February 13, 2026
By Adam Ruffner
Just under two months until the start of the 2026 season, so it's time to start ranking some teams! And while there's been no shortage of big roster moves during this offseason, we are still a few weeks out from anything resembling finalized rosters, so feel free to place a mental asterisk next to a lot of these numbers for now.
22.Vegas Bighorns
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 0-12 (24*)
Last result: 18-15 (L) at Los Angeles
Offensive success rate: 28.8% (24th*)
Defensive break rate: 16.1% (24th*)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 6th (57.5% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 25 vs Carolina
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: Redzone improvements at the end of last season (27-of-33, 82 percent) carry forward into Year Two for the Vegas franchise; 22-year-old dual threat Porter Stobbe averaged four scores per game over his last seven starts as a rookie in 2025.
Glass half empty: Porous defense, lack of throwing depth, and turnover problems continue without a solidified core of starters.
21. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 3-9 (22)
Last result: 25-18 (L) at Indianapolis
Offensive success rate: 42.9% (20th)
Defensive break rate: 24.8% (18th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 8th (55.6% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 10 vs Montreal
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: The T-Birds could fly low enough on the radar in a contentious Central Division to win a couple of “trap games”; 11-year pro vet Anson Reppermund quietly moved into the league’s top five all-time in blocks, and his lead-by-example approach to playing both offense and defense will be crucial for a young Pittsburgh roster.
Glass half empty: Too many new/young pieces and a grueling interdivisional schedule overwhelm a team in developmental mode.
20. Houston Havoc
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 2-10 (18)
Last result: 25-21 (L) vs Carolina
Offensive success rate: 48.4% (17th)
Defensive break rate: 18.0% (22nd)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 12th (53.2% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 24 vs Atlanta
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: Houston scored 20-plus goals in three straight games to conclude their 2025 campaign, the longest such scoring streak in franchise history; the perennially underrated Jimmy Zuraw and surprise 2025 rookie Mark Turner continue to develop their versatile throwing tandem.
Glass half empty: Lack of defensive stops (just 24 blocks in their final five games; league-worst 7.1 takeaways per game in 2025) makes Houston a sieve against the high powered offenses of the South Division.
19. Oregon Steel
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 3-9 (20)
Last result: 26-17 (L) at Seattle
Offensive success rate: 38.3% (21st)
Defensive break rate: 23.2% (20th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 5th (58.3% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 26 at Oakland
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: Ben Thoennes, Nate Knutson, and company get more featured games against playoff opponents as one of the most highlight-friendly rosters in the league;
Glass half empty: The “live by the huck, die by the huck” strategy that the Steel employ perennially once again skews a little too far towards the latter.
18. Philadelphia Phoenix
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 6-6 (11)
Last result: 24-15 (W) vs DC
Offensive success rate: 52.9% (12th)
Defensive break rate: 26.0% (15th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 10th (54.7% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 2 vs Toronto
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: The Phoenix continue their two-year trend of being a top seven team in terms of fewest turnovers per game; Philly’s defense was one of the best teams at limiting explosive plays/hucks last year, a vitally important coverage skill in the East Division.
Glass half empty: Too many personnel losses over the past two winters cools the Hotbirds from playoff hopefuls into back of the pack in the UFA’s toughest division.
17. Toronto Rush
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 3-9 (17)
Last result: 23-16 (L) at Montreal
Offensive success rate: 53.3% (11th)
Defensive break rate: 22.4% (21st)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 21st (43.7% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 1 at New York
Notable additions: Gagan Chatha, Max Pettenuzzo, Justin Podnar
Glass half full: A late season slump last summer bumped the Rush offense out of the top 10, but they showed signs of being an elite, uptempo unit; Canadian legend Chatha finds the fountain of youth and becomes another big offensive option alongside speedster Martin Gallant.
Glass half empty: The Toronto defense continues to rank in the bottom five in breaks per game as it has in each of the past two seasons.
16. Montreal Royal
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 4-8 (16)
Last result: 23-16 (W) vs Toronto
Offensive success rate: 50.2% (16th)
Defensive break rate: 25.0% (17th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 13th (52.5% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 2 at Boston
Notable additions: Malik Auger-Semmar
Glass half full: The return of playmaker Auger-Semmar alongside Quentin Bonnaud, Christophe Tremblay-Joncas, and Kevin Quinlan gives Montreal one of the best offensive cores in the East, if not the league as a whole when they’re playing at their ceiling; 25-year-old Charles Guay was a layout block machine in 2025, and finished the schedule with four multi-block performances in his last five starts.
Glass half empty: Montreal once again can’t find the right balance of complementary offensive and defensive play in a given game; the Royal struggled with unforced errors last year, and finished 0-7 in games with 20-plus turnovers.
15. Madison Radicals
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 7-5 (14)
Last result: 22-16 (L) at Minnesota, First round of Central Division playoffs
Offensive success rate: 47.3% (18th)
Defensive break rate: 36.1% (4th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 4th (59.9% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 9 at Indianapolis
Notable additions: Victor Luo
Glass half full: The returns of longtime team vets Luo (Played for Chicago in 2025) and Sterling Knoche spark a third straight playoff appearance for the Radicals; Eric Sjostrom carries his momentum from a half season with the team in 2025, when he had three 400-yard passing games in just seven starts and provided the kind of uber precise midrange throwing the team has lacked for several seasons on offense.
Glass half empty: The offense continues to lack quarter-to-quarter consistency in a division filled with top defensive talent; after sweeping the season series in 2025, Madison is staring down a four-game set against the newly refurbished AlleyCats in 2026, and with three of those four matchups coming after the conclusion of the college season/infusion of young talent for Indy.
14. Chicago Union
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 12-0 (1)
Last result: 19-17 (L) vs Minnesota, Central Division Championship
Offensive success rate: 53.9% (9th)
Defensive break rate: 48.1% (1st)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 15th (51.3% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 2 at Minnesota
Notable additions: Charlie Vukovic, Xander Wilcox
Glass half full: The newly added 6’7” Wilcox is exactly the kind of power thrower that can be the engine for the offense; Vukovic is a sneaky great add for a Chicago defense that ranks top six no matter who is on their roster; the Union have endured multiple roster turnovers during their six-season active playoff streak.
Glass half empty: Too many roster departures, particularly throwers, make them vulnerable against defenses with depth; even with last year’s talent-stacked lineup, the Union still finished outside the league’s top 10 in red zone efficiency.
13. Colorado Apex
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 8-4 (10)
Last result: 23-14 (L) at Oakland, First round of West Division playoffs
Offensive success rate: 52.3% (13th)
Defensive break rate: 36.6% (3rd)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 7th (57.2% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 2 at Seattle
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: Quinn Finer and Seth Faris combined for 37 hucks last season, and could easily push past 50 in 2026 with full control of the offense; the Colorado talent pipeline is too strong for a few all-star level departures.
Glass half empty: Despite having good overall team defensive stats in 2025, the Apex allowed over 21 goals per game in five matchups against playoff teams last year.
12. Seattle Cascades
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 4-8 (15)
Last result: 26-17 (W) vs Oregon
Offensive success rate: 50.5% (15th)
Defensive break rate: 29.6% (11th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 16th (49.7% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 2 vs Colorado
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: Seattle went 0-4 in games decided by two goals or less last year, so even a slight adjustment in late game focus could lead to a few more wins for the Cascades; Garrett Martin is having one of the most productive multi-year offensive runs in UFA history; the Langley Fitzpatrick breakout season is lurking.
Glass half empty: The Cascades continue to have lapses inside the red zone; Seattle had four different games with a sub-75 percent red zone conversion rate, including two of their one-goal defeats.
11. Austin Sol
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 9-3 (12)
Last result: 25-19 (L) vs San Diego, First round of South Division playoffs
Offensive success rate: 54.6% (8th)
Defensive break rate: 30.9% (8th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 22nd (36.2% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 25 vs Atlanta
Notable additions: Matt Armour, Duncan Fitzgerald, Evan Swiatek
Glass half full: Returners Armour, Fitzgerald, and Swiatek add to a roster that already hosted a playoff game last summer; Jackson Potts bounces back from injury and resumes his All-UFA level of play from 2025; Owen Johnson reaches All Defense potential in his third pro season.
Glass half empty: Similar to last season, the Sol could lack the battle-tested toughness the postseason requires after playing through the softest schedule in the league in 2026.
10. Indianapolis AlleyCats
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 4-8 (21)
Last result: 25-18 (W) vs Pittsburgh
Offensive success rate: 36.0% (22nd)
Defensive break rate: 29.6% (10th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 1st (61.0% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 9 vs Madison
Notable additions: Jeremiah Branson, Cameron Brock, Carson Chamberlain, Joe Cubitt, Jake Felton, Carter Hawkins, Elliot Hawkins, Nate Little, Isaiah Mason, Xavier Payne, James Pollard, Max Squires, William Wettengel
Glass half full: The supercharged ‘Cats defense finishes top three in takeaways and shuts down opposing deep games; Felton sheds turnover habits and fully leans into his QB1 talents; Elliot Hawkins could have the highest ceiling/biggest impact of any Indy player in 2026.
Glass half empty: Filled with new personnel and a shortened offseason of pod practices, the offense never gels in time for a deep playoff push; more meow than claws against the league’s toughest schedule.
9. Carolina Flyers
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 7-5 (6)
Last result: 25-21 (W) at Houston
Offensive success rate: 59.3% (3rd)
Defensive break rate: 28.1% (13th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 18th (48.4% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 24 at San Diego
Notable additions: Tobias Brooks
Glass half full: Even after an 0-4 start, Carolina still rated as a top three offense last season; Brooks, Laviolette, and Fairfax would be my pick for an “NBA Jam” style 3-on-3 game; if the defense can get even moderately more healthy than 2025, the Flyers should return to the playoffs.
Glass half empty: Four semifinals-caliber teams competing for three playoff spots in the division once again ;after three Championship Weekend appearances and a title over four seasons from 2021-2024, did the Flyers window close?
8. New York Empire
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 7-5 (9)
Last result: 23-12 (L) at DC, First round of East Division playoffs
Offensive success rate: 57.4% (5th)
Defensive break rate: 25.6% (16th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 11th (54.5% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 1 vs Toronto
Notable additions: Alex Atkins
Glass half full: The signing of Atkins allows for a redistribution of talent across both offense and defense (read: I love it for production, but John Randolph belongs on the Empire D-line); Calvin Brown returns midseason from injury, combines with Jack Williams again to form the best throwing backfield in the league; rumors are flying about a forthcoming MVP-level addition.
Glass half empty: The defensive struggles from last season, particularly the lack of takeaways, remain a feature rather than a bug; age really is a problem for the championship core of this roster.
7. San Diego Growlers
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 7-5 (13)
Last result: 22-18 (L) at Atlanta, South Division Championship
Offensive success rate: 55.1% (7th)
Defensive break rate: 29.6% (9th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 20th (43.8% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 24 vs Carolina
Notable additions: Jonathan Lyle
Glass half full: Came within a few goals of the semifinals while integrating numerous new starters on both lines in 2025; Travis Dunn extends his infinite prime playing years; Marcel Osborne and Oliver Artus are the best kept offensive secrets in the league.
Glass half empty: The Growlers continue to struggle to generate stops in big moments (just 13 total blocks in two playoff games, including just four in the divisional championship); lack of bigs leaves them vulnerable at the end of quarters/special teams scenarios.
6. DC Breeze
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 7-5 (5)
Last result: 17-9 (L) at Boston, East Division Championship
Offensive success rate: 53.6% (10th)
Defensive break rate: 29.2% (12th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 9th (55.5% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 25 at Boston
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: Including the playoffs, DC averaged just over 13 turnovers per game in their final eight matchups; over six career playoff starts, Christian Boxley has 29 total scores (assists plus goals) and 1,361 receiving yards compared to just one throwaway; DC owns the longest active playoff streak at nine seasons.
Glass half empty: The Breeze have scored just 22 goals total in their last two playoff losses; DC had seven games in 2025 with four or fewer break scores.
5. Oakland Spiders
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 9-3 (7)
Last result: 18-17 (L) at Salt Lake, West Division Championship
Offensive success rate: 58.9% (4th)
Defensive break rate: 34.0% (5th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: T-2nd (60.9% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 26 vs Oregon
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: The second full season with this offensive core could result in the best O-line in the UFA; only team in 2025 to rate top five in offensive and defensive efficiency; Daniel Ritthaler is the most underrated defensive player in the league.
Glass half empty: Oakland was 0-3 in 2025 against the Shred, their new rivals at the top of the division; late game curses can linger in the playoffs, just ask Madison and Atlanta.
4. Atlanta Hustle
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 9-3 (3)
Last result: 23-21 (L) vs Minnesota, UFA semifinals
Offensive success rate: 62.5% (1st)
Defensive break rate: 27.9% (14th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 19th (44.0% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 25 at Austin
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: After multiple seasons with one of the league’s toughest schedules, the Hustle can enjoy a slightly easier regular season campaign in 2026; Austin Taylor is on pace to become the first player in league history to hit 25,000 throwing yards in his career (since yardage stats began tracking in 2021); the Hustle not only committed the fewest turnovers per game in the UFA in 2025, they also were the only team in the league to avoid a 20-turn performance.
Glass half empty: Atlanta was 1-3 against interdivisional opponents last season; another second half lead given away in an elimination game; the Hustle might not come any closer to a championship than when they were up 14-11 in the third quarter of the semifinals last August against Minnesota.
3. Salt Lake Shred
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 11-1 (2)
Last result: 21-17 (L) vs Boston, UFA semifinals
Offensive success rate: 61.2% (2nd)
Defensive break rate: 33.9% (6th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 14th (52.2% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 1 vs Oregon
Notable additions: TBD
Glass half full: The Shred have won more than 10 regular season games in all four seasons of their franchise’s existence; Chad Yorgason could join the 40-assist, 40-goal club in his second full season on offense; four different Shred players (Yorgason, Jace Duennebeil, Matt Russnogle, and Will Selfridge) scored 30 or more goals last year, the most of any team in the league; best home field advantage in the league currently.
Glass half empty: The Shred’s three-game series in 2026 with Oakland alone could give them more losses this season than in other years; Salt Lake struggled against Boston’s size in the semis, producing just five blocks and converting on 7-of-11 (63 percent) red zone chances, and could have a similar ceiling this season.
2. Minnesota Wind Chill
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 9-3 (8)
Last result: 17-15 (L) vs Boston, UFA Championship Game
Offensive success rate: 51.3% (14th)
Defensive break rate: 45.5% (2nd)
Strength of 2026 schedule: T-2nd (60.9% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: May 2 vs Chicago
Notable additions: Lukas Ambrose, Noah Coolman, Nathan De Morgan
Glass half full: The three new signings above add a diabolical amount of playmaking to an already championship-ready roster; the Wind Chill already had what is widely considered and perennially graded as the best defense in the league, and then they added a DPOTY (Ambrose) and last year’s blocks leader (Coolman); flipping Paul Krenik to defense and Thomas Shope to offense midway through last season was the underrated lineup adjustment of the 2025 season and could continue to have massive ramifications this year as well.
Glass half empty: Even with the most high powered defense in existence, the Wind Chill offense could continue to play at a borderline top 10 level; Minnesota had the lowest huck completion rate of any playoff team last year, and finished in the bottom five of the league.
1. Boston Glory
2025 regular season record (Final ranking): 9-3 (4)
Last result: 17-15 (W) vs Minnesota, UFA Championship Game
Offensive success rate: 57.6% (6th)
Defensive break rate: 32.7% (7th)
Strength of 2026 schedule: 17th (48.7% opponent win percentage)
First opponent in 2026: April 25 vs DC
Notable additions: Thomas Edmonds
Glass half full: Tobe Decraene, Jeff Babbitt, and the rest of the champions run it back and become the third franchise to repeat; Edmonds’ versatility combines seamlessly with Decraene on offense; Boston’s counterattack continues to be the most disciplined unit in the UFA; reigning DPOY Tannor Johnson-Go has another do-everything postseason.
Glass half empty: 2025 was lightning in a bottle for a franchise that had only won one playoff game prior; defense cannot capture the same commitment/depth as their championship run.
* The league downsized from 24 in 2025 to 22 teams in 2026 following the suspension of operations in Detroit and Los Angeles.
