June 6, 2024
By Adam Ruffner
24. Detroit Mechanix (-)
Record: 0-5
Most recent result: 28-20 at Madison (L)
Next game: June 8 vs Madison
Big Likes: The Mechanix held a two-goal lead on the road in the second quarter in Madison, and the Detroit defense scored its most breaks in a game since 2022; Jake Felton has three straight games with seven assists.
One Big Question: When will the streak end?
23. Dallas Legion (-)
Record: 0-4
Most recent result: 21-14 vs Carolina (L)
Next game: June 8 vs Houston
Big Likes: Myles Armstrong and Nicholas DiGiorgio have rounded out the Legion receiving core alongside Alec Wilson Holliday, giving Dallas a trio of targets to pressure defenses with downfield; the Legion lead the league in hucks per game (10).
One Big Question: Can the Dallas defense have an impactful performance?
22. Portland Nitro (-)
Record: 0-5
Most recent result: 24-15 at Seattle (L)
Next game: June 8 vs Los Angeles
Big Likes: Six-year pro veteran Scott Radlauer has found a new home on Portland’s offense as a facilitator, and is averaging over 400 yards per game in 2024 after never registering more than 320 yards in a single game the past four years; the Nitro defense had their best counterattack game in franchise history in their last outing, going 5-of-6 on break chances.
One Big Question: Which opponent is Portland’s best shot to get a win against?
21. Houston Havoc (-)
Record: 2-3
Most recent result: 25-15 vs Austin (L)
Next game: June 8 at Dallas
Big Likes: Ben Lewis leads the team in scoring despite still playing roughly 30 percent of his points on defense, and has eight blocks in his last three starts; rookie Shaun Seidenberger has poise with the disc and athleticism to create separation, giving him a lot of in-rhythm looks in a Houston offense that can struggle with movement.
One Big Question: Will Houston beat a non-Texas team in 2024?
20. Montreal Royal (-)
Record: 1-3
Most recent result: 18-16 vs New York (L)
Next game: June 8 vs Toronto
Big Likes: Despite being on a three-week bye, Tobe Decraene still paces the UFA in scores per game (7.3); Montreal is quietly seventh in blocks per game (10.8), and has double digit takeaways in three of their four games; Phillipe Le Bourdais has 13 goals in his last three games.
One Big Question: Will the Royal reduce the unnecessary turnovers?
19. Toronto Rush (-1)
Record: 1-4
Most recent result: 18-16 at Philadelphia (L)
Next game: June 8 at Montreal
Big Likes: Toronto has three straight games with 18 or fewer turnovers; with his block against Philly, Phil Turner became one of just five Rush players in franchise history to register at least 80 blocks in their career; Toronto has 10 or more takeaways in three of their five games this season.
One Big Question: Once perennial rulers, can Toronto avoid last place in the East Division?
18. Los Angeles Aviators (-2)
Record: 1-3
Most recent result: 20-19 vs Seattle (L)
Next game: June 7 at Seattle
Big Likes: One of the big offensive pieces for Colorado during their 2022 Championship Weekend run, Daniel Brunker has been a powerhouse for the Aviators in 2024 and is averaging six scores, 525 total yards, and is completing passes at a 95 percent clip; the LA offense has a 70 percent hold rate in their last two games.
One Big Question: Can LA find better selection on their deep pass attempts?
17. Philadelphia Phoenix (-)
Record: 1-4
Most recent result: 18-16 vs Toronto (W)
Next game: June 8 at Boston
Big Likes: Philadelphia overcame an eight-goal deficit at home to get their first win of the season; after earning an All Defense selection in each of the past two seasons, Paul Owens has been Philly’s best offensive player through their first five games this season; Philly is averaging just 15 turns per game in their last four matchups.
One Big Question: Are the Phoenix going to rise from their early season ashes for the third straight season to make a late summer playoff push?
16. San Diego Growlers (-1)
Record: 2-4
Most recent result: 18-17 vs Seattle (L)
Next game: June 15 vs Los Angeles
Big Likes: Travis Dunn has been averaging near seven scores per game since the start of the 2022 season, and he moved in sixth place all-time in UFA history with five last weekend against Seattle; Stefan Samu has five blocks in his last three games, and remains one of the most effective two-way players in the division.
One Big Question: Are the Growlers too far under .500 to make a run at the playoffs?
15. Indianapolis AlleyCats (-2)
Record: 2-2
Most recent result: 26-18 at Pittsburgh (L)
Next game: June 8 vs Minnesota
Big Likes: Levi Jacobs is the biggest beneficiary of the AlleyCats new motion-heavy offense, and he leads the team in scores while completing a personal best 96 percent of his throws; Indy leads the league in completions per game (438 per game, which is 132 more than the next highest team) and team completion rate (97 percent); emerging third-year receiver Seth Gudeman has at least three goals in all four of his starts this season.
One Big Question: Can the AlleyCats defense slow down anyone outside of Detroit?
14. Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (+5)
Record: 3-3
Most recent result: 26-18 vs Indianapolis (W)
Next game: June 14 at Chicago
Big Likes: Pittsburgh set a new UFA regular season record for fewest turnovers in a game (5) with their win against Indy, and all without Max Sheppard and Carl Johnson; the Thunderbirds as a team were a perfect 22-of-22 inside the red zone last Sunday, which is the second highest number of red zone scores for a team in the UFA this season; with his 42 completions in Week 6, Jonathan Mast became one of just four players in league history with at least 3,500 career completions.
One Big Question: With three losses by seven or more goals and two wins against prospective playoff teams, who are the real Thunderbirds?
13. Madison Radicals (+1)
Record: 3-2
Most recent result: 28-20 vs Detroit (W)
Next game: June 8 at Detroit
Big Likes: Emerging playmakers Anthony Gutowsky, Gabe Vordick, and Jack Nelson lead the team in scoring, and their uptempo playstyle has revitalized Madison’s offense; Luke Marks has fully assumed his role as the defensive leader for one of the league’s best units; opponents have a league-worst 36 percent offensive success rate against Madison this season; the Radicals lead the league in takeaways per game at a whopping 15.6 per game.
One Big Question: Can the offense have a good game for a full four quarters?
12. Oakland Spiders (-)
Record: 3-2
Most recent result: 25-19 vs Salt Lake (L)
Next game: June 7 vs Colorado
Big Likes: Oakland looks to be near full strength hosting Colorado this Friday, with 2023 rookie sensation Raekwon Adkins set to make his 2024 debut; despite being idle last weekend, the Spiders have a two-game lead over their next closest competition for third place in the West; 27-year-old Jason Vallee has already played more regular season O-line points in 2024 than in his five previous years in Chicago combined, and his quick disc skills make him a natural fit on the Spiders offense.
One Big Question: Can Oakland take advantage of the early season divisional tumult in the West and get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017?
11. Austin Sol (-3)
Record: 3-2
Most recent result: 25-15 at Houston (W)
Next game: June 7 at Atlanta
Big Likes: Austin is now 11-0 against interstate competition since the start of the 2023 season; only three players have more receiving yards than Evan Swiatek since 2021; Jackson Potts is taking on an elevated role in his fourth season with the team, and is 8-of-8 from deep in five starts this year.
One Big Question: Will the reigning division champs get their mojo back against good teams?
10. Chicago Union (+1)
Record: 4-2
Most recent result: 21-20 at Indianapolis (L)
Next game: June 14 vs Pittsburgh
Big Likes: Chicago is just one of six teams in 2024 to average over seven break scores per game; John Lithio is averaging career bests in yards per game (388) and completion percentage (95.9 percent) through his first six starts with the Union; lefty Dex Dremann is an absolute bomber with the disc, and finished with eight assists, 55 completions, 5 hucks, and a plus/minus of 11 in Chicago’s one goal loss in Indy; the Union’s two losses have come by a combined three goals.
One Big Question: Can Chicago avoid a second half fall-off like last season?
9. Colorado Summit (-2)
Record: 1-2
Most recent result: 18-16 vs Atlanta (L)
Next game: June 7 at Oakland
Big Likes: After 10 throwaways in his first two starts this season, Alex Atkins went 65-of-65 from the field against a tough Atlanta defense in Week 6; Jonathan Nethercutt eclipsed the 500 throwing yard mark for the first time in over a year against the Hustle; Colorado has played the fewest games this season of any team so far, and their first three matchups have come against top-seven competition; the Summit are battled tested.
One Big Question: Will a tough schedule get the better of one of the league’s most talented teams?
8. Minnesota Wind Chill (+2)
Record: 3-1
Most recent result: 21-17 at Madison (W)
Next game: June 8 at Indianapolis
Big Likes: Will Brandt, Paul Krenik, and the rest of Minnesota’s crop of college standouts are set to make their 2024 debuts this coming weekend; Bryan Vohnoutka is on pace for his sixth straight season with at least 20 assists and 20 goals, and is 34th all-time in UFA history in total scores (355); opposing offenses have the fourth worst success rate against Minnesota’s D-line this season; the Wind Chill are 14-2 in their last 16 matchups against divisional opponents.
One Big Question: Can Minnesota separate itself from the chaos in the Central Division?
7. Seattle Cascades (+2)
Record: 5-2
Most recent result: 20-19 at Los Angeles (W)
Next game: June 7 vs Los Angeles
Big Likes: Seattle already has more wins this season than they’ve had since 2018; the Cascades lead the league in huck completion rate (72 percent), and have had a 70 percent or better clip in six of their seven games; Zeppelin Raunig as a downfield receiving target is a big reason for those huck success numbers, and the third year receiver has been the class of the West Division through the first six weeks; 87 percent red zone conversion rate as a team in last three games.
One Big Question: Can the Cascades carry all of this momentum into the second half of their schedule and a potential playoff run?
6. New York Empire
Record: 4-2
Most recent result: 16-14 vs Boston (L)
Next game: June 8 at DC
Big Likes: Ben Jagt featured on eight of New York’s 14 scores against Boston, and looked downright dominant for stretches in deep space; since committing 23 turnovers against Montreal in their first game of the season; the Empire are averaging just 12.6 turns per game in their last five matchups; Mike Drost and Ryan Drost as the sole members of the 200 Career Block Club is some Disney movie stuff.
One Big Question: Is the Empire defense having trouble generating pressure on key drives?
5. DC Breeze
Record: 4-2
Most recent result: 16-15 at Boston (L)
Next game: June 8 vs New York
Big Likes: Elliot Bonnet leads all rookies in scores (30) and total yards (2,573), and is completing 95 percent of his throws while not committing a huck turnover in four attempts; DC committed just 12 turnovers in the loss against Boston, and the Breeze rank in the league’s top three for fewest turnovers per game for the fourth straight season; after a three throwaway game in his first start of the season, Rowan McDonnell has just three throwaways in his past four games.
One Big Question: Can DC get the big win against New York this Saturday and send the Empire further tumbling down the East Division standings?
4. Atlanta Hustle (-)
Record: 3-2
Most recent result: 18-16 at Colorado (W)
Next game: June 7 vs Austin
Big Likes: Atlanta has an average margin of victory of almost five goals per game in their three wins this season; Brett Hulsmeyer continues to be the toughest one-on-one matchup in the UFA, and has just three throwaways in his four starts in 2024 while producing 25 scores and over 2,000 yards of offense; Austin Taylor and Bobby Ley have found an absolute ease with each other in the backfield in their third season together as teammates.
One Big Question: As impressive as their “Super Series” performances have been, can the Hustle capture important divisional wins, too?
3. Boston Glory (+3)
Record: 5-2
Most recent result: 16-15 vs DC (W)
Next game: June 8 vs Philadelphia
Big Likes: Lead the league in fewest goals allowed per game (14) and in fewest turnovers per game (12.3); Jeff Babbitt doesn’t have a turnover in two games against his former team, and is just 33 completions away from setting a new career best for completions during a regular season; Benjamin Sadok is playing some of the best frisbee of his career, and is a huge part of why Boston’s offense can grind out tough possessions, particularly in tight spaces.
One Big Question: Can Boston continue playing at this level seven weeks from now when the playoffs begin?
2. Carolina Flyers (-)
Record: 4-0
Most recent result: 21-14 at Dallas (W)
Next game: June 8 vs Austin
Big Likes: Allan Laviolette is currently the most underrated thrower in the league, with over five assists and 25 completions per game in three starts, while going 7-of-7 from deep; the Flyers as a team are top six in offensive and defensive success rate; Terrence Mitchell (253 goals) and Jacob Fairfax (249) currently rank 13th and 14th all-time in goals.
One Big Question: Will the Flyers red zone defense improve, or will it cost them against elite teams?
1. Salt Lake Shred (-)
Record: 6-0
Most recent result: 23-20 vs San Diego (W)
Next game: June 8 vs Colorado
Big Likes: 17 or fewer turnovers in all six games this season; opposing defenses have the third lowest break rate against the Shred O-line this season; among the top 100 players in UFA history in total completions, Luke Yorgason ranks eighth in completion percentage (96.1); Jordan Kerr has nearly double the amount of total scores (257) as the next highest player (135) in Shred franchise history.
One Big Question: How important is it to the Shred to keep their record perfect?
