1. (last week: 2) QB Jack Plummer, Storm
Last Week: 24-44 (54.5%), 143 yards, 61 TD; 2 rushes, 32 yards (16.0 avg.)
Season: 97-150 (64.7%), 996 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT; 17 rushes, 105 yards (6.2 avg.)
Last week, Jon Gruden said Plummer was his top MVP candidate. This week, I elevate him to number one, just the second player to have that distinction all year. That said, I feel a little strange putting him at number one in the same week his team suffered their first loss of the season. Plummer himself was terribly inefficient, averaging a paltry 3.25 yards per attempt. He seemed to suffer through similar issues as Austin Reed, in that for whatever reason he just didn't seem to be on the same page as his receivers against St. Louis. Despite this, Plummer didn't turn the ball over and remains second in most passing categories to Reed, creeping ever closer to number one. This week, Plummer gets a Birmingham Stallions defensive backfield that put up little resistance to Jordan Ta'amu and the Defenders in week five. That's an opportunity to right the ship.
2. (1) QB Austin Reed, Renegades
Last Week: 14-28 (50%), 195 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT
Season: 93-161 (57.8%), 1,102 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT; 12 rushes, 51 yards (4.3 avg.)
It's been amazing to watch Reed's stat lines decline every week since week two, culminating in an absolutely atrocious performance against Louisville where he threw four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. A lot of it seems mental at this point. That said, Reed's season-long stat line is still the best in the league among QBs, which either speaks to how good his first two games were or how poorly the other quarterbacks have played. It's truly difficult to imagine Reed having a worse day this weekend. Yet, he plays a D.C. Defenders team leading the UFL in takeaways. It's a heavyweight battle of two of the top teams in the league. It'll be interesting to see if Reed and the Renegades offense are able to start quickly out of the gate, which could go a long way in determining their success in the game.
3. (NR) QB Jordan Ta'amu, Defenders
Last Week: 15-22 (68.2%), 275 yards, 4 TD; 7 rushes, 33 yards (4.7 avg.)
Season: 69-112 (61.6%), 873 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT; 34 rushes, 156 yards (4.6 avg.)
The reigning UFL Championship Game MVP has entered the chat. Ta'amu got off to a slow start to the season but has revved it up the last few weeks. It all clicked against Birmingham, as D.C. put up another 40-plus point game and Ta'amu threw for four touchdowns. D.C.'s offense is getting hot at the right time of the season, while players like Plummer and Reed are cooling off. Ta'amu is also using his legs more than he did last year: His rushing yardage for the season is only 20 yards off his total from last year at the halfway point of 2026. Dallas's pass defense has been better than its run defense this year, so we'll see if Defenders offensive coordinator Fred Kaiss dials up more of a run-heavy game plan.
4. (3) RB Deon Jackson, Defenders
Last Week: 10 carries, 23 yards (2.3 avg.); 1 reception, 4 yards
Season: 50 carries, 267 yards (5.3 avg.), 5 TD; 8 receptions, 36 yards (4.5 avg.)
Jackson is another offensive weapon that has seen a downturn in his play over the last few weeks. Both Abram Smith and Xazvian Valladay had more success carrying the ball against the Stallions than did Jackson. As he cedes carries to his backups, his effectiveness goes down; he seems like a player that gets better the more opportunities he has to tote the rock. Against Dallas this weekend, he may get a chance for a big game against a Renegades run D that has struggled.
5. (NR) WR Hakeem Butler, Battlehawks
Last Week: 3 receptions, 47 yards (15.7 avg.)
Season: 13 receptions, 358 yards (27.5 avg.), 2 TD
After missing the first game of the season due to injury, Butler has come on like gangbusters. All St. Louis quarterbacks have to do is toss the ball up, and if it's in his zip code, he's shown a knack for bringing it down. Not only can he out-rebound defensive backs for jump balls, he has displayed the speed to run away from them after the catch, an unfair advantage for a guy his size. While he doesn't have the stats of some of the other receivers in the league, he's one receiver that defensive coordinators have to game plan for, and he clearly makes an impact on the game - whether he catches the ball or not.
Dropped out: 4. WR Tyler Vaughns, Renegades; 5. DE Cam Gill, Kings