Dynasty: Paul Skenes. The FanRanked staff dynasty board has Skenes ahead, Skenes #44 and Walcott #48, and the expert consensus agrees (#13 and #105). The community agrees too, FRV 86.7 to 70.0.
JD on Paul Skenes (Oct 20, 2026): What do you do with Paul Skenes? I really don't think I'm overreacting to his second-half performance, because he very clearly lost a tick or two on all of his stuff. Unfortunately, that made him much more hittable and he limped to a post-All-Star break stat line of 4.23/1.27 across 66 innings. His value seems to be carried more so by velocity that any other pitcher ranked this high, as every minor step back seems that much more hittable. If you remember back to his draft year, one of the main concerns was that his fastball shape was not elite and people were worried that would make him very hittable in the big leagues. When he was averaging 98+ MPH, those concerns seemed to go away, but as soon as that velo started to drop you saw the issues rear up again. What does Skenes look like at a 95 mph average fastball? What about 94? I'm worried about what kind of pitcher he becomes if this trend continues into 2027. I'm not sure if he's hiding an injury or he lost something mechanically over the course of the season that caused this regression in stuff. If it's just a mechanical issue, that makes me optimistic that he can bounce back to his dominate self in 2027. However, I think it is far more likely that something is breaking down and he will either need to get something fixed or his stuff will never be the same. The other option is that Livvy Dunne is slowly draining his life force away and within 2 years he will be a shell of himself as she makes her MLB debut for the Pirates. If I am being realistic, all 3 of these are equally likely options. If you are in a dynasty league holding Skenes, I'd love to know what you're thinking and what your plan is heading into 2027. Are you a believer that the stuff will return, or are you starting to hit the panic button?
JD on Sebastian Walcott (Oct 21, 2026): I am so bullish on Walcott that it hurts sometimes. The only reason he isn't number one is because I see him as a higher-variance prospect than Made or Arias. He did not skip a beat when he came back from TJ, slashing .325/.401/.590 across 187 PA, mainly in AA. He did experience a bit of regression with his K rate, going from a 19.6% K rate in 2025 to a 24.1% K rate in 2026. I think that is to be expected because of all of the time off rehabbing and because he tapped into more power than he did in '25, averaging a home run every 18 plate appearances as opposed to every 40 plate appearances the year prior. He is also holding is own in the AFL, with a .777 OPS and a 4/7 BB/K rate across 27 at-bats so far, including this grand slam hit on 10/16. (side note, is it too much to ask to put on a professional looking broadcast for AFL games? Why are are we getting the high school baseball behind home plate camera view in 2026?) https://www.mlb.com/rangers/video/sebastian-walcott-s-fall-league-grand-slam?partnerId=webvideo-playback-pagevideo-share Don't be afraid to pay up for Sebastian Walcott in dynasty drafts heading into 2027. If he finishes his AFL season strong, I think he will have a ton of helium heading into 2027 with people clamoring for him to make his debut. With his frame and power potential, him exploding onto the scene and making a name for himself right out of the gate isn't out of the question.
Data as of . Consensus boards refresh daily; the staff board moves when it is republished.
| Metric | Paul Skenes | Sebastian Walcott |
|---|---|---|
| Team | PIT | TEX |
| Position | SP | DH |
| Age | 24 | 20 |
| Staff Dynasty Rank | #44 | #48 |
| Dynasty Consensus Rank | #13 | #105 |
| Redraft Consensus Rank | #75 | - |
| Prospect Consensus Rank | - | #10 |
| FRV (FanRanked Value) | 86.7 | 70.0 |
| Expert Sources | 9 | 21 |
| Dynasty Rank Range | #4–#21 | #64–#204 |
| Rest-of-Season Value | - | $1 |
| $ Earned Year to Date | - | - |
| ROS Rank (Top 300) | - | #182 |
| 30-Day Consensus Move | Down 3 spots | Up 8 spots |
| Stat | Paul Skenes | Sebastian Walcott |
|---|---|---|
| IP | 174.1 | - |
| W | 10 | - |
| SV | 0 | - |
| ERA | 3.82 | - |
| WHIP | 1.12 | - |
| K | 200 | - |
| K/9 | 10.3 | - |
Price a Paul Skenes-for-Sebastian Walcott trade in the Dynasty Trade Calculator · compare their rest-of-season dollars in the Roto & Redraft Trade Analyzer