Who will win it all in 2026? Seven YFFL owners and GMs made their picks for division winners, playoff teams, league champions and individual awards, while also weighing in on which teams could surprise or disappoint. The results reveal some overwhelming favorites, a few wide-open races and plenty of bold predictions for the season ahead.
AFC Predictions
There is no debate in the AFC West. All seven voters picked the Merry Men. The AFC East is considerably less certain, with the Orangutangs holding a narrow 3-2-2 edge over the Llamas and Refugees.
| Voter | AFC East | AFC West | AFC Wild Card | AFC Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve | Orangutangs | Merry Men | Eaters | Merry Men |
| Kevin | Llamas | Merry Men | Orangutangs | Merry Men |
| Jon | Orangutangs | Merry Men | Thugs | Merry Men |
| Bobby | Refugees | Merry Men | Thugs | Merry Men |
| Ryan | Refugees | Merry Men | Llamas | Merry Men |
| Kurt | Llamas | Merry Men | Orangutangs | Merry Men |
| Mike | Orangutangs | Merry Men | Buddies | Orangutangs |
Consensus: Orangutangs (3) in the AFC East, Merry Men (7) in the AFC West and Merry Men (6) as AFC Champion. The Wild Card race is wide open, with the Orangutangs and Thugs receiving two votes each.
NFC Predictions
The NFC has two clear division favorites. All seven voters picked the Dragons in the East, while six of seven selected the Brothers in the West. The Mallards are the clear Wild Card favorite.
| Voter | NFC East | NFC West | NFC Wild Card | NFC Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve | Dragons | Brothers | Mallards | Dragons |
| Kevin | Dragons | Brothers | Mallards | Dragons |
| Jon | Dragons | Huskers | Brothers | Dragons |
| Bobby | Dragons | Brothers | Mallards | Dragons |
| Ryan | Dragons | Brothers | White Guys | Dragons |
| Kurt | Dragons | Brothers | Mallards | Dragons |
| Mike | Dragons | Brothers | Boys | Brothers |
Consensus: Dragons (7) in the NFC East, Brothers (6) in the NFC West, Mallards (4) for the Wild Card and Dragons (6) as NFC Champion.
YFFL Championship
Five of seven voters predict exactly the same outcome: Merry Men over Dragons.
Kevin also predicts a Merry Men versus Dragons championship, but has the Dragons ending the Merry Men's reign. Mike is the only voter who does not have either favorite reaching the championship, instead calling for the Orangutangs to defeat the Brothers.
| Voter | YFFL Championship |
|---|---|
| Steve | Merry Men over Dragons |
| Kevin | Dragons over Merry Men |
| Jon | Merry Men over Dragons |
| Bobby | Merry Men over Dragons |
| Ryan | Merry Men over Dragons |
| Kurt | Merry Men over Dragons |
| Mike | Orangutangs over Brothers |
Consensus: Merry Men over Dragons (5 of 7).
Better and Worse Than Expected
There is little agreement on which YFFL team is poised to exceed expectations. The Thugs are the only team to receive multiple votes, with both Kevin and Jon expecting a better than expected season.
There is more agreement at the other end of the spectrum. Three voters believe the Huskers will underperform expectations. That makes them one of the more interesting teams entering 2026, since Jon simultaneously has them winning the NFC West.
| Voter | Better Than Expected | Worse Than Expected |
|---|---|---|
| Steve | Eaters | Beans |
| Kevin | Thugs | Huskers |
| Jon | Thugs | Buddies |
| Bobby | Refugees | Big Boys |
| Ryan | Brothers | Huskers |
| Kurt | Dragons | Huskers |
| Mike | Buddies | Mallards |
Consensus: Thugs (2) to outperform expectations and Huskers (3) to underperform.
Rookie of the Year
Jadarian Price enters the season as the Rookie of the Year favorite with three votes. KC Concepcion follows with two, while Carnell Tate and Jeremiyah Love each received one.
| Voter | Rookie of the Year |
|---|---|
| Steve | KC Concepcion |
| Kevin | Jadarian Price |
| Jon | Jadarian Price |
| Bobby | Jadarian Price |
| Ryan | Carnell Tate |
| Kurt | KC Concepcion |
| Mike | Jeremiyah Love |
Consensus: Jadarian Price (3), followed by KC Concepcion (2).
Breakout Player of the Year
The Breakout Player race is considerably more scattered. Six different players received votes, with Omarion Hampton the only player selected more than once.
| Voter | Breakout Player |
|---|---|
| Steve | Omarion Hampton |
| Kevin | Zay Flowers |
| Jon | Rome Odunze |
| Bobby | Cam Skattebo |
| Ryan | Omarion Hampton |
| Kurt | Chris Godwin |
| Mike | Quinshon Judkins |
Consensus: Omarion Hampton (2).
YFFL MVP
Jahmyr Gibbs leads the preseason MVP voting with three selections, followed by Josh Allen with two. Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence each received one vote.
| Voter | YFFL MVP |
|---|---|
| Steve | Justin Herbert |
| Kevin | Josh Allen |
| Jon | Trevor Lawrence |
| Bobby | Jahmyr Gibbs |
| Ryan | Josh Allen |
| Kurt | Jahmyr Gibbs |
| Mike | Jahmyr Gibbs |
Consensus: Jahmyr Gibbs (3), followed by Josh Allen (2).
Bold Predictions
And then there are the hot takes.
| # | Bold Prediction |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Mallards will score 800 points. |
| 2 | The Thugs' 2027 first-round pick, which was traded to the Eaters, becomes a top-three pick. |
| 3 | A YFFL GM becomes a full owner. |
| 4 | Josh Allen's streak of 200-plus point seasons ends. |
| 5 | The Merry Men become the first team in YFFL history to win three straight championships, and Steve Dugas appears in the Clam Festival Parade. |
| 6 | The Burger Buddies finish among the top five teams in YFFL scoring and reach the AFC Championship Game. |
| 7 | The Fightin' Mallards miss the playoffs. |
| 8 | Jeremiyah Love finishes among the top 10 position players in YFFL scoring. |
| 9 | For the second consecutive season, a team that entered the draft with the No. 1 pick reaches the Super Bowl. |
| 10 | Lamar Jackson is traded for a record four first-round picks. |
| 11 | Steve wins his third straight championship, but with the Mallards instead of the Merry Men. |
| 12 | Mike finally gets his roster swap and makes the playoffs with his new team. |
| 13 | Kevin takes a leave of absence from the Llamas to focus on spending more time with his family. |
| 14 | Steve takes a leave of absence from his family to spend more time with the Merry Men. |
Taken together, the predictions give us just about everything: a potential three-peat, a record-setting trade, an ownership change, roster drama, family drama, a Clam Festival appearance and two very different visions for the Mallards.
In other words, a normal YFFL season.
The Bottom Line
For all the unpredictability that comes with a new YFFL season, the preseason verdict is remarkably clear at the top.
The Merry Men received all seven AFC West votes, six AFC Championship votes and five championship votes. The Dragons received all seven NFC East votes and six NFC Championship votes.
The Brothers are expected to control the NFC West, although Jon is backing the Huskers to take the division. The AFC East looks wide open. Jadarian Price is the Rookie of the Year favorite, Omarion Hampton narrowly leads a scattered breakout field, and Jahmyr Gibbs enters the season as the YFFL MVP favorite.
But the biggest question is the simplest one:
Can anyone stop the Merry Men from becoming the first team in YFFL history to win three straight championships?
We have an entire season to find out, and more importantly, an entire season to remind everyone about the predictions they got horribly wrong.