June 27, 2024
By Daniel Cohen
Just four weeks remain in the regular season, and with playoff contenders aiming to peak at the right time, they’ll be looking for some big-time performances to elevate their ceilings. This week’s watchlist features a handful of all-stars looking to lead their teams to playoff-clinching wins.
Matt Armour, Austin Sol
Coming off the most offensively productive two-game stretch of his career, Matt Armour should again be leaned on for the Sol’s final test of the regular season this Saturday against Atlanta. With some lineup absences against Dallas the past two weeks, Armour slotted into a full-time O-line handler role and generated nearly 1,200 total yards of offense to go with 12 scores (goals plus assists). He’s been a consistent D-line leader through Austin’s ascent in the South, and along with Joey Wylie, he’s often called on to cross over to offense each game for key points. Of all Sol players with at least 50 possessions played this year, Armour leads the team in individual offensive efficiency; Austin converts 59.9 percent of their possessions when he’s on the field. With Mark Evans again out this week, Armour could be called on once again to help anchor the offense and lead Austin to a statement win.
Jacob Fairfax, Carolina Flyers (Pictured)
Jacob Fairfax had nearly 500 receiving yards, seven scores, and two blocks in two meetings with DC last year, and he’s coming off a season-high 430-receiving-yard game against Atlanta. He now ranks eighth in the league in receiving yards per game this year (273) and is on pace to hit 3,000 for a third consecutive season. There aren’t that many players in the league that have Jacob Fairfax’s year-to-year consistency, and when you watch him, he just makes everything look easy; he’s as comfortable and effective taking the 20-yard under as he is stretching the field deep and skying over defenders. His dependable weekly impact and tough-to-match athleticism has been crucial to the Flyers’ success, and you can expect another productive game tomorrow night in the Week 10 Game of the Week.
Ben Jagt, New York Empire
Ben Jagt made himself a "Player to Watch" in every future New York vs. Salt Lake after last year’s infamous triple spike, and you know he’s going to be fired up for this championship rematch. Jagt had six scores in last year’s regular season meeting, followed by a five-goal game in the championship, as Salt Lake never had much of an answer to Jagt’s downfield ability. New York’s deep throwers are all in the lineup this week, and they seem to have hit their stride after struggling through the first few weeks of the season—the Empire completed a season-high 13 hucks last week against Toronto. This O-line is playing their most efficient ultimate of the season, and if they’re able to exploit Jagt’s matchup throughout the game, New York shouldn’t have much trouble improving to 3-0 all-time against the reigning West Division champs.
Jordan Kerr, Salt Lake Shred
We’re all hoping he’s cleared to play for Saturday, but assuming he is, it sounds like we’re about to get the debut of Casted Kerr. Jordan Kerr broke a bone in his non-throwing hand in Salt Lake’s Week 7 loss to Colorado, which forced him to miss his first game as a member of the Shred last week, but he’s expected to be back in the lineup for Saturday’s Super Series game against New York. In his last game against New York, Kerr was limited to just a single assist, which had never happened in his 28 previous games with Salt Lake. He drew the matchup of the eventual Defensive Player of the Year, Antoine Davis (crossing my fingers we get this matchup again), and like the rest of the Shred offense, Kerr was never able to find a rhythm against the top-tier New York defense. But it’s a new season, and with the Empire defense having looked vulnerable at times, it wouldn't surprise me if we get a Casted Henke-esque tribute from Kerr.
Jonny Malks, DC Breeze
With just two regular season games remaining on the DC Breeze schedule, Jonny Malks leads the team with 430 yards per game and is averaging a career-high 3.4 assists in 2024. He looks very much like the prototypical Breeze O-liner we’ve become so accustomed to seeing throughout his career, as he effortlessly flows in and out of handler sets with highly efficient play in the red zone. Last time he matched up with the Flyers in DC, Malks finished with his highest plus/minus of 2023, totaling two assists, three goals, and two blocks with nearly 600 total yards of offense. Carolina has allowed opposing O-lines to convert just 47.6 percent of their possessions this season, fifth-best in the league, so Malks and DC’s number one ranked offense will have their work cut out for them in tomorrow’s interdivisional rivalry game.
Garrett Martin, Seattle Cascades
Feels long overdue, but it’s probably time to talk about Garrett Martin as a potential league MVP candidate in 2024. Martin is the only player in the league right now with 25 assists and 25 goals, and he’s leveled up his game this year to take this Seattle Cascades offense to new heights. No longer the primary (and arguably only) distributor like he was last year, Martin has benefited from an influx of throwing talent, which has allowed him to develop into one of the top downfield hybrids in the West Division. With the necessary speed and quickness to get open at will, Martin’s skill set continues to be anchored by his throwing arsenal, and now he’s getting the disc in better spots to take advantage of continuation opportunities. The Cascades would clinch their first playoff berth since 2016 with a win this weekend over Colorado, and given his turnover-free, 350-yard performance against them earlier this year, expect Martin to be a big part of the game plan.
Bryan Vohnoutka, Minnesota Wind Chill
The Wind Chill will be missing a trio of O-line cutters in Matt Rehder, Quinn Snider, and Michael Jordan this week, so Bryan Vohnoutka should be more involved than usual on offense against Chicago. Minnesota’s two-way star is coming off his most productive two-game stretch of the season, as he’s now had back-to-back games with 350-plus total yards, five scores, and one block. B-Von excels at keeping the disc moving in an offense that seems to be hitting its stride with the re-addition of Will Brandt, and he has the ability to rally the team in an instant with big plays downfield. While he was quiet in his first game against the Union earlier this season, he should see an expanded offensive role this week and continue building this O-line towards optimal efficiency as the playoffs grow near.
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