May 7, 2026
By Adam Ruffner
A wild Week 1 of close calls and surprising results was followed by Week 2 chalk and some blowouts, which is why these rankings might be a bit muddled at this early season juncture. The cream of the crop seems apparent, but there's several squads still vying for contender status before the month closes out.
THE BACK 12
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Salt Lake’s precipitous drop was for two major reasons. The Shred once again looked nervous in a big game (e.g., four drops) in their 10-goal Week 2 loss at Oakland, but they also ran into the same offensive woes as in similar defeats in years past. This team loves to run a fast paced, high-motion offense that can turn the field into a downhill landscape for their fastbreak attack. But when the Shred are forced to slow it down and play more methodically, they stall out (sometimes literally) and commit self-inflicted mistakes that pile up.
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The hiddenest of gems since he entered the league in 2025, Mark Turner can flat out ball when he finds a rhythm, and he might have a top three hammer throw in the UFA inside the half field stripe. And when he’s playing with the kind of aggressive vision as he did against the Sol last Saturday, Houston can look downright punchy on offense.
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Poor Montreal. Historic travel woes and injuries to two of their offensive starters in Quentin Bonnaud (arm fracture) and Jakob Brissette (concussion symptoms) derailed their underdog hype almost on arrival in the states. And after witnessing the kind of playmaking Christophe Tremblay-Joncas and Malik Auger-Semmar were capable of against Boston’s championship level defense, it’s going to be a long 2026 season of “what ifs” for the Royal with Bonnaud on the sidelines long-term.
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If their defense can catch up to their deep game, Toronto might be the real wild card in the East Division. Martin Gallant is a true gamebreaker with his speed and incessant ability to stretch into deep space, and first-year Rush player Gagan Chatha provides the kind of confidence this young team sorely needs. Araav Sehgal looks ready to take over the QB1 role on offense in his third pro season, and has clearly leveled up his throwing power. This is a very large team with Phil Turner, Evan Bembenista, and breakout rookie runner Kelsi Mallany striding around, and they’re only starting to develop an identity.
22.Vegas Bighorns (-)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 26-12 (L) vs Carolina
Next game: May 8 vs Atlanta
21. Oregon Steel (-1)
Record: 0-3
Last result: 20-18 (L) vs Colorado
Next game: May 10 vs Oakland
20. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (-1)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 10 vs Montreal
19. Houston Havoc (+2)
Record: 0-2
Last result: 22-20 (L, OT) vs Austin
Next game: May 9 at Austin
18. Philadelphia Phoenix (-)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 24-17 (L) vs Toronto
Next game: May 9 at Carolina
17. Colorado Apex (-1)
Record: 1-1
Last result: 20-18 (W) at Oregon
Next game: May 9 vs Salt Lake
16. Montreal Royal (-2)
Record: 0-2
Last result: 20-18 (L) at DC
Next game: May 9 at Toronto
15. Toronto Rush (+2)
Record: 1-1
Last result: 24-17 (W) at Toronto
Next game: May 9 vs Montreal
14. Chicago Union (-3)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 22-12 (L) at Minnesota
Next game: May 16 vs Minnesota
13. Madison Radicals (+3)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 9 at Indianapolis
12. Seattle Cascades (+1)
Record: 1-0
Last result: 27-14 (W) vs Colorado
Next game: May 9 vs Oakland
11. Salt Lake Shred (-6)
Record: 1-1
Last result: 25-15 (L) at Oakland
Next game: May 9 at Colorado
THE TOP 10
The current list below feels ripe for disruption, particularly beyond the top five. Austin is undefeated by the skin of their teeth, the DC offense continues to struggle to find their footing, and the AlleyCats have yet to play their first game with a nearly 60 percent new roster. The next two weeks will be a real weeder process of figuring out the hots from the nots.
10. Indianapolis AlleyCats (+1)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 9 vs Madison
The AlleyCats 2026 debut in upcoming Week 3 will feature a less-than-optimal lineup, especially for a matchup with Madison that will have definitive playoff ramifications in the Central Division; either one or the other of these two teams has made the playoffs every year since 2019*, but never both; Indianapolis qualified in 2019, 2022, and 2023, while Madison has made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. Nate Little is slated to make his first start in Naptown, and could be the x-factor in what is sure to be a grindfest on Saturday. The defender has the size, mobility, and versatility of position/coverage that reminds me a bit of a younger Tannor Johnson-Go, capable of disruption both down range and in the backfield.
* Excluding the 2021 season, when there was divisional realignment and there were only two playoff seeds per division.
9. DC Breeze (+1)
Record: 1-1
Last result: 20-18 (W) vs Montreal
Next game: May 10 at New York (Friday Night Frisbee)
Led by veteran defender Charlie McCutcheon’s inspiring three-block performance, the Breeze defense thwarted the Royal at home last Sunday with 12 takeaways and nine break scores, and avoided the franchise’s first 0-2 start in team history by two goals. The DC offense definitely has some added explosiveness with AJ Merriman’s shift—the longtime defensive expert is on pace for 60 total scores and nearly 6,000 yards of offense in 2026—but it’s still working out the kinks. For the first time since 2021, the Breeze played back-to-back games with a below 50 percent offensive success rate.
8. San Diego Growlers (+1)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 22-20 (L) vs Carolina
Next game: May 9 vs Atlanta
The Growlers have been on the cusp of true contender status now for at least a year, but if they fall again to Atlanta in the coming “Game Of The Week” showcase, San Diego might find themselves back in the pack of “prove it” teams. All the offensive benchmarks for a great team are there: selective but effective deep attack, efficient red zone sets, multiple stars that can take the reins at any given moment. But the Growlers defense has just 18 takeaways total spanning their last three games, with two top-four offenses on deck in their next two matchups.
7. Atlanta Hustle (+1)
Record: 1-1
Last result: 27-26 (L, 2OT) at Austin
Next game: May 8 at Vegas
The more time passes, the more of a quandary that double overtime loss in Austin is for the Hustle. I mean seriously: what frisbee gods allow a team to play six quarters of frisbee, commit just 13 turnovers, and lose? Kenni Taylor and Hustle newcomer Will Selfridge are making their season debuts tomorrow night in Vegas, giving Atlanta an additional pair of twin jets in a lineup already featuring Alec Wilson Holliday. The Hustle are balanced across both lines and possess many great attributes, but their true team speed can come into conflict with their age, and it was a bit exposed by the Sol’s playmakers in Week 1.
6. Austin Sol (+1)
Record: 2-0
Last result: 27-26 (W, OT) vs Atlanta
Next game: May 9 vs Houston
This cardiac Sol squad is really putting the “yeehaw” into these first two weeks with back-to-back overtime finishes. Kyle Henke remains one of the most composed stars and effective scorers in crunchtime, and what the Austin defense lacks in stopping power they make up for in sheer moxie. The Sol are currently top seven in takeaways and bottom five in goals allowed, which is about as swashbuckling as it gets while winning games. George Gust has back-to-back multiple block games to begin his pro career, and he’s already manning primary pulling duties for the D-line.
5. Carolina Flyers (+1)
Record: 2-0
Last result: 26-12 (W) at Vegas
Next game: May 9 vs Philadelphia
A win in Philly and a loss for either Austin or Atlanta would really put the Flyers in pole position in the South, which might be needed as Carolina prepares for a three-game series against their Hustle rivals to close out the month of May. The Flyers entered 2026 playing like a top three offense, and they could be even better after Memorial Day and an injection of collegiate stars. The big question for Carolina is whether their defense can step it up against good opponents. The Flyers were a blistering 8-of-9 on their break opportunities in Week 1, but that was largely due to Growlers miscues; Carolina finished with just three blocks against San Diego, their lowest total in nearly three years.
4. Oakland Spiders (-)
Record: 2-0
Last result: 25-15 (W) vs Salt Lake
Next game: May 9 at Seattle
Oakland proved themselves to be the new powerhouse in the West not just because of the final score against the reigning divisional champs, but for the way they went about it. The Spiders came into the season with some amount of skepticism with their ability to convert in special teams scenarios, and exited Week 2 fully exonerated. After being stunted and double teamed into oblivion in last year’s West finale, the Spiders shredded Salt Lake’s sideline traps and blitzed past the coverage again and again for open scores. And for all the deserved hype coming into his rookie year, Anton Orme exceeded it and then some. The Cal Poly product provided big plays on defense, and showed a veteran’s poise operating his first reps against double team defensive coverages.
3. Minnesota Wind Chill (-)
Record: 1-0
Last result: 22-12 (W) vs Chicago
Next game: May 15 at Indianapolis
What began as an inauspicious start culminated in a 9-0 run to close out the first quarter in Minnesota’s home opener win in front of a record crowd. The Minnesota defense pummeled Chicago’s rookie-filled offense with deep pulls and disadvantageous starting field positions nearly every possession, and cracked the Union wide open for 15 break scores and 16 blocks. Justin Burnett finished with a game-high four takeaways, but five other Wind Chill defenders produced multiple blocks on the game, including both Noah Coolman and Lukas Ambrose in their team debuts. Unsurprisingly, though, the sore spot for this squad with championship aspirations is the offense, which looked disconnected for much of the game. The Wind Chill haven’t had an O-line success rate above 50 percent in their last four outings, which will be a problem if it continues against the AlleyCat’s revamped defense in eight days.
2. New York Empire (-)
Record: 1-0
Last result: 24-15 vs Toronto
Next game: May 10 vs DC (Friday Night Frisbee)
To borrow a line from announcer Bryan Jones: Was there any doubt? Was there any doubt. Alex Atkins proved a perfect fit for the big city in his first game with the Empire, and immediately established a deep connection with receiving legend Ben Jagt that should scare the rest of the division. A big critique since the departure of Ryan Osgar for this New York offense has been the lack of consistent explosive plays—the Empire completed just three hucks against DC in last season’s first round playoff loss—but Atkins’ 90-yard nuclear blast to Jagt put an end to all those notions, as the team finished 9-of-11 (82 percent, currently second in the UFA) on hucks against Toronto. The Breeze have claimed three of the last four matchups against the Empire dating back to 2024, so Sunday’s matinee will have a bonus edge.
1. Boston Glory (-)
Record: 2-0
Last result: 22-15 (W) vs Montreal
Next game: May 16 at Montreal
For all the challengers, Boston still looks to be the best. Tobe Decraene has gone supernova to start his 2026 campaign, and is currently on pace for 144 scores and nearly 7,000 yards while completing 99 percent of his throws. And to be honest, the stats don’t do justice to the absolute highlight factory the reigning MVP has been putting on. But for all Decraene’s individual excellence, this Boston team as a whole is as strong as ever. The Glory have back-to-back eight turnover performances, and they’re 31-of-32 inside the red zone. Defensively, Boston continues to limit opponents’ tempo as well as any unit in the association, which leads to coverage sacks or bailout throws where their defenders can make plays.
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