Dynasty: Jackson Merrill. Redraft: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has Merrill ahead, Merrill #15 and Yamamoto #20, but the expert consensus has Yamamoto ahead (#23 to #52). The community disagrees, leaning Yamamoto, FRV 76.2 to 70.1. For 2026 redraft, the consensus has Yamamoto ahead, #14 to #55.
JD on Jackson Merrill (Oct 2, 2026): This might be an ultra aggressive ranking that blows up in my face, or I could be a pioneer who sees reality before everyone else. Here is what I see in Merrill: He is 23 years old He just finished his 3rd year in the major leagues (at 23 years old) He has put up above average offensive stats every season (130 wRC+ in 2024, 115 in 2025, 105 in 2026). He absolutely exploded in the 2nd half and was the 5th best player on our player values (only behind PCA, Elly, FTJ, and Jackson Chourio). HE WILL BE 24 YEARS OLD IN 2027! He is similar in age to prospects like Sorota, Baez, Condon, and Tibbs while having 3 seasons in the big leagues under his belt. Ask yourself this question, if Konnor Griffin put up these 3 seasons of performance from 2026 to 2028, would you consider it a success? How excited would you be by Griffin heading into his age 23 season with this performance to start his career? Because I see no reason to rank a player who is still effectively a "prospect" above someone like Merrill who just put up a near 30/30 season at 23 years old. (For reference, Griffin is 16 in the expert consensus while Merrill is 52(!)) Is Merrill a perfect player? Not at all, he is far from it. He doesn't take enough walks and strikes out more than I would like for someone with his exit velocities. But he barrels the ball a ton, has an ideal launch angle, and is just now starting to enter the age where most players hit their prime. Merrill could be a sneaky 40 HR candidate next year, and if he continues to run like he did this year (27 SB) and manages his K rate, you have all of the makings of a top 5 player for 2027. But sure, continue taking the 20 year old prospect because he might turn into Merrill one day in this spot instead.
JD on Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Oct 2, 2026): I will always have the utmost respect for Yamamoto for coming in on zero days' rest in Game 7 last year and throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings to get the save and lock down the World Series. It's the same respect I have for Nathan Eovaldi covering 6 innings in extras out of the bullpen in the 2018 WS for the Red Sox after throwing an inning in relief in the previous two games. Seriously, take a moment to watch this highlight video (and especially key in on the dugout after he gave up the walkoff HR in the 18th): https://www.mlb.com/news/nathan-eovaldi-a-red-sox-hero-in-game-3-c299755566 But I digress; Yamamoto is one of the most bankable guys in the big leagues right now and I think he is the safest ace you could have on your team right now. There's really no weak part in his game except the team he is on, as the Dodgers frequently use a 6-man rotation and will never need to push at the end of the regular season with how dominant their roster is, and that makes Yamamoto not as reliable in the fantasy playoffs. If you're in a roto format as opposed to a head-to-head, he's probably more valuable to you because you can bank his stats early. Don't be afraid to sell Yoshi at your league's trade deadline next year if the Dodgers doing their thing - you will probably get a haul back and you won't risk his potential rest interfering with your fantasy championship.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Jackson Merrill | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Team | SD | LAD |
| Position | OF | SP |
| Age | 23 | 28 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #15 | #20 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #52 | #23 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | #55 | #14 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 70.1 | 76.2 |
| Expert Sources | 11 | 11 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #15–#87 | #13–#31 |
| Rest-of-Season Value | $1 | — |
| $ Earned Year to Date | $25 | — |
| ROS Rank (Top 300) | #203 | — |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Up 10 spots | Up 2 spots |
| Stat | Jackson Merrill | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| PA | 664 | — |
| HR | 26 | — |
| R | 86 | — |
| RBI | 87 | — |
| SB | 27 | — |
| AVG | .254 | — |
| OBP | .303 | — |
| SLG | .440 | — |
| OPS | .743 | — |
| wOBA | .320 | — |
| xwOBA | .347 | — |
| Stat | Jackson Merrill | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| IP | — | 185.0 |
| W | — | 14 |
| SV | — | 0 |
| ERA | — | 2.53 |
| WHIP | — | 0.87 |
| K | — | 182 |
| K/9 | — | 8.9 |
Price a Jackson Merrill-for-Yoshinobu Yamamoto trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their rest-of-season dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer