Top 200 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings - Eric Cross' August 2026 Update

August 31, 2026

Eric Cross' updated top 200 dynasty fantasy baseball rankings, updated for August 2026. His top MLB players to target in dynasty leagues for 2026 and beyond.

We're through the dog days of summer and approaching the final month of the season. This season has seen plenty of notable risers and fallers in fantasy rankings, and the month of August was no different. You'll see several names with notable jumps or tumbles in my August dynasty rankings.

We also have a new member of the top 10. Everyone, please say hello to Pete Crow-Armstrong. PCA has been an absolute stud this season and could join the 40/40 club with a strong finish to the season. He's more than deserving of a top-10 spot at this point.

Below, you'll find my top-200 Dynasty Rankings for August 2026, with notes on notable risers or fallers in my August update. Check out my Patreon for my full top-500 Dynasty Rankings, plus plenty of additional content.

What Factors Into My Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings

Many elements go into dynasty rankings, but I primarily weigh the following:

• Current/Recent Performance
• Expected future short-term performance (next 2-3 years)
• Expected future long-term performance
• Profile/metrics analysis
• Durability
• Team Context (it matters a little bit)

Top 200 Fantasy Baseball Dynasty Rankings

Updated: August 2026. For the full Top 500, along with additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.

Dynasty Fantasy Baseball Rankings Notes

Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals

After scuffling a bit in July, Jac Caglianone has been a beast here in August. In 98 plate appearances this month, Caglianone has slashed .411/.429/.684 with eight doubles, six home runs, three steals, 26 RBI, and 17 runs scored. For the season, Cags is now up to 23 home runs and six steals in 492 plate appearances, along with a .284/.333/.499 slash line.

Jac Caglianone just hit one WAY out!

FIVE homers in his last 5 games 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zhgmcgQ51D

— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2026

When it comes to quality of contact, Caglianone's profile is littered with red. He's currently in the 93rd percentile or higher in xSLG, AVG EV, barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and bat speed, along with also having a 92nd percentile xBA at .283.

Caglianone mashes all pitch types too, posting an AVG EV of 92 mph or higher on fastballs, breaking balls, and offspeed pitches. It's also helped that Caglianone has increased his air rate by 5.1%, his pull rate by 4.7%, and his pull-air rate by 4.2% this season.

The power alone has Caglianone pushing top-50 overall status right now. But with that said, I'm not sure I envision another notable rise in my rankings in the near future. Caglianone is still overly aggressive with a 5.9% walk rate and 39% chase rate.

But fortunately, he's managed to maintain a respectable 82.6% zone and 70.8% overall contact rate. That contact rate is a bit below average, but fine given Caglianone's elite quality of contact.

Carson Benge, New York Mets

On the hitting side, you can make a case for Carson Benge being the most underrated rookie of the 2026 season so far. In 541 plate appearances, Benge is slashing .277/.336/.422 with 69 runs, 54 RBI, 18 doubles, 16 home runs, and 19 steals. He needs just four more home runs and one more steal to become the 10th rookie in the 21st century to join the 20/20 club in their debut season.

Carson Benge is doing it all tonight!

He destroys a 451-foot home run 💪 https://t.co/WNuBQfENZN pic.twitter.com/gNa0y4Zih5

— MLB (@MLB) August 5, 2026

Benge has been especially hot at the plate over the last two months, hitting .302 in July and .320 in August with a .371 OBP in each month. He's now hit above .300 in three of the last four months, and has cranked five home runs in two of the last three months.

The metrics under the hood for Benge don't really stand out outside of his arm strength, but he does many things well across the board. Benge is currently running an 88.9 mph AVG EV, 40% % hard-hit rate, 85.8% zone contact rate, and a 78.7% overall contact rate. Given his above-average contact and the ability to go 20/25 annually, Benge needs to be a top-100 dynasty asset at this point in time.

Colson Montgomery, Chicago White Sox

After cracking the top 100 overall for a few months, Colson Montgomery tumbled down around 50 spots in this month's update. There are two things that Montgomery does better than most shortstops: Hit home runs and play defense. Montgomery currently ranks second in home runs, second in RBI, and second in ISO among the 59 shortstops with at least 100 plate appearances this season. He also ranks in the 95th percentile in OAA.

However, once you get past the home runs, bat speed, and the defense, Montgomery's profile becomes much more concerning. He's currently rocking a 34.1% strikeout rate with a 78% zone contact rate, 32.8% chase rate, 62.9% overall contact rate, and a .207 xBA. For the season, Montgomery is now down to a .211 AVG and .289 OBP after hitting .205 or lower with an OBP below .270 in each of the last three months.

As a shortstop who brings zero speed to the table, Montgomery needs to manage at least a respectable average in the .240-.250 range along with more than 30 home runs annually if he wants to be a top-10 option at the position in fantasy. The power side has held up, but he's yet to show he can maintain an average above .230.

Cade Cavalli, Washington Nationals

After a few years of struggles, both with performance and durability, Cade Cavalli has finally made the transition from "former top prospect" to one of the most dynamic arms in baseball over the last few months. In his last 13 starts dating back to June 25, Cavalli has recorded a stellar 2.15 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 6.2% walk rate, and a 32.6% strikeout rate across 75.1 innings.

For the season, Cavalli is now down to a 3.12 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 29 starts, along with a 7.2% walk rate and a 27.7% strikeout rate. Among the 53 qualified starting pitchers this season, Cavalli ranks 15th in ERA, 11th in strikeout rate, and 11th in K-BB rate.

Cade Cavalli, Filthy 88mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/4kZTBUOxhK

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 29, 2026

The metrics on Cavalli's 4-seamer aren't great for the season (.298 BAA, .500 SLG), but he's been using the offering less often here in August, down to 27% from his normal 34-36% range.

On top of that, Cavalli's knuckle curve and sweeper have been dynamic offerings for him this season, both having a BAA under .190 and a whiff rate north of 34%. I'm not ready to put him in the ace discussion, but Cavalli is certainly in the SP2 mix right now, and inside my top-100 overall.

If you enjoyed these rankings and want to see the full Top 500, along with additional rankings, analysis, and more, check out Eric's Toolshed Fantasy Patreon.

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