July 16, 2026
By Ryan Baker
The 2026 UFA regular season comes to a close this weekend. With all 12 playoff spots locked up, seeding is the only thing that could change after this weekend. Week 13 will be about teams attempting to play spoiler, squads building momentum, and players rounding out their cases for end-of-season awards. Here are seven players to watch in Week 13:
Alex Atkins, New York Empire
If Tobe Decraene didn’t exist, many people would be picking Alex Atkins for the 2026 MVP. He’s posted the seventh-most scores, leads the league in total yards, holds the fifth-highest completion percentage among those with more than 370 completions, and is one of two players with at least 3,000 passing yards and 2,000 receiving yards. He’s been the driving force behind a record-breaking New York Empire offense, which sports the highest completion percentage, hold percentage, and O-line conversion rate in the league. This weekend, he has a chance to add to his numbers against Philadelphia and strengthen his MVP case. According to Shown Space, Atkins has the most Total Expected Contribution ((Tot-aeC) in the entire league, besting even the reigning MVP Decraene. The 2024 First Team All-UFA selection will look to close out his season on a high note and get back on that list.
Jeff Babbitt, Boston Glory
For the first time since May 31, the Boston Glory will get to see Jeff Babbitt cleated up. Babbitt has been dealing with a lingering injury and is finally set to return against Montreal this weekend. This feels more like a maintenance game to get him ramped up heading into the playoffs. In his last game, he became the third player in UFA history to surpass 200 career blocks. It will be interesting to see where he gets slotted against Montreal, given that he started the season primarily on the O-line and then switched to the D-line in his last two games. Boston could be hurting with some top guys out, so it wouldn’t be a shock if he played both ways. Regardless, the key takeaway from his D-line work is that the Glory averaged 16.5 blocks per game, nearly double their average when he has been out or has played primarily on offense.
Nate De Morgan, Minnesota Wind Chill
Nate De Morgan has completely turned around the narrative of the Minnesota Wind Chill’s offense. He’s been a big reason why the Wind Chill boast top-five team numbers in completion percentage (3rd), hold percentage (4th), huck percentage (5th), and O-line conversion rate (5th). De Morgan has been a dynamic thrower, but more notably, he has been a major finisher in the end zone for Minnesota, intelligently using his body to box out his defenders. His 42 scores in seven games give him the second-best scores-per-game average among players with at least 30 scores in 2026, and he has yet to score fewer than three goals in those seven appearances. This weekend, he will face Madison, the team he debuted against in a Wind Chill uniform. In that game, he burst onto the scene with five assists and four goals.
Elliot Hawkins, Indianapolis AlleyCats
The only other player who tops De Morgan on that scores per game list is Elliot Hawkins, who has 61 scores in seven games, which is the fifth-best in the league. Hawkins has become one of the most versatile and dangerous players in the UFA and has led Indy through their late-season surge. He’s had five or more assists in five games this season, including performances of 15 and 9. He’s also landed himself in the top 10 for receiving and throwing yards, as he has been a threat downfield just as much as he has been quarterbacking the AlleyCat offense. If Hawkins were able to play all 12 games, it would be hard to argue that he wouldn’t be a surefire MVP. His impact through the seven games is almost incomparable, as Indy hasn’t won without him, and his impact per possession is the highest in the league, also three points above the next.
Daniel Ritthaler, Oakland Spiders
Oakland’s Daniel Ritthaler is another playmaker returning from injury this weekend. He hasn’t seen the field since June 6 against Colorado, and in his absence, Oakland suffered their first loss of the season and saw their slimmest win, by just one point, last week. Ritthaler has been the top target in one of the league's fastest-paced offenses, but in his absence, the offense has seen a dip in production and the Spiders’ deep game hasn’t been as fruitful. Before his injury, Ritthaler seemed to be a shoo-in for an All-UFA selection as he was on pace for 43 goals and 35 assists. Even with missing the last three games, Ritthaler still leads the team in goals and plus/minus. The Spiders will be rejoicing getting number seven back on the field this weekend, and right in time to build some momentum heading into the playoffs.
Pieran Robert, Madison Radicals
Pieran Robert is the epitome of quiet and effective production. His voice is heard amongst the Madison Radicals, but not throughout the league. His play isn’t flashy, and he has flown under the radar for most of the season. He won’t be able to fly under the radar anymore if he ends up leading the league in goals. Robert sits at 40 goals with two games left this weekend, five behind the leader, who isn’t playing this weekend. Robert has scored at least four goals in seven games this season, so putting up a combined five against Chicago and Minnesota seems like a lock. It would also be the second season in a row that Madison has the league's leading goal scorer. Robert is also a two-way monster who splits his time nearly evenly between offense and defense. His 13 blocks have given him the fourth-best plus/minus in the league.
Chad Yorgason, Salt Lake Shred (Pictured)
In terms of effectiveness, Atkins and Decraene are on a tier of their own. However, the next tier is led by Salt Lake’s Chad Yorgason. That effectiveness will be crucial this weekend when the Shred match up with the Oakland Spiders for the third time this season. A potential West Divisional Championship preview, the Shred closed the gap from a 10-point loss early in the season to a one-point loss in June. Yorgason has been on a heater ever since Salt Lake’s central division trip, posting 19 assists, six goals, and 2,145 total yards. He’s coming off his season-high in assists and passing yards (7 and 440) in the most recent game against Seattle. Those numbers have contributed to the best season in his five-year career. He’s already set a new career-high in assists for a season with 45 and for passing yards in a season, while flirting with his career-best in completion percentage.
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