Dynasty: too close to call. Redraft: Elly De La Cruz. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has them nearly level, Cruz #5 and Chourio #6, and the expert consensus agrees (#8 and #11). The community rates them even, FRV 80.5 and 83.5. For 2026 redraft, the consensus has Cruz ahead, #4 to #10, but the rest-of-season engine has Chourio ahead ($35 to $16).
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.
JD on Jackson Chourio (Sep 24, 2026): I think my first five players are more or less run of the mill, in line with what you'd expect to see from any dynasty list. Jackson Chourio might be my first bold take at number 6, but I couldn't justify putting him any lower than this. Chourio debuted at 20 years old and has done nothing but succeed at the major league level. I think the issue is that he hasn't thrived, just merely succeeded, and that's why people overlook him when it comes to the elite players in the league. Everything is trending in the right direction for him: His 2026 xwOBA was the highest of his career. His exit velocity has jumped 2 mph while his launch angle is continuing to improve, and he's hitting .285 while putting up his third straight 20/20 season. My bet isn't that this is Jackson Chourio's final form, but that what we are seeing is just Chourio maturing at the big league level rather than getting his seasoning in the minor leagues. Sometime in the next 3 years, he is going to establish himself as one of the most valuable players in fantasy baseball and put up a 30/30 or knock down the door of a 40/40 season and blow everyone away. Everything I'm seeing tells me that he is trending in the right direction, and if a manager in your league is suffering from Chourio fatigue I think this is the year to jump in and scoop him up. The 2026 offseason might be the last time before he truly establishes himself as a bonafide star in both fantasy baseball and the MLB.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Elly De La Cruz | Jackson Chourio |
|---|---|---|
| Team | CIN | MIL |
| Position | SS | OF |
| Age | 24 | 22 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #5 | #6 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #8 | #11 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | #4 | #10 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 80.5 | 83.5 |
| Expert Sources | 11 | 11 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #5–#20 | #4–#67 |
| Rest-of-Season Value | $16 | $35 |
| $ Earned Year to Date | $34 | $26 |
| ROS Rank (Top 300) | #74 | #15 |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Up 2 spots | No move |
| Stat | Elly De La Cruz | Jackson Chourio |
|---|---|---|
| PA | 622 | 563 |
| HR | 30 | 25 |
| R | 98 | 92 |
| RBI | 77 | 71 |
| SB | 29 | 23 |
| AVG | .285 | .285 |
| OBP | .367 | .345 |
| SLG | .521 | .483 |
| OPS | .888 | .828 |
| wOBA | .383 | .357 |
| xwOBA | .377 | .343 |
Price a Elly De La Cruz-for-Jackson Chourio trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their rest-of-season dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer