2021 Top 500 Dynasty Baseball Rankings

It’s one thing to say that it’s difficult to extrapolate meaning from the limited sample size and unique circumstances of the 2020 season. It’s another thing to go through the process of actually ranking 500 players in this context.

With that sizable caveat, below is a ranking of my top dynasty league players for 2021. I’ve also added a column for my overall prospect rank where applicable, so you can use this to draft both dynasty and prospect-only drafts.

Obviously, this list will shift dramatically based on trades, free agent signings, and offseason player movement. I’ll adjust these again in the Spring, but I know many of you are making deals and drafting dynasty leagues between now and then. So I worked to get this list out to you now.

A few general notes on my approach to dynasty that give you context on the rankings:

1. This assumes traditional 5×5 roto dynasty leagues. You’ll need to make adjustments for OBP leagues, QS leagues, etc.

2. Do not use this – or any dynasty list for that matter – as a straight draft list. The depth of your league, the drafting tendencies of your leaguemates, and other factors will influence your draft.

3. My general dynasty approach (that informed these rankings) is to play for the next three years when you draft. Going for broke and drafting as if you’re in a redraft league in the first year of a dynasty league is dangerous. On the flipside, drafting all prospects and ignoring proven MLB players in their prime is a recipe for disaster.

4. The dynasty community is ageist. Yes, you want younger players who can contribute to your team for a long period of time. But productive players in their 30s have value too. You will see me ranking 28-31 year olds higher here than many other dynasty lists.

5. I probably don’t like pitchers – especially pitching prospects – as much as you do. Early on in dynasty drafts, I tend to stack young bats. I’ll get pitching later. Established aces are arguably the most valuable commodity in redraft fantasy leagues, but how many top fantasy arms in 2021 do you have confidence in for the next three years?

6. The market matters. This list doesn’t necessarily reflect how well I think each of these players will perform. This is for keeper and dynasty league purposes, which means trade value is king. There are plenty of instances, especially with prospects, where I personally assign a lesser value to players than the roto-sphere does. I’m happy to draft them and trade them for players I like more than the crowd.

7. The closer is the most unpredictable “position” in fantasy baseball. They are considerably lower on this list than in a redraft league. You are betting on their long-term consistency at your own risk.