August 26, 2026
By Ryan Baker
Championship Weekend is here. New York, Oakland, Minnesota, and Austin have grinded all season to reach the pinnacle of UFA. The lights are brightest, the pressure heaviest, and the consequences biggest. For one last time this season, here are seven players to watch all weekend:
Alex Atkins, New York Empire
The New York Empire’s offense is on pace to finish as one of the best in UFA history, and Alex Atkins leads it. According to Shown Space, Atkins has been the most effective player all season, leading the league in Total Adjusted Expected Contribution (Tot-aEC). This comes from his Thrower Adjusted Expected Contribution (T-aEC), which is by far the best in the league. Even scarier is that he ranks seventh in Lag Contribution (LC), setting up his teammates for success at one of the best rates. He must bring that firepower all weekend, starting with the Oakland Spiders. Facing one of the most deliberate defenses in the league, Atkins will have to be at his best if New York wants a shot at the trophy. If Atkins plays well and leads the Empire to a championship, his MVP case grows stronger.
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
Minnesota’s Justin Burnett doesn’t jump off the page statistically, but the intangibles he brings are unmatched. He quietly posted 16 blocks in 10 regular-season games, his second-most in five years. Burnett is continually asked to match up against the opposing offense’s best player and remove him from the game. His stats don’t stand out because he isolates his matchup on an island, so they can’t escape. Burnett leads the prolific Wind Chill defense and makes big plays when they need them most. His seven blocks during Minnesota’s finals run last year were a huge reason the Wind Chill reached the championship game. Expect Burnett to hunt for a massive layout block during crunch time. It could be the dagger for the Austin Sol team that loves to sneak back into the game late in the fourth quarter. Burnett could shut down that late run before it begins.
Noah Coolman, Minnesota Wind Chill
Noah Coolman is similar to Burnett in that he doesn't post jaw-dropping numbers, but his impact is clear. He’s added a dimension to the Wind Chill’s offense they’ve missed for years. Coolman can make throws from any angle and see lanes that make him look like a magician. He can also do damage with his legs in the receiving game, making him one of the best all-around players. It doesn’t stop there. Coolman is still one of the league's best defenders and routinely makes highlight plays look easy. He’s improved all season, posting his best game in the Central Divisional Championship while playing both ways. His four assists, one goal, and two blocks, splitting time nearly 50/50 on offense and defense, earned him player of the game. Expect that same timeshare all weekend, and he will be a matchup nightmare for the Sol.
Daan De Marrée, New York Empire (Pictured)
It’s hard to believe a player who has only played eight games this season is in MVP consideration, but that’s the case with Daan De Marrée. Since joining the Empire midseason, his influence has been off the charts. He averages over 3.5 assists, 3.25 goals, and more than 500 yards per game. He also averages less than a turnover per game. He’s been the best player in the league during the playoffs, throwing 12 assists, scoring six goals, and accumulating almost 1,300 total yards in just two games. De Marrée is one of, if not the best player in the world, proven every time he touches the field. He will do most of his damage on the receiving end, where he is just outside the top ten in Receiver Adjusted Expected Contribution (R-aEC). Between his miraculous catches and throws that make other pros question their abilities, he will wreak havoc all weekend.
Walker Frankenburg, Oakland Spiders
After missing the West Divisional Championship, Walker Frankenburg will suit up at the perfect time. Frankenburg is the engine of Oakland’s offense and one of the veteran presences on this young team. While having a down year compared to his previous three, he’s still one of the most talented players in the league. Frankenburg hasn’t had a single game with less than 320 total yards and only one game with fewer than three scores. He is heavily involved in one of the league's best offenses, leading his squad with 28 hockey assists. This weekend, his success will depend on durability, crunch-time execution, and whether he can level up as he did in last season's playoffs. In two playoff games last year, he had just one turnover on 58 attempts and posted four assists and three goals.
Kyle Henke, Austin Sol
Kyle Henke is in his ninth season and is playing his best ultimate in his career. Henke has been the de facto orchestrator of the Austin Sol’s offense and will be adding to his MVP campaign this weekend. All season, he has been asked to carry the weight of directing traffic and has had more involvement than ever. He has smashed his career-high in assists with 55 this season, 12 more than his previous best. He has over 4,000 throwing yards, over a thousand more than his previous career-high. Henke is also playing his cleanest ultimate in the last four years. Over the last three seasons, he’s hovered around a 90-91 completion percentage, but this year he has a 96 completion percentage. If the Sol are scoring, odds are Henke is around the disc, as he has the 10th-best Player Impact-Possession (PI-P) mark in the league. Opponents have been game-planning their defense around Henke and still have not found an answer.
Daniel Ritthaler, Oakland Spiders
When Daniel Ritthaler is on the field, there is a different energy around Oakland’s offense. He will also be returning to the field with Frankenburg after missing the West Divisional Championship. Per game, he has the ninth-best Tot-aEC, mainly driven by his impact as a receiver. He is the number one option for the offense when he’s on the field, and Oakland isn’t shy about it. Ritthaler has the third-highest Offensive Involvement Percentage (OI%) in the entire league. If it weren’t for the three games that he missed earlier in the season, he would be heavily discussed as an MVP candidate. What makes Ritthaler even more dynamic is the talent on the other side of the disc. The Spiders are one of the best teams at getting the disc back after a turn, and it comes from Ritthaler’s fifth-highest Defensive Efficiency (DE) out of players with at least 100 offensive possessions. Oakland will need every part of Ritthaler’s game to secure Oakland’s third title in franchise history.
