Dynasty: Eli Willits. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has Willits ahead, Willits #56 and Gillen #67, but the expert consensus has Gillen ahead (#98 to #129). The community agrees too, FRV 58.5 to 50.9.
JD on Eli Willits (Nov 2, 2026): I was down on Eli Willits for so long and was probably too late to adjust to the performance he was putting up in the minors this year. After seeing what he did in 2026, I think the Nationals have a budding star on their hands. Willits hadn't even had his 18th birthday yet when the Nationals took him first overall in 2025 and handed him $8.2 million. However, the slot value for this pick was $11 million, meaning he took a nearly $3 million haircut. I think that poisoned my mind into thinking he was a budget pick that didn't necessarily have the ceiling of other guys in his draft like Ethan Holliday, Kade Anderson, or Seth Hernandez. Rather than looking like Tim Beckham 2.0, Willits has more or less exploded onto the scene, hitting for much more power than I originally expected and being a lot more physical than he was projected to be coming into the draft. Even discounting the 62 stolen bases in 2026, as minor league stolen bases don't tell me anything about a prospect other than how aggressive they are in the minors, he still ran a 17.7% walk rate with only a 21% K rate and slugged 14 home runs as an 18-year-old across three levels. He has an outside chance of hitting the big league roster in 2027, but more than likely will need another year of development, where we should see his power continue to blossom with him knocking down the door of the big leagues in 2028 as one of the most hyped prospects in the minors.
JD on Theo Gillen (Nov 5, 2026): Oh, do the Rays have another top prospect to salivate over? I can't help but think that Theo Gillen should have been getting at-bats in the playoffs for the Rays. The combination of DeLuca, Vilade, Williamson, and Walls feeling like automatic outs at the end of their lineup was ridiculous. Theo Gillen really took another step forward this year, hitting 22 home runs after hitting only 5 across his first two minor league seasons. That was really the one piece missing and the piece that I wasn't sure would ever develop when he was first touted as a top prospect. When you pair that with a .968 OPS and a double-digit walk rate, he looks like he will be a mainstay in the big leagues for years to come. I feel like Carson Benge is a pretty good comp to Gillen. I think if he gets a full season of at-bats next year, he could put together a similar standout rookie campaign. That would catapult him into (or close to) the top 25 dynasty rankings at the end of 2027 heading into 2028.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Eli Willits | Theo Gillen |
|---|---|---|
| Team | WAS | TB |
| Position | SS | OF |
| Age | 18 | 21 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #56 | #67 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #129 | #98 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | - | - |
| Prospect Consensus Rank | #5 | #10 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 58.5 | 50.9 |
| Expert Sources | 28 | 30 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #43–#269 | #40–#203 |
| 2027 Projected Value | -$24.7 | -$19.8 |
| 2026 $ Earned | - | - |
| 2027 Projected Rank | #1810 | #1636 |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Down 26 spots | Up 7 spots |
Price a Eli Willits-for-Theo Gillen trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their 2027 dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer