Nothing lasts forever, and things change. Unfortunately, that’s a blanket statement that can be applied to many things in life. In this situation, we are talking about dynasty fantasy baseball and the outfield position, specifically.
As it relates to the player pool, there are multiple reasons why we should move on in some cases. It could be talent and that potential that might not pan out, or players that are on the wrong side of the aging curve. Let’s jump into some outfielders I’m looking to move on from as it relates to 2026 fantasy baseball and dynasty outfield targets.
Dynasty Outfield Sell High Options
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
Looking to move on from Pete Crow-Armstrong sounds crazy. Almost insane, actually. Crow-Armstrong is just 23 years old and has talent and upside for days. But how does that apply to results on the field and his dynasty league outlook?
Not to give a shameless plug to some of my other work, but one of the dynasty outfielders I’m targeting is Jackson Merrill. If you line him up against Crow-Armstrong, it’s PCA who will be ranked higher. Given the choice, though, I’d rather have Merrill, and it’s also why I’m looking to sell high on Crow-Armstrong.
The biggest thing for Crow-Armstrong is the need to find consistency. While there are some real tools here, there are also some causes for concern. We can start with his 24% strikeout rate last year and the fact that he walked just 4.5% of the time. His .247 batting average isn’t ideal, and his .242 xBA doesn’t generate optimism. Neither does Crow-Armstrong’s .188 average against left-handed pitchers nor his .218 road batting average.
All of that manifested as the outfielder hit just .216 with six second-half home runs compared to .265/25 in the first half. Do you feel more comfortable with that, or will the focus be on his 31 home runs and 35 stolen bases from 2025?
Yes, Crow-Armstrong did have a .234 ISO and 13% barrel rate last year, but there are some real questions. We probably won’t see better from Crow-Armstrong, so don’t take the risk and, instead, maximize your value.
Byron Buxton, Minnesota Twins
I feel this is an obvious one. I don’t want it to be true, as one of the sad things of our generation has been the inability of Byron Buxton to stay healthy.
Last year, Buxton did manage to stay healthy, relative to him, as his 126 games were the most he played since 2017. As he comes off one of the best seasons of his career, Buxton is now 32 years old, and the track record does speak for itself. Despite the fact that he hit .264 with 35 home runs, 83 RBI, and 97 runs scored, I’m not feeling great about Buxton for 2026. He also stole 24 bases as everything was clicking.
But are we comfortable with him repeating that in 2026?
The 17.6% barrel rate and 53.8% hard hit rate certainly say we should be. Buxton also stole 24 bases, so it’s clear that everything was working. But the 27.3% strikeout rate is a little unsettling. And for those expecting to see Buxton lose steam, he hit .286 in the first half and .226 in the second half of the season.
If there were a time to maximize value on Buxton, this would be it.
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.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
How many times are we going to get burned? It’s so easy to be smitten by Oneil Cruz. Those tools are bound to capture the attention of anyone. However, there are also some real problems within his game, and Cruz has seemingly plateaued.
In the past two seasons, Cruz has barrel rates of 15.7% and 17.9%. That has only translated to 21 and 20 home runs, with 76 and 61 RBI, respectively, because Cruz is generally considered to be an all-or-nothing option. He did hit .259 in 2024, but it came with a .347 BABIP. It shouldn’t have been surprising then to see Cruz’s average drop to .200 with a BABIP of .262 last season.
With a strikeout rate of 32% and a .218 xBA in 2025, we really shouldn’t expect much more from Cruz. He did steal 36 bases last year, after 22 in 2024, but that comes at a cost. This is who Cruz is, and don’t expect anything more.
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