Dynasty: Bobby Witt Jr. Redraft: too close to call. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has Witt ahead, Witt #2 and Cruz #5, and the expert consensus agrees (#3 and #8). The community agrees too, FRV 100.3 to 80.5. For 2026 redraft, the consensus has them close, Witt #3 and Cruz #4, but the rest-of-season engine has Cruz ahead ($50 to $47).
JD on Bobby Witt Jr. (Sep 24, 2026): If Bobby Witt Jr. was PCA's age, I think he'd be the #1 player for me. It's really that 2-year age gap (26 vs 24) that makes the 5th, 6th, and 7th years of this analysis lean in favor of PCA because he will still be in his prime while BWJ will be on his way out. It's hard to truly have a 7-year mindset when it comes to dynasty leagues, but that is the lens that I'm viewing these rankings through. I want to make sure that I start out these rankings as faithful to the rules as possible. As for BWJ's actual performance this year, he largely underwhelmed. Right? Or did he actually put together a pretty strong season all things considered? In a season, I think we'd all agree was the down season for him, he still had an OPS hovering around .800, stole 43 bases, and hit 18 home runs while only striking out 17% of the time (as of this writing on September 21st, would love to see him get to 20/40). Runs and RBIs are more of a function of the team rather than him, but he wasn't a negative in that department and was among the league leaders in runs at 87. The underlying savant metrics still back up his abilities at the plate, with a higher max EV than Junior Caminero and an average EV eclipsing mashers like J-Rod and Ben Rice. If this is what a down season looks like for BWJ, then you're establishing an incredibly high floor and should be able to rely on him for stats at least this good, with a ton of upside in 2027. He may not have as high a ceiling as PCA, but the floor is among the highest of anyone in baseball and I'm happy taking this profile with my second pick.
JD on Elly De La Cruz (Sep 24, 2026): Elly has come on like a bat out of hell in the last month, and gone from my 10th-ranked dynasty asset to the 5th-ranked in the process. He is one of the bonafide faces of the MLB at this point, despite being only 24 years old, because he's been around since he 2023 and has performed at an elite level every year. This year he has taken another step forward and improved in basically every measurable category but the two that I find the most compelling are the nearly 3 mph jump in avg exit velocity and the 11% walk rate, despite keeping his swing and miss largely the same compared to 2025. We are one launch angle adjustment away from him being a perennial 40-plus home run threat, but I do love that in general his game seems to be shifting from more of a speed-based profile to a power profile. Another a unique aspect of Elly's profile is that he suddenly became a lefty masher in 2026 after being clearly deficient against lefties for his career. Prior to this year I would have argued that Elly should only hit from the left side but this year he slashed over 1,000 OPS against lefties, with 10 home runs in only 181 PA (vs 18 HR in 428 PA vs righties). I'll be curious to see if this is just an aberration or something that persists on a yearly basis going forward. I don't really have any complaints with Elly. The only reason he's not the top tier for me is the same reason James Wood's isn't: the inflated K rate is going to lead to streakiness and that's not something I can overlook. I can see an argument for taking Elly over James Wood but I don't have him over my top three guys right now.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Bobby Witt Jr. | Elly De La Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| Team | KC | CIN |
| Position | SS | SS |
| Age | 26 | 24 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #2 | #5 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #3 | #8 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | #3 | #4 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 100.3 | 80.5 |
| Expert Sources | 11 | 11 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #1–#11 | #5–#20 |
| Rest-of-Season Value | $47 | $50 |
| $ Earned Year to Date | $29 | $34 |
| ROS Rank (Top 300) | #6 | #5 |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Down 1 spot | Up 2 spots |
| Stat | Bobby Witt Jr. | Elly De La Cruz |
|---|---|---|
| PA | 611 | 614 |
| HR | 18 | 29 |
| R | 88 | 97 |
| RBI | 54 | 76 |
| SB | 43 | 29 |
| AVG | .283 | .288 |
| OBP | .362 | .370 |
| SLG | .444 | .521 |
| OPS | .806 | .891 |
| wOBA | .348 | .384 |
| xwOBA | .379 | .378 |
Price a Bobby Witt Jr.-for-Elly De La Cruz trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their rest-of-season dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer