Roster Math and Redemption: 2026 PBR Teams Power Rankings

The wait is over. The 2026 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Teams Series kicks off this weekend in Fort Collins, Colorado, and the league’s landscape has shifted significantly since the final whistle in Las Vegas last October. With new roster depth rules and a volatile free-agent market, the power rankings are fluid. Here is how the field stacks up as the dust settles for the season opener.

Carolina Cowboys

• The defending champions occupy the top spot by default, but the logic holds up under scrutiny. While the departure of 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen to Nashville left a gap in the lineup, Jerome Davis’ front office has been busy re-engineering the roster for a repeat run. The addition of Thiago Salgado—marking the first time he’ll ride alongside his brother Adriano in four years—adds immediate chemistry, while the acquisition of Keyshawn Whitehorse and the selection of Jake Lockwood provide a blend of consistency and high-upside youth. Keep an eye on Clay Guiton; if he returns to the dirt at full capacity, the Cowboys don’t just look like a contender—they look like the team to beat.

Missouri Thunder

• Fresh off their 2026 Monster Energy Team Challenge (METC) title—a hard-fought victory that saw them overcome a mid-week roster shakeup in Tacoma—the Thunder enter the season with legitimate championship momentum. While they’ve moved on from veteran captain Andrew “Primo” Alvidrez, the acquisition of Paulo Eduardo Rossetto’s brother, Angelo, alongside Julio Cesar Marques, has injected new energy into the locker room. Backed by the reliability of Maverick Smith, this squad proved in April they can win under pressure. They aren’t just filling roster spots; they’re building a system that’s proven it can close out games when the stakes are the highest.

• Florida Freedom

Last year’s regular season juggernauts enter the power rankings at number three, largely based on the strength of their unprecedented 2025 campaign. At the same time, the team’s roster has undergone a significant transformation—parting ways with veteran staples like Joao Ricardo Vieira and Thiago Salgado—and the front office has reloaded with a surgical focus. With reigning MVP John Crimber anchoring the lineup alongside Alex Cerqueira and Yan Victor Cunha, the Freedom have added gritty depth with Austin “Little A” Richardson, Ethan “Baby Gorilla” Winckler, and Bruno Carvalho. They have the roster density to rotate riders into those five starting spots, allowing them to match up strategically against any bull pen in the league. If they can replicate the consistency that defined their 20-win season last year, they remain a Tier-1 threat in the championship race.

Texas Rattlers

• The Rattlers enter the season with a clear mandate: return to the podium. After a season of “what ifs,” the front office has executed a high-impact offseason strategy to secure their status as a championship-level squad. By pairing incumbent veterans like Brady Fielder, Claudio Montanha Jr., and the ever-reliable Dan “Da Man” Keeping with high-caliber acquisitions Andrew “Primo” Alvidrez and 2023 PRCA World Champion Josh Frost, the Rattlers have effectively closed their talent gap. With Joao Ricardo Vieira also in the mix, this is a veteran-heavy lineup designed to perform under the bright lights of the Teams Championship. Don’t sleep on the “venom in denim” this season; they have the roster depth to dictate the pace of any game.

Austin Gamblers

• The Gamblers enter at number five, but don’t mistake their middle-of-the-pack ranking for a lack of championship pedigree; this is a team currently undergoing a massive surge in momentum. Following the news that three-time PBR World Champion Jose Vitor Leme has officially returned to the “green and black,” the Gamblers have instantly shifted from a talented roster to the title favorite’s biggest headache. With Leme back to anchor a lineup that already features “Mr. 90-Point” Dalton Kasel, seven-time PRCA World Champion Sage Kimzey, 2018 PBR World Champion Kaique “Iceman” Pacheco, and the ultra-consistent Dener Barbosa, the Gamblers have a surplus of options for their starting five. They aren’t just looking to compete; they are loading up for an all-in run to reclaim the championship glory they last held in 2024.

Kansas City Outlaws

• The Outlaws struggled to find a consistent rhythm last season, but they enter 2026 with an aggressive new identity. By securing Hayden Welsh with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 Draft, their front office signaled they aren’t looking to rebuild—they are looking for an immediate impact. Welsh, a standout PRCA talent, joins a formidable core that includes 2024 PBR World Champion Cassio Dias, Sandro Batist, and Maikon Calixto Rocha. With J.W Hart nd Guilherme Marchi at the helm, the Outlaws have the mentorship and raw talent to climb out of the mid-tier and into the championship conversation. We’ll find out very shortly if this infusion of fresh blood is the missing piece to their puzzle.

Arizona Ridge Riders

• The Ridge Riders may surprise some by entering at seventh, but this is a squad currently undergoing a strategic reset. While they’ve moved on from Keyshawn Whitehorse, the front office has doubled down on consistency by surrounding veteran stalwarts Eduardo Aparecido and Luciano de Castro with a high-ceiling core that includes Vitor Manoel Dias, Elizmar Souza Jeramias, and the ever-dynamic Nick Tetz. The “boys in black and silver” are primed to make an impression at Canvas Stadium; they have the density to rotate effectively, and if Aparecido and de Castro find their rhythm early, the Ridge Riders are a team that will climb out of this spot rapidly.

Nashville Stampede

• The Stampede are looking to recapture the magic of their 2022 inaugural championship run, a feat that has remained elusive in the seasons since. By trading Kaiden Loud to the Oklahoma Wildcatters to secure the No. 2 overall pick, the front office made a statement: they want Ky Hamilton, the 2023 PRCA World Champion, at the heart of their rebuild. While the acquisition of 2022 PBR World Champion Daylon Swearingen was a massive win for their locker room, his current status on the Injured Reserve (IR) means the Stampede will need big performances from Alan de Souza, Daniel Feitosa, and Gustavo Luiz da Silva to keep the pace early. If the Stampede can weather the early storm while awaiting reinforcements, they have the veteran leadership of Justin McBride to surprise the field potentially.

New York Mavericks

• The Mavericks enter the rankings in the lower tier, but dismissing them would be a tactical error. After a gritty 2025 campaign that saw them clinch a spot in the Teams Championship via a perfect game at the Ride-In, the front office has doubled down on an aggressive youth movement. They aren’t just relying on depth; they are betting on the future with a “rookie trifecta” of Hudson Bolton, Bob Mitchell and 2026 Rookie of the Year Marco “Money” Rizzo. While the roster has seen turnover this off-season, the inclusion of Leonardo Castro and Leandro Zampollo provides the veteran stability needed to support these young guns. If this team clicks, they are the exact kind of “dark horse” that could turn the T-Mobile Arena upside down come Championship weekend in Las Vegas.

Oklahoma Wildcatters

• The Wildcatters round out the power rankings, but don’t be fooled by their position; this is a team undergoing a massive identity shift. After a season defined by inconsistency, the front office handed the reins to legendary collegiate coach Greg Rhodes. Bringing nearly three decades of championship experience from Western Texas College. Rhodes is tasked with transforming raw potential into professional precision. With the addition of high-energy playmaker Kaiden Loud—joining Kase Hitt, Eduardo Matos, and Trace Redd —the Wildcatters have a roster that matches their ambition. Under Rhodes’ disciplined leadership, don’t be surprised if this team makes their current ranking look like a significant oversight as they hit their home stretch in Oklahoma City.

That’s how the teams stack up in the rankings; we’ll see how the roster changes across the teams work out rather shortly. Tune in on The CW Network at 10:00 PM ET Saturday night for Day One of the PBR Teams event during Bulls and Beats, and Sunday afternoon at 4:00 PM ET to catch the conclusion.

Do you think these power rankings are accurate, or is there a team that got overlooked?

Picture Courtesy of PBR/Picture Credit PBR Socials