TNL Season 11 Midseason Review

With half of Season 11 in the books, the league’s hierarchy for this campaign is beginning to take shape. A few preseason favorites have stumbled while several surprise contenders have surged into the spotlight. Here’s how all 36 teams stack up at the midseason mark.

No. 36 - Los Angeles Eclipse (3-15, L1, 702 pts)

Los Angeles appears to have fielded one of the weakest squads in recent TNL memory. Through 18 contests, the Eclipse are averaging a drab 39.0 points per game. That average ranks over eight points per game lower than the next closest, the Minnesota Blizzard (47.2). Though the Eclipse will pick up an occasional win or two before the campaign's conclusion, envisioning a competitive output from this roster isn't realistic.

Despite a few flashes of competitiveness, Los Angeles has mustered only three wins, often relying on brief scoring spurts or opponent miscues rather than sustained execution. The roster lacks a clear go-to option, and the absence of any players ranked within the top 125 in the Most Valuable Player standings showcases the team’s lack of star power. While the Eclipse might steal a game or two down the stretch, expecting a significant turnaround is unrealistic. At this point, the focus likely shifts towards evaluating who, if anyone, can be part of a more promising future for the franchise. 

No. 35 - Minnesota Blizzard (3-15, L6, 850 pts)

Minnesota has struggled out of the gate; thus far, through 18 rounds, the Blizzard are one of only four teams to not claim back-to-back wins this season. Though Sean Bryan has been solid, averaging 12.1 points per game en route to No. 83 in the overall standings, the lack of another player in the top-25 has hindered Minnesota significantly.

Like with many of the teams in the bottom tier, Minnesota possesses flexibility to go out this offseason and acquire a true No. 1 option. Whether they will is to be determined.

No. 34 - Indianapolis Horsepower (4-14, L7, 908 pts)

Though Indianapolis boasts two players ranked inside the top 70 — Mazeiah Andrade (No. 58) and Mickael Mawem (No. 66) — the team continues to drift without a clear identity. Since the departure of former Horsepower captain timbity_mimbity back after Season 4, the franchise has struggled to find steady leadership or a cohesive vision for the future. What was once a promising roster has devolved into a revolving door of managers and an largely uncompetitive squad.

With its Season 10 miss, the Horsepower have now missed the postseason for six consecutive campaigns, their longest drought in franchise history. The closest they came to relevance in the post-Timbity era was back in Season 5, when they peaked at No. 15 in the standings, a brief high point before the league expanded to 36 teams and implemented a 12-team playoff format. Since then, the field has grown stronger, but Indianapolis has remained stagnant, struggling to keep pace as newer and more organized teams continue to rise.

No. 33 - Seattle Surge (6-12, L2, 929 pts)

Each season, Seattle drifts further and further from its highs of Seasons 1 through 3. The Surge were the inaugural runner-ups and in Season 2, finished runner-ups in the regular season before dropping in the semifinals. For each of its first three seasons, Seattle was a top-four team.

Then, Season 4 was the shift. The Surge lost out by tiebreaker to Minnesota for the final postseason spot, being tied on point differential (the tiebreakers were changed to points scored in Season 7). Since then, the Surge have become substandard, not cracking the top-20 since Season 6. While Seattle manager Piplup is still around, it appears as if this team has hit a wall and can't ascend.

No. 32 - New York Nightmares (6-12, L3, 946 pts)

Akin to Seattle, New York has been stuck in a years-long cycle of mediocrity, unable to regain the footing it briefly found early in league history. The Nightmares haven’t reached the postseason since Season 3, and even then, their momentum was fleeting. In Season 4, they finished just one spot behind the Surge, but the near-miss didn’t signal a step forward. Instead, it marked the start of a long, steady decline.

There have been moments when it seemed like New York might finally break through. Season 6 looked like the clearest example, when the Nightmares finished 11th, one spot behind eventual finalists Houston. But since that narrow brush with relevance, the team has never truly re-entered the conversation. Across Seasons 8 and 9, New York’s best result was No. 21, underscoring how far the franchise has drifted from contention.

The current roster reflects that same stagnation. While the Nightmares do have four players inside the top 115, only one sits in the top 75. It’s a collection defined by acceptable-but-unspectacular performances, producing steady but rarely impactful scores. That lack of a true game-changer has hamstrung New York’s ability to steal big weeks or sustain meaningful momentum. As a result, the pattern continues: New York wins roughly once every three games, never awful enough to bottom out but never potent enough to threaten the playoff picture. With the season winding down and no spark in sight, the Nightmares appear headed toward an eighth straight campaign watching the postseason from home.

No. 31 - Miami Blaze (6-12, W3, 1197 pts)

Miami has struggled to find its footing throughout Season 11, operating without clear leadership since the departure of former captain Rysins726, who moved on to Sacramento. The Blaze’s early-season turbulence has been evident in their inconsistent play, punctuated by a slow 3-12 start and a demoralizing six-game losing streak. The lack of a steady hand at the helm prompted the organization to part ways with its existing manager; the search for a suitable replacement remains ongoing.

Despite the challenges, Miami has shown flashes of resilience. Heading into the All-Star break, the Blaze have rattled off three consecutive victories, offering a glimpse of what the team could become if the pieces start to fall into place. Central to this uptick in performance is Nathanael Honvou, who has re-emerged as a potential No. 1 option for the squad.

No. 30 - London Glory (6-12, L2, 1232 pts)

For a franchise that finished atop the regular season standings with a 28-7 record in Season 10, London’s current campaign has been a dramatic step back. The offseason departure of Isaiah Thomas to Dallas left a gaping hole in the roster, and the team has struggled to find a consistent replacement. Ryosuke Miyaoka, who has tried to shoulder the load, has shown flashes of brilliance, but his individual efforts have often failed to translate into victories.

While last season was marked by the feeling of potential championship contention, this season has been marked by inconsistency and underperformance.

No. 29 - DC Defenders (7-11, L2, 980 pts)

DC enters the break having dropped two straight games and the franchise also is navigating the end of a long and defining era. Jybern, who spent 10 seasons and part of this campaign with the Defenders, has officially departed, leaving a void in both leadership and experience. The team now faces uncertainty as it searches for a replacement, with no clear successor named and questions swirling about the direction of the roster in the short-term.

Last season, Yuji Urushihara ’10, another cornerstone of the squad, left in a midseason trade. His exit took away one of DC's most reliable contributors. Without the continuity previously provided, the Defenders have struggled to maintain the cohesion that once made them competitive, and as such, their current record reflects a team in transition.

Despite occasional flashes, the reality remains clear: this is a team in the midst of a rebuild, grappling with the loss of legendary figures and trying to find a new identity before Season 12.

No. 28 - Dallas Wranglers (7-11, W1, 1131 pts)

This season for Dallas has been defined by one player: Isaiah Thomas. Thomas, who played for last season's regular champions London, came to the Wranglers on a max deal; thus far, he's lived up to it, averaging 20.9 points and sitting sixth in the league at the season's midpoint.

However,  the team around him hasn't performed up to snuff. Nate Hansen is the team's next-highest ranked player at No. 99 and the team has only run six deep for the entirety of the season. Dallas started on a torrid pace, capturing two Gauntlet victories in the first three rounds. However, since then, it's cooled off. Dallas enters the All-Star break having dropped four of its last six and at one point, the Wranglers lost six of seven contests. A midseason trade is likely warranted to shake Dallas out of its stupor, but the question is where it will come from.

No. 27 - Atlanta Falconhawks (7-11, L2, 1182 pts)

Atlanta endured a rough start to the campaign, dropping 16 points in its opener, eclipsing the 60-point mark only once in its first seven games and starting the season out at 1-5. Though it's gone an even 6-6 since then, Atlanta will need a tertiary contributor to entertain postseason aspirations.

Thus far, Vance Walker (No. 25) and Hans Hertz (No. 28) have provided an adequate 1-2 punch as the team's Stage 3's options; however, the squad behind it remains lackluster and uninspiring. Just one other option, Nora Brown John (No. 96), ranks inside the league's top 100. Atlanta has gone 2-5 in its last seven, now slipping to four games under .500. While there's still time to right the ship, with No. 12 New Jersey sitting three game above with the league's final postseason slot, the clock is ticking.

No. 26 - Austin Strike (7-11, W1, 1205 pts)

Following a remarkable Season 10 campaign that ended in an oh-so-close Game 7 overtime heartbreaker at the hands of Sacramento, Austin's Season 11 campaign hasn't exactly gone according to plan. The Strike sit three games outside the postseason picture after an 0-5 start. Austin briefly stabilized, clawing its way back to 6-8. However, three straight losses after that has the Strike sporting the same loss total that they did after 35 games last season — 11.

If there's one thing in Austin's favor, it's Gavin Obey, who sits at No. 9 in the MVP rankings at midseason. But having lost mainstay Nacssa Garemore to Detroit over the offseason, the Strike appear to be shorthanded entering the second half of the season.

No. 25 - Houston Ignition (8-10, L2, 1070 pts)

For the first time in TNL history, Houston reaches the midseason break with a losing record. The Ignition’s struggles can be traced most directly to a brutal seven-game skid, but the issues run deeper than one extended spiral. Through 18 rounds, Houston sits at a staggering –133 point differential. The Ignition aren’t just being edged out; they’re being outclassed in stretches, and that places them in one of the most precarious positions the franchise has ever faced.

Stage performance paints an even clearer picture of the imbalance dragging this team down. Stage 1 was excellent, coming in at No. 4, a reminder that Houston can be efficient and boast a high ceiling when all cylinders fire. But whatever stability they found early evaporated almost immediately afterward. Stage 2 was disastrous, finishing at No. 33, fourth from the bottom, while their Stage 3 landed at No. 26. That kind of steep decline across consecutive stages isn’t typical for established teams, and it suggests systemic problems rather than isolated bad rounds. The individual performances mirror that volatility. Ryo Matachi ’11 has been one of the few bright spots, sitting at a respectable No. 26 in the MVP race. But the supporting cast hasn’t provided enough help. Kim Marschner, for example, ranks all the way down at No. 71, a massive gap for a team relying on him to be a stabilizing force.

Houston is in an undeniably interesting, if uncomfortable, spot. There’s evidence that the roster has top-five upside, but the sustained inconsistency, weak supporting performances, and stage collapses make it hard to project a second-half turnaround with confidence. The Ignition aren’t out of the fight, but they’re drifting toward unfamiliar territory, a rebuild conversation that Houston has never truly had to entertain until now.

No. 24 - San Antonio Shurikens (8-10, L3, 1102 pts)

San Antonio flirted with the postseason at points, but its flashes have recently been stunted by the lack of a consistent No. 2 option. Though Geoff Britten (No. 32) has carried the load, Isaac Caldiero has not. A midseason trade of Max Feinberg to Tampa Bay has the roster appearing rudderless beyond Britten. Brett Sims and Isaac Caldiero are next on the Shurikens' hierarchy, ranking No. 95 and No. 104, respectively. Meanwhile, Feinberg ranks at No. 43, having been shifted to Stage Two by Tampa Bay.

Though the Shurikens aren't in dire straits — after all, they sat at 8-7 three rounds ago — if they continue on their downward trajectory, it's very likely that San Antonio will find itself on the outside looking in for the sixth straight season, likely necessitating another change in managerial duties.

No. 23 - Pittsburgh Iron (8-10, L1, 1109 pts)

Pittsburgh's season has truly been a tale of two halves. In the first installment, Pittsburgh was reeling off the departure of b1azepowder and struggled to piece things together, sputtering out to a 3-5 start. The second installment: b1azepowder then returned; since his return to the Iron, the team has seen a small uptick, going 5-5 in it last 10 contests and now sitting two games outside the final postseason slot.

The question here is whether Pittsburgh still has the higher gear that it possessed during b1aze's previous seasons. If they do, then a postseason appearance is undoubtedly still on the cards and a sleeper denotation shoul be warranted. However, if there's not, then the trajectory of this team should be called into question. Kaden Lebsack is no longer on the Iron, having left to the Cleveland Crowns via free agency prior to Season 11. In his place is Phil Folsom, acquired from Denver via a midseason trade following TheSaltKing's dismissal for cheating. At midseason, Folsom sits No. 13 in the rankings, having averaged 19.6 points a contest. if the roster around Folsom can be enhanced before the trade deadline (Round 24), then a playoff berth remains a reasonable proposition for the former champions.

No. 22 - Phoenix Inferno (9-9, L2, 1018 pts)

Phoenix finds itself in a far more unorthodox position than most teams hovering around the middle of the table. Earlier in this turbulent season, the Inferno showed flashes of real potential, even cracking the top 12 and reaching as high as No. 10. Those peaks, however, were never fully sustainable. Without a true high-end No. 1 to anchor their roster, Phoenix has often been forced to scrape by, depending more on other teams faltering than on its own consistent execution.

That imbalance shows up clearly in the stage-by-stage metrics. Placing No. 31 in Stage 1 and No. 27 in both Stage 2 and Stage 3 paints a picture of a team that isn’t lacking effort but is struggling to generate stable production across its lineup. The Inferno routinely find themselves piecing together wins through patchwork performances rather than decisive individual showings. Still, there’s reason to believe Phoenix could shift its trajectory. If the Inferno can raise their stage output even marginally by climbing into the low 20s or upper teens, their game-to-game volatility would lessen, giving them a stronger foundation to compete against more complete rosters. Whether that translates into a significant increase in wins remains uncertain, but improved consistency should at least put Phoenix in more winnable positions.

No. 21 - Denver Dynamite (9-9, W1, 1041 pts)

Denver now finds itself in a full-scale free-fall, weighed down heavily by the fallout from TheSaltKing’s dismissal after renewed allegations of cheating. This marks his second major infraction — the first coming back in Season 5, when he utilized an alternate account to acquire Jackson Erdos and Matthew Bradley from Los Angeles. This latest controversy, involving another alternate team, has put an abrupt end to his tenure and forced the Dynamite into an abrupt reset.

With SaltKing removed, Denver’s newly appointed manager has opted to rebuild from the ground up. The decision to ship out Phil Folsom is the first unmistakable sign that the organization is committed to a long-term overhaul rather than patching together short-term fixes. It’s a bold approach, and one that signals a philosophical shift as the team charts a new direction.

Whether this new era produces meaningful success remains completely uncertain. Rebuilds are unpredictable, especially when they begin amid scandal and instability. But in the immediate future, the fallout is unavoidable: this season is effectively lost. Denver is poised to drift steadily downward in the standings as it restructures, absorbs growing pains, and prepares for a hopefully controversy-free future.

No. 20 - Tokyo Kaiju (9-9, L2, 1062 pts)

Tokyo is one of the strangest teams in the league this season: talented enough to raise thoughts that it could hang with the top tier on the right night, yet inconsistent enough to immediately make you second-guess that thought. There’s a version of this roster that feels competitive, organized and capable of grinding out wins. And then there’s the other version: the one that shows up flat, disjointed and nowhere near top-12 caliber. Unfortunately for Tokyo, the latter keeps appearing just often enough to keep the ceiling firmly capped.

Last year’s postseason run only adds to the chaos. The way Tokyo slipped into the bracket was controversial from the start, with a late-season redo change helping it back its way in. That led to plenty of debate about whether the team was one of the top-12 or simply the beneficiary of circumstances breaking the right way. So far this year, the numbers lean toward the latter interpretation.

Stage 2 is easily the brightest spot, with Tokyo finishing at an impressive No. 7, showing that, at its best, the team can absolutely compete with playoff-level squads. But that promise is dragged down hard by the other two stages. Stage 1 came in at No. 26, below the league median, and Stage 3 cratered to No. 31, one of the lowest outputs of any team in the field. Put it all together and Tokyo lands in an odd gray area: dangerous enough to scare a contender, but not consistent or complete enough to be one.

No. 19 - Oklahoma City Lightning (9-9, L2, 1144 pts)

Oklahoma City, led by Rysins726 and coolboy31013, has been stable but largely unremarkable through the first half of the season. The Lightning sit at 9-9 at midseason: a record that accurately reflects their place in the standings: competitive enough to stay afloat, but not yet threatening to climb.

Even Kai Beckstrand, checking in at No. 38, has been solid but not the kind of spark that shifts a team’s trajectory. If Oklahoma City hopes to make a legitimate postseason push, it must find an extra gear. The foundation is steady, but the ceiling remains untouched, and the Lightning will need more than “just OK” performances to turn a .500 season into something more.

No. 18 - Baltimore Bandits (9-9, W2, 1168 pts)

Baltimore has been one of the league’s more intriguing yet puzzling teams — a group capable of sharp, energized stretches but unable to extend those flashes into anything resembling sustained momentum. Anchored by Yuji Urushihara ’10, the Bandits have shown enough talent to stay relevant, but not enough consistency to place themselves in any serious postseason discussion.

Their stage balance reflects that uneven profile. Baltimore’s Stage Two performers (No. 11) have been strong, but much of that advantage is neutralized by the team’s struggling Stage One (No. 31). Meanwhile, Stage Three (No. 14) sits squarely near the middle of the pack, emblematic of a unit rarely swinging matchups strongly in either direction.

Like many teams hovering around the league’s midpoint, Baltimore is weighed down by an unreliable second option. Urushihara ’10 has delivered like a true anchor, averaging 19.2 points and holding down No. 14 at midseason, but the Bandits haven’t been able to pair him with a consistent complementary threat. Bunpei Shiratori ’05, their secondary Stage Three option, sits at No. 94, a full 24 spots behind Baltimore’s Stage Two standout Jean Tezenas (No. 70).

That gap has left the Bandits in a difficult spot: strong enough to challenge opponents when their top performers click, but unable to generate the multi-stage pressure necessary to withstand surges from more balanced teams. Until Baltimore finds a steadier rhythm from its supporting cast, the Bandits are likely to remain on the outside of the playoff race, hovering in that familiar space between potential and reality.

No. 17 - Cleveland Crowns (9-9, W1, 1218 pts)

Cleveland has been close enough to the stronger teams to stay relevant, but never quite broken through into the top tier. The numbers reflect that steady-but-unspectacular profile: a No. 21 Stage One, No. 15 Stage Two and No. 11 Stage Three. It’s a solid foundation, one that keeps Cleveland competitive from week to week, but it lacks the kind of high-end punch needed to move firmly into postseason territory. Kaden Lebsack has done his part, providing a reliable spark and giving the club a performer capable of stealing matchups when the circumstances are right. Even so, Cleveland may be nearing a point where internal improvement won’t be enough to raise its ceiling.

The pairing of Rene Casselly and Tomohiro Kawaguchi '14 has produced competent results, but if the Bandits want to elevate their Stage Three output into the top 10 — a benchmark that typically separates the playoff hopefuls from the also-rans — exploring a trade package centered around those two may be worth serious consideration. Upgrading that spot could shift Cleveland from an “almost there” designation to legitimately threatening.

Another structural issue is the team’s rotation. Cleveland is one of the few squads in the league that rarely looks past its core, effectively running only six deep. While that approach has benefits, it also limits strategic flexibility. The Crowns are close, closer than its record may suggest, but its path forward is clear: either maximize what it has through sharper lineup construction or pursue a meaningful upgrade that can finally push the team over the edge.

No. 16 - Oakland Invaders (9-9, W2, 1237 pts)

Oakland’s blueprint has rarely wavered over the years: thrive across all three stages. For most of SunnysideSplash’s tenure, that formula has been nearly automatic. Six seasons, six top-seven finishes, and four straight campaigns inside the top five have set an expectation that the Invaders will always be in the championship conversation. This season has not followed that script.

While Stage One and Stage Three continue to hold their own, the drop-off in Stage Two has been too steep to paper over. Sitting at No. 19, that middle leg has repeatedly stalled momentum and left Oakland scrambling to stay afloat. There have been stretches where the Invaders slipped below .500, an unfamiliar sight for a franchise that typically spends the entire campaign above the cut line. Even now, back at even, the group still feels a step behind its usual form.

Individually, the ceiling is still there. Jackson Erdos remains a true anchor at No. 8, giving Oakland a dependable top-end threat every time out. Iliann Cherif has held steady at No. 31, providing serviceable support but not the kind of lift that could offset Stage Two’s shortcomings. In past years, Oakland thrived on depth and balance across all three stages. This iteration hasn’t matched that balance, and the cracks have shown.

The Invaders aren’t out of the mix, but they also aren’t the machine they’ve been under SunnysideSplash. For a franchise accustomed to contention, this season has been more of a grind than a coronation. Unless Stage Two finds another gear, Oakland’s margin for error remains thinner than usual.

No. 15 - Tampa Bay Thunder (9-9, W3, 1272 pts)

Tampa Bay’s season has been defined by stark contrast, a tale of two halves that couldn’t look more different. Through the first 11 contests, the Surge sputtered to a 3-8 start, struggling to find rhythm and cohesion. The pieces were there, but the execution wasn’t, and Tampa Bay slipped toward the bottom of the standings with little resistance.

Then came the flip.

Since midseason, Tampa Bay has roared back to life, ripping off a 6-1 stretch that has completely redirected its trajectory. The turnaround has been powered primarily by its front-end duo: Caleb Bergstrom, who sits at No. 17, and Makoto Nagano ’06 at No. 21. Together, they’ve formed the backbone of a unit that suddenly looks organized, confident and capable of pushing into the postseason picture. Bergstrom’s steady, top-tier production and Nagano’s reliability have given Tampa Bay the stability it lacked early on.

The midseason acquisition of Max Feinberg from San Antonio may prove to be the keystone of the resurgence. Feinberg, currently ranked No. 43, is the only other Surge competitor inside the top 100. His addition brought much-needed depth and balance to a lineup that previously leaned too heavily on its top two performers. With Feinberg slotting in as a polished, dependable third option, Tampa Bay has been able to tighten its rotation en route to that 6-1 mark.

From a freefalling start to a surging second half, Tampa Bay has redefined itself on the fly. With momentum finally on their side, the Surge have transformed from early-season afterthought into a quietly dangerous contender. It's now one that no longer looks anything like the team that opened the year 3-8.

No. 14 - Milwaukee Reapers (10-8, W2, 1197 pts)

Milwaukee sits 14th at midseason, but that placement undersells just how close the Reapers are to breaking into the upper tier. They’re only 74 points off the overall lead and sit level in wins with several teams ahead of them, like Detroit and New Jersey. Milwaukee is now positioned squarely in that crowded, chaotic middle where a single hot stretch can launch a team into contention.

What Milwaukee has working in its favor is a structure built on stability. Stage One has been outstanding, ranking No. 6 league-wide and consistently giving the roster a dependable foundation. Stage Two and Three isn't far behind, clocking in at No. 8. Though Stage Three sits at No. 19, respectively, it's good enough to keep the Reapers competitive in most matchups. Evan White and Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, the anchors of those stages, have been emblematic of Milwaukee’s season: a steady and productive effort.

However, those the same traits that give Milwaukee its high floor may also cap the ceiling. This is a roster that feels solid more than spectacular, capable of hanging around but not yet demonstrating the explosive upside that separates the fringe playoff teams from true title threats. The question moving forward is whether Milwaukee can find that extra gear, or that one breakout performer, to push past “consistently good” and into “legitimately dangerous.”

Right now, they’re close. But not quite.

No. 13 - Las Vegas Jackpot (10-8, W1, 1222 pts)

Las Vegas sits between No. 12 and No. 28 across the three stages, a profile that shows that the Jackpot are competitive but not convincing. Las Vegas is hanging around the fringes of the playoff chase, and while nothing about their season screams “contender,” nothing definitively pushes them out of the race either. They’re only 49 points out of a postseason spot, firmly within striking distance with plenty of time left.

What’s kept the Jackpot afloat is the performance of their four-man core at midseason, with each ranking inside the top 101. It’s a balanced group, one without glaring weaknesses but also lacking an overpowering second star to consistently elevate the ceiling.

As usual, this team goes as Ezekiel Elliott ’14 (No. 15) goes. When he hits those trademark hot streaks, the Aces look like a fringe top-10 team capable of punching above their weight. When he cools off, the roster slides back toward the middle pack, forced to grind out results by-committee.

Matthias Noirel (No. 52) and Charlie Ball (No. 54) have been steady complementary options. They've been good enough to keep Vegas competitive, good enough to neutralize some of the volatility and good enough to prevent long losing runs. But they haven’t quite crossed into the tier where they can consistently shoulder the load or take over when Elliott isn’t scorching.

Still, this is a team with a realistic path forward. The margins separating Las Vegas from the postseason aren’t daunting, and a single strong stretch could tilt the entire campaign. The Jackpot haven’t peaked yet, and as long as the door remains open, they’re not a team anyone should write off.

No. 12 - New Jersey Generals (10-8, W2, 1271 pts)

New Jersey checks in at 20/3/13, a profile that reflects both its strengths and its ceiling. The Generals boast one of the league’s most well-rounded cores — all four athletes sitting inside the top 65 at midseason — and their Stage Two and Stage Three performances place them comfortably among the league’s upper tier in the areas that typically matter most down the stretch.

But the limiting factor is impossible to ignore: Stage One sits at No. 19, and that gap has kept New Jersey from climbing into true contender territory. In a campaign where the margins in the top half of the standings are razor-thin, that deficiency shows up both in match-to-match variance and in the cumulative standings.

Sean McColl and Najee Richardson ’17 appear to have stabilized New Jersey rather than elevate it; for now, that difference is the main separator between a good 10-8 squad and a true postseason threat.

No. 11 - Detroit Chargers (10-8, W1, 1284 pts)

Detroit sits squarely in the postseason discussion at midseason, a profile that perfectly captures a team hovering between relevance and anonymity. The ceiling is clearly there, but the floor still shows more than the occasional wobble.

The reason Detroit remains in the conversation at all is simple: Nacssa Garemore's production has exploded.

Across his first ten rounds, Garemore was solid, averaging 15.4 points, a pace that would place him roughly around No. 30 league-wide, the profile of a strong but not overpowering lead option. But then everything changed.

Over the last eight rounds, Garemore has exploded into full superstar mode, posting 25.88 points per round, a blistering stretch that would rank second in the entire league behind only Portland’s Yusuke Morimoto if projected across a full season. Behind him, Joe Moravsky has been exactly what Detroit needed from a No. 2: consistent, durable, and rarely error-prone. His steadiness complements Garemore’s volatility, giving Detroit at least two reliable anchors even while Stage One remains middling. Detroit isn’t a finished product. The volatility is real, and the margins are thin. But if Garemore maintains even 80% of this heater, and if Stage Three finds more stability, the Chargers become far more than a middle-of-the-pack curiosity. They become a threat no one wants to see in the final stretch.

No. 10 - Alaska Aces (10-8, W2, 1366 pts)

Alaska is part of an exclusive group alongside Boston, Toronto and Charlotte as one of just four teams with every stage inside the top 10 at midseason. On paper, this is a contender’s profile: balanced, stable and consistently productive across all three phases. Their overall scoring output backs that up as well, with the Aces sitting No. 5 in total points after 18 contests.

So why aren’t they higher? The answer lies in the arc of their season rather than the strength of their roster. Alaska opened the year on fire at 4-0, looking every bit like the league’s next breakout force and rebounding from a 1-5 start to last season. But since that hot start, the team has cooled considerably, dropping five of its next six and going 6-8 over the full stretch since. The performances haven’t cratered but the week-to-week margin just hasn’t favored them the way that it did early.

That said, the roster has delivered. Tatsuya Tada (No. 5) has been a phenomenal offseason pickup, providing the true elite anchor Alaska has lacked in previous seasons. His presence alone has elevated the team’s reliability and given the Aces a true top-end weapon.

Meanwhile, Zak Stolz (No. 23) has emerged as one of the league’s better value pieces. Expected to be a steady and solid complementary option, he has exceeded that, helping bridge the gap between the top and middle portions of the lineup and keeping Alaska competitive even when Tada isn’t carrying the load. The pieces are here. The numbers are strong. The only thing missing is sustained momentum. If Alaska regains even a fraction of its early-season sharpness, this is a team fully capable of climbing back into the top tier and making noise down the stretch.

No. 9 - Philadelphia Freedom (11-7, L1, 1070 pts)

The talent is there at the top, but the supporting structure simply hasn’t matched it.

Jay Lewis is the lone Freedom athlete inside the top-75, and while that sounds bleak on paper, his ranking of No. 12 deserves context. The gap between No. 4 and No. 12 is less than a single game's worth of scoring, meaning Lewis is performing right at a top-10 player level, a true Stage Three anchor who can hang with almost anyone.

But the problem isn’t Lewis. It’s everything behind him.

Philadelphia desperately needs a legitimate No. 2, someone capable of producing at around 70% of Lewis’ weekly output. Right now, their next-best option, Hollis Lansford (No. 78), is floating at roughly 40-45% of that production, and that disparity is what’s sinking them. Lewis keeps the team competitive; the lack of a second punch keeps them from closing the gap.

Where teams like Alaska thrive on balance — strong across all three stages, multiple top-25 anchors and little to no holes in the lineup — Philadelphia is the precise opposite. One star, then a steep drop. It forces the Freedom into a razor-thin margin every week, and unless Lewis delivers a standout performance, the roster simply can’t keep pace.

The blueprint is clear: find a second scorer or risk continuing to slide. Without another reliable contributor, the rest of the Freedom's season will be an uphill climb.

No. 8 - Chicago Cyclones (11-7, L1, 1078 pts)

Chicago finds itself in a similar position to several mid-tier teams this season: competitive enough to stay in the mix, but lacking the pop needed to separate from the cluttered middle. The Stage 3 ranking (No. 23) is particularly puzzling. On paper, that should be the team’s stabilizing phase, yet inconsistency has kept it anchored in the lower half.

There may be signs of movement, though. Roman Sebrle ’01 was sitting at No. 74 just before the All-Star Game but has since surged to No. 63, hinting at a potential second-half turnaround. If that upward trend continues, Chicago's Stage Three ceiling rises considerably.

The season, the Cyclones jumped out to an impressive 5-1 start, followed by a 6-6 stretch that has leveled them out. In a league with this much parity, that early cushion may prove valuable at the regular season's conclusion. Chicago hasn’t shown elite-level consistency, but it hasn’t fallen apart either. Staying within arm’s reach is half the battle.

The key now is whether their top-end pieces can elevate. Michael Phelps ’08 (No. 30) has been solid but hasn’t fully taken command of meets the way Chicago needs. A gear-up from him would ripple across all three stages and close the margins that have kept Chicago stuck in the 20s and 30s.

There’s enough structure here to remain in the fight. But for Chicago to push beyond where they are right now, they’ll need Sebrle’s rise to continue and Phelps to find another level down the stretch.

No. 7 - San Francisco Sentinels (11-7, W2, 1315 pts)

San Francisco has taken a clear step forward from last year’s 17-18 campaign, transforming from a fringe competitor into a legitimate postseason threat. Now sitting at No. 7 overall — and currently holding the top position in the Wildcard Clash — the Sentinels have found the formula that eluded them in 2024: consistency across all three stages.

What makes this team so intriguing isn’t one overpowering star, but rather, the collective. All four of San Francisco’s top four athletes land between No. 24 and No. 42, a remarkable clustering that gives the Sentinels one of the highest floors in the league. For a brief window before the All-Star Game, they even had four top-40 players, showcasing just how solid this lineup has become. The core of Sam Folsom, Evan Lavallee, Enzo Wilson and Luke Dillon has powered the turnaround. None of them individually crack the elite tier of being a TNL All-Star or being an All-TNL member, but together they form a dependable, well-rounded quartet that rarely delivers a catastrophic week. That steadiness has been especially clear in Stage Two, where San Francisco ranks No. 2 at midseason, a massive jump from last year and an immense factor behind their rise.

The one limitation is the ceiling. Their Stage Three ranking (No. 15) suggests San Francisco may not have the knockout punch that true title contenders wield. But in a parity-heavy year, a high floor can be just as valuable. The Sentinels rarely beat themselves, rarely fall apart and rarely leave points on the table. With that stability and their current foothold in the Wildcard Clash, San Francisco has positioned itself for more than just a solid season. They have a real chance to push deep — and if their steady upward trend continues, they could easily turn from a pleasant surprise into a genuine postseason problem for anybody facing them.

No. 6 - Brooklyn Blitz (13-5, W3, 1093 pts)

Brooklyn might be the single most puzzling team in the league this season. On paper, nothing about the Blitz screams contender — No. 34 in Stage One, No. 15 in Stage Two, and No. 18 in Stage Three paint the picture of a team that should be hovering around the middle of the standings, not sitting at 13-5 and holding an automatic berth to the playoffs. Yet, here they are.

Their Stage Three duo of Loik Fortier and Yuval Shemla has been perfectly serviceable but far from spectacular. They’re steady enough to keep Brooklyn competitive, but they’re not exactly the kind of anchors you associate with a top-tier squad. Still, the Blitz have found ways to win close games, steal a few they probably shouldn’t have and ride just enough momentum to stay ahead of the curve.

Some of it comes down to timing: the team has caught opponents on off weeks and benefitted from some statistical luck that isn’t usually sustainable. Yet, it’s hard to ignore the fact that they enter the All-Star festivities on a three-game winning streak, playing their best ball of the season despite the underlying numbers suggesting otherwise. Brooklyn may not have the hallmarks of a true contender, but for now, the Blitz are making the most of what they have. Whether this improbable pace holds is another question entirely.

No. 5 - Boston Hustle (13-5, L1, 1413 pts)

Boston once again finds itself precisely where it always seems to land, firmly in the championship conversation yet still leaving observers wondering whether this is finally the campaign everything clicks. With stage rankings of No. 7, No. 1 and No. 9, the Hustle continue to present one of the most balanced, high-end rosters in the league. On paper, they look every bit like a title favorite. In practice, it’s the same perpetual question: can Boston finally convert consistency into hardware?

The most fascinating wrinkle of this season is the emergence of Hines Ward as a legitimate MVP-caliber performer. Sitting at No. 7 in the overall race, Ward has been almost as impactful as Boston’s former franchise cornerstone, Tatsuya Tada, who currently holds the No. 5 spot for Alaska. Ward’s evolution from high-end complementary piece to near-superstar has elevated Boston’s ceiling in ways few anticipated.

Meanwhile, Jake McClintock continues to be the epitome of steadiness. Slotted in at No. 22, he doesn’t command the spotlight, but he provides the reliability and composure that championship-level teams require. Together, Ward and McClintock have kept Boston among the league’s elite even as they attempt to redefine their identity without Tada as the central figure.

And yet, despite the numbers, the talent and the pedigree, the familiar feeling persists: Boston is excellent, but is it enough? The Hustle linger perennially in that liminal space between true dominance and frustrating near-misses. This campaign could very well be the breakthrough, the long-awaited culmination of years of knocking on the door. Or it could end the way so many others have: Boston right there, undeniably great, but still one step short. The pieces are in place. The question is whether this season finally turns potential into proof.

No. 4 - Charlotte Sting (13-5, L1, 1431 pts)

For the first time, it genuinely feels as though Charlotte has shed its long-standing identity as an also-ran and emerged as a legitimate title contender. The Sting have pieced together two separate win streaks of four games or more, a level of sustained success they’ve rarely approached in previous seasons. Now, they find themselves just three games back of No. 1 Toronto and a single game behind both Portland and Sacramento, the teams occupying the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. That’s not a fluke; rather, it's the profile of a team that’s arrived.

What’s even more compelling is Charlotte’s stage-by-stage consistency. It’s one of only four teams in the league with all three stages ranking inside the top 10, a testament to both roster balance and week-to-week reliability. Gone are the days when the Sting hovered on the edge of the playoff picture, hopeful but never quite able to clear the final hurdle. This version of Charlotte carries itself differently with confidence and cohesion and an expectation of winning. For a franchise that has often lingered in the league’s middle tier, the transformation has been striking. The Sting don’t just look improved; they look like one of the top dogs in a crowded TNL field, capable of making a serious push for the championship by season’s end.

For reference, I had Charlotte pegged at No. 19 in the preseason. That prediction aged quickly in the best possible way for the Sting.

No. 3 - Sacramento Shadows (14-4, W9, 1283 pts)

Sacramento’s season has followed a familiar pattern — steady, resilient and once again, built on the backbone of Noah Meunier. The franchise centerpiece has anchored the roster with his usual consistency, keeping the Spartans competitive even through early-season turbulence. Their stage distribution reflects the identity they’ve built over the past several campaigns: No. 10 in Stage One, and elite when it counts most with a No. 3 ranking in Stage Three. Sacramento continues to thrive in the stage that separates contenders from pretenders.

The real jolt to the lineup, though, came at midseason. The acquisition of Luke Beckstrand, who currently sits at No. 41, injected fresh energy and a much-needed secondary spark. Beckstrand’s arrival helped stabilize a Stage Two unit that had been struggling to keep pace with the rest of the field. His aggressive, dynamic style immediately raised Sacramento’s floor, giving them a dependable option behind Meunier and lifting the team’s competitive ceiling.

Still, the decision to trade away Iliann Cherif leaves room for debate. Cherif has the higher long-term upside and may have offered more stability over the course of a full campaign, sitting at No. 31 at midseason. Sacramento bet on immediate impact, and while Beckstrand has delivered, the lingering question remains whether moving off Cherif ultimately capped their potential.

Even with that uncertainty, Sacramento remains what it has been for multiple campaigns: a team built for the late stages, engineered to peak when the pressure rises. With Meunier steering the ship and Beckstrand providing new spark, the Shadows could make it three in a row for the first time in TNL history.

No. 2 - Portland Riptide (14-4, W5, 1549 pts)

Portland’s midseason acquisition of Yusuke Morimoto 2 — an alternate-version counterpart to longtime Riptide star Yusuke Morimoto — has completely reshaped the franchise’s trajectory. Since his arrival, Portland hasn’t just stabilized; it has surged. The Riptide hit the All-Star break riding a five-game win streak, and Morimoto 2 now sits atop the MVP leaderboard despite joining the roster halfway through the campaign. His impact has been immediate, overwhelming and exactly what Portland needed to reestablish itself among the league’s elite.

It’s a far cry from how the season began. Portland opened the year 1-2, a shaky start that raised legitimate concerns about whether the Riptide had enough firepower to remain in the title picture. But even in that early stretch, there were sparks, including a 128-point eruption in a 31-point dismantling of defending regular-season champion London. That win hinted at a higher ceiling that only grew clearer once Morimoto 2 entered the fold.

Since that sluggish opening, Portland has ripped off a blistering 15-2 run, transforming from an uncertain contender into a legitimate favorite. The roster now looks balanced, energized and fully equipped to make a deep postseason push. With Morimoto 2 playing at an MVP level and the supporting cast settling into defined roles, the Riptide once again resemble the team capable of capturing their second TNL championship. All signs point to Portland being back and perhaps, more dangerous than ever.

No. 1 - Toronto Titans (16-2, W16, 1519 pts)

Two games into the season, Toronto looked like a team stuck in neutral. Fast forward to the midpoint of the schedule, and they’ve transformed into an unstoppable force. The Titans have rattled off 16 straight wins, the second-longest streak in TNL history. The only team ever to top it was the Season 4 Los Angeles Eclipse, who won 18 in a row en route to capturing the league championship over the DC Defenders in a seven-game thriller.

Whether Toronto can reach those same heights remains to be seen, but there’s no question this version of the Titans looks built for a deep postseason run. Leading the charge is Asa Reynolds, currently ranked third in the MVP race, whose all-around brilliance has powered Toronto’s rise from middling to the top of the standings. It’s been a while since Toronto last made a legitimate push toward the title. That was back in Season 8, when they reached the semifinals before falling in six games to Sacramento. However, this campaign's iteration appears like it may have the weapons necessary to finally make a push for its first TNL championship.

TNL action kicks back up with the TNL Invitational on Tuesday, Nov. 18, with the TNL All-Star Game taking place on Thursday, Nov. 20. The regular season begins again on Friday, Nov. 21.