The MLB All-Star Game is under two weeks away, and the best players in baseball are set to put on a great show in Atlanta. Every player on an ASG roster has been a huge contributor to his fantasy baseball teams this season, but there is a whole host of players that aren’t garnering nearly as much attention from national media or fantasy baseball outlets.
These players, despite flying under the radar, can have a huge impact on fantasy baseball teams and be the difference between last place and winning a championship. Below are three players commonly available on the waiver wire who could make a difference in Week 16 and beyond:
Grant Anderson
(RP, Milwaukee)
Percent Rostered (Fantrax): 2%
In 38 relief outings this season, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Grant Anderson has compiled 47 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched and a 2.89 ERA. According to Baseball Savant, he’s above the 50th percentile among MLB pitchers in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, chase rate, whiff rate, strikeout rate, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate.
Anderson debuted in 2023 and struggled mightily in his first two big league seasons, posting a 6.35 ERA before ditching his slider and cutter for a sweeper this season. The new offering has been very effective - batters are hitting just .131 against it with a 34.1% whiff rate.
Anderson’s fastball velocity is also up 1.5 ticks from last season and has averaged 93.2 MPH this season. His heater graded out at 96 last season according to Stuff+, which is a pitch characteristic modeling metric hosted at Fangraphs. This year, that mark is up to 105, meaning it’s an above-average fastball in terms of raw movement and spin.
This season, the Brewers right-hander has combined his improved stuff and arsenal changes with more effective command. While his 9.9% walk rate ranks in the 28th percentile of MLB pitchers, his Location+ - which measures how well a pitcher commanded the ball based on count and pitch type - grades out as above-average according to Fangraphs.
The only downside to rostering Anderson? He doesn’t accrue holds or saves at a high rate, which is not ideal for a reliever regardless of league type. However, his relatively high strikeout rate - more than one batter per inning - makes him a solid waiver wire pickup in deep leagues.
Hoby Milner
(RP, Texas)
Percent Rostered: 9%
Second on the list for this week? Texas Rangers reliever Hoby Milner, who has a 2.49 ERA in 40 appearances and has 39 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched. The 34-year-old is rostered in just 9% of Fantrax leagues and is a great option for fantasy baseball managers looking for relief help.
Milner throws a fastball that averages just 88 MPH, but he’s been extremely effective this season. Throwing from an arm angle that’s just below parallel to the ground, Milner utilizes a wipeout sweeper and sinker to get lots of ground balls and a league-average number of strikeouts. While he doesn’t rack up saves or holds - he has none of the former and ten of the latter this season - Milner can contribute to fantasy baseball teams, especially in roto leagues.
Milner’s 2.98 xERA ranks in the 84th percentile of qualified pitchers, and his 1.06 WHIP is the result of a deceptive arsenal that results in a lot of ground balls and off-balance hitters. Despite whiff and chase rates that both rank in the 5th percentile, his 22.4% strikeout rate is slightly above league-average.
Nolan Jones
(OF, Cleveland)
Percent Rostered: 35%
After his first two seasons in the big leagues, Nolan Jones looked like a budding superstar. In 2023, he hit .297 and charted 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in just 106 games played. But after a subpar 2024 season where he hit .227 with a .641 OPS, Jones was shipped from Colorado to Cleveland for 2025.
Still just 27, Jones still has plenty of potential. While he only has 231 plate appearances this season, he’s listed as a regular on Fangraphs’ Guardians depth chart.
The back of Jones’ baseball card is nothing impressive - he’s batting .223, which is a career-worst mark. His .631 OPS is also on pace to be a career-low, and he only has three home runs this season.
However, his expected statistics tell a different story. Jones has a 92.3 MPH average exit velocity, which means he’s hitting the ball harder than 90% of qualified big league hitters. And among batters with at least 200 plate appearances, the difference between his xSLG and SLG is fourth-highest, behind Mike Trout, Bryan Reynolds, and Corey Seager.
One of Jones’ biggest struggles early in his career has been limiting his strikeout rate. Before this season, he’d been a punchout victim in at least 29.7% of his plate appearances every year. In 2025, that rate is down to a career-low 25.2%.
With an expected slash line of .257/.342/.442, fantasy baseball managers can expect regression in the positive direction from Jones, who has always been extremely talented. Take a look at Jones’s 2023 MLB Pipeline scouting report:
“Big and strong with tremendous leverage in his left-handed swing, Jones’s raw power has always been apparent, though he hasn’t always been able to tap into it. There’s some length to his swing, which leads to some swing-and-miss, and while he draws walks and works deep counts, that can lead to him being too passive at the plate.”
With above-average bat speed, high exit velocities, and a lower strikeout rate, Jones is showing he has what it takes to return to his 2023 form. If he does, he will be a huge boon to fantasy managers who roster him.
Jones, whose raw talent and expected statistics indicate future success, and the pair of reliable relievers are great opportunities to pick up underrated players off the waiver wire in Week 16 of the fantasy baseball season. Make sure to check back next week for your Week 17 waiver wire breakdown!