August 21, 2026
By Sam Weiger
With just two games remaining, the margins for award considerations have never been tighter. 11 players enter Madison with real cases still to make across a wide range of awards, from MVP to Rookie of the Year. Which of these candidates will show up on the sport's biggest stage?
Alex Atkins: MVP
It’s safe to say that Alex Atkins has already secured his second All-UFA First Team nod, but his MVP case hasn't necessarily gained ground since the postseason began. He wasn't the most valuable Empire player on the field in either game, and he posted a season-high three throwaways alongside a season-low 93.18 percent completion rate in the East Division Championship Game.
That's not to discount his impact in the quarterfinal. He unleashed several gorgeous deep shots, connecting on all five attempts, while piling up 644 throwing yards and 41 completions. But he was outshined by Tobe Decraene and Daan De Marrée, who are both in the MVP conversation.
As of right now, though, it’s Atkins who currently leads the league in total yards and throwing yards, ranks among the top deep throwers in huck accuracy, and could end the season atop the league in hucks. So one standout performance or a pair of strong showings in Madison could vault him to the top of the MVP rankings.
Is it crazy to think Atkins' MVP fate hinges on Championship Weekend? Decraene's performance in the quarterfinal was absurd, and because he was the more valuable player on the field in the year's biggest matchup between the two MVP frontrunners, that feeling is hard to shake.
Daan De Marrée: MVP and All-UFA First Team
De Marrée, the Empire player who outperformed Atkins in both of the team's playoff games, has posted numbers so gaudy in his limited action this season that he can't be left out of the MVP or First Team conversation.
His last three games alone have been MVP-caliber. Facing three legitimate opponents, Boston, DC, and Toronto, the Belgian has averaged a plus/minus of 8.33 per game, 6.67 assists per game, and 474.33 receiving yards per game.
The knock against him is real: De Marrée missed six regular-season games, and in his first few games with New York, he looked more like a piece of a stacked O-line system than an MVP on his own. But two of his most eye-popping efforts have come in the postseason, against a pair of unquestioned Championship Weekend contenders.
Weighing the ground he still needs to cover against those dominant playoff showings, I'd argue he needs to be New York's most valuable player on the field in one Championship Weekend game to stay a legitimate MVP contender. Even if he’s outplayed by Atkins, he could greatly strengthen his case for a First Team selection by racking up scores and yardage in Madison.
Kyle Henke: MVP and First Team All-UFA
Kyle Henke is putting together arguably the best season of his UFA career, and somehow that's still not enough to put him among the top two MVP frontrunners. Right now, he might not even be in the top three, despite a statline of 55 assists, 23 goals, 549 completions, 6,812 total yards, and 24 hucks at a 72.73 percent huck completion rate.
There's no question the Sol wouldn't be at Championship Weekend without him, but that alone isn't enough, since he's still trailing the MVP heavyweights (Decraene, Atkins, and maybe Elliot Hawkins), all of whom have put up gaudier numbers and made a bigger overall impact.
That means it'll take a lot for Henke to claim his first MVP, possibly nothing short of two MVP-caliber performances at Championship Weekend en route to a title. Most would agree Austin needs to at least reach the title game, powered by another high-impact showing from the nine-year veteran.
The bigger question by season's end might be First Team status, but it will likely take a lot for him to fall short. If Austin loses to Minnesota, and Henke has a poor outing, he could lose valuable ground there. Sure, he could get passed by players like De Marrée and Daniel Ritthaler, but he would still need to fall below non-playoff names like Jacob Fairfax and Chad Yorgason to fall short of the honor.
Daniel Ritthaler - MVP and First Team All-UFA
Ritthaler's value couldn't be clearer. Without him, the Spiders' O-line take a noticeable step back. Oakland topped 22 goals in every game he has played, but without him, they managed just 19.33 goals per game against playoff teams (Minnesota once, Salt Lake twice).
Sure, Ritthaler leads his team in plenty of categories, but his per-game numbers tell the real story: a plus/minus of +6.11 per game, three assists per game, 3.44 goals per game, 32.67 completions per game, and 414.67 total yards per game, all MVP and First Team-caliber marks.
His goals per game outpace elite receivers like Decraene and De Marrée, his plus/minus per game ranks third-highest leaguewide, and his total scores per game rank fifth-highest in the UFA.
Still, Ritthaler has plenty of ground to make up if he wants back into the MVP race. An early-season frontrunner, he was sidelined by injury for four games, including three of Oakland's most pivotal contests, among them the West Division Championship Game. That absence is the main reason why he's on the outside looking in. Any argument that Ritthaler isn't a real MVP candidate because Oakland is simply "too balanced" doesn't hold up once you see the splits with and without him. It's purely about missed time, and even accounting for that, plenty would still call him a First Teamer if the season ended today.
Justin Burnett - Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Defense
Could this finally be the year Justin Burnett takes home DPOY? Burnett, who narrowly missed out on the honor last year, has been one of the league's most consistently elite defenders and feels very overdue for this award.
He's yet to record a block this postseason, so he'll likely need to make a play or two at Championship Weekend to have a real shot. Still, with 16 regular-season blocks, his second-most in a single season, he's put himself in a strong position.
Given how great he's been for four straight seasons, and that he finished runner-up last year, it wouldn't be shocking if one big game, or even a couple of solid ones, is enough to win DPOY this time. Championship Weekend has carried major weight in this race in recent years. A look at the last four DPOY winners shows all four advanced to Championship Weekend, and two of them (Tannor Johnson-Go and Antoine Davis) delivered standout performances at the event.
As for his First Team All-Defense odds, Burnett should easily finish in the top seven given Minnesota's success this season, but one more strong defensive showing should be enough to lock it up for the fifth-year veteran.
John Randolph - Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Defense
Similar to Burnett, John Randolph has already featured in DPOY and MVP discussions in previous seasons, but this year his defensive impact stands out far more than it did last year. He’s putting together arguably his best defensive season yet, rivaling his 2023 campaign, which earned him a second runner-up finish in the DPOY race.
What makes Randolph’s case so compelling is the turnaround New York’s defense has experienced this year with his return to the unit. Last year was one of New York’s worst defensive seasons in recent years, and it seemed like Randolph’s move to the O-line was a major factor. With the Empire rapidly climbing back to elite defensive form now that Randolph is back on D-line, that theory is looking pretty accurate.
The main thing holding Randolph back is actually New York's offense, because it has driven the team's resurgence. Averaging nearly 26 goals per game, and 23.5 across two East Division postseason contests, the Empire haven't needed to lean on defense, so statistically their unit trails both Minnesota's and Oakland's.
Both the DPOY and First Team All-Defense races are brutally competitive, so Randolph will need a standout game to separate himself. If that game comes in the Championship Game, it sets up very well for a player who's overdue for his first DPOY nod and a second First Team All-Defense selection.
Carter Lankford, Oakland Spiders - Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Defense
It’s a shame Carter Lankford has cooled off since his blistering start to 2026.
The second-year defensive standout racked up five straight multi-block games to open the season, but has managed just two blocks over his last four outings. If Lankford remained hot in the second half of his season, he’d have full control over his own DPOY fate.
Now he has ground to make up, both from that quiet stretch and from the five games he missed, several of which fell in the later part of the season. He’s also due for a big performance against elite competition: he had only one block against teams that reached the postseason’s final eight, and nearly a third of his blocks this year came in a single game against the 2-10 Oregon Steel.
But anyone who’s seen Lankford’s ceiling knows he’s capable of elite defense against any opponent. Against his next opponent, New York, he had two blocks in their regular-season meeting last year.
A former basketball star, Lankford brings a rare blend of size and speed most D-liners simply don’t have. The speedy 6’4” athlete should be able to frustrate any of New York’s receivers, including superstars like De Marrée and Ben Jagt. If he delivers a standout performance in Oakland’s semifinal or in the title game, he’ll be in great shape to win DPOY in just his second season.
Even without a big showing at Championship Weekend, a First Team All-Defense selection looks very likely. Averaging 1.89 blocks per game, he trails only Ricky McLeod for the most blocks per game among the league’s top defensive playmakers.
Will Brandt, Minnesota Wind Chill - Second Team All-UFA
Will Brandt might be the player best positioned to boost his award standing, based on his playoff history. He’s quietly become the next Jack Williams, a guy who consistently elevates his game in the playoffs.
In 2023, he threw seven assists in the Central Division title game. In 2024, he won Championship Weekend MVP with a memorable title-game performance against Carolina. And last year, he dished five assists and went a perfect 37-for-37 against Atlanta in the postseason semis.
If the season ended today, he’d have a very strong case for Third Team All-UFA. He set career highs with 26 goals and 2,849 receiving yards to go with 30 assists. His plus/minus of 48 blows past any of his previous seasons. He’s been consistent all year and had standout regular-season games against Boston and Oakland (nearly 500 yards and four assists versus Boston, eight total scores versus Oakland).
His receiving output hasn’t just exceeded expectations, it has shattered them. One number puts it in perspective: 15. Brandt has caught 15 hucks this year, compared to just 2.4 huck receptions per season across his other five seasons. Those 15 huck receptions rank second among all Wind Chill players.
His versatility showed up in Minnesota’s quarterfinal, but against an even tougher Sol defense, they may need even more from a player who’s historically thrived in final fours. Just one honor-roll worthy outing at Championship Weekend could earn him his first-ever Second Team nod.
He’s been knocking on the door, coming into this season with two straight Third Team selections.
Evan Swiatek, Austin Sol - Second Team All-UFA
No, Evan Swiatek probably won't lock up First Team honors without a monster Championship Weekend and a Championship victory, but once again he's a serious Second Team contender. His year-after-year consistency feels expected at this point. He's a stat machine, churning out All-UFA numbers seemingly every season without breaking a sweat. Would Austin even reach the final four without him? Hard to say for sure, but the defensive attention he draws opens plenty of doors for the Sol.
And the attention is well deserved. Swiatek has 33 goals, 28 assists, and 298 completions at a 95.51 percent completion rate this season, numbers that are nearly a mirror of Brandt's. He dropped nine goals on Atlanta in Austin's season opener, tallied nine total scores against the Growlers in Week 7, and racked up nearly 600 total yards of offense against Carolina in Week 12, so don't let Austin's soft schedule fool you. He's one of the most dangerous game-breakers headed to Madison.
If he puts together a huge performance against Minnesota in Austin's upcoming semifinal or in the title game, he will be in a great position to earn a Second Team spot. Should he push the Sol past any team in Madison with the kind of late-game heroics he showed against the Hustle in Week 1, it would be nearly impossible not to rank him among the league's top 14 players.
Nick Whitlock, New York Empire - Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Defense
How much longer can Nick Whitlock stay under the radar? Atkins and De Marrée continue soaking up the hype, while Whitlock's remarkable 19-assist, 17-goal, 17-block statline is only now starting to draw league-wide attention.
Unlike others on this list, Whitlock wasn't just dominant in the regular season, he's shown up in this year's playoffs too, coming up with big plays in both of New York's postseason games. His huge huck against Boston in the East Division Championship Game might be enough on its own to make him the ROTY frontrunner heading into Championship Weekend.
As things stand, his toughest ROTY competition comes from Chander Boyd-Fliegel, Max Pettenuzzo league, McLeod, and Ezra Biedler-Shenk. The good news for Whitlock: Boyd-Fliegel is the only one of the four with another game left this season, so a big Empire win over the Spiders could go a long way for his chances, especially with a strong showing in the semifinal. Defensive plays would carry extra weight for the New Zealand native, since he's also in the First Team All-Defense mix, but any impact play will help his ROTY case.
Whitlock is within reach of the 20-20-20 club, an exclusive club no player has reached yet in 2026. If Whitlock somehow hits 20 assists, 20 goals, and 20 blocks by season's end, he could work his way into even bigger award conversations.
Chandler Boyd-Fliegel, Oakland Spiders - Rookie of the Year
Looking at stats alone, Boyd-Fliegel is a very viable ROTY candidate: 29 assists, 25 goals, 3,942 yards, 23 hockey assists, and just nine throwaways on 215 completions.
What makes it hard to compare Boyd-Fliegel to Whitlock is how different the situations are that they’re in. While Whitlock has been arguably more versatile and impactful, he’s also on a line with less starpower. Boyd-Fliegel becomes just a cog in the wheel with how stacked Oakland’s O-line is, but the fact that he’s already playing at the level of the veterans on that O-line is a testament to how talented this rookie is.
Some other numbers that make a serious case for Boyd-Fliegel: 230 offensive points played (leads the team), offensive efficiency of 64.19 is second behind Ritthaler among Spiders players with 100 O-points played, and plus/minus of 46 is second to Ritthaler as well. His biggest game of the year came against a tough Shred team, and he’s now exceeded 300 total yards in his last five games, showing his rapid growth.
His 28 completions against Salt Lake in the West Division Championship Game were his most ever, but will his impact remain as high at Championship Weekend?
The rookie could see his role diminish with his lack of experience at this stage, as well as potential returns from Ritthaler and/or Walker Frankenberg. If Boyd-Fliegel can still make a sizable impact in Madison with all that taken into consideration, and the Spiders take down the Empire in the semis, his odds of winning the award will sky-rocket.
