Table of Contents
Player of the Year frontrunner Malik Henry of Michigan tops my 2026 AF1 Dream Team, as teams battle for six playoff spots.
Offense
QB — Malik Henry, Michigan
League leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. Nashville's Tyler Kulka and Albany's Sam Castronova are close, but Henry has the volume case.
FB — Shannon Brooks, Minnesota
AF1 rushing leader (237) and rushing yards (33.9) per game. Easy pick.
WR — Darien Townsend, Albany
League leader in TD catches (20), points (120) and total touchdowns (20).
WR — Jovohn Tucker, Oceanside
Second-best in receiving yards (865) and yards per game (96.1).
WR — Malik Honeycutt, Nashville
Tops in receiving yards (899) and receiving yards per game (99.9).
OL — Isaiah Hardy, Albany
Albany returned its full starting offensive line, and Hardy was one of the major returning offensive pieces from the 2025 title team.
OL — Kyler Edwards, Minnesota
Minnesota got Edwards, a 6-6, 315-pound offensive lineman from Eastern Kentucky, back from injured reserve in June.
OL — Timothy Robinson, Nashville
A 6-5, 360-pound Murray State lineman added during Nashville’s offensive-line reshuffle.
Defense
DL — Ezekiel Rose, Kentucky
League leader in sacks (9.5). Best defensive lineman pick on the board.
DL — Chei Hill, Minnesota
Tied for third in sacks (7.5).
DL — Morris Joseph Jr., Albany
Second in sacks (8)
LB — Drew Singleton, Albany
League leader with 71 tackles, plus 4 interceptions. That’s Defensive Player of the Year-level production.
LB — Trevon Shorts, Minnesota
Listed among rushing leaders but also a fullback/linebacker roster piece.
DB — Byron Edwards, Washington
League leader in interceptions (8). Automatic selection.
DB — Markus Smith, Albany
Second in interceptions (5).
DB — Delvon Randall, Minnesota
The best combined DB case after Edwards and Smith.
Specialists
K — Kyle Kaplan, Nashville
No brainer.
Return — Malik Honeycutt, Nashville
Toughest omissions: Kulka, Castronova, Prince and Daniel Williams III (Michigan)
AF1 Notebook: Castronova, the AF1 MVP in 2025 who led Albany to an undefeated championship season, left briefly for the UFL earlier this season, returned in May, and immediately resumed playing at an elite level. His stretch after returning to Albany is ridiculous: more than 1,000 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes and just one interception over his first four games back. Even in Saturday's loss to Nashville, he threw 10 touchdown passes and 356 yards.
That said, if you're asking who has been the most spectacular player week-to-week in 2026, there's a real argument for Henry, who entered Monday's game at Minnesota leading AF1 in passing yards (2,006) and touchdown passes (42) while carrying a Michigan team that doesn't have Albany's overall roster depth. He also authored the season's biggest upset, ending Albany's 20-game winning streak.
My AF1 MVP ballot today would look like this:
1. Henry — Most productive passer and perhaps the league's most entertaining player.
2. Castronova — Best quarterback, best résumé, defending MVP.
3. Kulka — Has Nashville sitting atop the standings and has thrown 40 touchdown passes while rarely turning the ball over.
4. Brooks — The league's most impactful running back and the engine of Minnesota's offense.
5. Darius Prince — Still the receiver defensive coordinators fear most.
The Arena Crown may ultimately come down to which of the three quarterbacks is holding the ball in the final minute.
