Riot recently implemented the new ranked system, the so-called dynamic queue. They removed the solo/duo queue and it is not possible for the player to choose between those. In the dynamic queue you are able to team up with more than 2 people and play with them ranked.
In season 5 one could actually be sure that if you saw a player being Diamond 1, he would play like Diamond 1. You could actually judge someone by his division and it was always pretty accurate.
I'm under the impression that Elo and LP are just numbers now and don't represent how good you actually are as an individual anymore. You could simply be carried by a bunch of players you just queue up with.
Is this assumption correct or am I totally wrong?
Best Answer
Just like 5v5 ranked team queue before it, playing with people you know doesn't necessarily guarantee you a win. That is, if you're making the assumption that all individuals are equal at your rank.
The teamwork factor can make a huge difference, but if you're playing against individuals who are objectively better than each one of your teammates, more often than not, this will result in a loss for you.
Edit: Concerning the content of the edited question: yes, there may be some inflation of rank, however, you must keep in mind that Riot restricts the rank gap of players queuing ranked together.
https://support.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/204010760-Ranked-Play-FAQ#h4q2
Also, I think that your assumption that rank was a solid indicator of personal skill prior to dynamic queue is a bit misguided. Prior to the ranked queueing rank gap restriction, people were being boost simply via duo-queueing. Since the gap restriction, I feel like things may be slightly more accurate, but there are alway loopholes. Very highly ranked players can simply make smurf accounts now that are unranked and boost a Bronze player all the way to Platinum.
Opinions below
I think that Riot's intent with this queue is to really force people to start thinking and behaving like a team. It isn't a stretch to say that, historically, in solo queue, there has been a mindset of "I have to carry, I have to do the most damage, I have to have the best score, if I don't carry, we will lose".
This thinking is detrimental to the team dynamic and (IMO) is the source of all the negativity people have for their own teammates. The old queue promotes that 1v9 mentality where a player may feel that it's his effort vs the efforts of everyone else in the game.