Going to kickstart some more discussion post-Misdreavus and Vigoroth bans, and with finals of NFEPL under way:
Rises:
S- -> S
This is a no brainer, especially given the Misdreavus and Vigoroth bans. Piloswine with Choice Band is 2HKOing nearly everything with its STAB moves. Pokemon like Quaxwell and Dunsparce need to invest Speed EVs in order not get 2HKOed by Rocks damage and Knock Off, and in a tier loaded with good Knock Off users like Pignite, Monferno, and Tinkatuff, all waiting to chip down threats for Piloswine, it becomes a consistent threat looming to decimate defensive switch-ins. It's got some good moveset diversity as well, ranging from Trailblaze to help win mirror matchups and outrun Pignite to Curse to be a surprisingly effective wincon to even Roar to amp up the hazard stacking pressure. It's especially potent given Koffing is on the upswing as well, functioning as a Toxic Spikes remover deterrent. It's still the best offensive Stealth Rock setter as well because of how limited its switch-ins are. It comes to show how Pokemon like Dunsparce, Fletchinder, and Seadra, threats that have struggled to fit on teams, are now on the rise because of the wooly mammoth. As a bonus, Piloswine is an amazing tank, surviving even Pignite and Monferno's Close Combats or non-Specs Frogadier's Surf and able to easily OHKO them back. Piloswine is a strong contender for the best Pokemon in the tier and should be accounted for in 100% of all serious teams.
A -> A+/S-
Toxic Spikes have taken back the meta by storm. Its mere presence forces your to run adequate hazard removal; going hazard-free or Quaxwell as your remover is not enough given how likely your team be overwhelmed, and how passive Quaxwell usually is. Ivysaur has struggled more often to fit on teams due its passivity and reliance on Knock Off for utility (which can be blocked off by Tinkatuff and Sliggoo-Hisui). There's been a number of Koffing mirrors this NFEPL and Seasonal that fights to Toxic Spikes off their side so their teammates stay healthy. As a bonus, it neutralizes Tinkatuff's Pickpocket, allowing Thief to actually work against it, and can whittle it down with repeated Will-O-Wisps and Pain Splits. It also messes with anti-meta Pokemon like Clefairy, Duosion, Hattrem, and Servine through Neutralizing Gas as well, making them a lot less effective. Most importantly, it's a great defensive stop to the tier's offensive Fire-types (the big three in Monferno Raboot Pignite), and Grass-types (Thwackey mostly, but also Servine and Ivysaur). Piloswine and Gabite aren't even free switch-ins given how susceptible they are to getting crippled by a stray Will-O-Wisp, and special attackers must watch out for Sludge Bomb poisoning (Girafarig, Frogadier, Wartortle, Drakloak). It's gotten to the point where some teams are running Heavy-Duty Boots on non-Stealth Rock weak attackers like Thwackey, Pignite, and Monferno (Frogadier had also already ran Boots beforehand) to not be crippled by hazards. It's clear Koffing has risen up back to glory as one of the best defensive titans on a team and, like Piloswine, must be checked for in the builder for serious teams.
B+ -> A
While Tinkatuff takes a more defensive-oriented approach to walling threats, Sliggoo-Hisui goes offensive. Like Koffing, its typing is very helpful in stuffing Grass- and Water-threats like Frogadier, Wartortle, Quaxwell, Thwackey, and Ivysaur, but also gains some new matchups like Girafarig and Tinkatuff. Unlike Koffing needing to rely on Wisp and Pain Split residual damage to try and beat Tink, it can actually play the long game against it and spam Flash Cannon to win the war of attrition. Against more offensive-oriented teams, Gooey can be a good deterrent against Fire-types like Monferno Raboot and Pignite looking to freely spam their STAB moves. Its bulk is actually very surprising: even with max SpA, a standard all-out attacking set can avoid a 3HKO from +2 Shell Smash Wartortle, an elite setup sweeper and fire back with powerful Thunderbolts. It took some time, but it's a very dangerous tank and can be very annoying to switch into considering its STAB combination and Thunderbolt provides at least perfect neutral coverage against most of the tier. Choice Specs sets have also been potent in dismantling slower threats like Dunsparce and Piloswine looking for easy switch-ins. While Tinkatuff has the gold medal for Steel-types in the tier, Sliggoo-Hisui is certainly not far behind, with other Steel-types like Pawniard, Varoom, and Bronzor trailing very far behind in usability, and is a very potent choice to add for tanks in your roster.
B- -> A-
Fletchinder has risen up back in place as one of the best checks to Piloswine and the Fire-types, clearly superior over SS superstar Vullaby. With Wisp and Flame Body, it can put a stop to Piloswine's breaking attempts and catch unsuspecting Raboot off guard with an unfortunate burn. It's also a handy Thwackey and Servine check, stopping them easily with its STAB moves and reliable Roost recovery, 4x resisting pesky Grass moves. Its Speed tier is very customizable, with bulkier sets being able to outspeed threats like Pignite with minimal investment to fast wall sets that outspeed even Monferno and Gabite. What makes this lower than Quaxwell is its gaping susceptibility to Stealth Rock once Boots are removed and its own frailty: Fletchinder can easily be ruined with scenarios like Piloswine using Band Icicle Crash on Boots sets to decimate it. Tinkatuff also beats it easily in the early game despite a type disadvantage. Nevertheless, Fletchinder has proven its value significantly since the start of NFEPL and deserves consideration as your tier's hazard remover and Piloswine, Grass, and Fire check.
B- -> B/B+
Glimmet has risen back up as an anti-meta threat that benefits from the hazard game. Most Poison-types tend to be defensive and struggle against Steel-types, but Glimmet breaks the mold through Corrosion. While its defensive stats are poor and typing leave it with few opportunities to switch in (mostly against Fletchinder, most Poison-types, and Tinkatuff), Toxic being able to wear down Steel- and Poison-types is a big boon considering how deceptively hard they are to wear down without reliable recovery, and how most of these defensive giants can very easily wall most teams. Koffing, Ivysaur, and Tinkatuff looking for a free switch-in will be hit with a nasty surprise. Alternatively, it's the go-to lead pick for hyper offense teams, able to quickly set up at least one hazard and force Koffing interactions with Toxic Debris, though this tends to be more inconsistent with the high amount of bulky threats.
B -> B+
Although difficult to fit on builds, owing to its reliance on Light Ball and extreme frailty, if Pikachu manages to avoid Grass-types and Piloswine, it becomes one of the most devastating threats on the field. It's the fastest viable Knock Off user (Elekid exists too, but it's far more situational), and Base 90 Speed makes it pretty fast in the meta, outspeeding metagame staples like Monferno, Girafarig, and Gabite. A lot of Electric-types will struggle in this meta, owing to their lack of coverage, but Pikachu breaks the mold through Surf, discouraging Piloswine from switching in. On the special side, it's got enough bulk to survive hits from weaker attackers like Koffing, Fletchinder, and Quaxwell; while it's a poor idea to switch PIkachu into anything, if nothing else wants to, Pikachu can do the job if needed. Its Speed also allows it to pair well with VoltTurn pivots like Raboot, Frogadier, and Monferno looking to break down their checks - Monferno can even discourage Grass-types like Thwackey and Servine from revenge killing it. With the Vigoroth ban, Pikachu now is more easily able to fit teams as a fine candidate to build around or as a late teamslot to help round Speed control issues.
C- -> B+/A-
Once languishing helplessly in Misdreavus's shadow, Dusclops has now become the most consistent spinblocker in the tier. Amazing bulk enables it, with investment, to survive attacks like the 3HKO from Pignite or Frogadier, and recover a lot of damage away with Pain Split, complemented with a low HP stat. Drakloak may provide the Speed, phazing, screens, and breaking potential, but Dusclops makes it up with defensive fortitude for teams looking at balanced and hazard stacking cores. Its typing enables it to completely stuff Quaxwell (unlike Drakloak), and actually take titans like Piloswine and Dragon-types head-on without having the problems of Drakloak's subtyping. Dusclops' bulk is further reinforced by Koffing's rise, making it more difficult to get rid of Toxic Spikes while being a constant status spreader. Despite its seemingly shallow movepool, Dusclops has decent customizability, can feasibly run Haze to disrupt potential bulky sweepers like Duosion and Wartortle or Thief to punish Knock Off users like Thwackey and Pignite. Once again, the bans to Misdreavus and Vigoroth have immensely benefitted it, removing competition and a counter to it. While restricted to balance and bulkier builds, Dusclops remains a key part of them, significantly improved from the slate of bans and now having a clear, respected niche in the current metagame.
C- -> B-/B
It seems like a theory mon but it's easier to use than I thought. What differentiates itself from Fighting-types like Monferno/Raboot is Dragon Dance; these sets make it a surprisingly good hyper offense option with rare access to High Jump Kick. Having access to STAB Knock Off is also a boon. A second benefit are having two good abilities: Moxie makes it much harder to switch into after a Dragon Dance + KO, which has helped a lot given the bulkier pace of the tier. Shed Skin makes it more resilient against Thunder Wave and Wisp users running about, which is filled to the brim with users like Tinkatuff Koffing and Dusclops. True, its Speed is quite slow (and can be even at +1) and its bulk isn't anything to write home about. While you might think Tinkatuff would be a reliable check, it hasn't been running Play Rough at all (going solo Knock Off on standard defensive sets and Ice Hammer/Steel Beam on rare offensive sets), and Scraggy has Taunt and Shed Skin to work around Encore and other utility moves. The other Fire-types like Pignite, Monferno, and Raboot have more immediate damage output, but the cleaning potential gives it a good reason to be run as a win condition. Scraggy is very underrated and should net a higher ranking for its good tools.
C -> B/B+
See the above post as to why I rated Seadra higher. Despite a low overall usage, I believe it's a great sidegrade to Quaxwell owing to its higher Speed and Poison Point.
C- -> C+/B-
It definitely looks like worse Girafarig at first from the lack of the Psychic typing, but there's still a few things that allow it to take the nod. Not having the Psychic typing helps it set up Calm Mind or other moves better compared to Girafarig, lacking the Knock Off and U-turn that often plague Girafarig from setting up. Without the worry on Knock Off, it doesn't have to worry about Tinkatuff's Knock Off instantly breaking its Substitutes. This ironically makes it also a better check to Grass-types like Thwackey, Ivysaur, and Servine with its lack of Knock Off weakness; speaking of, its Megahorn coverage gives it a more direct hit on them in the first place. Lastly, it retains the strengths that allow Girafarig to excel, namely a good base 85 Speed, good offenses, and a deep movepool that allows it to run both special and physical sets to make it difficult to guess on preview.
UR -> C+
Looking for a Poison-type not named Koffing? Maybe your Poison-type is more offensive while having a deeper movepool? Stunky might smell worse than roadkill, but looks are deceiving. Stunky's access to STAB Knock Off is an important factor, discouraging switch-ins like Hisuian Sliggoo and opposing Koffing looking for an easy pivoting opportunity. Tinkatuff must also watch out for Temper Flare, as the move can 2HKO after its Eviolite is removed, something that cannot be said for Koffing. Stunky also has enough Speed to outrun standard Thwackey sets, and unlike Koffing, is more free to run experimental fourth moves. After Gunk Shot, Knock Off, and Temper Flare, the fourth move is flexible: Toxic Spikes continues the trend Koffing sets up, while Sucker Punch lets you revenge faster threats like Frogadier, Drakloak, and Pikachu. The issue is how it compounds a weakness to Piloswine, Gabite, and other physical attackers by taking up the Poison slot, which forces you to run a bulky Water or other wall, though its perks over Koffing can make it a fine last-minute addition for teams looking for compression.
UR -> C+
PandaDoux brought this up, but Chinchou has a solid niche as a complete counter to Quaxwell via Water Absorb. While Grass-types (and to a lesser extent, Electric-types) can discourage Quaxwell from staying in, they aren't able to usually stopping it from pivoting to other teammates. Chinchou is able to do just that, not only threatening it with STAB Thunderbolt, but also gaining recovery from Flip Turn. It can also function as a pivot itself with either Volt Switch or Flip Turn. Unlike the passive Eelektrik or the frail Pikachu, Chinchou manages to mesh defensive and offensive benefits to its name. While not ideal defensively considering its mediocre bulk even when fully invested, its offensive profile being able to outspeed Piloswine and Pignite is also valued to have. A surprisingly deep movepool with Scald, Ice Beam, and Thunder Wave give it decent customizability, which discourages many Grass-types from switching in. While previously off the table for most teams, Chinchou's unique set of qualities makes this a great spice/anti-meta choice for teams looking for a Quaxwell counter and offensive Pignite/Piloswine deterrent.
Drops:
A+ -> A-
Wartortle has become much harder to fit on teams. Lacking the recovery of Quaxwell or the utility of Frogadier's Spikes, Wartortle needs to use Shell Smash + Rapid Spin in order to distinguish itself from the pack. While it's fine at its job as a sweeper, the issue lies in how it's being restricted to late-game to set up. Unlike Quaxwell, Fletchinder, or most other hazard removers, Wartortle fares poorly spinning early to mid-game, considering that defensive setters like Tinkatuff and Dunsparce can set rocks up multiple times thanks to its typing and bulk, while other hazard setters like Piloswine and Gabite exert strong enough pressure that discourages spinners from staying in. Even at +2, it still needs something to remove Thwackey and weaken Tinkatuff and Quaxwell that will often block it from doing its job. While still potent in the right matchup, it's now far more limited in its role and necessitates a noticeable drop.
A- -> B+
Clefairy continues to get overshadowed by Tinkatuff as the latter's dual Fairy/Steel typing grants it better resistances to the metagame overall. Clefairy has a very severe 4MSS on what it wants to run after Thunder Wave + Moonlight recovery (which the recovery PP nerf hurts a lot too): Night Shade is most common but leaves it completely walled by Girafarig/Dunsparce, but Moonblast is pretty weak with how bulky most of the tier has been. This leaves it with Knock Off, Encore, and Stealth Rock with its remaining slots: I'd probably run with Knock Off to surprise Piloswine, but Stealth Rock can be helpful to free up Piloswine and Gabite's moveslots. Encore can be fine if you want to try to catch foes off guard into using unfavorable STAB moves, but most would switch out anyways. I feel Clefairy gets pressured too easily by Knock Off and item disruption in general, as its physical bulk isn't too great even when fully invested (once Eviolite is gone, lots of physical attackers can easily KO it), and its bulk doesn't compensate for the passivity it weighs on the team. Quaxwell and Koffing tend to be easier to fit on teams because they're more reliable checks to trends like swine, Fire-types, Thwackey, etc. Not helping is Koffing exploiting Clefairy with Neutralizing Gas. Perhaps most importantly, Tinkatuff is just better as a Fairy-type considering its typing and more well-rounded stats make it easier to spam utility moves. If your fairy-type needs recovery, maybe Clefairy is the better option, but most games are actually pretty quickly paced and leave not too much room for recovery.
B -> C+
The loss of Knock Off was a massive blow to it. In theory it's a fine late-game cleaner with SD + Sucker Punch, but it's a lot harder to pull off when its bulk is mediocre to begin with, and you're still pretty slow. Pawniard has to rely on weaker Dark STABs like Night Slash to try and clean games, and STAB Iron Head is nice for Piloswine and maybe Clefairy but overall not great at anything else. Its coverage options are pretty bad, needing to resort to Brick Break and Stone Edge to differentiate itself. I'd sooner use Pignite, Thwackey, or Monferno for their better typings and faster Speed than to fit Pawn in.
B -> C+
Even while retaining several good traits, like Regenerator, good overall bulk, and a synergistic typing, SV has been extremely harsh to it. Mareanie losing Knock Off and Scald means it's far more passive than before, having to rely on nicher options like Infestation and Toxic in order to try to perform. Additions like Hisuian Sliggoo and Girafarig have been massive problems with it, as they can wall and pressure it to no end and freely set up on it, while Pokemon it previously checked like Monferno and Pignite all have gotten new tools to take it on more easily (as a matter of fact, Pignite sometimes runs High Horsepower to beat it in the first place, as does Monferno pivoting to a teammate with U-turn or beating it with Knock + Thunder Punch). That's not even mentioning the common Grass-types and Dragon-types that also populate this meta. While Mareanie was a solid pick when NFE was still in its infant stages, Mareanie now fits on very few teams and has been off the radar for most games.
B -> C+
After a strong start to the generation by becoming banned alongside Misdreavus, Naclstack heavily struggled down the line. Once a good answer against Misdreavus, Vigoroth, and a beneficiary of Terastalization, Naclstack has cratered to obscurity. Metagame shifts have been considerably harder on it, with the things mentioned being gone now. Its weakness-laden typing (Ground, Water, Grass, Fighting) combined with reliance on Salt Cure for damage makes this very passive and hard to fit in and work on a team. If your team is very bulky and has lots of defensive backbones, Naclstack can still work as a Tinkatuff, Dunsparce, and Hattrem check. The issue likes in most Pokemon either being resilient against Salt Cure or being way too threatening against it. Fire-types can threaten massive damage against it, Grass-types can chop it with Knock or STAB moves, Piloswine destroys it, Koffing, Clefairy, and Duosion can bypass Purifying Salt with their abilities, etc. Water-types like Quaxwell can pivot away, Wartortle can beat it 1v1 with setup, and Girafarig can ruin it with Trick or blast it with Specs-powered coverage. Even Hisuian Sliggoo can discourage it with Flash Cannon! As you can see, Naclstack is threatened out by way too much and needs to be reserved for a few specific Pokemon to establish itself. You've got plenty of choices for your Stealth Rock setter too: Piloswine and Gabite remain great offensively, Tinkatuff and Dunsparce are great defensively, and even more niche choices like Clefairy and Glimmet have more room to switch around than Naclstack. Overall, it's way too much of a specialist and requires a steep amount of building around it to not let it get trampled by metagame threats.
C- -> UR
These five picks have been firmly off a teambuilder's radar for many months now, and for good reason. The former two are relics from old metas and they're badly outclassed by Piloswine, Gabite, and Krokorok. Toedscool is far too passive and has a detrimental ability (Hattrem and Naclstack are struggling in this meta themselves), Hippopotas's reliable recovery offset by its utter lack of damage output, low overall stats, and relevant Electric-types easily bypassing their typing, Prinplup will rarely actually get the competitive boost with most defoggers struggling to remove hazards in the first place and lacking important moves like Rapid Spin and Encore that Quaxwell gets. Gloom's Moonblast doesn't hit relevant targets for enough damage and Strength Sap's recovery makes it unreliable, plus is outclassed by Ivysaur. Carkol is 100% a worse spinner than Quaxwell from its much worse defensive typing, lack of pivoting, and worse speed; you can find much better Will-O-Wisp users in Dusclops and Koffing if you want to spread status too.