lead to a monster season for SNL, and we decided to pick our favorite male and female performer from this years cast.

Bobby Moynihan and Kate McKinnon

Bobby: Moynihan has been my favorite cast member for a few years now, and now that the heavy hitters are gone, it’s his time to shine. He seems to perform in almost every sketch, but really shines as the bumbling anchor in the Fox News sketch, and more notably as Drunk Uncle. Now that Stefon is gone, Drunk Uncle might be the best recurring character on Weekend Update.

Kate: McKinnon has slowly become a key player for SNL, and I’m of the opinion that this group of female SNL performers could turn out to be their best ever. It seems as if every impression she is scripted to do, she nails. Ellen DeGeneres and Jodie Foster are just a few of her spot on imitations. She’s also great on Weekend Update. Don’t take my word for it. Search Olya Povlatsky, the Russian immigrant, or Cecelia Gimenez, the Spanish women who defaced the Ecce Homo painting. She is far and away the most versatile performer on SNL, and her future is very bright.

– Ryan

Jay Pharoah and Nasim Pedrad

Jay: One of the most underrated personalties on Saturday Night Live is Jay Pharoah.  This guy has impressions for days and is spot on with each one (Shannon Sharpe being his newest one, and probably most hilarious). While his on air talent is evident in the sketches he participates in, I didn’t realize how truly talented and creative he was until he got on Sway in the Morning:

Nasim: Besides the massive crush I have on Nasim, I really think she is one of the better females on Saturday Night Live today. She, like Jay, has a range of impressions that she nails in every skit. She is quick on her feet and has the intangible quality of looking like she isn’t reading off of a cue card (very similar to Taran Killam). Here is a video of her doing one of her best impressions, Kim K. Oh, and guess who plays Yeezy? You guessed it, Jay.

-MattyV