1. (last week: 1) QB Jack Plummer, Storm
Last Week: 26-37 (70.3%), 324 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Season: 123-187 (65.8%), 1,320 yards, 10 TD, 1 INT; 18 rushes, 104 yards (5.8 avg.), 1 TD
Orlando was done in by three turnovers against Birmingham in week six after only committing two turnovers through the first five weeks. Two botches of the center-quarterback exchange led to two Stallion fumble recoveries. Plummer played a part in both, either fumbling the ball or not jumping on the ball quickly enough to recover it. As a passer, Plummer excelled against soft coverage all game, taking what coordinator Kevin Sherrer would give him. Plummer was able to pile up completions and yards but the turnovers prevented Orlando from scoring more than 17 points. It was enough, though, for Plummer to maintain the number one spot in the weekly MVP ranking. Plummer and the Storm will try to right the ship against the Houston Gamblers on Sunday, a team near the bottom of the league in pass defense.
2. (3) QB Jordan Ta'amu, Defenders
Last Week: 20-28 (71.4%), 227 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 6 rushes, 16 yards (2.7 avg.)
Season: 89-140 (63.6%), 1,100 yards, 11 TD, 5 INT; 40 rushes, 172 yards (4.3 avg.)
The one blemish on an otherwise stellar week six performance was an end-zone pick on a pass that was meant for offensive lineman/tight end Johari Branch. It was Dallas safety Qwynnterrio Cole who came down with the one-handed grab. Other than that, Ta'amu turned in another excellent performance for a 5-1 D.C. team that finds itself in sole possession of first place in the league. D.C. kept Dallas off balance with an equal amount of run plays as pass (29 to 28). The Defenders could lean on the ground game a little heavier because the defense limited the Renegades to just six points. Ta'amu is the only player to have taken every snap under center for his team and that durability has been a hallmark of Ta'amu's spring football career. The Defenders have a home-and-away series with Louisville the next two weeks, and the Kings enter play first in the UFL in tackles for loss and second in interceptions, so it may not be a cakewalk for Ta'amu.
3. (2) QB Austin Reed, Renegades
Last Week: 22-41 (53.7%), 258 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Season: 115-202 (56.9%), 1,360 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT; 12 rushes, 51 yards (4.3 avg.)
Able to finally buck the downward spiral he had been on, Reed was a smidge better against D.C. even as the team was limited to just six points. Reed had to carry much of the burden because Dallas had no running game to speak of, and that one-dimensional nature didn't help the Renegades' chances. The fact that Reed remains in the top three of MVP candidates speaks to how few others have really broken out more so than the quality of his performances of late. That said, Reed still leads the UFL in pass TDs and pass yards, two key categories when deciding the best in the league and the most important position in sports. Dallas plays a Birmingham secondary that has struggled in recent weeks. It's a chance for Reed to show the first two weeks of the season were not an aberration.
4. (NR) WR Tyler Vaughns, Renegades
Last Week: 5 receptions, 39 yards (7.8 avg.), 1 TD
Season: 34 receptions, 438 yards (12.9 avg.), 5 TD
Vaughns is back in the top five after a week outside of it. The main reason is because he is leading in the receiving triple crown - most receptions, most receiving yards, and most receiving TDs. He added to all of those totals against D.C. There were not many down the field opportunities against a good D.C. defense so he had to take what the defense gave him, which was mostly in the short-to-intermediate range. Vaughns could see a high volume of targets against the Stallions this week. Just like for Reed, this week could be a return to form for Vaughns and the rest of the Dallas offense.
5. (NR) DE Cam Gill, Kings
Last week: 4 tackles (2 solo, 2 assists), 1 sack, 2 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery
Season: 29 tackles (16 solo, 13 assists), 6.5 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
Like Vaughns, Gill is back in after dropping out last week. Gill leads the UFL in sacks by a comfortable margin and is among the league leaders in tackles for loss as well. In terms of total tackles, he's broken inside the top 25. He's a guy opposing offensive have to scheme for. He'll have a major challenge on his hands the next two weeks, as D.C. tightened up their offensive line play following a horrible showing in week one against St. Louis. A pass rush that gets to Ta'amu will be necessary if the Kings stand a chance in either game.
Dropped out: 4. RB Deon Jackson, Defenders; 5. WR Hakeem Butler, Battlehawks