April 23, 2026
By Daniel Cohen
Like every year, Week 1 is going to be full of surprises and big individual performances, so why not speculate on what the main storylines will be coming out of opening weekend. Here are five bold predictions for Week 1, in order of least bold to most bold.
Austin pulls off the home upset over Atlanta
The reigning South Division Champion Hustle are going to have their work cut out for them on the second day of a back-to-back against an Austin squad that has reloaded with talent this year. Evan Swiatek, Duncan Fitzgerald, and Matt Armour—all three played pivotal roles on Austin’s 2023 South Division Championship team—are back for 2026 after taking last season off, and the team has added all-time block leader Ryan Drost, who will suit up for his Sol debut on Saturday. Austin is young, hungry, and experienced, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the new coaching staff reinvigorate this franchise and notch a statement win in Week 1. Give me Austin by two in a back-and-forth thriller.
Allan Laviolette and Austin Taylor combine for 30-plus assists in Week 1 (in four games)
Both Carolina and Atlanta have road double headers to start the season, and the top two throwers in the league are going to pick up where they left off in 2025. Allan Laviolette and Austin Taylor have thrown 50-plus assists in each of the past two seasons, with back-to-back top five finishes. Both guys love airing it out—they ranked top three in huck completions last year—and should handle a lot of volume in Week 1, especially Laviolette without Tobias Brooks in the lineup. They’d need to average 7.5 per game across these four Week 1 contests to hit 30-plus combined, but Laviolette threw nine assists in the one meeting with San Diego last year, and Taylor has averaged 5.3 assists per game in six full games against Texas teams over the past two seasons. Put these two gunslingers on your Week 1 watchlist if they’re not there already.
WATCH: Carolina at San Diego | Week 1 | Friday Night Frisbee - Live and FREE on YouTube
Jeff Babbitt records 200th career block against DC
He’d need to tally four blocks against the Breeze to pull this one off, but who says no? Jeff Babbitt remains one of the league’s most tenacious defenders—he recorded three highlight-reel blocks at Championship Weekend last August despite playing predominantly as a reset handler—and he’s now gone back-to-back seasons recording 20-plus blocks in his first two years with Boston. In 21 regular season games with Boston, Babbitt has recorded four or more blocks five times (close to once in every four games). Whether he’s deployed on O-line or D-line, Babbitt’s going to be hunting in what should be a tightly contested rivalry game.
DC pulls off the upset win over Boston
Boston’s arrow is clearly pointing up after a UFA championship in 2025, returning the bulk of their roster, and adding another former league MVP in Rowan McDonnell, and All-UFA talent Thomas Edmonds. DC on the other hand is heading into 2026 without McDonnell, Edmonds, and Tyler Monroe, three O-line starters last year that recorded three of the top five plus/minus ratings on the team. And yet despite the losses, DC still has enough pieces to be considered a true contender. Andrew Roy, Jacques Nissen, and newcomer Sean Mott will likely handle the bulk of the touches on offense, while the return of Christian Boxley gives them an A1 receiver to pair with the always-reliable Jeff Wodatch. AJ Merriman and Miles Grovic still haven’t peaked as defenders, and I’m hearing lots of hype around Dutch rookie Wiebe van den Brink. A Week 1 championship hangover from Boston and a new-era energy from DC will give this underestimated Breeze squad the edge: Breeze by one in another East Division classic.
Oakland converts 80-plus percent of O-line possessions against Oregon, setting a new franchise record
After finishing middle of the pack in O-line conversion rate from 2022 to 2024, the Spiders offense reached new heights in 2025, converting 58.9 percent of possessions over the course of the season (fourth best in the league). This offense is absolutely loaded with young playmakers, and I expect it to be even better in 2026 given the development of talent thus far. Week 1 presents an opportunity to show just how high their ceiling can be against a vulnerable Oregon team that has allowed over 22 scores per game every year since they joined the league in 2022. Spiders should start strong and fast, and the key to an 80-plus percent conversion day could end up coming from D-line break trains limiting offensive possessions.
