In my own opinion, he doesn't belong in any lane at all. He loses to pretty much any matchup due to his God awful early game. Having a Yi successfully get out of the laning phase without being completely shut down means his opponent was just trash at whatever champ they were playing.
I'd say, if you want a late game monster that is decent at top lane, pick Jax instead.
I'd say, if you want a late game monster that is decent at top lane, pick