April 29, 2026
By Adam Ruffner

The first weekend of 2026 UFA is behind us, and yet over half of the league has yet to take the field, so please take these rankings with a heavy dose of salt. Boston and Oakland looked the most dominant in Week 1, while the Flyers demonstrated what made them a top three offense by the end of 2025.

THE BACK 12

Do not think of all these teams as cellar dwellers. No, most of these franchises are merely in flux, and needing to certify they are more than just their blemishes, or unproven parts.

A couple notes.

• Madison, Montreal, and Seattle are all intriguing teams with specific weak points. The Radicals are still in search of quality wins (plural) against playoff competition, the Royal need to show they can be more consistent week-to-week despite their “giant killer” wins at home, and the Cascades need to develop more dimensions to their attack beyond boosting it deep. Two of the three teams (Montreal and Seattle) have their 2026 debuts this weekend.

• Indianapolis and Chicago both have traits the other team covets. The AlleyCats possess the kind of high-ceiling talent that could win the division, while the Union have built a framework that has resulted in the second longest active playoff streak (six seasons) in the association. But Chicago is banged up, and has to start their season on the road at Sea Foam Stadium for Minnesota’s home opener.

• Colorado, Montreal, and Toronto all face pivotal Week 2 two-game road trips. While all three could expectedly lose a game a piece, the real challenge will be to avoid an 0-2 weekend and put themselves in a season-long, uphill battle to get into the playoff race in their respective divisions.

22.Vegas Bighorns (-)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 26-12 (L) vs Carolina
Next game: May 8 vs Atlanta

21. Houston Havoc (-)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 29-13 (L) vs Atlanta
Next game: May 2 vs Austin

20. Oregon Steel (-1)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 34-11 (L) at Oakland
Next game: May 1 at Salt Lake

19. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (+1)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 10 vs Montreal

18. Philadelphia Phoenix (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 2 vs Toronto

17. Toronto Rush (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 1 at New York (Friday Night Frisbee)

16. Colorado Apex (-2)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 2 at Seattle

16. Madison Radicals (+1)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 9 at Indianapolis

14. Montreal Royal (+1)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 2 at Boston

13. Seattle Cascades (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 2 vs Colorado

12. Chicago Union (-2)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 2 at Minnesota

11. Indianapolis AlleyCats (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 9 vs Madison

THE TOP 10

For now, these teams could be considered the “championship contenders” out of the gate. Every franchise from here on out has made multiple playoff appearances in recent years, and have the upshot of making Championship Weekend in 2026. Boston opened the season with the most impressive performance—sorry, Oakland and their 34 goals at home—and now the other true blue bloods New York and Minnesota activate in Week 2. 

10. DC Breeze (-3)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 21-16 (L) at Boston
Next game: May 3 vs Montreal

The Breeze took too long to get going in Boston to make things competitive, and allowed the Glory to lead wire-to-wire. DC has registered just eight combined blocks in their last two losses to Boston, and the Breeze defense simply had no answer for stopping the Glory once they were inside the red zone. On the plus side, AJ Merriman throwing and Miles Grovic leading the fastbreak is the kind of dynamic downfield attack the Breeze have been lacking in their deep game, and the continuation cutting of Coby Loveranes and Theo Shapinsky (eight combined goals) kept the offense dangerous in the second half. Christian Boxley was mostly “quiet”, yet still finished with a game-high 309 receiving yards last Saturday night. 

9. San Diego Growlers (-)
Record: 0-1
Last result: 22-20 (L) vs Carolina
Next game: May 9 vs Atlanta

As Evan Lepler outlined plainly and expertly yesterday, the Growlers home opener loss was historically unlucky as San Diego became just the fourth team in the last 71 games to commit single-digit turnovers, and still lose. The high-powered, multi-part Growlers attack produced six players with three or more scores, high-motor mover Matt Miller once again led the team in yardage, and newcomer Brandon Van Deusen added some much needed range and throwing depth to the O-line. But unfortunately, last year’s trend of the Growlers losing close games has followed them into the new season as SD is now 2-5 over their last seven games decided by four goals or fewer. Similar to DC, they just cannot seem to get stops in big moments. 

8. Atlanta Hustle (-2)
Record: 1-1
Last result: 27-26 (L, 2OT) at Austin
Next game: May 8 at Vegas

Shame on me for doubting a Hustle defense that accounted for 24 break scores over just two games in Week 1, including 8-of-10 against the Sol. And the Atlanta offense was equally impressive, stretching the field at will with their patented hucks against both the Havoc and Sol, while also converting over 91 percent of their red zone chances. Austin Taylor, Hayden Austin-Knab, and Brett Hulsmeyer all had big debuts down in Texas, but it was the dual threat dogged play of veteran Jeremy Langdon that seemed to be the glue for the unit. And yet for all their team excellence—Atlanta had three more blocks and two fewer turnovers than Austin—and for seeming to hold serve down the stretch of the fourth quarter and in the first overtime period, the Hustle walk away from their first road trip with double overtime PTSD at the hands of the Sol once again. 

7. Austin Sol (+5)
Record: 1-0
Last result: 27-26 (W, 2OT) vs Atlanta
Next game: May 2 at Houston

So many things about Saturday’s sudden death thriller were reminiscent of the 2023 Sol. The star powered, individual performances of Duncan Fitzgerald, Kyle Henke, and Evan Swiatek. The red zone weaves. The clutch, team-wide playmaking to claw out from their own self-dug grave. The brash physicality that bubbled over. Austin is a powderkeg, there’s no two ways about it, but they come away from their first game with a win over the reigning division champs. It remains to be seen if this young and developing D-line can consistently slow down the opposing attack, but how about 18-year-old rookie and all-time great frisbee name George Gust earning a game-high three blocks in his pro debut. 

6. Carolina Flyers (+2)
Record: 2-0
Last result: 26-12 (W) at Vegas
Next game: May 9 vs Philadelphia

Much like Allan Laviolette motioning upline, the Flyers are in power position as winners of eight of their last nine games dating back to last season. Before Friday night, Carolina was just 2-4 over their last six season openers, and they stand to only get better as the 2026 progresses. Jacob Louie is a perfect complementary piece to Laviolette in the backfield, and could be an even better fit on the Flyers than the extremely talented-but-departed pair of John McDonnell and Rutledge Smith. Defensively, the Flyers are fearsome in transition. They get the disc into attacking position quickly, and William Coffin might be the most underrated deep thrower in the UFA; the 32-year-old defensive specialist has always had a big arm, and is now capitalizing off turns with big receiving targets Matt Tucker and Cooper Williams.

5. Salt Lake Shred (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 1 vs Oregon

The Shred have the hardest test to start their season of any of the 2025 division winners. They host Oregon this coming Friday for the Salt Lake home opener, and then the Shred must turn around the next day and fly to SoCal to face the Spiders in Oakland in a rematch of last year’s divisional title tilt. Salt Lake’s starting offense will be ready to go, but the Shred defense will be down several starters, including last year’s dynamic rookie duo of the Pew brothers. Week 1 isn’t a must win for the West’s reigning champs, but it will be a tone-setting showdown that will add to the stakes of one of the best three rivalries in the league right now.

4. Oakland Spiders (-)
Record: 1-0
Last result: 34-11 (W) vs Oregon
Next game: May 2 vs Salt Lake (Game Of The Week)

Oakland funneled an offseason full of hype into blowing the doors off the Steel on Sunday. In the process, the Spiders successfully pulled off a “Freaky Friday” experiment, swapping the most productive O-line passer over the last two seasons (Evan Magsig) for 2025 All Defense selection Daniel Ritthaler. It will be interesting to see if this wrinkle remains, or if it’s just a clever way to dirty up Salt Lake’s scouting before Saturday’s huge matchup. Oakland didn’t allow a break to Oregon, and it’s actually the second time since last June that the Spiders have logged a 100 percent hold rate for a game. But the one weak spot in the Spiders attack in 2025—the red zone—seemed to still be a sore point on Sunday, as Oakland committed eight turnovers inside the 20 yard line; the Spiders now have an unreal 18 turnovers inside the red zone in just their last two games. 

3. Minnesota Wind Chill (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 2 vs Chicago

Lukas Ambrose and Noah Coolman are both set to make their Wind Chill debuts this Saturday against Chicago, and rookie Owen Suelflow joins brother Kyle in the newest brotherly duo that could make major playoff impacts. Minnesota hasn’t allowed more than 16 goals in a home opener since 2022, and with the Union’s expected absences in Week 2 combined with the aforementioned defensive upgrades, the Wind Chill could give the Chicago O-line frostbite. But the most important thing to watch for in the three-time reigning Central champs’ introduction to the 2026 season is how crisp the offense looks, and whether they can build more rhythm between the throwers in the backfield and their downfield continuations cutters. 

2. New York Empire (-)
Record: 0-0
Last result: N/A
Next game: May 1 vs Toronto (Friday Night Frisbee)

We’re still not at the point of seeing Daan De Marrée in pinstripes, but standout free agency acquisitions Alex Atkins, Alex Davis, and Braden Eberhard are all active in Week 2 for the Empire. But for as much excitement has been made for the fresh faces, I’m most interested in seeing the internal development of the New York defense. Former DPOTY Antoine Davis, 2025 First Team All UFA selection John Randolph, and Marques Brownlee are at the forefront of coverage assignments, and yet third-year defender Axel Agami-Contreras might be the spark that kickstarts this team out of last year’s mediocrity. A certified ball hawk, Agami-Contreras has the agility and acceleration to stay attached at the hip against mobile throwers, and his 16 goals last year portend a bright future in the counterattack should the Empire (expectedly) get more break opportunities.

1. Boston Glory (-)
Record: 1-0
Last result: 21-16 (W) vs DC
Next game: May 2 vs Montreal

I’ll cop to it here: I may have gone around last week crowing about “Boston could have a championship hangover!” That was decidedly not the case, particularly for the MVP who had arguably his best game as a pro with 13 scores and 734 yards. There’s an unmistakable aura and champion’s energy to this team now, whether it’s Jeff Babbitt flexing a bicep after goals in the red zone, Boston’s defense head-down blitzing for the break after turnovers, or the simple realization that pretty much every player on this roster feels like they’re improving their game—have you seen Simon Carapella and Oscar Graff lately? And now 2025 DPOTY Tannor Johnson-Go returns to add another monster to the lineup, at least for home games. The Glory face Montreal (twice), Philly, and Toronto before a fateful “Friday Night Frisbee” matchup with New York on June 5, and will likely be 5-0 by that time.