2026 Fantasy Baseball: Dynasty Outfield Targets

The outfield player pool is vast and dynamic. We generally have five starting positions to fill in the outfield, and we ask a lot of the position. Building your roster with players who can contribute across all five categories is generally the intention.

When reviewing the player pool, given the sheer number of available outfielders, we can afford to be specific in what we’re looking for. Ultimately, it’s all about upside, so let’s take a look at dynasty outfielders I’m looking to target for 2026.

Dynasty Baseball Outfield Targets

Jackson Merrill, San Diego Padres

Really from the start of the 2025 season until now, it feels as if a lot of the luster has worn off from Jackson Merrill. I’m here to simply say that it’s unfair, and more blatantly, incorrect.

When Merrill made his major league debut in 2024, he was still just 21 years old. Merrill hit .292 in 156 games while showing off a well round skill set. Both power and speed were on display as Merrill had 24 home runs and 16 stolen bases to go along with 90 RBI and 77 runs scored.

Last year, health didn’t work in Merrill’s favor and he only played 115 games. It makes sense then that the decrease in playing time would lead to a decrease in counting stats. Merrill’s batting average did decrease to .264, but it still came with 16 home runs, 67 RBI, and 59 runs scored. Between either season, nothing might be considered flashy as like with Pete Crow-Armstrong, there’s a lot of solid production here. And Merrill is still just 23 years old.

An April hamstring strain did put a damper on Merrill’s season, and that helps to explain the fact that he only stole one base in 2025. Now, with full health, I’d expect that to return to form.

For more of the great fantasy baseball rankings and analysis you’ve come to expect from FantraxHQ, check out our full 2026 Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit! We’re here for you all the way up until Opening Day and then on into your championship run.

Jakob Marsee, Miami Marlins

There’s no doubt that Jakob Marsee is good at stealing bases. That much he proved in the minor leagues. However, prior to his trade to the Miami Marlins, Marsee seemingly lost some prospect luster.

While Marsee isn’t going to hit for power, we really shouldn’t hold that against him. In 2023, Marsee stole 46 bases in 129 games and followed that up with 51 stolen bases in 137 games the following year. Last year, before heading to the major leagues, Marsee stole 47 bases in just 98 games.

That captured our attention, and then what Marsee did in his 55 big league games sustained it. The outfielder hit .292 with five home runs, 33 RBI, 28 runs scored, and 14 stolen bases. Marsee’s home run output wasn’t there, but he did have a solid .187 ISO along with an 8% barrel rate that could be worse. In a full season, Marsee should get to about 15 home runs which means he’s not a true liability.

And of course, there’s real 40-50 stolen base upside which puts Marsee on our radar. Hitting for a solid batting average shouldn’t be an issue as he has a solid plate approach. Consistently, Marsee is around a double-digit walk rate and his 20.5% strikeout rate last year could be worse. But it’s those stolen bases we are really after.

Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals

While there’s some upside with Alec Burleson, in reality I’d consider him more of an undervalued option. When you look to round out your outfield, Burleson provides a benefit that has become increasingly rare.

Last season, Burleson hit .290 with a strikeout rate of just 14.5%. While he’s not going to overwhelm anyone with power, he isn’t a complete liability with 18 home runs and 69 RBI in 139 games. The outfielder saw his barrel rate increase from 6.5% to 9.4% while his average exit velocity followed going from 89.7 to 91 miles per hour.

Not every player is going to be a truly prolific option, but Burleson is a fine option to round out your team. Often times, batting average gets overlooked, but it shouldn’t.