July 4, 2024
By Daniel Cohen
10 weeks down, just three to go in the regular season. This week’s watchlist features a nice mix of unsung heroes, primary quarterbacks, and D-line playmakers looking to lead their teams into successful playoff runs.
Alex Davis, Carolina Flyers
In his first game back from injury, Alex Davis slotted in on the Carolina Flyers D-line and recorded two blocks against Pittsburgh. Davis was an O-line staple in 2022 and 2023 after playing almost exclusively D-line in 2021, and it’ll be worth watching whether his role shifts this year as he’s eased back into action. Carolina could certainly use his speed on defense in both generating turnovers and capping counterattack drives; in their last two games against opponents with a winning record, the team converted a combined 6-of-20 (30 percent) break opportunities. On the other side of the disc, Carolina’s offense looked lost against DC; Davis is just two years removed from a 50-goal season and would be another nice downfield target for Allan Laviolette and Xander Wilcox. Wherever he ends up playing, the Flyers should get back on track against a Phoenix team that ranks bottom-six in both D- and O-line conversion rate allowed.
Dex Dremann, Chicago Union (Pictured)
Dex Dremann has been a workhorse in both meetings with Minnesota this year, as he’s averaged 58.5 completions and nearly 450 throwing yards per game. In his first season playing on the Union O-line, he’s given the offense some much-needed firepower a year after the team finished dead last in huck completions per game—Dremann is currently tied for fifth in the UFA in huck completions (20), and he leads the team in total yards (3,585). The lefty gunslinger has undoubtedly opened up the offense, but like most of the players ranking top 10 in hucks, throwaways can pile up; Dremann has four throwaways in each of his last two games, his two highest marks of the season. If he’s able to effectively lead possessions while taking care of the disc in Minnesota this week, the Union will have a great chance at pulling off the road upset.
Josh Klane, Minnesota Wind Chill
Josh Klane is coming off his cleanest weekend of the season after finishing with zero throwaways against Chicago and Detroit. It’s the first time since 2022 he’s gone back-to-back games without a throwaway, and he tied a career high with a +8 plus/minus against Detroit. Leading the team in total yards (3,017) with three games to go in the regular season, Klane continues to be a primary distributor for the Wind Chill offense and has formed a dynamic one-two punch with Will Brandt in the backfield. This O-line is trending upward, and now they’re adding back Matt Rehder, whose presence Klane praised during his post-game interview in Week 8. In his last game with Rehder in the lineup, Klane completed a season-high five hucks against Colorado.
Mitchell McCarthy, Madison Radicals
Among all players in the league that have played at least 80 percent of their points on D-line, Mitchell McCarthy ranks first with 1,902 total yards. As the primary leader of the Madison Radicals counterattack, he’s been a huge part of the team’s league-leading 40 percent break rate this season. His throwing talent has opened up countless fast-break opportunities in transition—McCarthy’s 15 huck completions rank second on the team and tied for 11th in the league—and he’s completing his deep throws at a 75 percent clip. He also leads the team in points played this year and is one of nine players in the league with 10 assists, 10 goals, and 10 blocks. I really don’t think his impact has been talked about enough this season, and he should have plenty of opportunities to shine this week against a Pittsburgh team that has the second-lowest offensive conversion rate in the league.
Matt Miller, San Diego
In his first season with the San Diego Growlers, Matt Miller has already set career highs in basically every individual statistic, and it’s been amazing to watch his leap this year following three seasons as a role player in LA. Miller has racked up 5,283 total yards thus far, second only to Colorado’s Alex Atkins, and he’s been the go-to quarterback on this Growlers offense by a significant margin, with 168 more completions than the next closest player on the team. He’s been a do-it-all type for the O-line, capable of facilitating possessions with his legs and his throws while picking high-percentage opportunities to shoot downfield. It’s been the Matt Miller and Travis Dunn show all season for this offense, and they’ve got a big SoCal rivalry matchup this week as they look to keep San Diego’s playoff hopes alive.
Nanda Min-Fink, Colorado Summit
Making a strong case for the 2024 UFA All Rookie team, Nanda Min-Fink has slotted in seamlessly to the Colorado Summit O-line this year. He’s another versatile hybrid ideal for their system, and for the most part has shown great poise as a rookie—he has one or fewer throwaways in six of eight games this year and is completing over 96 percent of his throws. He’s been a nice complement to Colorado’s stars in the red zone and has the consistency to take on more high-volume roles when necessary; Min-Fink is third on the team in total scores (25) and has three games this year with 40-plus completions. Up against an AlleyCats defense that has allowed the second highest O-line conversion rate this season, expect Min-Fink to build on last week’s 300-yard, zero-turnover performance vs. Portland.
Will Wettengel, Indianapolis AlleyCats
2023 Second Team All Defense selection Will Wettengel is coming off his best game of the season after recording three blocks against Madison last week, and Indy is going to need his playmaking this Saturday against a Colorado offense loaded with talented cutters. Wettengel has played just five games this season, but with three scores and three blocks in the last two weeks, he could be the catalyst Indy needs to surge towards a playoff berth in the Central Division. Like the AlleyCats, the Summit rely on a lot of throws to punch in scores (they’re averaging 300 completions per game, second only to Indy), so any pressure Wettengel provides could help disrupt Colorado’s rhythm. This AlleyCats defense as a whole seems to be heating up—they averaged just 7.6 blocks per game in their first five games, compared to 15.3 over their last three—and if Wettengel continues to suit up down the stretch, this D-line could pave the way for a late-season playoff push.
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