May 27, 2026
By Adam Ruffner
The offensive and defensive juggernauts determining the landscape of the league are becoming clearer each week, with Boston, Oakland, New York, and Carolina displaying elite qualities across both lines. And despite the overall volume of blowouts, play has been refreshingly efficient, with a league-record six different teams averaging under 15 turnovers per game. The approach of June marks the beginning of summer, and with it a tilt into the true heat of the season schedule.
THE BACK 12
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San Diego got a nine-goal win in Vegas last Saturday to even out their record, but there are still some fault lines showing for a team thought to be a contender for the South Division title when the season started. The Growlers have 59 turnovers combined in their last two outings, and have back-to-back games with 20 or more for the first time since 2024. Brandon Van Deusen is personally responsible for nearly half of the team’s huck completions over their last two games, which has limited the attack angles for the Growlers offense. The upcoming Week 6 matchup in Oakland feels like a real fork-in-the-road moment for SD, as they will either find redemption against one of the few remaining undefeateds and prove themselves formidable after all, or slip behind the pack in the divisional playoff race.
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With their Week 5 loss to Toronto, Montreal now ties Vegas for the most losses in the UFA to date, and all but ending the Royal’s playoff hopes for 2026. Malik Auger-Semmar has 22 assists and nearly 1,100 receiving yards in just his last four starts, but the offense as a whole struggled to find a rhythm yet again; the Royal already have three performances this season with a 44 percent offensive success rate or lower, and they rank 18th this season in red zone conversion rate (77 percent). Even so, with their uppercut potential and three remaining matchups at home against prospective playoff teams in the East Division, Montreal figures to remain a potent force in the playoff picture.
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Back for his second season with Indianapolis, third-year pro player and college star Elliot Hawkins is set to make his 2026 debut this Friday against Chicago. The 20-year-old has already shown a lot of playmaking potential as a receiver at 6’1”, and he averaged the second most receiving yards per game (269) for a 2025 Colorado squad that made the playoffs. The AlleyCats hope to pair Hawkins alongside William Wettengel in as an offensive engine that could be the future for the franchise. But both team and player will have to rein in some of their shot-taking tendencies; Hawkins had five throwaways in four starts last season, and Indy currently ranks 17th in turnovers per game in 2026.
Key: Offensive Success Rate = O-line scores/O-line possessions; Defensive Break Rate = D-line scores/D-line points
22.Vegas Bighorns (-)
Record: 0-5
Last result: 26-17 (L) vs San Diego
Next game: June 6 vs Austin
Team stats: 28.2% Offensive Success Rate (22nd) / 12.9% Defensive Break Rate (22nd) / 5.4 Hucks Per Game (19th)
21. Oregon Steel (-)
Record: 0-4
Last result: 24-13 (L) vs Oakland
Next game: May 23 vs San Diego
Team stats: 32.5% Offensive Success Rate (20th) / 16.7% Defensive Break Rate (17th) / 7.2 Hucks Per Game (9th)
20. Philadelphia Phoenix (-3)
Record: 0-3
Last result: 28-11 (L) at Boston
Next game: May 30 vs Pittsburgh
Team stats: 31.8% Offensive Success Rate (21st) / 14.9% Defensive Break Rate (20th) / 7.0 Hucks Per Game (T-11th)
19. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (+1)
Record: 0-2
Last result: 21-17 (L) vs Madison
Next game: May 29 at New York
Team stats: 55.7% Offensive Success Rate (7th) / 15.6% Defensive Break Rate (19th) / 9.5 Hucks Per Game (1st)
18. Houston Havoc (+1)
Record: 1-3
Last result: 15-13 (W) vs Vegas
Next game: May 30 vs Seattle
Team stats: 40.9% Offensive Success Rate (17th) / 16.2% Defensive Break Rate (18th) / 7.8 Hucks Per Game (7th)
17. Colorado Apex (+1)
Record: 1-4
Last result: 31-14 (L) at New York
Next game: May 29 vs Oregon
Team stats: 38.5% Offensive Success Rate (18th) / 14.8% Defensive Break Rate (21st) / 8.0 Hucks Per Game (T-4th)
16. Montreal Royal (-2)
Record: 1-5
Last result: 21-16 (L) vs Toronto
Next game: May 30 vs DC
Team stats: 51.5% Offensive Success Rate (13th) / 23.0% Defensive Break Rate (15th) / 7.2 Hucks Per Game (10th)
15. Chicago Union (+1)
Record: 0-2
Last result: 22-12 (L) at Minnesota
Next game: May 29 vs Indianapolis (Friday Night Frisbee)
Team stats: 33.9% Offensive Success Rate (19th) / 30.0% Defensive Break Rate (12th) / 4.0 Hucks Per Game (21st)
14. Indianapolis AlleyCats (+1)
Record: 0-2
Last result: 21-13 (L) vs Minnesota
Next game: May 29 vs Chicago (Friday Night Frisbee)
Team stats: 43.5% Offensive Success Rate (16th) / 20.0% Defensive Break Rate (16th) / 7.0 Hucks Per Game (T-11th)
13. Seattle Cascades (-)
Record: 2-1
Last result: 18-12 (W) at Oregon
Next game: May 30 at Houston
Team stats: 54.2% Offensive Success Rate (9th) / 33.9% Defensive Break Rate (9th) / 8.3 Hucks Per Game (T-2nd)
12. San Diego Growlers (-1)
Record: 2-2
Last result: 26-17 (W) at Vegas
Next game: May 30 at Oakland
Team stats: 52.9% Offensive Success Rate (12th) / 26.2% Defensive Break Rate (14th) / 5.8 Hucks Per Game (16th)
11. Madison Radicals (-1)
Record: 2-0
Last result: 21-17 (W) at Pittsburgh
Next game: May 31 vs Minnesota
Team stats: 46.2% Offensive Success Rate (15th) / 36.4% Defensive Break Rate (7th) / 2.5 Hucks Per Game (22nd)
THE TOP 10
There’s a weekly mingling amongst the contenders in the South Division, but other than that there’s been some relative calmness at the top of the rankings as we reach the midway point of the regular season. Oakland gets another test this approaching Saturday and a chance to add to their historical resume, but the real prize matchup will be when the Spiders square off with Minnesota on June 12. Boston, similarly, has expectedly dispatched adequate-yet-lesser foes in division, which all feels like appetizers for the main course on June 5 when the Glory play New York. And while DC and Atlanta are both accredited, perennial playoff teams, their loss totals are starting to add up before the calendar even flips to June and the summer really starts.
10. Toronto Rush (+2)
Record: 3-1
Last result: 21-16 (W) at Montreal
Next game: May 29 vs DC
Team stats: 53.5% Offensive Success Rate (11th) / 27.9% Defensive Break Rate (13th) / 8.0 Hucks Per Game (T-4th)
There’s a “the sum is greater than its parts” energy happening with this resurgent Rush team riding a three-game winning streak, with the offense delivering clutch drives and the defense producing blocks and break scores at a rate not seen in several seasons. Rookie Eric Zhuang is tied for second in the league in blocks, but beyond his individual efforts it’s been a lot of “coverage by committee” for a suddenly spritely Rush defense that has double digit blocks in each of their last three outings; after converting just a single break score in their season opening loss at New York, the Rush have averaged nearly eight breaks per game during their win streak. Fellow rookie sensation Max Pettenuzzo is having a talismanic start to his pro career delivering big throws, and Pittsburgh transfer Evan Bembenista is on the verge of a breakout season. Toronto has built confidence getting into rhythm against struggling defenses, and now faces a playoff-ready DC squad on Friday in a game that will have direct consequences on the playoff race.
9. Salt Lake Shred (-)
Record: 2-1
Last result: 26-16 (W) at Colorado
Next game: May 30 vs Oregon
Team stats: 53.9% Offensive Success Rate (10th) / 31.4% Defensive Break Rate (11th) / 8.3 Hucks Per Game (T-2nd)
With just three games in the first five weeks of play, a rotating cast of defenders, and a three-week bye baked into the first month of their schedule, the Shred feel like one of the bigger unknowns, particularly for a franchise that has never won fewer than 10 regular season games. Jordan Kerr and Chad Yorgason are putting up impressive production numbers, but there’s still some toggling at the edges of both offensive and defensive lineups. The 6’5” Simon Dastrup and back-from-injury Joe Merrill have been primarily deployed on defense so far in 2026, which has resulted in seven combined blocks and effective coverage, but their size and physicality could be gamechangers for a Shred O-line that still feels hot-and-cold. The Salt Lake schedule is really about to heat up, with six games between now and June 19.
8. Atlanta Hustle (-2)
Record: 3-3
Last result: 18-12 (L) at Carolina
Next game: May 30 vs Carolina
Team stats: 54.8% Offensive Success Rate (8th) / 37.7% Defensive Break Rate (6th) / 7.8 Hucks Per Game (6th)
Following their furious double overtime finish in Week 4, the Hustle came out completely flat in Week 5 and scored a franchise-low 12 goals in their loss at Carolina. Atlanta posted a 33 percent offensive success rate against the Flyers, the lowest mark since June 2019 for an O-line that continually rates out as a top-five unit year after year. And now with three losses already to their name, and upcoming games against Carolina (twice), Austin, and DC, the Hustle have no more room for error if they want to avoid a similar fate to 2022 and miss the postseason. Against the Flyers last Saturday, Atlanta got too much tunnel vision for one-on-one matchups downfield, with little lateral disc movement, resulting in a 42 percent huck completion rate and just seven paltry looks at the red zone; the Hustle had a minimum of 13 red zone chances in each of their first five games of the season.
7. Austin Sol (+1)
Record: 4-0
Last result: 25-8 (W) vs Vegas
Next game: May 31 vs Seattle
Team stats: 64.0% Offensive Success Rate (3rd) / 41.3% Defensive Break Rate (4th) / 6.3 Hucks Per Game (15th)
After a relatively soft early season schedule, the Sol now face prospective playoff teams in five of their next six games, which includes this coming weekend’s exquisite, interdivisional matchup with Seattle. The Cascades love the longball, and Austin has so far been one of the best teams at taking it away in 2026, holding opponents to just 56 percent on huck attempts. The Sol can lack height in some of their coverage schemes, but with speedy defenders Noah Powell, Owen Johnson, George Gust, and Brandon Dial able to close gaps, this Austin team can put a lot of pressure on any frisbee with float. Eric Brodbeck is also back in the lineup this weekend, and his presence will help cash in much needed break scores.
6. DC Breeze (-2)
Record: 3-2
Last result: 18-14 (L) at New York
Next game: May 29 at Toronto
Team stats: 56.5% Offensive Success Rate (6th) / 32.8% Defensive Break Rate (10th) / 6.8 Hucks Per Game (13th)
Despite having a lot of short field success and committing a respectable 15 turnovers in sheets of rain and wind, the Breeze defensive coverages couldn’t control the Empire offense as the team scored a season-low 14 goals in their Week 5 home loss. Sean Mott continues to lead the team in assists, but AJ Merriman and Christian Boxley are the twin turbo engines driving much of the offensive action. And even with the switch to O-line, Merriman’s block numbers are at a three-year high, and his added presence provides additional cover should there be a turnover. This upcoming two-game road trip through Canada in Week 6 will either position the Breeze firmly inside the playoff race in the East, or put them in jeopardy of ending their league-high nine season playoff streak.
5. Carolina Flyers (+2)
Record: 4-1
Last result: 18-12 (W) vs Atlanta
Next game: May 30 at Atlanta
Team stats: 58.6% Offensive Success Rate (5th) / 43.2% Defensive Break Rate (3rd) / 6.4 Hucks Per Game (14th)
Down multiple starters including Allan Laviolette in Week 5, the Flyers exacted revenge on the Hustle right before getting an injection of talent that includes the 2026 Callahan winner Zeke Thoreson and rising superstar Tobias Brooks. The latter will be making his season debut this Saturday in Round 3 of Carolina-Atlanta, and his hammer-packed throwing arsenal will open up even more receiving lanes for Jacob Fairfax, Grayson Sanner, and other targets. And not to be lost in the shuffle of offense-centered lineup news, this Flyers defense is playing better than at any point since their last Championship Weekend appearance in 2022. Cooper Williams, Matt Tucker, Drew Swanson, and Christian Belus have a lot of size and athleticism between them, and when Brayden Morrison is active, the Carolina counterattack is performing like a top-four unit.
4. New York Empire (+1)
Record: 3-1
Last result: 18-14 (W) at DC
Next game: May 29 vs Pittsburgh
Team stats: 72.6% Offensive Success Rate (1st) / 36.3% Defensive Break Rate (8th) / 7.5 Hucks Per Game (8th)
Hard to believe, but this 2026 Empire offense is currently more efficient than the 2022 squad that set the single-season record for highest offensive success rate at 69 percent. Alex Atkins’ gravity as a playmaker and the rapid improvements by Matt LaBar as well as Jacob Cowan over the past year are partially responsible for the impressive showing in the early going. But a main reason is simply that New York does not concede short fields often if ever, which makes their Week 3 overtime debacle all the more dramatic in retrospect. How about this for passing precision: The top five throwers by volume on the Empire this season have completed 572 passes compared to just 11 throwaways as a quintet, and all five (Atkins, LaBar, Jack Williams, Solomon Rueschemeyer-Bailey, Braden Eberhard) have a completion rating above 96 percent, with Eberhard going 74-for-74 over his first three games with the team.
3. Minnesota Wind Chill (-)
Record: 3-0
Last result: 20-15 (W) at Chicago
Next game: May 31 at Madison
Team stats: 49.1% Offensive Success Rate (14th) / 51.5% Defensive Break Rate (1st) / 5.7 Hucks Per Game (17th)
Founded in 2013, it took until 2019 for the Wind Chill to win their first contest at Breese Stevens Field. Since then, Minnesota has won seven of eight in the Capital City Of Ultimate, including four in a row. The Wind Chill’s team speed defensively has always given them a lot of leverage, particularly late in games where they have a tendency to break things wide open with a couple of late-game layout blocks; Dylan DeClerck has become a berserker at Breese Stevens in recent years, particularly in transition. 2026 will be no exception, as new addition Lukas Ambrose is still getting acclimated and yet already has compiled five takeaways in his first three starts.
2. Oakland Spiders (-)
Record: 5-0
Last result: 25-15 (W) vs San Diego
Next game: May 30 vs San Diego
Team stats: 62.5% Offensive Success Rate (4th) / 48.3% Defensive Break Rate (2nd) / 5.6 Hucks Per Game (18th)
If Oakland dispatches the Growlers in similar fashion to their dismantling in Week 4, it may be time to finally crown a new king of the rankings. The Spiders have looked like the best team in the league through the first month of the season, but we’re still in May and they have yet to face a real test away from the swirling winds by the bay. Itay Chang returned from a frisbee sabbatical to immediately make eye-popping plays, but where he’s really been a benefit for the team has been conducting the counterattack for the Spiders defense. Team leaders Evan Magsig and Jason Vallee have been the primary D-line passers, but Chang is averaging a tidy two assists, 18 completions, and over 155 total yards per start in 2026; Chang’s numbers mimic those of Daniel Ritthaler last year, when he won All Defense accolades.
1. Boston Glory (-)
Record: 4-0
Last result: 28-11 (W) vs Philadelphia
Next game: May 31 at Toronto
Team stats: 64.6% Offensive Success Rate (2nd) / 40.6% Defensive Break Rate (5th) / 5.3 Hucks Per Game (20th)
Tobe Decraene is tops in the league in scoring average, and the Glory offense looks a bit more lively than last year’s possession-at-all-costs grind. But once again, it’s Boston defense that put distance between them and their opponents on the scoreboard in Week 5 with a 19-break-score romp against Philadelphia. Following last year’s breakout performance at Championship Weekend, Oscar Graff is looking like a true star in his fifth season in the league in 2026. The team captain is a bulldog, in-your-pocket menace on individual matchups in coverage, and turnovers seem to refuel his stamina meter, as Graff looks downright indefatiguable when the disc is near the goal line and he’s hunting for a score. Shades of Babbitt, if we’re being honest here. Graff’s seven-goal, two-block Week 5 showing in the elements proves him as a top defender and true mudder.
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