July 25, 2024
By Adam Ruffner
1. Atlanta Hustle (-)
Record: 10-2 (clinched first seed in the division, will host South Division championship)
Most recent result: 19-16 vs Carolina (W)
Next game: August 9 vs TBD
Upside: Austin Taylor recorded his second 50-assist regular season in the last four years, and has quietly moved into 18th all-time in assists; Atlanta clinched their second consecutive South Division regular season title; the Hustle finished the regular season first in the league in offensive efficiency, red zone efficiency, and fewest turnovers per game
Downside: Hustle have the fourth worst red zone defense in the UFA in 2024; Atlanta has not won a playoff game since 2016
2. DC Breeze (-)
Record: 10-2 (clinched first seed in the division, will host East Division championship)
Most recent result: 24-20 at New York (W)
Next game: August 10 vs TBD
Upside: DC sweeps the regular season series with their rivals from New York for the first time since 2017; the Breeze’s seven turnovers against the Empire were the fewest for the team since 2021; DC is 34-of-39 (87 percent!!!) on break opportunities over their last three games; opposing defenses have the lowest break rate against the Breeze this season
Downside: Opponents have the fourth highest completion percentage against the Breeze; DC ranks 18th in blocks per game
3. New York Empire (-)
Record: 8-4 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 24-20 vs DC (L)
Next game: July 27 at Boston
Upside: The Empire defense is converting over 73 percent of their break chances over the team’s last five games heading into the playoffs; Five different Empire players—Jack Williams, Ben Jagt, Elliott Chartock, Charles Weinberg, and Oliver Chartock—finish with 40 or more total scores, more than last year’s title team; New York is 11-1 and has three titles in their last four postseason appearances, with their sole loss coming in the 2021 championship game
Downside: The Empire have more losses this season (4) than in the last four seasons combined, including playoffs; the 24 goals New York surrendered in Week 13 is the most the Empire have allowed since 2019; Empire are tied for the third fewest blocks per game in the UFA in 2024
4. Carolina Flyers (+1)
Record: 9-3 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 19-16 at Atlanta (L)
Next game: July 27 vs Austin
Upside: The Flyers finish the regular season top five in the UFA in offensive efficiency, break scores per game, red zone efficiency, and huck completions per game; Allan Laviolette leads the team in scoring and total yards after missing two full seasons of play; as far as I can fact check, Terrence Mitchell owns the longest consecutive playoff appearance streak in UFA history at nine years
Downside: Carolina is averaging almost 18 turnovers per game over their last six matchups; Trevor Lynch is the only defensive starter to play in every game so far this season
5. Boston Glory (-1)
Record: 9-3 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 18-14 at Montreal (L)
Next game: July 27 vs New York
Upside: Jeff Babbitt only player in the league to finish regular season with 20-plus goals and 20-plus blocks; Boston is set to host their first playoff game in franchise history, and have as many wins this season (9) as they did in their first two seasons combined; Glory allow the fewest goals per game (15.3) in the league this season, a full goal lower than the next closest team
Downside: Draw the two-time reigning champs in the first round; despite finishing the season second in the UFA in defensive efficiency (61.4 percent), Boston converted just over 50 percent of their break chances in their last four games entering the playoffs
6. Salt Lake Shred (-)
Record: 10-2 (clinched first seed in the division, will host West Division championship)
Most recent result: 18-16 vs Seattle (W)
Next game: August 10 vs TBD
Upside: Third straight regular season with 10 or more wins; the Shred defense is converting over eight break scores per game at a 66 percent clip over the team’s last seven games; in 35 career regular season games, Chad Yorgason is averaging 3.2 scores per game while playing 91 percent of his points on defense, making him one of the best counterattackers in league history over his first three seasons as a pro
Downside: In their last two games against playoff caliber defenses (New York and Seattle), the Shred offense has converted just 13-of-36 (36 percent) of their offensive possessions; starting line injuries have piled up on offense and defense
7. Minnesota Wind Chill (+1)
Record: 9-3 (clinched first seed in the division, will host Central Division championship)
Most recent result: 30-16 vs Detroit (W)
Next game: August 10 vs TBD
Upside: After finishing the 2023 season ranked 15th in offensive efficiency, the Wind Chill concluded the 2024 regular season ranked sixth; Gordon Larson has more scores in his last two games (16) than he had in his first two seasons (11) in Minnesota; opponents have the fourth lowest offensive success rate against the Wind Chill D-line
Downside: The Wind Chill are averaging just under seven blocks per game in their last three games against playoff level teams; Minnesota have the third worst huck completion rate (54 percent) in the league this season
8. Seattle Cascades (-1)
Record: 9-3 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 26-17 vs Portland (W)
Next game: July 27 vs Oakland
Upside: Seattle nearly rallied back from a seven-goal second half deficit in Salt Lake in Week 13; the Cascades finished the regular season top two in the UFA in team huck completion rate, break rate, blocks per game, and red zone efficiency; since rejoining the team in 2023, Garrett Martin has 149 scores and 10,803 in his last 24 starts; Seattle has 10 or more break scores in four of their last five games
Downside: Oakland defeated the Cascades back on May 11 in Seattle; in their past two games against good defenses (Colorado and Salt Lake), the Cascades have converted just 42 percent of their offensive possessions
9. Austin Sol (-)
Record: 7-5 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 28-18 at Dallas (W)
Next game: July 27 at Carolina
Upside: The Sol rank in the top 10 in offensive efficiency this season after finishing the 2023 season in the bottom seven in the UFA; three different Sol defensive starters have 25 or more scores this season with Matthew Armour, Jake Reinhardt, and Mark Henke; after struggling with the deep ball to begin the season, Austin has connected on over 72 percent of their huck attempts in their last six games, a stretch that includes four performances with 10 or more huck completions
Downside: Austin is 2-8 against teams with winning records since the start of the 2023 season; the Sol don’t have a game this season with fewer than 16 turnovers
10. Madison Radicals (-)
Record: 8-4 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 25-16 vs Indianapolis (W)
Next game: July 28 vs Chicago
Upside: The Radicals closed their season with a 3-0 homestand to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2018, and host a playoff game; Madison has outscored their opponents 46-29 over the last two games; the Radicals are on pace to average the most breaks per game (9.75) in the UFA since the 2016 season; opponents are averaging over 22 turnovers per game against the Radicals, the most in the league in 2024
Downside: Madison is streaky with turnovers, and is one of just four playoff teams this season to average over 17 per game; the Radicals are last among all 12 playoff teams in offensive efficiency
11. Oakland Spiders (-)
Record: 8-4 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 23-16 at Los Angeles (W)
Next game: July 27 at Seattle
Upside: Even with a playoff berth in hand, the Spiders closed out their regular season with two decisive road wins heading into their first round matchup in Seattle; even with a perplexing -32 throwing yard performance in Week 10, Evan Magsig finished the regular season third in total passing yards; Oakland has five games with 22 or more goals this season
Downside: Only one other playoff team (Chicago) averages more turnovers per game than the Spiders; no 2024 playoff team surrenders more break scores per game to opponents than Oakland
12. Chicago Union (-)
Record: 7-5 (clinched playoff spot)
Most recent result: 24-14 vs Detroit (W)
Next game: July 28 at Madison
Upside: No team makes opposing offenses sweat out possessions more than the Union, who are allowing a league-low 40 percent success rate for O-lines; Nate Astrom finished the regular season tied for the league lead among rookies in blocks (18), and first in pulls (95); the Union are averaging just over 14 turnovers per game in their last four outings
Downside: Before pumping in 13 breaks against Detroit in Week 13, the Union were averaging just 4.5 break scores in their previous six games; Chicago has the second lowest red zone conversion rate among the 2024 playoff teams
13. Colorado Summit (-)
Record: 6-6
Most recent result: 26-16 vs Los Angeles (W)
Next game: N/A
Upside: Colorado finished the season with four double-digit block performances in their final five outings, after not registering a single such game in their first seven matchups of 2024; nine starts on offense resulted in a 53-score season for Noah Coolman in his third year as a pro; Quinn Finer has the highest huck completion rate (81.3 percent) among any UFA thrower with 30 or more since the beginning of 2021
Downside: Three-year franchise lows for offensive efficiency and break rate; opponents completed the third most hucks per game against the Summit in 2024
14. San Diego Growlers (+1)
Record: 4-8
Most recent result: 26-22 vs Oakland (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: San Diego averaged almost 22 scores per game over their last six contests of the season; Travis Dunn is top two in the UFA in scores per game for a second straight season, and currently second among all active UFA players in total career yards; the Growlers offense was second in the league in holds per game (14.6)
Downside: The Growlers allowed 51 combined goals in their final two games, both losses; opponents averaged nearly 10 blocks per game against San Diego, signaling a lot of questionable throwing decisions into coverage
15. Indianapolis AlleyCats (-1)
Record: 6-6
Most recent result: 25-16 at Madison (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: The AlleyCats defense ended their season converting on 59 percent or better of their break chances in four of their final five games; Cameron Brock has 30 or more goals in 11 of his 12 seasons as a pro, with the sole outlier being due to joining the team midseason in 2021; Indy officials sets the new UFA single-season record for most completions per game (387)
Downside: Indy finished the season with their second highest turnover total of 2024; The retirement of legends Travis Carpenter, Rick Gross, Nick Hutton, and Levi Jacobs after the 2024 campaign will leave holes that can’t be plugged in just one season
16. Philadelphia Phoenix (+1)
Record: 5-7
Most recent result: 18-17 vs Pittsburgh (W)
Next game: N/A
Upside: Philly ends their season as winners of four out of their last five; Sean Mott with his fifth season of 40 or more assists, and currently 26 shy of 400 for his career; the Phoenix offense finished the season with a 60 percent success rate in their last six games, compared to a 41 percent success rate in their first six games of 2024
Downside: Philly had just five total break scores in their final two games, and ended their season as one of just seven teams in 2024 to average fewer than five breaks per game; the Phoenix O-line had the worst transition defense in the league
17. Montreal Royal (+3)
Record: 4-8
Most recent result: 18-14 vs Boston (W)
Next game: N/A
Upside: End season with two big victories, including a redemption win at home over Boston after losing in overtime just two weeks prior; Tobe Decraene finished his rookie season with three straight starts with five assists, and four straight games with at least 14 defensive points played; the 12 turnovers Montreal committed in Week 13 was their fewest in a four-quarter game since 2019
Downside: Montreal has the second longest active playoff drought in the UFA; the Royal had the fourth worst red zone rate in 2024
18. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (-2)
Record: 4-8
Most recent result: 18-17 at Philadelphia (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: The Thunderbirds had 16 or fewer turnovers in each of their last three games despite being bottom six in the UFA for the season; Rookie Anil Driehuys ends season as team leader in total scores, with back-to-back games with over 400 throwing yards; nine different Thunderbirds players finished with double-digit goals, the most for the franchise since 2019
Downside: Pittsburgh bows out of playoff contention with three straight one-goal losses; just two Thunderbirds players started in all 12 regular season games this year, which tied for the second fewest in the UFA
19. Houston Havoc (-)
Record: 5-7
Most recent result: 28-18 at Austin (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: The Havoc have the same number of double-digit block games (11) as the Summit over the past two seasons; Ben Lewis was one of just three players to register 15 assists, 15 goals, and 15 blocks during the regular season; Rookie Kyle Kolafa had 30 scores and blocks combined compared to only three total turnovers
Downside: Houston averaged just 14.5 goals per game in their seven losses; opponents had the third highest break rate against the Havoc in 2024
20. Los Angeles Aviators (-2)
Record: 3-9
Most recent result: 23-16 vs Oakland (W)
Next game: N/A
Upside: First year Aviator James Franklin led the team in goals, and showcased a dangerous forehand huck throw in continuation looks; LA converted on 85 percent or better of their red zone opportunities in each of their last four games; Pawel Janas and Sean McDougall only active teammates in the UFA’s all-time top 12 in scoring
Downside: The Aviators tied a franchise high for losses with nine, which was originally set in their first season in 2015; the four teams that averaged fewer breaks per game than LA in 2024 have a combined three wins, and occupy the three spots beneath them in these rankings
21. Toronto Rush (-)
Record: 1-11
Most recent result: 26-21 vs Boston (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: The Rush completed a season-high 12 hucks against Boston while also matching a scoring high for the season with 21 goals; 25-year-old Kelvin Huang had a career-best nine scores against the Glory, and finished 2024 as one of just five Rush players to start in every game; Toronto had 19 or fewer turnovers in 10 of their 12 games this season, compared to just six such performances a year ago
Downside: The Rush tied with the Nitro for dead last in break score per game; Toronto had more losses this season than they had in their first six as a franchise, including the playoffs
22. Portland Nitro (-)
Record: 1-11
Most recent result: 26-17 at Seattle (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: On a per touch basis, Ben Thoennes was the most dangerous deep thrower in the UFA during the regular season; Portland averaged the sixth most hucks per game (9.3) for a full season since the league began tracking the stat in 2021; Rookie Henry Wayte had 200 or more receiving yards in six of his last seven games
Downside: The Nitro finished the season with 21 or more turnovers in each of their last six games, all losses; Portland has given up 23 or more goals per game in all three seasons of their existence
23. Dallas Legion (+1)
Record: 0-12
Most recent result: 28-18 vs Austin (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: Alec Wilson Holliday became the first player since 2019 to score 60 goals in a regular season, and led the league in receiving yards in 2024 by nearly 600 yards; the Dallas D-line converted on 50 percent of their breaks or better in four of their final six games
Downside: Dallas finishes as the only winless team this season; third to last in the league in turnovers per game
24. Detroit Mechanix (-1)
Record: 1-11
Most recent result: 24-14 at Chicago (L)
Next game: N/A
Upside: Jake Felton finishes his rookie season as the league leader in scores, assists, total yards, passing yards, and completed hucks; Detroit averaged their most blocks per game as a team since 2019
Downside: 27 or more turnovers in three of final four games; allowed the most goals per game in two seasons; last in offensive success rate and red zone efficiency in 2024
