James Spader, "The Office"

Nomination Status: Emmy voters love James Spader. He's certainly the most decorated newcomer in this category.

In His Favor: Three previous Emmy wins make Spader the biggest name in this category, Emmy-wise. Emmy voters like previous Emmy winners, even if said Emmy winners weren't especially great on their new shows.

Working Against Him: He isn't vaguely deserving. Robert California wasn't expected to save "The Office," but he was expected to stop the bleeding after Michael Scott's departure. He did not. The character was frequently misused or underused and after one season, "The Office" and Spader parted ways. It would be very strange if Emmy voters deemed successful what viewers and the show's writers mostly viewed as a failure.