UFL Power Rankings 2026: Kings and Stallions battle for final playoff spot

Only two teams remain in contention for the fourth and final playoff spot in the 2026 UFL playoffs. While the Orlando Storm, St. Louis Battlehawks and DC Defenders already hold three of the league’s four playoff spots, the Birmingham Stallions and Louisville Kings are battling for the last remaining spot heading into Week 10. The Stallions only have one path to the playoffs, and it’s complicated. Birmingham needs to beat the Houston Gamblers, while also needing the Defenders to beat the Storm and the Columbus Aviators to beat the Kings. Louisville can clinch the final playoff spot with a win over the Aviators, a Stallions loss to the Gamblers or a Defenders win over the Storm. With that, here are my latest UFL Power Rankings: Week 9 Result: Lost to Louisville, 37-23. Current odds to win the 2026 title: NA Over the past six weeks, no team has been more confusing to watch than the Renegades. Dallas opened the season lighting up the scoreboard and looked unstoppable while winning its first three games. Since then, however, the Renegades have slumped and will miss the playoffs for the third straight year, a far cry from the 2023 team that won a league championship in the spring. Week 9 result: Birmingham defeated, 36-29. Current odds to win the 2026 title: NA A quarterback change proved to be the difference for the Aviators. In his first start, Jalen Morton threw for 309 yards and four total touchdowns in a win that kept the Birmingham Stallions from clinching the final playoff spot in the 2026 playoffs. The Aviators will have another chance to play spoilsport this weekend when they take on the Kings, who are fighting for their playoff lives. Week 9 Result: Lost to St. Louis, 21-15 Current odds to win 2026 title: NA The Gamblers’ playoff hopes were dashed after their one-score loss to the Battlehawks. Houston has struggled with inconsistent quarterback play throughout the season, and that problem resurfaced last weekend. Quarterbacks John Rhys Plumlee and Hunter Dekkers combined to complete just 15 of 29 passes for 146 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the team’s home finale. Week 9 Result: Lost to Columbus, 36-29 Current odds to win 2026 title: +1700 Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s strong run as the Stallions’ starting quarterback hit a bump for the first time since taking over, starting with his first interception of the season. Birmingham also squandered a 13-1 lead – yes, really – and completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing the Aviators to steal the Stallions’ opportunity to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot. Week 9 Result: Defeated Dallas, 37-23 Current odds to win the 2026 title: +550 The Kings’ season has been the opposite of the Renegades’, and last weekend’s performance was indicative of how week-to-week this league can be. After starting the season 0-3, the Kings have won five of their last six games and are one win away from clinching the fourth and final UFL playoff spot. Week 9 result: Lost to Orlando, 27-19. Current odds to win the 2026 title: +330. Despite the loss to the Storm, Defenders fans still have two reasons to be optimistic heading into Week 10. First, DC clinched one of four playoff spots in the 2026 playoffs last weekend despite the loss. Second, the offense has shown signs of life even without MVP candidate Jordan Ta’amu at quarterback. Former Oklahoma State quarterback Spencer Sanders totaled 235 yards, while the offense totaled 202 yards as a team. Still, the Defenders enter Week 10 on a three-game losing streak and would like to regain some momentum before the playoffs begin. Week 9 Result: Defeated Houston, 21-15 Current odds to win the 2026 title: +200 Clinched! The Battlehawks hit the road and earned a spot in the UFL playoffs for the third straight season, accomplishing the feat in the first year of the Ricky Proehl era. With Luis Perez at quarterback, St. Louis knows it has a proven signal-caller capable of leading a team to a championship after guiding the Renegades to the 2023 his opponents to return to the competitions. In fact, Orlando has the second-best scoring differential in the league at +40 this season.