Dynasty: too close to call. Redraft: Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has them nearly level, Yamamoto #20 and Cruz #21, and the expert consensus agrees (#42 and #23). The community leans Yamamoto, FRV 76.2 to 67.3. For 2026 redraft, the consensus has Yamamoto ahead, #14 to #26.
JD on Oneil Cruz (Oct 2, 2026): This is my favorite ranking in all the top 25 and I'm fully ready for it to blow up in my face. In terms of raw talent, there may not be a player in baseball outside of Elly who has as loud of tools as Oneil Cruz. He absolutely demolishes the ball (94.1 average EV last year), has hit the hardest recorded ball in MLB history (122.9 mph) in 2025, and the second-hardest-hit ball in MLB history (122.4 mph). Why is everyone not salivating over him? Is it maybe that he struck out checks notes 33.2% of the time last year? But the exit velos! Being realistic, Oneil Cruz is a high-risk asset and there's going to be a lot of pain associated with holding him. I do think that a lot of his performance has to do with his team dynamic, as the Pirates were garbage last year and you could tell he wasn't in it mentally. 2026 was a lot different as the Pirates put a fun competitive team on the field and he was dominant and healthy, putting up a 20/30 season in only 368 at-bats. If you had to pick one player outside of the top 20 to bet on being the number one fantasy player next year, I think Oneil Cruz is your best bet. He's also a good bet to hit below .200 and start getting benched halfway through the season. Cruz is your guy if you're a risk-taker, if you like a more predictable player, he's not for you.
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 | Oneil Cruz | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Team | PIT | LAD |
| Position | OF | SP |
| Age | 27 | 28 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #21 | #20 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #42 | #23 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | #26 | #14 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 67.3 | 76.2 |
| Expert Sources | 11 | 11 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #30–#117 | #13–#31 |
| Rest-of-Season Value | — | — |
| $ Earned Year to Date | — | — |
| ROS Rank (Top 300) | — | — |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Down 1 spot | Up 2 spots |
| Stat | Oneil Cruz | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| PA | 419 | — |
| HR | 20 | — |
| R | 65 | — |
| RBI | 67 | — |
| SB | 30 | — |
| AVG | .280 | — |
| OBP | .368 | — |
| SLG | .486 | — |
| OPS | .854 | — |
| wOBA | .371 | — |
| xwOBA | .352 | — |
| Stat | Oneil Cruz | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| IP | — | 185.0 |
| W | — | 14 |
| SV | — | 0 |
| ERA | — | 2.53 |
| WHIP | — | 0.87 |
| K | — | 182 |
| K/9 | — | 8.9 |
Price a Oneil Cruz-for-Yoshinobu Yamamoto trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their rest-of-season dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer