August 5, 2026
By Ryan Baker
Nearly two weeks ago, the crop of championship contending teams narrowed to eight. And this weekend it will shrink to four. We have seen all of these matchups in the regular season, but play has elevated, personnel has improved, and game plans have been adapted. These are seven players to watch for during the 2026 Divisional Championship round:
Justin Burnett, Minnesota Wind Chill
When games enter crunch time and get intense, few rise to the occasion like Minnesota’s Justin Burnett. A prime example is last season’s Central Divisional Championship against the undefeated Chicago Union, when Burnett was asked to guard Daan De Marrée continually. He made multiple layout blocks on De Marrée, scored a goal, and threw an assist to help punch his team’s ticket to Championship Weekend. This weekend will feel similar in terms of the matchup. Odds are Burnett will match up with Elliot Hawkins a lot, and he will have his work cut out for him. Burnett is on a streak of five straight games with a block, totaling seven in that span. He has also had Indy’s number this year, putting together four blocks, four goals, and an assist in the two faceoffs. Both teams have improved and adapted, but Minnesota’s defense will look for Burnett to make a play if the game is tight come crunch time.
Dexter Clyburn, Oakland Spiders
The Oakland Spiders start this week at a disadvantage when they host the Salt Lake Shred. Daniel Ritthaler is out, and Walker Frankenburg is questionable, so some giant shoes may need filling. Dexter Clyburn has stepped up in Ritthaler’s absence and has been relied on heavily in his eight games this season. He’s thrown 15 assists and grabbed 22 goals on a 96.89 completion rate (280/289). In three previous Salt Lake-Oakland matchups, Salt Lake has struggled to stop Clyburn. His stats over those games are seven goals, seven assists, 974 throwing yards, and 121 completions with just three turnovers. He has the third-highest Offensive Involvement Percentage (OI%) on the Spiders, with one of the two above him being Ritthaler. Combine Clyburn’s success against Salt Lake with his increased involvement, and it’s the perfect storm for him to be a key reason Oakland advances this weekend.
Tobe Decraene, Boston Glory (Pictured)
In the third Belgian showdown, Boston’s Tobe Decraene will have to carry more weight than his New York counterpart. The Glory are getting back some key players but will be without Jeff Babbitt. When Babbitt hasn’t played this season, Decraene takes more of the offensive load, averaging over 5.5 assists, 2.5 goals, and over 600 total yards per game. When Babbitt is absent, Decraene takes more of a handler role and is a near-every-other-touch player. If he can start connecting on his unthinkable blades and pocket passes, it will be extremely difficult for New York to slow him down. In a similar game, when Boston played Minnesota, Decraene controlled the handler space and dominated. Expectations should be similar against New York, but if he can’t get momentum early, expect him to be used downfield to make big splashes for an energy-boosting shot.
Daan De Marrée, New York Empire
In his two playoff games, Daan De Marrée has amassed 10 assists, six goals, one block, and over 1,000 total yards. This weekend, he will look to continue that success against the Boston Glory, a team he has played twice this season and scored seven goals against. The Glory's defense will look different this time, so it will be interesting to see how De Marrée adjusts to his matchup throughout the game. Through six games this season, he has climbed to fifth in the league in Receiver Adjusted Expected Contribution (R-aEC) and is first among players with at least 100 offensive possessions. This shows how much damage he can do with All-UFA caliber talent throwing him the disc. This game will be high energy, and the more De Marrée controls the disc, the more the reigning champs will be on the ropes.
Elliot Hawkins, Indianapolis AlleyCats
If there was ever a weekend for Indy’s Elliot Hawkins to have another jaw-dropping performance, this is it as the AlleyCats travel to Minnesota to take on the Wind Chill. Hawkins is playing like the league MVP and has yet to have a game with fewer than six scores. Notably, 29 players have thrown for at least 29 assists this season, and Hawkins reached that total in just two games. He will have to maneuver his impressive cross-field hammer shots and tasteful deep looks around one of the best defenses in the league. He played in only one of the two matchups this season, posting three goals, three assists, and a block, but those numbers will likely need to improve if he wants to lead his team to an upset. Hawkins is third in the league in overall player impact and first among remaining playoff contenders. His play will be a huge factor in the outcome this weekend.
Kyle Henke, Austin Sol
The last time Carolina traveled to Austin for a playoff matchup, the Sol’s Kyle Henke put on a show. Between his layout block and layout goal that still circulate on social media, Henke shows up when the moment needs him most. He is riding a career year, posting 51 assists (career-high), 22 goals, and 6,369 total yards (career-high) on a 95.99 completion percentage, his best by 4.5 points since 2022. Henke’s Total Adjusted Expected Contribution (Tot-aEC) is the third-highest this season, which is more impressive considering he has the eighth-highest Lag Contribution (LC), setting up teammates for success at one of the highest rates in the league. Henke did have the game-differentiating turnover the only time these teams met in 2026 that led to Carolina taking the lead with eight seconds left, so that will be an error he will want to erase and replace with a win this time.
Zeke Thoreson, Carolina Flyers
Few players in this league play as efficiently and with as much impact as Carolina’s Zeke Thoreson, and Austin will have their hands full again. In the last-second win against Austin, Thoreson had four assists and two goals on a 27/28 completion rate. That has been his theme all season. He has had just four turnovers in seven games on 177 attempts, placing him seventh in the league in Offensive Efficiency (OE). Thoreson has five games with a plus/minus of at least five, earning him fourth in the league in per-game Tot-aEC. He has been a major reason for Carolina’s current six-game winning streak and will be just as important this weekend. Thoreson’s breakaway speed against the Sol’s high-flying defense will be one of the most intriguing matchups this weekend because once he catches stride, it’s nearly impossible to close the gap.
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